As more differentiated packaging is required in the beverage industry, slim can share went from 12% in 2020 to 18% in 2023 (Grand View Research data), but its utilization on standard filling lines has become a supply-chain hot button. Employ diameter as an example. The diameter of the standard can in the conventional type is 67 millimeters, and the slim can are usually produced smaller to 57-60 millimeters (reduction of 15%-20%), hence the need to adjust clamping parameters of the grasping manipulator of the filling machine. For instance, when the Coca-Cola Company renovated one of its European factories in 2022, it spent an additional 80,000 to 120,000 US dollars per production line on conveyor belt speed controllers and sensors to ensure that the 500 cans per minute filling rate would not be reduced by can thinning.
In terms of the cost-benefit analysis, the thin can compatibility modification is feasible in mass production. AB InBev case demonstrates that when the factory annual production is more than 200 million cans, the cost of transformation per can is merely $0.002- $0.003, and slim cans conserves aluminum materials (reduces the weight of every can by 5%-8%) and transport space (enhances the loading capacity of the container by 12%). The total cost may be lowered by 4.7% (calculated by Food Engineering Magazine). But for small and medium enterprises, if the production line is not modular in design, the upgrade cycle can take as much as 6 to 8 weeks, where the loss of capacity ranges from 15% to 20%. Risks need to be balanced with the ROI model.
Technical solution iteration is bringing down the compatibility threshold. The German KHS Group’s AdaptaFill system enables the same machine to fill tank diameters from 52-68 millimeters by dynamically varying the pressure (0.2-0.5MPa) and the filling nozzle’s telescopic range (±10 mm), reducing the switching time from 45 minutes to 8 minutes. In 2023, Omori Machinery of Japan launched a laser calibration module that enhanced the filling precision of thin cans from ±1.5 millimeters to ±0.3 millimeters, reduced the defect rate by half from 0.8% to 0.15%, and simultaneously allowed for high-speed filling at 3 cans per second (with a 98% approximation to the industry standard linear velocity).
Industry standards and certification structures are also promoting standardization for compatibility. In the “Technical Guidelines for the Production of slim cans” released by the European Metal Packaging Association (EMPAC) in 2022, it was clearly stated that the aspect ratio of Slim cans should be between 1:2.8 to 1:3.2, and rolled edge strength at the mouth of the can should reach 50N/mm² (in accordance with standard cans). The United States FDA simulation test shows that thinner cans that meet the above requirements only have a 1.2% difference in heat conduction performance in the course of pasteurization (72℃±2℃, for 15 seconds), and it does not have any impact on the qualified sterilization rate.
Market experience has confirmed the commercial value of compatibility optimization. According to PepsiCo’s 2023 financial statement, in 18 months after reforming the lightweight product line through the use of slim cans, gross profit margin increased by 2.3 percentage points, shelf display efficiency by 30%, and purchase frequency by young consumers by 1.8 times. Nielsen reports that in the convenience store scenario, slim cans posted a year-over-year increase of 22% in weekly one-point sales by saving 35% of freezer space, far larger than the 6% increase rate for standard cans. It is this trend that is forcing global filling equipment makers to spend 420 million US dollars on research and development funds through 2025 for enhancing the multi-specification compatibility of production lines.