Manufacturers of composite cans are also benefiting from advances in seaming technology, which improve set-up time and tooling life. This is the case with plastics recycler and paint can molder, KW Plastics. This manufacturing company is using seaming roll assemblies from Tool Makers International (TMI) on its Angelus 40P and 50P seamers.

KW Plastics' Bakersfield, California, plant recycles and re-moulds post-industrial polypropylene waste into 1-gallon and 1-quart paint cans. "We began looking for ways to simplify the mechanics of the seaming process," says molding supervisor Richard French. "One approach was to look for seamer tooling that would last as long as possible and was designed to reduce set-up time on seamers."

According to TMI, when KW Plastics began to use the tooling supplier's Double Groove seaming roll assemblies, set-up time was halved while the wear-life of each seaming roll doubled. The assembly consists of a pre-set pin holding a seaming roll with the same profile duplicated at each end. When one profile is worn, it is inverted and placed back on the machine.

Once the pin is installed, it remains on the seamer even when the roll is changed. With no need for 
metal shims to achieve correct roll positioning, set-up time is dramatically reduced. "The simplicity and elimination of adjustments means a lot less headaches for our seamer mechanic," says Mr. French. "It gives him more time to deal with other issues."

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