AEROBAL Award Winners
Innovative shapes, optimized printing techniques and enhanced designs…
The winners of the World Aluminum Aerosol Can Awards
2018 were announced at the General Assembly meeting
of the International Organization of Aluminum Aerosol
Container Manufacturers (AEROBAL), held recently in Düsseldorf,
Germany. Nine journalists from packaging journals and
media around the globe selected the most innovative entries in two
categories: Cans Already on the Market and Prototype Cans.
Nivea Body Mousse from Beiersdorf won in the Cans Already
on the Market category. The can is produced by German manufacturer
Tubex. Its unusual shape fits neatly in the hand and exemplifies
a model combination of content, design and print.
The can’s conical shape was obtained using “spline” technology,
a technique that creates particularly fine transitions and avoids
shadowing on the surface. The can’s stepped shoulder matches the
geometry of the spray head precisely, which necessitated forming
it in small steps. The quality of the print is very high, with the
optically-enhanced, circular brand logo located in the shaped area
of the can.
A complex process was necessary to first modify the logo and
then align it. When the logo is initially applied to a cylindrical
can, it appears irregular and distorted. The optical impression of a
perfectly round logo is only obtained after the can is shaped horizontally
and vertically. The can also has a subtle and transition-free
color gradient from opaque violet at the top to an elegant pale violet
on the lower section. The finely-nuanced reproduction of the
mousse and the white drops of shea butter complete the printed
image, said AEROBAL.
In the Prototypes category, the judges awarded first place to the
Eyeris Fox Can from Ball UK. Eyeris technology opens up new
“Time and time again, the most advanced forming
techniques allow the production of interesting
new shapes; optimized and perfected printing
processes are now being used to obtain
fantastic creative elements and designs.”
opportunities for the graphic design of aluminum aerosol cans
with improved reproduction of photorealistic elements, explained
AEROBAL. It is now possible to reproduce images of faces, human
skin and other complex and richly detailed surfaces, such as
those of plants, fruit and flowers. Animal motifs could hitherto
only be depicted with difficulty and incompletely. Detailed patterns
such as fur and fine hairs are now possible, as exemplified on
the winning “Fox Can.”
The Eyeris technology was originally developed for the company’s
Beverage Group but was expanded especially for use with
aluminum aerosol cans. Eyeris uses a patented process for artwork
separation and printing-plate manufacture, which achieves a print
quality of 150- to 200dpi, compared with the 133dpi of some printing
processes. Eyeris enables up to nine colors to be used without
having to make large investments in new printing machinery.
“The favorable market development at the moment, with
growth of almost 5% in the first half of 2018, is attributable in
part to our members’ continuing willingness to innovate,” said
AEROBAL Secretary General, Gregor Spengler.
“Time and time again, the most advanced forming techniques
allow the production of interesting new shapes; optimized and
perfected printing processes are now being used to obtain fantastic
creative elements and designs.” Spray
Further examples of innovative aluminum aerosol cans can be found in
CANS, AEROBAL’s online magazine. Visit www.aerobal.org for more
information and free subscription.
January 2019 Spray 33