Greg Stueve

All of the components of a beverage can are stamped in a high-speed press. The process of producing two-piece beverage cans starts with the blanking and forming of a cup from a large aluminum coil. Today’s most advanced cupping presses can run a 14-out die up to 350 strokes per minute (SPM), producing up to 4,900 cans per minute. Would soda beverages be as popular if they could not be packaged in a portable, singular, recyclable can made inexpensively by a high-speed stamping process? Some unique challenges and critical factors for press work in high-speed can stamping include high operating speeds, dynamic balancing, and off-center loading. Here are some ways to handle stamping at (almost) the speed of light--and takeaways for slower operations.