SEAMScan XTS III: Use Case

Saving time, cost, and resources with a seamless testing solution

In the fast-moving world of beverage production, every minute matters. When quality teams are stretched thin and production lines run around the clock, inefficient testing processes can quietly drain both productivity and profit. Traditional destructive seam inspection is a perfect example – a familiar process, but one that often slows operations and sacrifices valuable product.

To explore a smarter, more efficient alternative, the Industrial Physics team conducted an internal analysis comparing the performance of the CMC-KUHNKE SEAMscan XTS III with conventional destructive testing. What we found clearly illustrates how a switch to non-destructive seam inspection can transform day-to-day operations and deliver substantial annual savings.

Learn more about the innovative solution here.

The challenge

Destructive testing requires operators to cut open cans, examine multiple locations, and record measurements by hand. It is a meticulous process, but also a time-consuming one. Because every test destroys multiple cans, it also creates steady product loss, especially in high-throughput facilities running several seamers.

And in the world of metal packaging testing, where precision and consistency are essential, the real cost of disruptions and downtime can add up quickly. Lost time. Lost product. Lost efficiency. For teams already juggling heavy workloads, it’s a drain that compounds with every shift.

How does it work?

To better understand the improvement potential, we modeled a typical beverage production environment. The focus was on two areas:

• How long it takes to complete a full inspection cycle
• How much product is lost each year through destructive testing

The scenario included testing 12 cans per cycle and evaluating production conditions that are common across the beverage industry.

Significant time savings

With traditional destructive testing, inspecting 12 cans can take 35 to 50 minutes. Every cycle requires careful cutting, sectioning, and measuring – all manual steps with natural variations.

Switching to the SEAMscan XTS III changes the experience entirely. The same inspection takes roughly 15 to 20 minutes. No cutting. No destruction. No lengthy manual workflow.

This shift represents a 65% reduction in inspection time. Multiply across several seamers and multiple testing intervals each day, and the hours reclaimed become substantial. Teams get more freedom, workflows move faster, and operations become noticeably more efficient.

Major cost savings

Time isn’t the only thing saved – in many facilities; destructive testing eliminates 288 cans per day from the production stream. With an estimated value of one dollar per filled can, that’s nearly $300 of product lost daily. Over 350 production days, the total climbs to about $100,000 per year.

And this number doesn’t include the additional cans often destroyed during rechecks, troubleshooting, or line adjustments. Real-world losses can be significantly higher.

With the SEAMscan XTS III, every inspected can remains intact. That means every test preserves product instead of sacrificing it, generating immediate and long-term value.

Proven Results

This analysis highlights a clear advantage to adopting non-destructive seam inspection. With the SEAMscan XTS III, beverage producers can dramatically cut inspection time, protect valuable product, and streamline their quality processes. It’s a modern, efficient approach that helps manufacturers stay ahead of rising demands while operating smarter, faster, and more cost-effectively.

For any facility focused on efficiency, accuracy, and savings, the opportunity is unmistakable. Want to know more about how our SEAMscan XTS III could revolutionize your canning line?