It never stops making progress... The steel aerosol is constantly gaining market shares, a development of course due to economical and ecological factors, but mainly to technical improvements to the traditional 3-piece aerosol and also to significant technological advancement with the new 2-piece aerosols. The technical and aesthetic performance of the 3-piece aerosol has improved considerably in four areas: the side seam, the development of polymer-coated steel, presentation quality and innovations with regards formability. The systematic use of electric welding, in addition to the reduction of overlaps, has increased the technical and aesthetic performance of the welded seam. This improvement makes it possible to print closer to the welded seam. Better still, the varnish powder applied on the inside of the seam reduces both the drying time and protects the seam from corrosive products. Especially developed for packaging, polymer-coated steel is used for the base and dome of aerosols. A composite material consisting of a sandwich of chromium steel and plastic film, it combines aesthetics with better resistance to corrosion, abrasion and chemical products. Attractive qualities for a large range of demanding and constantly increasing applications. Coloured heads and domes In addition to the "white" and "transparent" shades, polymer-coated steel is now available in black and gold. All that's needed to combine the requirements of visual identity and resistance. Standing out on the shelves Due to the large increase and better quality of possibilities for presentation, brands are standing out more on the shelves. Wet offset printing offers a wide range of colours including gold which is usually so difficult to obtain. This allows the application of 6 colours at once with a varnish. Furthermore, methods using UV (which imply lower investments with regards drying) and water-based inks (which cut down on the use of solvents and are therefore environmentally friendly) are often used. Wet offset printing is a particular advantage in the cosmetic industry. A cosmetic product is often placed on the market within only one presentation range. The aim of this is to avoid an increase in investments and storage space. It is clear that a short manufacturing process is an essential advantage. The 3-piece steel can fulfils this condition by separating the printing and manufacturing processes. In fact, the storage of printed sheets takes up little space and can manufacture can be operated separately from the printing. Like presentation, the shape is also a significant factor allowing brands to stand out from others. The Cappuccino aerosol recently launched by CarnaudMetalbox with a reduced size neck fulfils this objective. Furthermore, the reduction in the diameter of the head and the dome decreases the weight of the can, consequently allowing savings on raw materials and manufacturing costs. The aerosol's resistance is also greater than for an equivalent volume in a straight can. The main advancement: the 2-piece aerosol The main recent technological development is of course the launching of various 2-piece steel aerosols into the market. At the end of 95, CarnaudMetalbox launched a 2-piece aerosol with a 38 mm diameter. Being this size, the steel aerosol entered into the market of small containers, patented by Dispensing Containers Corporation). Then UNICAN made its appearance. This combines the slim body of a drawn and ironed can with the spray of a traditional aerosol, thus reducing the weight of the aerosol by about 50%. NEWCAN : The drawn and ironed technique is now used to make 2-piece aerosols. Since the beginning of 97, the first high pressure 2-piece aerosol (following the standards of the European Federation of aerosols) according to DWI appeared: the NEWCAN. The NEWCAN is the result of joint research carried out by one of the world's 1 inch aluminium aerosol manufacturers (ONE INCH/CONTINUOUS SPRAY), Lawson Mardon Boxal (LMB), and the Dutch steel producer Corus Packaging Plus. LMB wanted to extend its line by introducing products which are of similar quality and more competitive. After carrying out research, the company concluded that making aerosols using the DWI technique is between 10% to 30% less expensive than making them with aluminium. The NEWCAN also offers other advantages : the reduction in weight by approximately 20% makes for an environmentally friendly aerosol with a rich presentation and the 6-colour 360° dry offset rotary press offers a varied range of presentation possibilities. The product launched in January 97 will soon be followed by the launching of a piston aerosol. What next? Designed for a women's body spray, this aerosol with a fluid shape won the Steel Packaging Design Award 1997 organised by British Steel Tinplate The steel producers still have other projects in mind. However in the near future they intend to concentrate on developing an entirely polymer-coated three piece aerosol. In particular, this advancement would avoid the use of anti-corrosion inhibitors inside the can, an advantage which would also open up the way for new products, which up to now have been difficult to put in a can....