Round cap ULG™

aluminumsteelwith seal

Overview
Crown caps are the standard closure for many bottled beverages, offering reliable hermetic sealing and wide material compatibility. SACMI supplies the production equipment and integrated lines for shell forming, lining and finishing adapted to high-speed beverage packaging.

Market reach
More than 95% of the world’s crown caps are produced on SACMI equipment, reflecting extensive experience in cap manufacturing and line integration.

Applications

• 26 mm caps: shells for PET, aluminium and glass bottles; typical sectors: soft drinks and beer.
• 29 mm caps: steel and aluminium shells for wine, Champagne, beer, water, energy drinks and similar beverages.

Downgauge and Ultra-Low Gauge (ULG™) technology
Downgauge solutions (example 0.18 mm) and ULG™ (down to ~0.14 mm for glass-bottled products) reduce material use while maintaining size compatibility and sealing performance. ULG™ designs typically use fewer teeth (e.g., 15 vs. 21) and optimized blanking diameters, enabling material savings commonly from ~12% up to ~33% depending on standards and tooling.

Decoration and added value
Embossing synchronized with offset decoration allows surface personalization (logo, text) from 26 mm shells, improving tactile recognition and anti-counterfeiting while enabling customization without additional lithography costs.

Production line performance & technologies
SACMI crown cap lines combine shell pressing (PTC series), IN-SHELL lining (PMC series — PVC and PVC-free) and integrated vision/inspection systems. Optimized lines reach high throughputs (up to 6,000 pcs/min depending on configuration) and manage production, storage and inline quality control.

Benefits summary

• High sealing pressure and hermetic closure across carbonated and non-carbonated beverages.
• Compatibility and interchangeability with standard cap systems where specified.
• Reduced raw material use and CO2 footprint via downgauge and ULG™ solutions.
• Embossing options for brand protection and personalization without extra lithography.
• Complete production ecosystem: presses, lining machines and inspection systems for high productivity.

Technical specifications

• Primary materials: steel and aluminium shells (also suitable for PET neck sealing applications).
• Bottle neck diameters: 26 mm and 29 mm (applications per sector as above).
• Representative thicknesses: standard ~0.24 mm; downgauge example 0.18 mm; ULG™ down to ~0.14 mm.
• ULG™ features: typically 15 teeth vs. 21-tooth standard and reduced blanking diameter for material savings.
• Material savings with ULG™: commonly 12%–33% depending on production standards and blanking diameters.
• Line throughput: up to 6,000 pcs/min (dependent on machine model and configuration).
• Lining technologies: IN-SHELL lining available (PVC and PVC-free liners).
• Decoration: compatible with offset printing and embossing synchronized with lithography.
• Associated equipment examples: PTC series presses, PMC series in-shell lining machines (various punch counts and throughputs), CCD embossing presses and integrated vision/inspection systems.