FEATURE
so it meets all regulations for beverage cans . A pass through an oven cures the overvarnish . Being digital , it ’ s optimal for short-run printing — even down to can-of-one , should demand arise .
' We ’ ve had a lot of interest from people who have noticed that there is a gap in the supply chain ,' said Foreman , ' and a lot of interest from some of the current suppliers of labels and shrink sleeves to the craft beer industry .' It prints 60 cans an hour , so it ’ s not intended to compete with the long-run direct-to-can processes offered by can manufacturers that print up to 200 cans an hour , but it can hit the ' sweet spot ' of a craft brewery ’ s run .
' Craft beer is anywhere from 20,000 cans per run to at most 70,000 or 80,000 ,' said Foreman . ' Some are looking to offer smaller , personalised runs for corporate events , weddings , birthdays , marketing samples or test runs . I ’ ve seen everything from 10 up to 80,000 cans . I think the sweet spot [ for the Tonejet unit ] is going to be around 30,000 to 40,000 , which is a common quantity for the craft beer industry .'
Tonejet is finessing the technology as well as integrating ancillary systems , such as a can palletiser / depalletiser and a drying oven for the overvarnish . These systems are all being built to spec to minimise the footprint , as well as ensure the optimal curing time and other performance aspects . ' Our goal is to start meeting with interested parties and customers in the early part of the summer ,' said Foreman , ' when we can fully demonstrate the capabilities of the machine .'
Shrink sleeves show a visible seam .
A Full Bar Menu
Whether it be labelling , sleeving , or even litho or digital direct-to-can , beer isn ’ t the only beverage that ’ s been experiencing a craft movement . ' Ciders and soft drinks are others ,' said Kilgore . ' Companies like Angry Orchard have started becoming prevalent .'
' We ’ ve had some conversations with soda manufacturers ,' said Foreman . ' A few smaller companies are bringing out their own craft sodas . There are also energy drinks . Another potentially big player is coffee served in Red Bull ® -style cans , which seems to be gaining momentum .'
' There are producers of juice drinks ,' said Drumm , ' and there are quite a few people who are putting wine and premixed cocktails into cans .'
Wait — wine ? In cans ? If you thought there was a stigma attached to drinking beer out of a can , that ’ s nothing compared to wine . In terms of quality , a can may very well be better than a bottle , but appearance counts for a lot in the boudoir of the grape . Picture it now : an intimate dinner for two in a candlelit restaurant , and the waiter cracks open a can of cabernet . Who says romance is dead ?
Vin de boîte won ’ t catch on with everyone , but the airline industry is particularly partial to canned wine for weight reduction reasons .
Spin The Bottle
Two trends are driving an interest in beer can decorating in general , and digital short-run decorating in particular . The first is the explosion in craft brewing . According to the Brewers Association , in 2015 , the number of breweries in the US alone grew by 15 percent , rising to 4,269 breweries , ' the most at any time in American history ,' said the association in a March 2016 press release .
Then there is the ' can revolution '. ' The stigma of beer in cans is all but gone , at least among consumers in their 20s , 30s , and early 40s ,' said Drumm . ' If I had a crystal ball , I ’ d say that we are likely to reach an equilibrium between cans and bottles in the next year or two .
' You have better beer coming out of cans and you can sell it in more places ,' said Kilgore . ' There are just a lot of benefits to cans over bottles . We ’ re really
Labels almost completely surround the can .
seeing the trend of that direction .'
It ’ s not just an American phenomenon . ' Five mobile canning companies have been set up in the UK within the last two years ,' said Foreman . ' The UK is catching on , and I ’ m now getting calls from Italy , Bulgaria and elsewhere in Europe , as well as South America , South Africa and New Zealand . It ’ s a trend that clearly we haven ’ t reached the pinnacle of yet .' Let ’ s drink to that .'
Richard Romano has been writing about the graphic communications industry for more than 20 years , and has covered wide-format printing since 1998 . He is a senior analyst for news and information portal WhatTheyThink . com , where he is the section editor for the Wide Format page . He also contributes to Wide Format & Signage and Printing News magazines . His most recent book is a collection of historical essays called Printing Links : History , Science , Technology and the Graphic Arts , defiantly available in print only at Amazon . com .
This article first appeared in the SGIA Journal and is reprinted with permissions from the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association .
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