The can industry is a multi-billion-dollar industry that continues to shape the daily lives of people. Over the years, more and more quantities and varieties of canned goods have become available.
Can sealers revolutionize the process of canning and the industry experienced rapid growth. Gone are the days of laboriously bending metal and soldering seams by hand. This increase in production promoted the use of cans in the following industries:
- agriculture
- construction
- food and beverage
- manufacturing
- transportation
- communication
- wholesale
- retail
- travel
With tin can sealing machines at the center of this rapid growth, let’s take a closer look at what a can sealer is and how it functions.
What is a Can Sealer?
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A can sealer is a machine that seals the can lid to the can body in a way that is completely airtight. The lid of the can is usually made of tin-plated steel. The material for the body depends on the product being canned. It can be made of metal, paperboard, or plastic.
The can sealer interlocks the outer end of the lid with the top part of the can body. This process is called double seaming. The double seam creates a strong mechanical joint to seal the product inside the can. In addition to the mechanical interlocking, a sealing compound is attached to the curl of the lid. This makes the seal not only strong but also airtight.
If you’re looking for can sealers for sale, it’s important for you to understand the different components, operations, and designs of can sealers. This greater understanding of how can sealers function will help you choose the type of can sealer that best fits your needs.
O₂ Residuals <3%, to Keep Food Fresh Longer
🛡️CNC-machined sealing modules, paired with 36-hour aging tests, ensure tight, consistent seams—even in long-term operation
🛡️Each machine undergoes 100+ empty can sealing tests, plus vacuum and oxygen leak checks, so risks are eliminated before delivery
🛡️Built with 304/316 food-grade stainless steel and top-tier global components (e.g., Siemens, SMC), providing durability and compliance across food industries
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Major Components of a Can Sealer
Firstly, you need to know the components of a can sealer before learning how it seals aluminum cans. A can sealer has the following major components to form the airtight closure between the lid and body of the can:
Seamer Head
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The seamer head holds the lid and supports it as it goes through the rollers.
Seamer Turntable or Base Plate
The seamer turntable is a disc or plate that holds and supports the can body while it is being sealed to the lid.
Seaming Rollers
A can sealer has at least one set of rollers, depending on the production volume. The first roller folds the lid’s curl towards the top of the body. The second roller irons the seam to tighten it. This compression causes the sealing compound to flow and fill any little open spaces that remain. The sealing compound creates an airtight seal that protects the product inside the can from leaks and contaminations.
Sealing Chamber
The sealing process takes place in the sealing chamber of the machine.
Vacuum Room
There are can sealers that remove oxygen inside the can using vacuum pressure. This takes place in the vacuum room.
Can Sealer Operation Classification
Can sealers are broadly categorized by their level of automation, which directly impacts their speed, cost, and ideal use case. The main classifications are manual, semi-automatic, and automatic.
Manual Can Sealers
For home canning enthusiasts, small-scale producers, or laboratory testing, manual can sealers are a popular choice. These machines require the operator to perform the sealing process by hand, usually by turning a crank or pulling a lever. While slower than their automated counterparts, they are often more affordable, compact, and do not require electricity, making them highly versatile.
Automatic Can Sealers
Automatic can sealers are fully automated. This type of can sealer does not require any human interaction in the entire sealing process.
Semi-Automatic Can Sealers
On the other hand, semi-automatic can sealers need manual input from people in order to operate.
To help you better understand the differences and determine which type is right for you, here is a comparative table:
Feature | Manual Can Sealer | Semi-Automatic Can Sealer | Automatic Can Sealer |
Operation | Fully manual via crank or lever. | Operator places can/lid, then activates sealing. | Fully integrated into a production line, no human interaction needed. |
Production Speed | Low (Approx. 1-5 CPM) | Medium (Approx. 10-50 CPM) | High to Very High (Hundreds to thousands CPM) |
Ideal For | – Home canning – Lab testing – Hobbyists – Micro-businesses | – Small businesses – Craft beverage producers – Pilot production – Restaurants | – Large food & beverage factories – Mass industrial production |
Price Range | Budget-friendly (A few hundred to over a thousand dollars) | Mid-range (Several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars) | Significant Investment (Tens of thousands to millions of dollars for a full line) |
Pros | – Affordable – Compact – No electricity needed – Simple to maintain | – Balance of efficiency and cost – Consistent seals – Boosts productivity | – Extremely high efficiency – Reduces labor cost per unit – Highly consistent and controllable |
Cons | – Slow, labor-intensive – Seal quality depends on operator – Not for commercial scale | – Requires manual labor – Has a speed cap – Higher initial cost than manual | – Very high initial investment – Large footprint – Requires professional maintenance |
Beyond the level of automation, can sealers can also be classified by their sealing mechanism.
Contact Can Sealing Operation
A contact operation means that the machine comes into contact with the cans to create the double seam.
Non-Contact Can Sealing Operation
In non-contact operations, on the other hand, the machine does not come into contact with the cans. It only uses heat to bond an aluminum foil and seal the can. Instead of making a double seam, induction sealing is used.
Can Sealer Designs
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There are two can sealing machine designs depending on the sealing method used:
Rotary Machine Design
With a rotary can seamer design, the can spins during the sealing process. Automatic can sealers usually have this design. This is commonly used for high volume productions in big operations.
Non-Rotary Machine Design
In contrast, non-rotary sealers keep the can still. Semi-automatic can sealers usually have this design. Machines meant for the home market are based on this sealing method. This design is ideal for preventing spillage when sealing liquid products.
Conclusion
The main purpose of using can sealers and other can packing machine is to improve efficiency, increase production, and reduce operation costs. If you are looking for ways to experience growth in your business, you should consider getting a high-quality can sealer that will provide solutions to your can packaging needs. Can sealers fall under different operation classifications or use different sealing methods. Now that you have a better understanding of what can sealers are and how they function, you can start simplifying your canning process with the help of LPE products.
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