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EP-4741076-A1 - METHOD FOR PRODUCING AN ALUMINUM CAN AND FORMING TOOL

EP4741076A1EP 4741076 A1EP4741076 A1EP 4741076A1EP-4741076-A1

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing an aluminum can designed for storing a filling material, wherein the method comprises the steps of: a) providing an aluminum can blank (2) having an unpainted inner surface (3); b) providing a forming tool (4) having at least one ceramic and/or hard-coated forming section (5, 5A, 5B); and c) forming the provided aluminum can blank (2) using the provided forming tool (4), wherein during the forming process at least one surface area (6, 6A, 6B) of the aluminum can blank (2) slides along the forming section (5, 5A, 5B) of the forming tool (4).

Inventors

  • Stumpp, Sebastian
  • WERDICH, Leopold

Assignees

  • Tubex Packaging GmbH

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20241106

Claims (11)

  1. Method for manufacturing an aluminium can designed to hold a filling material, the method comprising the steps of: a) Providing an aluminium can (2) having an unpainted interior (3); b) Providing a forming tool (4) which has at least one ceramic and/or hard-coated forming section (5, 5A, 5B); and c) Forming the provided aluminium can (2) using the provided forming tool (4), wherein during the forming process at least one surface area (6, 6A, 6B) of the aluminium can (2) slides along the forming section (5, 5A, 5B) of the forming tool (4).
  2. Method according to the preceding claim, - wherein, during the execution of step c), at least one surface area (6, 6A) of the inside (3) of the aluminium raw can (2) slides along at least one forming section (5, 5A) of the forming tool (4).
  3. Method according to any of the preceding claims, - wherein, in carrying out step c), at least one, in particular another, surface area (6, 6B) of an outer surface (7) of the aluminium can (2), in particular decorated and/or painted, slides along at least one, in particular another, forming section (5, 5B) of the forming tool (4).
  4. Method according to any of the preceding claims, - wherein the forming process according to step c) includes a necking to produce a can shape and/or a can shoulder (11) and/or a can neck (8) of the aluminium raw can (2); and/or - wherein the forming process according to step c) includes flanging to produce a, in particular rolled, flanged edge (9) of the aluminium raw can (2).
  5. Method according to any of the preceding claims, - wherein, before and/or during the forming process according to step c), the surface area (6, 6A, 6B) of the aluminium raw can (2) and/or the forming section (5, 5A, 5B) of the forming tool (4) is lubricated to reduce friction, in particular by minimum quantity lubrication, - in particular where the lubricant is applied at least or exclusively on the inside for friction-reducing lubrication.
  6. Method according to any of the preceding claims, - wherein a lubricant (10) that is volatile, especially under normal conditions, is used to lubricate the surface area (6, 6A, 6B) of the aluminium raw can (2) and/or the forming section (5, 5A, 5B) of the forming tool (4), - in particular, wherein the volatile lubricant (10) evaporates at least partially or completely before the aluminium can is filled with contents.
  7. Method according to any of the preceding claims, - wherein a lubricant (10) that is inert, in particular with respect to the filling material, is used to lubricate the surface area (6, 6A, 6B) of the aluminium raw can (2) and/or the forming section (5, 5A, 5B) of the forming tool (4).
  8. Method according to any of the preceding claims, - wherein at least part of a lubricant (10) used to lubricate the surface area (6, 6A, 6B) of the aluminium raw can (2) is not removed after step c) has been carried out.
  9. Method according to any of the preceding claims, - wherein at least a part of a lubricant (10) used to lubricate the surface area (6, 6A) of the aluminium can (2) is not removed after step c) has been carried out, is used as a component of the contents, in particular a functional one.
  10. Method according to any of the preceding claims, - wherein the aluminium can produced according to the process is an aerosol can, in particular a non-pressurized aerosol can or a pressurized aerosol can.
  11. Forming tool (4), configured for a method according to one of the preceding claims, - wherein at least one forming section (5, 5A, 5B) of the forming tool (4) comprises or consists of a ceramic (K), in particular a zirconia ceramic and/or an aluminum oxide ceramic; and/or - wherein at least one forming section (5, 5A, 5B) of the forming tool (4) has a surface hard coating (H), in particular having or consisting of diamond-like carbon.

Description

SCOPE OF APPLICATION AND STATE OF THE ART The invention relates to a method for manufacturing an aluminum can designed for storing a contents. The invention also relates to a forming tool designed for such a method. TASK AND SOLUTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a method for manufacturing an aluminum can designed for storing a contents, and a forming tool designed for such a method, each of which, in particular, has special and/or improved properties. In particular, the invention aims to enable a particularly material-friendly, and especially damage-free, forming process for manufacturing an aluminum can without an internal coating. This problem is solved by the subject matter of the independent patent claims. Preferred embodiments are the subject matter of the dependent patent claims. The wording of all claims is made explicit by reference to the content of this description. A method according to the invention is provided for the production of an aluminum can. The aluminum can produced according to the method serves to store a contents. In particular, the aluminum can is produced to be used for storing the contents. In particular, the aluminum can can be used to store a contents that are inert with respect to the can material. The method comprises step a) in which an aluminum can is provided, wherein the aluminum can has an unpainted interior. The aluminum can has, in particular, a substantially cylindrical, especially circular, basic shape. The aluminum can has, in particular, a closed bottom end and a further end opposite the bottom end with a can opening. The method also includes a step b) in which a forming tool is provided, wherein the forming tool has at least one ceramic and/or hard-coated forming section. A "forming section" can be understood, in particular, as a section of the forming tool designed to contact the aluminum can for forming. The forming tool can have several forming sections, of which at least one, some, several, or all are ceramic and/or hard-coated to reduce forming friction. Furthermore, the method includes a step c) according to which the provided aluminum can is formed using the provided forming tool, wherein during the forming process at least one surface area of the aluminum can slides along the at least one forming section of the forming tool, in particular in contact, more specifically with low friction. Due to the ceramic and/or hard-coated design of at least one forming section or several or all forming sections, a particularly low-friction sliding along the surface area of the aluminum can is made possible, which enables a particularly material- and/or surface-friendly forming of the aluminum can. In particular, the invention makes it possible to dispense with the internal coating conventionally applied to the inside of aluminum cans that are formed during forming. Such an internal coating can be used in conventional methods for manufacturing aluminum cans to reduce forming friction. In other words, the invention enables the forming of an aluminum can without internal coating, thus conserving material and/or preventing damage. Furthermore, omitting the interior coating eliminates work steps such as interior coating and drying, thereby saving material and energy. Along with saving the drying time for the interior coating, the associated heat input into the can material is avoided, which improves the stability of the aluminum can. Accordingly, an aluminum can manufactured according to the invention can exhibit the same pressure resistance as conventional aluminum cans, but with a thinner wall and thus requiring less can material. In particular, the terms "exhibits" and/or "has" can be used synonymously with the terms "includes" and/or "has". Additionally or alternatively, the term "is trained" can be used synonymously with the term "configured". Furthermore, additionally or alternatively, the term "directly" can be used synonymously with the term "immediately". Additionally or alternatively, the term "indirectly" can be used synonymously with the term "indirectly". The phrase "as well as - alternatively or additionally =" can be replaced in the present context by the phrase "and/or", and vice versa. The aluminum can blank can be referred to synonymously as aluminum can blank. The aluminum can can be an aerosol can and/or a spray can. Specifically, it can be either a pressurized aerosol can or a non-pressurized aerosol can, particularly for a pump spray. Advantageously, the aluminum can can be produced before or during the provision according to step a) by forming an aluminum slug into the aluminum can by flow forming, in particular by cold flow forming, or by extrusion. The aluminum can can be cut to length or trimmed as needed. The process expediently includes a final step in which the aluminium raw can, reshaped according to step c), is further processed into the aluminium can to be produced. Advantageously, the can material of the aluminum can can