Cans of the Year Awards 2017 report

Moravia Cans, the Czech Republic canmaker, has won the top prize in The Canmaker magazine’s Can of the Year awards for 2017, which were presented during a gala dinner at The Canmaker Summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland.

The Can of the Year is an aluminium aerosol can made for Unilever’s Dove antiperspirant that has been in commercial production since the end of 2016 in the EU market, and is said to be the first aluminium D&I aerosol can produced worldwide.

It is the first time since the Cans of the Year were first presented in 1996 that an aerosol can has won the overall award.

Using technology developed by Mall//Herlan, the 150ml can is lighter than conventional impact-extruded monobloc can, and because it also uses aluminium alloys similar to those found in beverage cans can have higher recycled content.

Weighing just 18 grams, the 150ml can also won the Sustainability Award in the Cans of the Year along with Gold in the Aerosol category.

Mall//Herlan’s Hi-Flex production line transfers technology from the beverage can industry into the aerosol can business. Aluminium or steel coil is fed to a cupper where cups are punched out at a rate of between 200 and 600 per minute depending on the tooling. The cups are then reformed and ironed to length in a bodymaker, after which they are washed, decorated, necked and shaped.

“The end result is 20:20:20,” says John Broks, sales chief at Moravia Cans, explaining that compared to monobloc aerosol cans, the D&I cans are 20 per cent lighter, enables 20 per cent more cans per pallet, and a 20 per cent reduction in truck and pallet movements.

“This is a world-first using this technology for a shaped aerosol can,” he says. “This can is so light that it needs to be packed layer wide rather than in the traditional bundle format.”

A shaped can also won in the Beverage Three-piece category of the Cans of the Year Awards. Made by ORG Packaging in China, the eye-catching welded tinplate can is for a cereal drink produced by SUSA Food International Group. Inspired by a Chinese lantern, the design conveys the meaning of reunion, celebration and good luck. The lantern-shaped can features convex stiffeners that improve the rigidity of the can body and provide a comfortable grip.

In the Beverage Two-Piece category, Crown took Gold for its 330ml D&I aluminium can for a new craft beer by Island Records brewed in the UK by Two Tribes. The can is the world’s first ‘Shazamable’ can: Shazam is an app which helps to identify music and get song lyrics. Seeing the connection between craft beer and music lovers, Island Records set out to launch a new craft beer in which the can’s design and branding would stand out in a crowded market. Work was required to make it possible to visualise Shazam as cylindrical shape so consumers could link to music directly from the can, a world first. The pre-press was carried out in partnership with Reproflex3 and Crown Bevcan Studio in Leicester, while the cans were made at Crown’s nearby Braunstone plant. The decoration allows the app to reliably scan the image and link the consumer with the three bespoke ‘mood’ drinking playlists that Island Records created on Spotify.

In the Bottles category, Exal Corporation from the US won Gold for its monobloc 750ml aluminium resealable bottle for Proud Source Water featuring BPA-NI internal coatings and decoration in which the aluminium substrate translates through the graphics and multiple variations of blue and grey inks.

Crown Aerosols & Speciality Packaging in the UK won Gold in the Decoration & Print Quality category for a limited edition lock-seamed tinplate secondary container for Chivas Regal whisky. The can’s unique round-to-square design creates shelf differentiation and impact. Crown’s design team in Mansfield facilitated and advised on the design and brought an array of decorative elements together to help Chivas create the embossed tin.

“We developed new tooling to deliver a tin shape that was not only visually appealing, but also added value in terms of supply chain efficiency and shelf stackability,” says Veronique Curulla, marketing director at Crown Aerosols & Specialty Packaging Europe.

Katy Buchan, head of packaging development for Chivas Brothers adds: “It has been a pleasure to work with a packaging supplier like Crown that shares our passion for creating fresh and intriguing designs that will have an impact with consumers. The round-to-square tin is a result of the hard work of both sides, and we could not be happier with the outcome.”

Another lock-seamed secondary container won in the Fancy Can category, this time for a Bollinger champagne bottle. Developed for Bollinger’s special Cuvée Rosé 2006, the container is made by Virojanglor in France with 1mm thick steel sheets in which the word Bollinger has been cut.

The heavy material gives strength and a premium feel, as well as great shelf presence combined with a mirror effect and a special pink colour that matches the brand’s pink champagne label. Virojanglor’s container is branded with screen silk printed logo on each side as well as on the lid. Finishing touches like the extended top lid lip for ease of opening and foam cushioning for the bottle complete the packaging.

In the Ends, Caps & Closures category Gold went to Can-Pack in Poland, for an aluminium easy-open end for Marston’s Spitfire Amber Kentish Ale. Printed using offset technology, the customer’s brief was to have the Union Jack flag emblem centralised on the shell to allow the red, white and blue to match the colours within the branded beverage can.

In the Food Three-piece category, the winning can was made by GM Metal Packaging Lanka in Sri Lanka. The reusable lock-seam tinplate tin, with an air-tight lid for Double Miracle Round Ceylon tea from Master Tasters, impressed the judges for its elegant shape and look with a special matt gold colour printing and gloss varnish.

In Food Two-piece, the winner was Auxiliar Conservera from Spain for a nestable drawn tinplate can with vacuum lid for packing artichokes produced by Mensajero Alimentación. Called Openvac, the system uses a high vacuum to achieve a closure that is perfectly hermetically sealed, with a simple opening mechanism that has no sharp edges or elements.

The vacuum is broken by pulling a tab on the top of the lid. By eliminating all the air, there is no risk of oxidation to the food, which lengthens its shelf life. In addition, it is not necessary to immerse the product in oil, brine or any other liquid medium. An additional advantage of the Openvac system is that it requires a shorter exposure time to high temperatures during sterilisation and pasteurisation, and reduces the use of salt for preservation purposes.

In General Line, Emballator Metal Group from Sweden won Gold for its tinplate pail with Xpress lid for Teknos OY paint. Emballator has developed a paint pail named Decoline with a universal profile suitable for Xpress and Easyflex lids. Express is a newly developed tinplate lid which is easy to close, open, re-close and re-open using a screwdriver or similar tool. An integrated opener in the lid itself is also offered.

Meanwhile, Easyflex is a previously-developed lid which has a unique and patented plastic foldable ring around the tinplate lid that enables its opening and closure without any tools and by hand only. Both lids offer a non-damage edge or profile of the pail which is why dry paint is created on the surface. Emballator’s Decoline pails also offer product differentiation by shifting lids between different products, markets or end customers. Metal packaging designs that are currently under development are covered in the Prototype category of the competition.

Prime Metal Bottle in Switzerland is this year’s Prototype winner for its D&I bottle with ROPP, crown cap (either twist-off or pry-off) or Maxi-P ring pull closure. The 41cl bottles are called Prime because of being premium in the long neck format and their prime number content.

The target market segments are premium and craft beers, flavoured alcoholic beverages, mix drinks, alcopops, and energy drinks all for on- trade as well as off-trade distribution, and they are also attractive for vending and digital platform distribution. The bottles will be available in high definition printing and in the future, they are planned to feature digital printing, as well as shaping and embossing for ultimate branding purposes. Within the packaging mix, these metal bottles are set to merit a prime position for value-added beverage drinks.

CAN OF THE YEAR 2017

WINNER: Moravia Cans, Czech Republic, D&I aluminium aerosol can for Unilever; Dove antiperspirant

AEROSOL CANS

• Gold: Moravia Cans, Czech Republic; D&I aluminium can for Unilever; Dove antiperspirant
• Silver: Ball Corporation, USA; impact-extruded aluminium can for L’Oréal; L’Oréal Men Expert antiperspirant
• Bronze: DS Containers, USA; Two-piece drawn laminated steel can for RSC Chemical Solutions; Liquid Wrench industrial penetrant & lubricant

BEVERAGE THREE-PIECE

• Gold: ORG Packaging, China; Three-piece welded tinplate can for SUSA Food International Group; SUSA cereal beverage
• Silver: HUBER Packaging Group, Germany; 5-litre welded tinplate mini-keg for Bell’s Brewery; Bell’s Oberon Ale
• Bronze: Shetron, India; Three-piece welded tinplate can with easy-open end for Arrowline Organic Products; The Right Moo – Organic cold coffee/chocolate coffee

BEVERAGE TWO-PIECE

• Gold: Crown Packaging, UK; 330ml D&I aluminium can for Two Tribes; Island Records craft beer
• Silver: Ardagh Group, Germany; 330ml D&I aluminium can for Brewers & Union; And Union – Unfiltered Lager / Sunday P/Ale
• Bronze: Can-Pack, UK; 500ml D&I aluminium can for Shepherd Neame Brewery; Whitstable Bay beer

BOTTLES

• Gold: Exal Corporation, USA; Impact-extruded 750ml aluminium resealable bottle for Proud Source Water; Proud Source Water artisan water
• Silver: Exal Corporation, USA; Impact-extruded 355ml aluminium resealable bottle for UPTIME Energy; UPTIME energy drink
• Bronze: Montebello Packaging, Canada; Impact-extruded 473ml aluminium bottle for Kings Town Beer Company and Mackinnon Brothers Brewing; The Breakout Project Beer

DECORATION & PRINT QUALITY

• Gold: Crown Aerosols & Speciality Packaging, UK; Lock-seam tinplate secondary container for Chivas Brothers; Chivas Regal – Aged 12 Years whisky bottle
• Silver: Can-Pack, Poland; D&I aluminium 500ml beverage can for Plzensky Prazdroj; Pilsner Urquell beer
• Bronze: Meister, Brazil; Drawn tinplate tin for Meister; Meister confectionery

ENDS, CAPS & CLOSURES

• Gold: Can-Pack, Poland; Aluminium easy-open end for Marston’s; Spitfire Amber Kentish Ale
• Silver: Massilly India Packaging, India; Tinplate twist-off cap for Lidl Europe; Freshona gherkins
• Bronze: XRE, South Korea; Re-closable easy-open end on D&I aluminium can for LOTTE Chilsung Beverage; Tropicana Sparkling carbonated soft drink

FANCY CANS

• Gold: Virojanglor, France; Lock-seam steel secondary container for Bollinger; Bollinger champagne bottle
• Silver: Hoffmann Neopac, Switzerland; Drawn tinplate tin with hinged lid for Japan Tobacco; Mevius tobacco
• Bronze: Jiabao Packaging Depot, Hong Kong; Lock-seam tinplate container with slip lid for Moose Enterprise; The Grossery Gang toys

FOOD THREE-PIECE

• Gold: GM Metal Packaging Lanka, Sri Lanka; Lock-seam tinplate tin with an air-tight lid for Master Tasters; Double Miracle tea
• Silver: Crown Packaging Europe, France; Three-piece welded tinplate can with Peelfit lid for dry products
• Bronze: CPMC, China; Three-piece welded tinplate can with peel-able end for Feihe International; Feihe Feifan milk powder

FOOD TWO-PIECE

• Gold: Auxiliar Conservera, Spain; Drawn tinplate can with vacuum lid for Mensajero Alimentación; Mensajero artichokes
• Silver: Crown Beverage Packaging North America, USA; D&I aluminium 37.2g can for La Colombe; La Colombe – Coffee Vault coffee
• Bronze: Ardagh Group, Germany; Drawn tinplate can for Larsen Danish Seafood; Larsen seafood

GENERAL LINE

• Gold: Emballator Metal Group, Sweden; Three-piece welded tinplate pail with XPRESS lid for Teknos OY; TEKNOS paint
• Silver: Ardagh, Germany & Ardagh, Netherlands; Three-piece welded tinplate pail with UN SpRing Latch for Dresdner Lackfabrik Novatic; Novatic protective coatings
• Bronze: SAPIN, Saudi Arabia; Three-piece welded tinplate pail for Jotun Saudia Co; JOTUN paint

PROTOTYPE

• Gold: Prime Metal Bottle, Switzerland; D&I aluminium light-weight Prime Metal Bottle with ROPP, crown cap or Maxi-P ring pull closure
• Silver: Montebello Packaging, Canada; Blow-moulded shaped and embossed aluminium bottle
• Bronze: Ball Corporation, USA; impact-extruded aluminium aerosol can with tactile printing

SUSTAINABILITY 

Moravia Cans, Czech Republic; D&I aluminium aerosol can for Unilever; Dove antiperspirant