EAA Spring Meeting
offers Aerosol 101
Veronica MacDonald Ditko, Assistant Editor
T he Eastern Aerosol Association (EAA) held its Aerosol 101 conference and
annual spring meeting at the Sheraton Mahwah in Mahwah, NJ in April.
Emcee and conference moderator was industry veteran Ken Wanner.
A Valve to Can Matrix panel was moderated by Montebello Packaging’s Dennis
Smith. Scott Martz of Precision Valve answered a query about utilizing a plastic
gasket. Martz suggested sealing it on a steel can with a sleeve or laminate to create a
solid plastic barrier. Verville added that with a low-cost polymer sleeve, there is no
curl, however the crimp of the can is less forgiving. The purpose of a crimp, which is
the mechanical attachment of an aerosol valve to a can, was the panel’s next topic.
“The best crimp is the one that doesn’t leak,” said Buddy Carhart of Exal Corp.,
who explained how it was discovered that raising the curled edge of an aluminum
can gives a better chance of sealing a gasket to the product.
Verville added that Summit has found that laminated steel mounting cups can
work on aluminum cans, and recommended the use of a machined bead, and tube
diameters below 53mm. But testing is the only way to determine if these materials
work together.
Ultimately, the formula of the product determines what container materials are
paired together.
“ It’s the filler that has to marry the crimp, can, valve, coating and equipment,”
said Verville.
Smith asked panelists what the positive attributes of steel and aluminum were.
Ball Corp.’s Blum noted that tin-plated steel is stable due to its steel component
and is cost-effective. Steel also creates larger-sized cans than aluminum. However,
steel cans do need seams, can rust over time and cannot create shoulder profiles like
aluminum.
An audience member asked about the qualities of a plastic laminate lining for a
two-piece steel can. Blum noted that it will protect steel against rust, but not completely.
Also, the can will be limited in shaping options.
The panel was asked if there was an inhibitor to use in combination with waterbased
products and the aggressive propellant dimethyl ether (DME). Carhart noted
that modified polyesters can be used. Spray
20 Spray June 2018
The Valve to Can Matrix Panel included (left to right):
John Blum, Ball Corp.; Buddy Carhart, Exal Corp.;
Kevin Verville, Summit Packaging; Scott Martz,
Precision Valve and moderator and EAA President
Dennis Smith, Montebello Packaging.
Consumer Aerosol Products Council (CAPCO)
President and Cobra Plastics executive Sean Fitzgerald
(right) gave an update on CAPCO, which recently
restructured. Dennis Smith presented CAPCO with a
$1,000 donation from EAA.
Longtime industry veteran Ken Wanner served as
master of ceremonies for the conference.
Coming this Summer
August 2, 2018
EAA Golf Outing
Wine Education, Mini Golf & Social
Crystal Springs Resort, Hamburg, NJ
EasternAerosol.com
Contact the speakers for more information on their presentations:
n Dennis Smith, Montebello Packaging, “Aluminum Cans,”
dsmith@montebellopkg.com
n John Blum, Ball Corp., “Tinplate Cans 2&3 Piece,” jblum@ball.com
n Kevin Verville, Summit Packaging, “BOV (Bag on Valve),”
kverville@summitpkg.com
n Kevin Tracey, Coster, “Valves/Actuators,” KTracey@costerusa.com
n Jennifer Mangels, Aeropres, “Propellants,” jmangels@aeropres.com
n Sean Fitzgerald, Cobra Plastics, “Caps, CAPCO Update,”
sfitzgerald@cobraplastics.com
n Barbara Decaire, Honeywell, “Formulation Trends,”
barbara.decaire@honeywell.com
n David Streuli, Ashland, “Formulation,” dstreuli@ashland.com
n Scott Martz, Precision Valve, “Testing Methods,”
scott.martz@precisionglobal.com
n Buddy Carhart, Exal Corp., “Valve to Can Matrix Panel Discussion,”
bcarhart@exal.com