How ring pull can ends are made
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1. Pre-coated aluminium or steel strip arrives at the can manufacturing plant in large coils or sheets.

 

 

2. The sheet is fed through a press which stamps out thousands of ends every minute.

 

3. At the same stage the edges are curled.

 

 

 

4. The newly formed ends are passed through a lining machine which applies a very precise bead of compound sealant around the inside of the curl.

 

 

5. A video inspection system checks the ends to ensure they are perfect.

 

 

 

6. The TAB. The pull tabs are made from a narrow coil of aluminium or steel. The strip is first pierced and cut. Then the tab is formed in two further stages before being joined to the can end.

 

 

 

7. The ends pass through a series of dies which score them and attach tabs, which are fed in from a separate source.

 

 

 

8. The final product is the ring pull end.

 

 

 

 

 

9. The finished ends, ready for capping the filled cans, are packaged in paper sleeves and palletised before despatch to the filling plant.