ACI Addresses The Challenges Of Successful Can Drying With New 3 Stage System

Driving productivity in canning requires careful consideration of best practise in process drying. Within the Global Drinks Manufacturing and Filling Industries, aluminium cans being filled and packaged will inevitably be exposed to moisture at some stage. Whether it’s because of the wet fill process employed; the type of lubricated conveyor being used; or simply the operational environment where condensation is readily formed; it is safe to assume every can will be exposed to moisture of some sort.

Choosing to ignore or ineffectively tackle this problem can be costly to manufacturers, product distributors and end-consumers. For example wet cans can suffer from both stress corrosion and rust, both of which can put off any distributor or end-consumer considering a purchase. Date codes applied to a wet surfaces can appear smudged and smeared leading to the likelihood of high reject rates by the manufacturer. Packaging can be severely spoilt and damaged if the drying process has not been carried out thoroughly, so once again putting end-consumers off buying the product now, or in the future.

Introducing the new 3-Stage Can Drying System
Until now, within the Canning Industry, it has only been possible to dry can lids and bottoms by integrating can twisters onto filling lines. However the innovative design of ACI’s 3-Stage Can Dryer means tops, sides and bottoms are able to be dried within a system footprint of less than 2.5metres (8.2ft) without the need to twist, thereby saving valuable space on the line.

An ACI EP10A compact blower provides the airflow for the system and this can typically be supplied within an acoustic enclosure that is either mounted to the side or above the filling line. The drying system is easy to install onto existing lines, and simple to adjust during production runs so it can easily cope with different can heights and diameters.

The 3-Stage Can Dryer also has some ‘green’ credentials as it both minimises overspray and gives the opportunity to capture any removed liquids which maybe either recycled or alternatively channelled into any waste water system present.

“The introduction of this drying systems for canning represents quite a milestone in problem solving. A major US brewer had recently asked ACI to develop a can drying system that was able to dry tops, bottoms and sides within the same unit. It need to utilize blower-driven air, but must not use air knives as the method of air delivery. Within 7 days of this request being received, we had solved it with the 3-Stage Can Drying System.” states Paul Tuffin, ACI’s Managing Director.

The system can be broken down into the following distinct areas (stages):

1. Drying Can Tops (Stage 1)
ACI’s can drying system features specially configured ‘Y’ slots that direct blower-driven air to remove water/liquid efficiently from can tops whilst driving it downwards. All overspray is contained within the tunnel’s polypropylene enclosure.

2. Drying Can Sides (Stage 2)
A pair of ACI JetPlates enables the can sides to be thoroughly dried. Their faceplates have the benefit of acting as guide rails to passing cans, thereby allowing the airflow to act on the sides of the product from no more than 3mm.

3. Drying Can Bottoms (Stage 3)
A new under-can JetPlate has been designed for this stage which can be easily installed onto existing lines without the need to remove conveyor belts etc. Because of its innovative design, the under-can JetPlate utilises the ‘Coanda Effect’ which removes water downwards through a gap between the dryer and the side of the conveyor preventing re-wetting of the sides.

In Summary:
Air Control Industries is a Global leader in beverage bottle and can blower-driven drying solutions, with more than 10,000 bottle and can dryers installed worldwide.

• We have over 45 years of experience developing drying systems for the beverage industry. Our DRI-Line Series is a range of bottle and can drying systems specifically designed for the Global Food and Beverage Industries.
• The DRI-Line Series is a proven solution for filling line speeds from 100’s to 1000’s of bottles or cans per hour, providing efficient and effective drying solutions for all containers prior to ink jet coding, glass/PET bottles pre-labelling, and removing all moisture prior to packing.
• All of our solutions are designed to reduce running costs as well as lessen operational and maintenance issues.
• We continue to develop solutions and strive to be an innovative designer and supplier of bottle and can drying systems.

By employing blower-driven solutions such as the 3-Stage Can Drying System, Global Filling Companies will be lessening the demands on natural resources and providing great environmental benefits. While considering the right drying system can be challenging and requires thoughtful analysis of many variables, working with a partner such as Air Control Industries will help ensure your success.