In the beverage industry of today, the advanced printing processes allows some manufactures to print almost as well on cans as they can on paper labels. Therefore, beverage manufacturers choose to use the aluminum beverage more than ever before. Sleek beverage cans are becoming increasingly popular and utilize innovative shapes to attract consumer attention. The latest technologies in custom beverage cans allow for asymmetrical designs with fine detail and significant expansion capability, and are available in many different shapes and sizes. An aluminum beverage can has an internal coating to prevent its contents from coming in direct contact with the aluminum, thereby maintaining the integrity of the beverage. Filling cans Cans are filled before the top is crimped on. In terms of engineering, can walls are about 90 micrometers thick, so empty cans are light, weak and easily damaged. The filling and sealing operations need to be extremely fast and precise. The filling head centers the can using gas pressure, purges the air and lets the beverage flow down the sides of the can. The machine places the lid on the can and then crimps it in two operations. A seaming head engages the lid from above while a seaming roller curls the edges of lid around the edge of the can body. The head and roller spin the can in a complete circle to seal it all the way around. Then a pressure roller with a different profile drives the two edges together under pressure to make a gas-tight seal. Filled cans usually have pressurized gas inside, which makes them stiff enough for easy handling.

Private Label Drinks

Consumers have an ever-growing array of choices in the beverage aisle, ranging from name brands like Coke and Pepsi, to private label drinks such as Safeway Select. A private label drink brand by producers who wish to participate in a robust category with their own line of beverages. Private label offerings have significantly improved in quality and consumer satisfaction. Private label has a presence in virtually every beverage category in the U.S. Store brands are private label products. They are in the largest and the smallest of beverage categories. Carbonated soft drinks, milk, bottled water and juices are prime categories for private label beverages. Although carbonated soft drinks remain popular, as the market has evolved and consumer tastes have shifted, private label has moved into the non-carbonated category which includes bottled water and fruit beverages, as chronicled in the ‘Private Label Beverages and Contract Packing in the U.S.' report, conducted by Beverage Marketing Corp. Branded products like Coke, Pepsi and Dr Pepper still dominate the industry, but the sheer size of the carbonated soft drink category has created an opportunity for private label brands. For the most part, the leading companies have done an effective job at blunting further inroads of private label through strong marketing of their products, leveraging their vast distribution network, and by pricing their products so that they are more in line with private label pricing schemes. The milk category boasts the largest and most developed private label activity. In 2007, private label account for more than 62% of U.S. fluid milk sales. Milk is the only category with more than half of its sales in private label. The greatest amount of private label milk sales are in non-fat, low fat and whole milk, while a smaller percentage of sales come from flavored milks and milkshakes. Consumers may not be as brand loyal with bottled water as with other categories. However, a large number of branded waters are experiencing success in the market, but this varies by water type. Waters that often serve as substitutes for tap water, such as so-called retail bulk water in large packages, tend to have the greatest amount of private label. Over 42% of retail bulk, water sales were private label a few years ago. Private label juice well represented within the US... This may provide an opportunity for private label because consumers may be less brand-loyal. In a recent sample, over 14% of shelf-stable fruit beverage sales in supermarkets were from private label. Once again, the category segment lacks significant differentiation that offers solid returns for private label. The branded leaders in this category have managed to withstand private label through strong branding and marketing, often revolving around package design and a promotional focus on the purity of their product. It is also notable that similar to milk, branded products have greater strength in the flavored segment of their categories. A private label brand can help retailers take advantage of a robust industry segment with a high quality product that suits customer needs.