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Explore every stage of the modern plastic bottle and container manufacturing process with our interactive process map. From raw material preparation and preform production through to stretch blow molding, filling preparation, inspection, labeling, and palletizing, every step requires precision, consistency, and rigorous quality control. By clicking on each stage within the diagram below, you…
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Explore every stage of the modern canmaking line with our interactive beverage can manufacturing process map. From coil handling and cupping through to decorating, necking, and palletizing, each step in the process demands precision, consistency, and quality assurance. By hovering over each stage in the diagram below, you can discover the most relevant beverage can…
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Overview Burst strength testing is one of the most widely used methods for evaluating the performance of sealed flexible packaging. It applies controlled internal pressure to a package until failure, measuring the point at which the seal or material gives way. For quality managers, R&D specialists, and operations experts working across flexible packaging production, burst…
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Definition: Wet coating thickness measurement is the process of measuring the thickness of applied coating or paint layer immediately after it has been applied to a metal coil substrate — before the coated product enters the curing oven and dries. This is achieved using non-contact, optical sensor-based technology positioned inline at the point of application. Why it matters: In coil coating production lines, coatings travel at high…
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Color consistency in metal can manufacturing refers to the ability to reproduce a brand's specified colors accurately and repeatedly across every decorated aluminum or steel beverage can - regardless of production run, facility, or geography. In the can-making industry, color is measured using three attributes: hue (the recognized color, such as red or blue), chroma (the vividness or saturation of that color), and lightness (how light or dark the color appears). These are quantified using…
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Our metrology toolkit has been created by specialist experts with in-depth knowledge It offers insight and best practice advice for UK-based manufacturers working with CMMs, arms, height gauges, or master artefacts. Through UKAS-accredited Torus Metrology Services, you can rest assured that your metrology needs are being handled by true specialists with the appropriate knowledge, certifications, and expertise required to deliver results. Our free toolkit offers advice on…
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To ensure that paints and coatings are easy to apply and durable in their nature, oils and additives are required. To know that the addition of these components doesn’t adversely affect the composition of your final paint or coating, you need thorough and efficient viscosity testing. Oils and lubricant additives in paint The addition of…
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Can seaming to achieve robust, hermetically sealed metal packaging is a preferred practice to protect a wide range of types of products across many industries. An effective double seam is crucial to the integrity of a can. The process of can seaming has been around for decades and has undergone some massive transformations over the…
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Key terms Term Definition Gloss The degree to which a surface reflects light in the specular (mirror) direction. Higher gloss means a shinier surface. Specular reflection Light reflected at the equal and opposite angle to the incident light, as from a mirror. 75 degree geometry The measurement angle used for paper and board gloss, taken…
Gloss is the visual perception of shininess, and it comes from the way a surface reflects light. When light hits a very smooth surface, most of it reflects in a single direction, the specular direction, and the surface looks glossy. When the surface is rough or open, light scatters in many directions and the surface…
Gloss is a measure of how much light a paper or board surface reflects in the specular, or mirror, direction. A high-gloss sheet reflects light sharply and looks shiny. A matte sheet scatters light and looks dull. In the paper and board industry, gloss is a controlled optical property because it shapes how printed packaging,…
Thickness, also called caliper, is the perpendicular distance between the two principal surfaces of a sheet of paper or board, measured under a defined static load between hard metal platens. It's one of the most fundamental physical properties in paper and board manufacturing, and it directly influences strength, stiffness, bulk, and how a material runs…
Thickness, or caliper, is one of the first properties many mills measure, and one of the most revealing. It tells you how much material is in a sheet, and it points to how that sheet will behave under stress, through a press, and inside a finished package. Getting it right is a balancing act between…
Key terms Caliper: Another word for thickness; the perpendicular distance between the two principal surfaces of a sheet, measured under load. Single sheet thickness: The thickness of one sheet of paper or board, measured under a defined static load. Bulking thickness: The thickness of a single sheet, calculated from a pack of superimposed sheets measured…
What is clay and mineral pigment testing for paper and board? Clay and mineral pigment testing measures the brightness and color of the mineral pigments used as fillers and coating pigments in paper and board, such as kaolin clay, calcium carbonate, talc, and titanium dioxide. Because the optical properties of these pigments directly affect the brightness, whiteness,…
Mineral pigments, including kaolin clay, calcium carbonate, talc, and titanium dioxide, are used as fillers and coating pigments throughout paper and board production. They influence the brightness, whiteness, opacity, and color of the finished sheet. For quality and R&D experts, measuring the optical properties of these pigments is an important quality control step. But mineral…
Clay and mineral pigment testing Key terms Mineral pigment (filler): A finely ground mineral added to paper and board to improve optical properties, printability, and to manage cost. Common examples include kaolin clay, calcium carbonate, talc, and titanium dioxide. Brightness: The reflectance of a sample measured under defined conditions. For mineral pigments it is reported on the…
