An automatic tuning system for drilling, originally developed to aid space exploration, has found applications in the packaging industry.

The patented device is said to be able to shape thin sheets of aluminium into cans, reducing raw material requirements by 12%.

‘Can manufacturers usually use relatively thick sheets of aluminium because the forming process is extremely “aggressive” and could easily break or crinkle thin sheets of metal,’ explains Andrew Bowyer, Managing Director of Magna Parva, based in Leicester, UK.

‘Unlike conventional methods, the drill bit does not rotate. Instead, the impact of the bit into the material performs the drilling.’

The Magna Parva solution, created to help the ExoMars rover explore the surface of the red planet, applies ultrasonic vibrations to a die, producing the initial part, which is a stubby metal patty known as the ‘cup’. The firm has found that sheets of aluminium pushed through a vibrating die move easier, mitigating breaking or crinkling.

Ultrasonics have been considered in can forming before, but the challenge has been to control the forces in a setting outside the laboratory, says Bowyer.

‘No-one has been able to do it on a production line until now because tuning the drill had to be done manually and a factory machine makes 250 cans a second,’ he adds. ‘A plant could have lines of 50, 60 machines, making this impossible.’

Bowyer believes that ultrasonic metal forming could be operational in three years and manufacturers will notice cost savings due to reduced material usage.

‘With 267bln cans used a year, manufacturers are looking at £100m annual savings,’ he claims.

Bowyer says that his company is in contact with a major can manufacturer to discuss the feasability and cost of deploying the technology on a large scale.

Gary Mahon, Director and Senior Metallurgist at Innoval Technology, based in Banbury, UK, notes ‘If [this ultrasonic technique] reduces the metal’s thickness, then can makers would be required to retool their manufacturing operations, meaning that the cost benefit might be lost.

‘However, if it reduces spoilage [without reducing the thickness of the aluminium used] can makers might be interested.’