Metal packaging in the fast lane

According to recent Crown figures, between 2025 and 2030, the European beverage can market is projected to expand by approximately 10%, driven by a compound annual growth rate of around 2%, reflecting a steady shift toward more sustainable and versatile packaging formats. Germany is expected to lead this trend with a 20% increase in can usage. Turkey is forecasted to experience a robust 25% growth in beverage cans, demand with similar figures for Greece and the Balkan regions. At the drinktec trade fair ground in Munich in September 2025, metal packaging was gaining traction with numerous innovations in canning equipment showcased.

Innovation on display

To underline its claim as one of the market leaders in can filling, German beverage equipment maker, KHS, has achieved an important milestone in its striving to make this operation more hygienic. Together with its technology partner, Swiss engineering company Ferrum Packaging AG, the Dortmund systems supplier has now further developed its filler/seamer block, first introduced in 2022.

The SmartCan Eco system features a reduced hygiene area for easier cleaning and space savings, while its modular design allows for outputs ranging from 60,000 to 135,000 cans per hour depending on the seamer used – either the FS14 or the higher-capacity FS18. The SmartCan Eco stands out for its high-quality, durable filling technology, with electromagnetic induction flow meters ensuring consistent fill volumes and precise headspace control. It also excels in handling lightweight cans, which are increasingly common due to material reduction trends, thanks to specialised features like separated belt and screw drives for tailored lubrication and smooth container movement. These innovations not only improve operational efficiency and product quality but also support sustainability by minimising resource use and accommodating delicate, pre-lacquered cans without damage.

German full-service provider for the beverage industry, Krones, offers tailored canning solutions that span a wide output range, from 10,000 to over 130,000 cans per hour, while prioritising product safety and integrity. Pasteurisation remains a key method for preserving and stabilising freshly filled beverages, and Krones’ LinaFlex tunnel pasteuriser delivers this with precise PU control
and resource-efficient operation.

“During drinktec, Krones unveiled the LinaFlex eSync, a more compact version featuring singlelane conveyors and a newly integrated buffer section that reduces the wet-end footprint by up to 40%. It also minimises can damage for lighter, thinner-walled cans, and simplifies maintenance access. The system features heat recovery, speed control, insulated zones, low-pressure-optimised nozzles, and an optional heat-pump cooling module with a COP of up to 2.9, which means that the optional heat-pump module recycles almost three times the energy it consumes, reducing overall energy usage in the pasteurisation process,” commented Shane Lilley, product specialist and product manager at Krones.

Additionally, Krones introduced the Modulseam can seamer, which redefines highspeed performance with capacities reaching 135,000 cans per hour. Its advanced servo-drive system allows for highly accurate control of all movement axes, enhancing process reliability and significantly lowering maintenance demands. Finally, the technology company presented upgrades for its can inspection portfolio, the Cantronic series, which is compact, digital and linked to AI.

For French company Sidel, it was the EvoFILL Can Compact that was presented, although only on screen, “as we limit the equipment we bring to the show,” said Lorenzo Casselotti, cans & glass product manager at Sidel.

He continued: “The EvoFILL Can Compact is designed for medium and low-speed can markets, offering high versatility for all product categories (Beer, CSD, JNSDIT (1), Water) and hyperflexible format handling from 150ml to 1L without changeover for different can ends (200–209) and with automatic height adjustment. It delivers best-in-class product changeover with minimal losses, thanks to a modulating valve integrated into the product tank.

“The system ensures secured product quality and reliability using the same filling technology as high-speed fillers, while reduced downtime and maintenance costs are achieved through extended lifespan of main modules and fewer components. Its compact footprint comes from a new monoblock architecture integrating the filling carousel, seamer, process unit, and main cabinet,” said Casselotti.

Domino Printing Sciences has introduced a significant innovation in production line efficiency by transitioning the application from inkjet printing technology to laser coding for metal cans. Russell Wiseman, global beverage business leader, explained: “With the Empty Beverage Can Coding System, we offer an integrated coding solution combining transport, fibre laser coding, inspection, rejection and protection in a compact, all-in-one unit. The F-Series fibre lasers produce clear, permanent codes on canned beverages, even on wet or curved surfaces.

“We enable pre-fill laser marking on empty cans, significantly improving coder uptime and reducing bottlenecks that often arise with post-fill coding. By using pre-fill coding, we remove the need to turn the can after filling – eliminating the need for can twisters that would typically be used in post-fill coding. This streamlines production and reduces bottlenecks, dents, leaks and jammed cans, helping to overcome common inefficiencies,” said Wiseman.

In addition, according to Domino, this approach reduces changeover times between different formats or volumes, resulting in faster throughput and more visible operational gains. By optimising the marking phase and reducing mechanical disruptions, Domino’s solution delivers a measurable step change in manufacturing productivity.

US-headquartered Belvac introduced the drinktec visitors to the results of many years of R&D with its Carrier Ring Bottle. This solution enables aluminium bottles to be filled on existing PET filling lines without major mechanical modifications. With this integrated Carrier Ring transport system, the aluminium bottles are fully compatible with traditional PET filling equipment. The high-speed production capability supports rates of up to 600 containers per minute, outperforming traditional impact-extruded aluminium bottles, while reducing raw material usage, the company stated.

“Made with drawn & ironed aluminium technology, the bottles are lightweight and fully recyclable. This tool required many years of development, with one objective in mind: enabling producers to use existing production lines to expand their product range with aluminium bottles while maintaining operational continuity,” said Eric Hodge, director of global sales at Belvac.
Lastly, Hinterkopf, German manufacturer of high-performance equipment for digital printing on cans and tubes, presented its latest generation of Digital Printing 4.0 for beverage cans and aluminium bottles, for ever more brilliant colours, higher resolution and maximum flexibility.

Branding and marketing appeal

To celebrate Pac-Man’s 45th anniversary, Candy Can partnered with Ardagh Metal Packaging to launch a special edition series of collectible 33cl Sleek cans in sparkling orange candy and sparkling cherry candy flavours. Each can features a matt finish and a unique lid design, with 45 different Pac-Man-themed ends created using AMP’s award-winning H!GHEND technology, showcasing artwork from pixelated Pac-Man to the iconic ghosts.

“This fun collaboration highlights Candy Can’s focus on creativity and fun while leveraging AMP’s expertise in innovative beverage packaging, turning each can into a pop culture collectible. Sip the fun, collect the moment!” commented Kateryna Makogon, product communication specialist at AMP.

Ball Corporation’s drinktec stand featured a glamourous visual in the form of a colourful wall of cans. Carey Causey, Ball’s chief growth officer, emphasised that brands are increasingly driven by shelf impact and consumer engagement, and that packaging must evolve to meet these demands. Ball sees the future of beverage packaging as highly customisable, digitally enabled and environmentally responsible. The company is responding to this by investing in technologies that allow brands to run tailored campaigns regionally, seasonally, or event-based – without sacrificing production speed or
efficiency.

One of the technologies highlighted by Ball was its Dynamark Advanced Pro, a cutting-edge variable printing solution that enables up to 12 unique can designs per pallet in a single production run. This allows for dynamic storytelling and personalisation directly on the packaging, reducing waste from shortrun prints and enhancing marketing flexibility. The shelves showcased various cans with special effects such as Neon, Thermo/Photochromic, Glow, Tactile, Matte OV, Eyeris and embossed ends.

For Crown, decorative print capabilities on display included its Accents technology, which enables up to 24 distinct design variations to be applied within a single manufacturing run, allowing for mixed pallets that support targeted consumer engagement and differentiated shelf presence.

The Colorful Accents type permits four design iterations on a consistent colour base, maintaining visual coherence while offering variation.

Crown also provides a range of specialised finishes, each designed to meet specific functional or aesthetic requirements in beverage packaging. These technologies are integrated into standard production workflows without altering line speed or format.

Veronique Curulla, European marketing and business development director, Crown Bevcan EMEA, commented: “As demand for beverage cans accelerates across Europe, Crown is strategically expanding its footprint to meet market needs, with Germany projected to grow by 20%, Turkey by 25%, and Greece and the Balkan regions by 24% by 2030. Our acquisition of Helvetia in 2023, continued leadership in Turkey, and targeted investments in Greece position us to support this regional growth effectively,” she concluded.