Low Volume Digital Printing on a Beer Can

[utobeer]

Hi,

New to the world of printing.

We are actually a beer company (brewing to distribution). We are looking to set-up a canning line for craft beer. The problem is if I want 250,000 cans with the same logo on easy however that does not help me as my customers can not carry 250,000 cans at any one time.

I am looking to see if there is a small footprint low volume printing solution out there. The canning machine operates at 40 cans per minute but the printer can be slower.

Are there such machines.

Thanks

Mike

 

[lfelton]

Hi,

New to the world of printing.

We are actually a beer company (brewing to distribution). We are looking to set-up a canning line for craft beer. The problem is if I want 250,000 cans with the same logo on easy however that does not help me as my customers can not carry 250,000 cans at any one time.

I am looking to see if there is a small footprint low volume printing solution out there. The canning machine operates at 40 cans per minute but the printer can be slower.

Are there such machines.

Thanks

Mike

Good grief man, if this is craft beer why are you putting it in a CAN? You can get short run bottle label printing no problem. I could digital print and die cut any quantity you want. I don't know how you do that for a can though, in the old days it was specially adapted litho presses that printed on thin aluminium sheets. However, I see you are in the UK where Coke just ran a campaign that involved a gazillian custom printed cans, so it can't be beyond the wit of man. I heard they used Indigos so expect to pay a third of a million+ to start with, or be smart, phone HP and ask them to put you in touch with a printer that can sort you out. Once your volume is up to the point where you can cost justify the kit, get the cheque book out and Bob's your uncle.

 

[Stephen Marsh]

For a boutique beer, I would prefer a bottle or a mini keg over a can.

Two piece extruded aluminium cans are usually printed dry offset or in a similar process, in the round before filling and sealing etc.

Would using a shrink sleeve be viable, putting the blank cans through a steam tunnel etc?


Stephen Marsh

 

[ajr]

The campaign in the UK was just labels on bottles not cans.

 

[lfelton]

Products - Tonejet

Maybe? Not something I have any experience of, but it seems to be what the OP wants.

 

[arossetti]

Beer in can is like wine with a screw cap. It is much better for storing but has a bad reputation for being cheap.