Invention of pull-tab cans

In 1959, the recyclable aluminum can was introduced to the market in a 7 oz. size by the Adolph Coors Company. Ermal “Ernie” Cleon Fraze was born on a farm near Muncie in Indiana in 1913 and later moved to Ohio. During the 1940s, Fraze embarked on a career as a machine tool operator. Using a loan from his wife Martha, Fraze founded the Dayton Reliable Tool Company (DRT), his own machine tool business in Dayton in 1949.

While at a picnic in 1959, Fraze had forgotten his “Church-Key” to open beverage cans, which forcing him to use his car bumper to open cans of drink. Fraze thought there had to be a better way to open cans, so he developed a landmark method of attaching a tab to the can which later known as the “Pull-Top” in 1962.

This system could be opened by pulling the removable tab to access the drink. Surprisingly, Fraze did not receive a patent for his pull-top until 1967 and, eventually over 75% of US beer producers adopted Fraze's can by 1965.

His rivals, John S. Bozek and John Henchert of the Continental Can Co., William E. Taylor of the American Can Co., and Daniel Cudzik of Reynolds Aluminum Co. later improved Fraze’s patents and were became his strongest competitors in opening means and designs.

In 1977, Fraze imporved his original invention by patenting the first push-in and fold-back tab, known as the “Pop-Top”. Among the reason because of the increase of litter and potential for injury. This particular tab remained on the can, and it is still the principle design used on canned beverages today. Pull tabs revolutionized the way beverage cans and food containers were opened and their contents removed.
Invention of pull-tab cans

Invention of two piece aluminium cans by Coors Brewery

The 1950s was the era of tuna casseroles and tinned soup; cooking dinner for the family form canned and packaged food was a hallmark of the suburban lifestyle, and a can opener was an essential tool in the modern kitchen.

The first canned beer was sold in Richmond, Virginia, in January 1935 when G. Krueger Brewing Company of Newark, New Jersey and American Can cooperatively released the new 12 fluid ounce package.

When Coors Brewery of Golden Colorado made the first two-piece aluminium can, nearly all beverage cans, as well as many similar types of food containers, are manufactured through the operation known as drawing and ironing, sometimes referred to as D&I process. It was first marketed by Coors Brewing in 1959 via an association with ‘Primo’ a Hawaiian brewery.

Beverage cans for soft drinks and beer are called ‘two piece’ cans because the complete container actually consists of two separate portions. Coors company was founded in Colorado by Adolph Coors, a German immigrant who left the Old World in hopes of one day owning his own brewery.

The Coors Company, held the rights to the production of this new liquid container, but rather than produced cans for the entire market’s demand, Coors Container Co. sold the patent to other packaging production companies including Continental Can Co. and American Can Co.

Then Coors Brewing Company attracted a cult following by selling beer in seven-ounce aluminium cans, instead of conventional twelve ounce settee cans.
Invention of two piece aluminium cans by Coors Brewery

Metal container for food and beverage

The metal food can dates from Napoleonic wars, when French industrialist Nicolas Appert invented a food-preserving technique using metal containers sterilized at high temperature.

A metal container may range from simply a means of distributing a product to a vehicle with a very precise marketing and technical purpose.

Metal cans are now used extensively in both the food and the beverages industries where they compete with containers made of glass, plastic, cardboard or composites. Metal containers are widely used in food and beverage market segment because of cost effectiveness durability and protection of the content.

The packaging forms of metal containers are including: three piece cans, bottle closure, two-piece can, food trays, metal drum, and metal foils.

Three-piece tinplate containers were used for many years for the packaging of carbonated beverages.

The highly corrosive nature of carbonated soft drinks demanded complete protection of the metal container from the product by the use of one or more coating of an impermeable enamel system.

In the case of processed foods, it must ensure a safe pack, which will be no risk to public health, and be sufficiently strong to maintain its integrity. Metal cans for food must be resistant enough to compensate for the loss of internal pressure resulting from high-temperature sterilization.
Metal container for food and beverage 

Aluminium beverage can

The aluminium beverage is familiar to almost everyone. In 1960s, three-piece tinplate can was replaced by aluminium by the introduction of easy-open ring pull can tops made out of aluminium attached to a tinplate can body and around the same time, the all-aluminium beverage can was introduced.

The first complete aluminium beverage can was introduced in 1964. These first aluminium cans were produced by impact extrusion, but very soon these process was abandoned and replaced by the ‘drawn and ironed’ can.

Aluminium beverage cans are made basically of two alloys AA3004 (1.05 Wt% Mg, 1.25 Wt% Mn) and AA5182 which forms the harder can end-pieces or lids.

Aluminum’s light weight, allied to it stability and strength, are among the reason for its successful penetration of the drinks packaging sector.

Its light weight means that it can be easily transported and stored, while consumers have found in aluminium a convenient, yet quality package with high scrap value.

Aluminium beverage can internal surface are protected by a coating of lacquer to avoid contamination of the food from possible dissolution of the aluminum and also to protect the aluminium from pitting or corrosion by the contents.
Aluminium beverage can