Question: 
With all of the different high-tech materials that are now available for seamer tooling, what's the best material to use for seamer tooling on a canning line? 

Answer: (One of three answers published . . .) 
The answer would depend upon several factors: the type of containers being filled; the type of product - hot- or cold-fill; whether the product is caustic or corrosive; whether you are a seasonal or year-round filler; and the actual budget available for new tooling.

Parts tend to wear out sooner if closing steel cans (versus softer aluminum). In addition, both steel and aluminum cans create metal build-up on tooling.

To combat wear and build-up, the additional cost of thin film coatings such as tinplate nitride or tungsten carbide are worthwhile in order to improve the longevity of seamer tooling. If your tooling budget provided for the extra expense, using powdered or mould steels (Stoody or Elmax) would also significantly extend the life of the part.

If the product is a hot-fill item, problems sometimes arise due to the elevated temperatures needed during packing. It is necessary to be more diligent about properly greasing the seaming rolls. 

It is also important to continually check roll and chuck adjustments because tooling dimensions change during the hot-fill process. Powdered steels are more dimensionally stable under high temperatures than tool steel and stainless steel. Seaming rolls made out of either tool steel or stainless steel can experience dimension changes by several thousandths of an inch. So the use of powdered steel for seaming rolls and chucks provides for more dimensional control.

If a product is caustic or corrosive, added protection is gained by plating chucks and rolls with nickel or titanium to act as a barrier, so that the corrosive product will not easily get through to the base material.

If a seamer is chuck-driven (where the chuck turns the can), carbide (also known as flame plating) is effective in improving the gripping action of the chuck. The rough surface achieved with flame plating will also create a longer-lasting part.

Flame plated chucks are sometimes a concern when used with clear lacquer steel ends. Some canners find that flame-plated parts occasionally remove a portion of the lacquer, causing rust problems at a later date. Other canners do not seem to have this problem.

Year-round canners, such as soft drink or beer producers, are concerned with experiencing as little down time as possible during packing. There is a large demand for tooling that will last as long as possible and, for them, there is less of a concern regarding cost. The best materials to use would be powdered steels coated with titanium nitride.

- Patrick Chronis, VP Manufacturing 
Tool Makers International, California, USA

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