Common double seam defects and how they can dent your reputation

In the food and beverage industries, companies of all sizes are under constant pressure to deliver consistently high-quality products. Just a single can with a faulty double seam is all it takes to harm a business.    

All those months spent researching and developing your products and packaging. The work involved securing wholesale distribution links and enticing customers. It could all be in vain if one double seam defect goes undetected. Which is why we make the seam inspection equipment you need to protect your canning line.  

In this blog, we illustrate some common problems on the canning line with case studies to show how to solve them with proper double seam inspection tools. The options range from innovative handheld devices like the CMC-KUHNKE QbyV SEAMetal Portable through to fully automated measurement systems such as the CMC-KUHNKE AUTO-XTS.  

Safety first double seam inspection

Food and beverage safety is important to consumers. Whether you make or fill food or beverage cans, or work with aerosol cans, the threat of a product recall caused by a seam defect is one to take seriously. 

These days, consumers expect more control over where and how their drinks and meals are processed and packed. They’re also demanding better, sustainable options. When exploring uncharted waters with new materials and concepts, you must gain control with reliably accurate double seam inspection tools. 

One can is all it takes

So, how can the double seam defects of a defective batch, or even just a single can, harm your business? Here’s a list of the risks that keep our customers awake at night: 

• Reputation-damaging public product recall 
• A non-public recall from the supply chain 
• Costs involved in sorting out defective batches 
• Return shipment and handling costs 
• Destruction costs – plus increased waste 
• Costs to reproduce defective cans 
• Costs to redistribute perfected products 
• Postponed delivery repercussions 
• Administrative resource 
• Penalties, storage costs  
• Complaints. 

It might seem like it’s not going to happen. Companies can continue for years without experiencing any double seam defects, never mind a defective batch. But then disaster strikes, and they wish they’d invested in a better double seam inspection operation. 

One can is all it takes. If just one can slips through the quality net and gets to the consumer, the impact on your brand can be devastating. 

A cautionary canning tale

So, what does a major product recall involving a defective seam look like in practice? Not pretty, to put it mildly. Just take the case involving Tiger Brands – South Africa’s largest food manufacturer – for a warning shot across the bow. 

In July 2021 the top 40 JSE companies announced they would be recalling some 20 million cans – a whopping nine percent of its annual production! In monetary terms, we’re talking around R650 million – an eye-watering $42M! 

Safety concerns were raised after a deficient side seam weld led to leaking cans. The product recall spread from South Africa to the UK, Australia and New Zealand. An Australian wholesale distributor even suggested that a leak to some products could result in microbial contamination. 

Tiger Brands took a big hit financially. It was bad news for a company that has spent nine decades honing a quality brand reputation. All of this resulted from just 18 cans that had been purchased from a supplier. 

So what can you do about it?

The best way to curb defect risk is to start by examining your current double seam inspection equipment. Is it up to task, or is there more you could be doing? 

Traditionally, most can makers and fillers have used statistical can seam inspection. A measuring system with a sampling approach will flag critical issues, analyzing trends and tracking potential long-term mechanical issues. 

Seam defect identified, the batch is blocked to ensure no faulty cans are shipped out. Then you can inspect the problem and decide if just a few cans or the whole batch should be destroyed.  

Taking a statistical approach to can seam inspection offers a good level of protection. But it leaves you exposed to isolated faults, unforeseen sorting efforts, unexpected machine clean ups, customer complaints, and product recalls. 

A proper double seam inspection process reduces risk, cost, and overall hassle. Automated in-line seam inspection instruments check every single can on the production line for total control of your double seam inspection. 

If one can is all it takes, you can protect yourself. 

Don’t just take our word for it!

When an American brewery needed double seam test and inspection support to tackle a unique canning problem, they called us in. Read this can testing case study to see how our experts investigated and solved the problem at Blues City Brewery with the SEAMscan SPC System.  

In this second can testing case study you’ll read how Caniel, a leading food and aerosol can maker, overcame a tricky canning problem with the CMC-KUHNKE QbyV Clearance Gauge.  

We’re always pleased to solve a customers’ unique inspection problem. Other customers have been equally impressed with our double seam inspection tools, such as the SEAM360.

Masters of metal packaging

We’ve been making double seam inspection tools for the metal packaging industry for many decades. In the knowledgebase section of our website, we share our expertise. Why not check out our glossary of double seam defects? Then you could read this blog on how to measure a double seam.  

If you’re still thirsty for double seam inspection advice, you’ll find a deeper exploration of can inspection problems and solutions in our double seam inspection guidebook, or just get in touch!