A Moving Problem: Eliminating Can Leakers During Long-Distance Transportation

R. Fortuna. Presented at the MBAA 111th Anniversary Convention, Minneapolis, Minnesota, September, 1998.

Abstract
Over a period of several years Stroh noticed an increase in cusyomer complaints due to can leakage. In addition to known leakers, customers would also complain about "foreign objects" in can packages. The description of the complainants often made Stroh believe ihese so-called "foreign objects" were actually large mold biomasses that had also resulted from loss of package integrity. This trend culminated with the issuance of a number of significant claims from several international customers for damage and leakage, of can packages shipped to them from our domestic plants. One customer alone had a claim for approximately $1.5 million (U.S.). It was apparent that a significant investigation for the root causes of these problems was necessary. As a part of the investigatory process, a technical team was comprised of members of container industry technical specialists in can and end manufacturing, and members of the Stroh Quality Assurance corporate staff. Other technical resources were utilized as necessary to determine failure modes and root causes. This included metallurgical analysis by the aluminum supplier, electron scanning microscopy, can and end coating analysis, single-axis vibration testing and full rail-car vibration testing done by The Association of American Railroads in Pueblo, Colorado. The result of the team's investigation was the identification of several critical process control variables during can and end manufacturing, the impact of can end and can-bottom (dome) profile design, the need to utilize properly-designed exterior can coatings, the identification of several critical control points in brewery processing of cans, the identification of important secondary packaging considerations, the importance of the condition of can pallets, the need to refine loading and dunnaging practices of filled can packages, the contribution of damage to can packages due to various railroad routes and equipment and the selection of the proper mode of transportation for can packages for long-haul overland shipments.
Keywords: can abrasion, stress-induced score leaker, bearing-surface fracture, double-stacking, can coatings, secondary corrosion, overvamish film weight and distribution, transportation damage  

Sintesis
Durante un lapso de varios a�os Stroh noto un incremento en las quejas de clientes las cuales se creyeron que eran debido a que la cerveza se regaba de las latas de cerveza. Adicionalmente a las latas que visiblemente habian regado, los clientes se quejaban de "objetos extra�os" en las latas de cerveza. La descripcion de estos problemas frecuentemente llevan a Stroh a creer que estos llamados "objetos extra�os" eran formaciones de biomasas que tambien resultaban de la perdida de integridad de las latas. Esta tendencia culmino con various reclamos significativos de varios clientes internacionales por dabs de latas embarcadas a ellos desde nuestras plantas en los E.E.U.U. Un cliente solamente tenia un reclamo por aproximadamente US$1.5 millones, Era aparente que era necesaria una investigacion significativa del la causante real del problema. El resultado del equipo de investigacion due la identificacion de varios puntos de control de proceso criticos durante la fabricacion de las tapas de las latas, el impacto del dise�o de las tapas y perfil del fondo de la lata, la necesidad de utilizar las pinturas para el exterior de la lata correctamente dise�adas, la identificacion de various puntos criticos de control del procesamiento de latas dentro de la cerveceria, la identificacion de consideraciones importantes para el empaque secundario, la importancia de la condicion de pallets para latas, la necesidad de refinar practicas de carga y amarre de envases de lata llenos, la contribucion a da�ar envases de lata en varias rutas de ferrocarril y equipos y la seleccion del modo de transporte apropiado para embarques de larga distancia por tierra de envases de lata.