The lastest cans sleeving line recently supplied to a main bottler in Far-East consists on a line based on five different formats cans, running 30.000 bph as per the following picture.

Trend of customers: cans rather than traditional bottles

Finpac Italia has recently identified a trend of customers opting for cans rather than the traditional bottles.

In this article, we will discuss what a shrink sleeve labeled can is, why it is appealing to companies and why Finpac Italia should be a valid partner when it comes to craft beverage packaging.

Generally speaking, in terms of different volumes cans could be slim, sleek, stubby or standard from 222 ml to 500 ml or more with diameter from 200 to 211 mm and height from 92 to 168 mm.

Let’s compare some popular packaging options to a shrink sleeve can:

Several printing technologies can be applied on cans for high-end resolution label. (photo: Finpac Italia)
When compared to traditional glass beer bottles, aluminum cans are lighter, more affordable and very convenient to ship. You don’t have to worry about the cans breaking during shipment like glass bottles have the possibility to do. Cans are also 100% recyclable and due to the lower carbon footprint, shrink sleeve cans are considered a very eco-friendly package with preperforation option as a plus for recyclability.
The primary advantage of a shrink sleeve labeled can over a Pressure Sensitive Labeled can is the decoration. Pressure Sensitive Labeled cans have a limited print area, which exposes the undecorated portions of the aluminum can. Shrink Sleeve labels allow for 360 degree coverage, which portrays a professional look and provides a large billboard for graphics and branding opportunities.

Printed cans are great. However, the high minimum order requirements restrict who can consider them as a viable option. Most aluminum can manufacturers require truckload minimums per SKU, which is well over 150,000 cans. Even if the MOQ isn’t a problem, the storage space tends to become an issue. A relatively new company most likely doesn’t have the warehouse space available to store that amount of cans. Some large companies are able to meet these needs, but what about independent or small bottlers who launch a new product?

Why to choose Finpac Italia container as supplier

More than 400 shrink sleeve installations by Finpac Italia in the world from Australia to Argentina from 6.000 to 72.000 cans/h with a huge and long experience in shrink sleeving technology.

The italian company is considered as a reliable and cost-effective supplier for this kind of machines thanks also to a long-term partnership with global turn-key suppliers for beverage lines.

Short Lead Times: since aluminum cans are printed in-line by the manufacturer, lead times are known to fluctuate! By utilizing Finpac Italia as shrink sleeve can provider, it is possible to have the project completed in close to 4 to 6 weeks. These short lead times, furtherly reducible for digital printings, allow to get the product on the shelves quicker, which in turn will increase the profit.
New material effects and printing technologies: latest trends for sleeving labels are nowadays available with amazing results: from glittering to metalized, from mirroring to gold & silver, from luminescent to flou and UV effects.

Several printing technologies can be applied on cans for high-end resolution label: offset, gravure, UV flexo, solvent flexo and digital printing; the Finpac’s packaging experts team can find the best packaging solution: the Packaging Manager Mr. Sandro Arconti and his team, can provide a full package solution handling the sourcing, the shrink label design and the application.