History of Iron and Metal Cans Development

Tin cans, metal cans, are various metal containers or metal craftworks used for packaging, made from related thin metal plates. They can be categorized by shape into round cans, square cans, irregular cans, handle cans, and heart-shaped cans. By forming process, they are divided into two-piece cans and three-piece cans. By application, they include food cans, tea cans, pharmaceutical cans, daily necessities cans, chemical drums, CD boxes, and more. The quantity of food cans is significant, such as candy cans, biscuit cans, beverage cans, and so on.

In 1795, Napoleon offered a reward of 12,000 francs to anyone who could find a way to preserve the food supplies for his troops.

In 1809, candy merchant Nicholas Appert had the idea of preserving food, such as wine, in glass bottles. After years of research, he invented a sterilization method for food preservation and was awarded 12,000 francs by the French government.

In 1810, King George III granted Peter Durand a patent for preserving food in glass bottles, earthenware jars, or metal cans.

In 1812, British immigrant Thomas Kensett established a small factory in New York to produce sealed cans of oysters, meats, fruits, and vegetables.

In 1825, the Kennebec Iron Works obtained a patent for a tin can in the United States.

Alan Taylor has been granted a patent for imprinting tinplate cans using an extended edge machine.

In 1849, Henry Evans was granted a patent for a swing press that could produce can lids in a single operation. Production capacity increased from a few cans per hour to 50 cans per hour. In 1866, E.M. Lang obtained a patent for sealing cans by either manufacturing or welding lids.

1870: France began printing colored patterns on tinplate.

In 1872, the British man, Baber, introduced the tinplate printing technology to the United Kingdom.

1875: Arthur A. Libby and William J. Wilson invented the trapezoidal can for preserving salted beef in Chicago.

1877: The simple can seamer was introduced.

The semi-automatic can-making machine first appeared in 1880.

In 1898, George W. Cobb Canning Company perfected the three-piece can. In 1903, the interior coating for cans was introduced.

In 1905, the canning food production process was introduced to our country, and Shanghai Tai Feng Company began producing canned food.

In 1917, the tinplate printing technology was introduced to our country, with the Commercial Press starting to produce a small quantity of printed tinplate products.

1953: Soudronic of Switzerland developed the first benchtop resistance welding machine.

1957: Aluminum materials were introduced into the metal canning industry.

1960: The can was invented.

In 1963, the world's first two steel pull tabs were born in the United States. In 1965, the development of tin-free thin plate was achieved. In 2005, the Chinese Tinplate Printing Network was established.