Conquering Can Conundrums: Getting to the Bottom of Beverage Can Failures

The modern beverage can is considered to be one of the greatest accomplishments in engineering. However, it is prone to a number of complex failure modes that can be challenging and work-intensive to diagnose. Furthermore, the very beverage it contains can be the ultimate source of its demise. A single “leaker” that goes undetected is capable of a pallet-worth of damage, and multiple leakers can wage war on an entire warehouse.

The team at Engineering Systems Inc. (ESi) has encountered multiple beverage can failure incidents that required different investigative strategies and laboratory examination tactics. This presentation will highlight key lessons learned from ESi’s experiences, including a review of common leaker causes, questions to ask when confronted with beverage can failures, and best-practice tips for carrying out the material analysis portions of the failure investigation.