The Canning Revolution: Why Aluminium Cans Are Booming
The aluminium can has experienced a remarkable renaissance in the beverage industry. Once primarily associated with mass-market beer and soft drinks, cans are now the fastest-growing packaging format across virtually every beverage category including craft beer, hard seltzers, ready-to-drink cocktails, energy drinks, cold brew coffee, and even wine.
This growth is driven by several factors: high recyclability (aluminium is recyclable with no quality loss), effective product protection (complete light and oxygen barrier), consumer convenience, and increasingly positive brand perception. The global canned beverage market is projected to continue growing at 5-6% annually through 2030.
For producers looking to enter the canned beverage market or expand existing capacity, used canning lines offer significant advantages. New canning equipment typically requires 8-14 months lead time, while used lines can be operational within 2-4 months of purchase. The cost savings compared to new equipment range from 40-65%, making market entry feasible for smaller producers.
Core Components of a Canning Line
Depalletiser: Receives bulk empty cans from pallets and feeds them to the line. High-level depalletisers (sweeping type) are standard for speeds above 20,000 CPH. Check sweep bar condition and can orientation systems.
Can Rinser/Ioniser: Cleans empty cans before filling using air, ionised air, or water rinse. Essential for product quality and safety.
Counter-Pressure Filler: The core of any canning line. Cans are purged with CO2, pressurised, filled from bottom up to minimise oxygen pickup. Key manufacturers include KHS (Innofill Can), Krones (Modulfill Can), CFT, Wild Goose, and Codi. Evaluate fill accuracy, valve condition, and CO2 consumption.
Seamer: Applies the can end (lid) using a double-seaming operation. Seamers from Angelus, Ferrum, Pneumatic Scale Angelus, and Oktober are standard. Seam quality is critical for product shelf life. Request recent seam teardown reports and check tooling wear.
Lid Dispenser and Applicator: Feeds can ends to the seamer. Check magazine capacity, feed reliability, and end handling for different lid sizes.
Pasteuriser (for beer and certain beverages): Tunnel pasteuriser or flash pasteuriser depending on product requirements. Evaluate temperature control accuracy and zone consistency.
Secondary Packaging: Hi-cone applicators, shrink wrappers, tray packers, or variety pack systems depending on market requirements.
Canning Line Speeds and Formats
Used canning lines are available across a wide speed range to suit different production requirements:
Micro/Craft Lines (50-200 CPM): Manual or semi-automatic systems from manufacturers like Wild Goose, Cask, and Oktober. Ideal for craft breweries producing 5,000-50,000 hectolitres annually. These compact systems handle standard 330ml and 500ml cans.
Mid-Range Lines (200-800 CPM): Fully automatic lines suitable for regional breweries and beverage producers. Equipment from CFT, KHS, and Krones handles multiple can sizes (200ml to 568ml) with reasonable changeover times. These represent the sweet spot in the used market.
High-Speed Lines (800-2,500+ CPM): Industrial-scale canning lines from KHS and Krones for major breweries and soft drink producers. These lines require significant infrastructure and are typically only cost-effective at production volumes exceeding 500,000 hectolitres annually.
Can Formats: Standard can sizes include 150ml (slim), 200ml, 250ml (slim and standard), 330ml, 355ml (US standard), 440ml, 473ml (US pint), 500ml, and 568ml (Imperial pint). When purchasing used equipment, verify which formats the line can accommodate and the cost of changeover parts for additional sizes.
Sleek and Slim Cans: The trend toward slim and sleek can formats (particularly for energy drinks and mixers) requires specific tooling. Verify format compatibility before purchase.
Quality Control and Seam Integrity
Seam quality is the single most critical factor in canned beverage production. A faulty seam can lead to product contamination, spoilage, and recall — making seamer evaluation the highest priority when purchasing used canning equipment.
Double Seam Parameters: The double seam is formed in two operations. First operation rolls the can end curl under the body flange. Second operation compresses the seam tight. Critical measurements include: seam height, seam thickness, body hook length, cover hook length, overlap percentage, and tightness rating.
Inspection Equipment: Every canning line should include seam inspection equipment. Manual seam teardown tools, seam projectors, and automated seam vision systems (from HEUFT, Pressco, or Applied Vision) ensure consistent quality.
Fill Level Detection: X-ray, gamma, or capacitive fill level inspection systems verify correct fill volumes. These systems also detect foreign objects in filled cans.
Pressure Testing: For carbonated products, can pressure testing systems verify adequate carbonation and detect leaking seams before packaging.
When evaluating used canning equipment, request recent QC records, seam measurement logs, and maintenance history for the seamer. A well-maintained seamer from an established manufacturer (Angelus, Ferrum) will produce millions of perfect seams over its lifetime.
Market Analysis and Investment Guide
The used canning equipment market has tightened significantly since 2020 due to the explosive growth of canned beverages. However, opportunities remain as larger producers upgrade to higher-speed equipment and release mid-range lines.
Current market pricing for used canning lines:
- Craft/micro lines (50-150 CPM): €80,000-€250,000
- Mid-range automatic lines (200-600 CPM): €400,000-€1,200,000
- High-speed industrial lines (800+ CPM): €1,500,000-€5,000,000+
Energy drinks, hard seltzers, and RTD cocktails have created enormous demand for canning capacity. Producers in these segments should act quickly when suitable used equipment becomes available.
Key evaluation priorities when purchasing a used canning line:
1. Seamer condition and seam quality history
2. Filler valve condition and fill accuracy
3. CO2 consumption efficiency
4. Can format flexibility
5. Control system age and spare part availability
6. Overall line OEE history
BottlingScout maintains a continuously updated inventory of used canning equipment worldwide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum viable speed for a commercial canning line?
For craft producers, lines starting at 50-100 cans per minute (3,000-6,000 CPH) are commercially viable. For mainstream beverage production, minimum 400-600 CPM is recommended for acceptable unit economics. The ideal speed depends on your annual volume projections.
Can a used canning line handle both standard and slim cans?
Many modern fillers and seamers can accommodate multiple can diameters with changeover parts. However, this must be verified for each specific machine. Changeover kits for the seamer (seaming rolls and chucks) and filler (can handling components) typically cost €5,000-€20,000 per additional format.
How critical is dissolved oxygen control in canning?
Extremely critical. Dissolved oxygen (DO) levels should be below 50 ppb for beer and below 100 ppb for most carbonated beverages. The filler design, CO2 pre-purge quality, and under-lid gassing system all impact DO pickup. Request DO measurement data when evaluating used canning fillers.
What are the main differences between a canning line and a bottling line?
Canning lines use seamers instead of cappers, handle lighter containers, typically operate at higher speeds, and require different secondary packaging (hi-cone, shrink multipacks). The filling principle is similar (counter-pressure for CSD) but valve design and can handling differ significantly from bottle filling.