Opening: A “Adaptation Crisis” of Sunscreen Spray
A beauty brand once faced a problem: after customizing tinplate aerosol cans and filling them with sunscreen spray, the spray was either too scattered like “water mist” or too concentrated like “water flow”, completely failing to achieve the expected fine atomization effect. After investigation, it turned out that the can body diameter and valve specifications did not match the viscosity of the liquid——this is a typical case of “can-liquid mismatch”. In fact, customizing tinplate aerosol cans is not as simple as “choosing a can to hold things”; it needs to be accurately adapted to product characteristics, usage scenarios, and compliance requirements. Otherwise, even the highest-quality can will not work well.
As the “container skeleton” of aerosols, tinplate aerosol cans must not only hold liquids and propellants, but also cooperate with valves to achieve the ideal spray effect, and comply with the compliance standards of different countries/regions. Starting from actual customization cases, this article will break down the 5 core adaptation principles of tinplate aerosol can customization, with Q&A dry goods that must be read before customization at the end!
1. 5 Core Adaptation Principles for Custom Tinplate Aerosol Cans
The core of customization is “adapting to needs”. Combining more than 120 customer cases in 2024, we have summarized 5 easily overlooked but crucial adaptation dimensions to help you avoid 90% of customization mistakes:
| Adaptation Dimension | Common Mistakes | Practical Adaptation Methods |
|---|---|---|
| Liquid Characteristic Adaptation | Not informing liquid viscosity/corrosiveness, using general-purpose cans | 1. Provide liquid samples (e.g., viscosity ≥500mPa·s requires large-diameter valves)2. For water-based/acidic liquids, prioritize epoxy-phenolic internal coatings; for solvent-based liquids, choose PVC internal coatings |
| Spray Effect Adaptation | Only mentioning “needing fine spray” without clarifying usage scenarios | 1. Choose 0.3mm aperture valves for facial care (fine atomization)2. Choose 0.5mm aperture valves for cleaning/insecticide (wide coverage) |
| Storage Environment Adaptation | Ignoring the impact of high-temperature/high-humidity environments | 1. For tropical regions, customize cans with 121℃ high-temperature resistant sealants2. For coastal environments, add anti-salt spray coatings on can bodies (tested to be rust-free for 500 hours) |
| Compliance Standard Adaptation | Only focusing on domestic standards and ignoring export requirements | 1. Exports to the EU must comply with REACH regulations (8 heavy metals prohibited)2. Exports to the US must pass CPSC child safety tests (no sharp edges on can bodies) |
| Cost-Efficiency Adaptation | Blindly pursuing “thick cans” to increase costs | 1. Choose 0.20mm thick tinplate for conventional products (pressure resistance up to 1.4MPa)2. For small-batch customization (≤50,000 cans), prioritize standardized molds (saving 30% mold opening costs) |
In-Depth Explanation of Key Adaptation Details
- Liquid Characteristics: The “Basic Premise” of CustomizationThe viscosity of the liquid directly affects valve selection——for example, for honey-like viscous liquids, using conventional 0.3mm aperture valves will result in “no spray” or “intermittent spray”; while for water-like liquids, using large-aperture valves will cause the spray to be too scattered. In 2024, we had a food customer who did not mention that the liquid contained 30% alcohol during the initial customization. As a result, the ordinary sealant swelled due to alcohol, causing micro-leakage. Later, the problem was solved by replacing it with a solvent-resistant sealant.
- Compliance Standards: The “Red Line” for Export CustomizationCompliance requirements vary greatly in different regions: for example, aerosol cans exported to the EU must comply with the REACH regulation and the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED), and the burst pressure of the can body must be ≥1.6MPa; while for exports to Southeast Asia, the key is high-temperature resistance (local warehouse temperatures often reach 45℃ in summer), so can types compatible with high-temperature resistant propellants must be selected. Last year, a customer did not mention in advance that the products would be exported to Australia. After customization, it was found that the can body labels did not comply with Australia’s AS 2274 standard, so the labels had to be reprinted, costing an additional 20,000 yuan.
- Cost-Efficiency: The “Balance Art” of CustomizationMany customers think “the thicker the can wall, the safer”, but it is unnecessary——0.20mm thick tinplate is completely sufficient for conventional aerosols (pressure resistance up to 1.4MPa, complying with GB13042-2008 standard). If 0.25mm thickness is chosen, the cost per can will increase by 0.12 yuan, and for 100,000 cans, this means an additional expenditure of 12,000 yuan. For small-batch customization, choosing standardized molds (such as 52mm, 65mm diameter can types) is 2 weeks faster than opening custom molds and can save 30% of mold opening costs.
2. Must-Read Before Customization: Answers to 3 High-Frequency Questions
Q1: What materials need to be prepared in advance for customizing tinplate aerosol cans?
A: At least 3 things need to be prepared:
1. The viscosity, pH value, and main components of the liquid (to judge corrosiveness and compatible coatings);
2. The expected spray effect (such as atomized particle size, coverage range);
3. The product sales region (to confirm compliance standards). With these materials, we can quickly provide an adaptation plan and avoid repeated adjustments.
Q2: Can special-shaped aerosol cans (such as square, irregular shapes) be customized?
A: Yes, but there are 2 points to note:
1. The pressure resistance of irregular-shaped cans is 10%-15% lower than that of round cans, so additional burst pressure tests are required (to ensure ≥1.4MPa);
2. The mold opening cost of irregular-shaped cans is 50%-80% higher than that of round cans, and the production cycle is 1-2 weeks longer. It is suitable for customers with batches ≥100,000 cans, and not recommended for small batches.
Q3: What is the general production cycle for custom cans? Can it be expedited?
A: The conventional customization cycle is 30-45 days (including material procurement, can making, coating, and testing); if standardized molds are used and materials are in stock, it can be shortened to 20-25 days. Expediting requires additional coordination of the production line, which will increase the cost by 10%-15%, and the shortest time cannot be less than 15 days (sufficient testing time must be reserved to avoid quality hazards).
3. 2 Practical Suggestions After Customization
- First conduct small-batch trial production: For the first customization, it is recommended to first produce 500-1000 cans for trial, test the compatibility between the liquid and the can (such as checking for leakage and corrosion after 1 month of storage), and whether the spray effect meets the standards. Mass production can be carried out only if there are no problems, to avoid large-scale rework.
- Reserve room for later adjustments: For example, if you may export to other regions in the future, you can tell the manufacturer in advance to reserve compliance adaptability in can body materials and coatings (such as choosing internal coatings that meet multi-region standards), so that there is no need to re-open molds later.
Closing
The core of tinplate aerosol can customization is not “making a good-looking can”, but “making a can that adapts to the product”——it needs to take into account liquid characteristics, usage scenarios, compliance requirements, and cost efficiency. As a manufacturer specializing in customization for 10 years, we will not only provide “general solutions”, but also give accurate adaptation suggestions based on your product details, so that every custom can can “fulfill its purpose”. If your product needs custom aerosol cans, please feel free to bring liquid samples to communicate, and we will help you work out an adaptation plan!