PRODUCTS & SERVICESCrown Innovation & Design
Technology Innovation Timeline
Since its inception, innovation has been a key focus for Crown. Following is a snapshot of key technology innovations we have introduced to the packaging industry:
1892 - Founder and inventor William Painter patents the 'crown cork'.
1898 - Crown introduces the first foot-powered, syruper-crowner.
1930 - High-speed, 3-piece bodymaking introduced, revolutionizing the can making process.
1935 - Introduction of electrolytic tin-plating process.
1937 - Debut of the 'Crowntainer,' a 2-piece drawn, necked-in steel can sealed with a crown. The package was introduced as a quart beer can.
1952 - The 'Spra-tainer', a lightweight, two-piece "no side seam, no top seam" aerosol can for the food, personal care, household and insecticide markets, is introduced.
1968 - Development of first all-plastic closure for carbonated soft drinks.
1969 - Crown introduces the Drawn-N-Ironed, a two-piece steel beverage can alternative to the aluminum can.
1970 - Metal vacuum closures with a safety button provide an audible indication of pack safety.
1976 - A patented flame-curing process, a revolutionary can coating procedure that cured can coatings by direct-flame-impingement in less than one second, is developed. These coatings are the basis of 2-piece can coatings today.
1978 - Steel D&I food cans introduced for pet food products in the U.K.
1979 - Barrier coated PET bottles are introduced, allowing beer to be packed in plastic.
1979 - 2-piece DRD can introduced for Heinz baby food products.
1980 - Compartmentalized packages (piston and bag-in-can) are used to extend the range of aerosol applications.
1980 - Full-aperture easy-open ends provide ease of opening and supreme abuse resistance.
1980 - Polymer coated steel and aluminum developed for use in packaging applications.
1980 - Spin-necking allows production of lighter weight containers.
1982 - Reprotherm, a patented sublimation-dye-transfer process for photographic quality decoration, is introduced for D&I beverage cans.
1984 - PET/metal containers introduced for food and beverage products (STEP & Petainer).
1985 - Lamipac plastic barrier tray introduced for pet food products.
1985 - Base profile reforming (external) process developed to allow lighter base weight metal to be used whilst controlling buckle and growth of aluminum D&I beverage cans.
1986 - Introduction of steel 211/206 diameter cans made at Braunstone.
1986 - Conform technology introduced in U.K. food plants for recycling copper welding wire.
1988 - Launch of EOLE™ brand full aperture easy-open end.
1988 - Oxygen scavenger (OXBAR) developed for use in PET containers to prolong shelf life of sensitive products like beer.
1990 - Metal closures with plastic inserts (PT Plus closures) provide greater tamper evidence.
1990 - Introduction of blowforming process for 2-piece and 3-piece containers increases shelf differentiation and brand recognition.
1990 - IDEAL™ composite closure (polymer/metal hybrid) significantly reduce opening forces. Can be used on both glass and plastic containers.
1991 - Polymer coated steel used on drawn baby food cans and full aperture easy-open ends.
1991 - First 211/202 steel beverage cans produced in Spain.
1995 - Alulite introduced for beverage easy open ends. Produced using material from the first wide aluminum polymer coating line in Duffel (JV with Hoogovens).
1997 - Shaped beverage cans introduced for Coca-Cola and Heineken.
2000 - Crown introduces the first major breakthrough in beverage end technology in nearly 20 years: the revolutionary SuperEnd® beverage ends.
2000 - Integrated weld monitor produced to improve efficiency and quality of 3-piece can making.
2001 - Launch of PeelSeam™ end for food products.
2004 - First shaped 3-piece aerosol introduced for WD-40® lubricant.
2004 - Injection molded corks for spirit products introduced.