A can body that has been subjected to outer surface painting (OV), inner surface painting (INS), and a neck process (SDN) but that has not been subjected to image formation is manufactured in a canning factory. The can body that has not been subjected to image formation is shipped to a beverage can manufacturing factory. At the beverage can manufacturing factory, an image formation process using a printer (PR) is performed. Specifically, ink is ejected from an inkjet head toward the can body, to thereby form an image on the outer circumferential surface of the can body. Thereafter, the can body is filled with beverage in a filler (FL), and then a can lid is attached to the can body in a seamer (SM).

A device for inhibiting rotational motion of an article to be processed comprises a pressure plate assembly including a generally ring-shaped guide assembly. The guide assembly has and at least two guide pins extending from a first side in a transverse direction. The guide assembly further includes at least two resilient devices positioned over a respective one of the at least two guide pins and a container guide having an aperture for receiving an open end of a container moving in a first direction and for aligning the open end with a processing device. The container guide is positioned adjacent to the first side of the pressure plate assembly. At least two resilient devices are configured to be compressed in response to movement of the container guide in a first direction and are configured to decompress in response to movement of the container guide in a second, generally opposite direction.

A rotary manifold includes a manifold assembly outer body assembly with a generally toroid outer body, a number of manifold assembly outer body assembly bearing assemblies, a number of seals, and a number of fluid couplings. The manifold assembly outer body assembly body defines a number of radial passages. A generally toroid manifold assembly inner body defines a number of right angle passages. The manifold assembly inner body is rotatably disposed within the manifold assembly outer body assembly body. Each manifold assembly inner body passage inlet is discontinuously in fluid communication with the manifold assembly outer body assembly body passage outlets. Each manifold assembly inner body passage outlet is discontinuously in fluid communication with the process shaft assembly body passages inlets.

A method of manufacturing a can body includes: molding a preform of a can including: molding a dome part on a bottom of a bottomed cylindrical body, the dome part being concave into the bottomed cylindrical body; and molding as annular leg part projecting in a direction opposite to a direction in which the dome part is concave, the leg part including an inner peripheral section which is inclined from a ground point of the leg part toward a can axis in a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the can axis; painting at least one of an inner surface and an outer surface of the preform of the can; and bottom reforming to mold a molded can including a curved end around the dome part by pressing an inner surface of the dome part of the preform of the can painted by the painting.

An infeed assembly for a necker machine includes a full inspection assembly wherein the full inspection assembly is structured to be coupled to a necker machine frame assembly.

A system for performing necking operations on a can body includes a necker machine and a positioning system. The necker machine includes a frame; a processing arrangement having a plurality of components movable relative to the frame for performing the necking operations on the can body, and a drive motor having a shaft operatively coupled to the processing arrangement for moving the processing arrangement relative to the frame. The positioning system includes: an encoder associated with the drive motor for monitoring a rotational displacement of the shaft and a controller in communication with the encoder and the drive motor. The controller is structured and programmed to: receive an input from a user, the input being indicative of a desired movement of the processing arrangement relative to the frame, and to operate the drive motor using feedback from the encoder such that the desired movement of the processing arrangement is achieved.

A distributed drive assembly for a necker machine having a frame assembly and a plurality of modules, each module having a number of drive shafts, the number of drive shafts of each module interconnected via a gear train with the number of drive shafts of the other modules of the plurality of processing modules. The distributed drive assembly includes: a plurality of drive sub-modules, each drive sub-module having: an input shaft; a first output shaft operatively coupled to the input shaft; and a second output shaft operatively coupled to the input shaft. For a first drive sub-module: the input shaft is structured to be operatively coupled to, and driven by, a main drive assembly motor, and the first output shaft is structured to be operatively coupled to, and drive, an associated first drive shaft of the number of drive shafts of a first module of the plurality of modules. For a second drive sub-module: the input shaft is operatively coupled to, and driven by, the second output shaft of the first drive sub-module, and the first output shaft is structured to be operatively coupled to, and drive, an associated first drive shaft of the number of drive shafts of a second module of the plurality of modules that is separated from the first module by at least one other module.

A quick-change vacuum starwheel assembly including at least one of a quick-change height adjustment assembly or a quick-change vacuum starwheel mounting assembly.

A multi-station neck forming equipment for ring-pull cans includes at least two necking stations, each including: a main shaft turret assembly, drive shaft turret assembly, tailstock support assembly and frame assembly. The main shaft turret assembly includes a main turret shaft, mold turret assembly, push plate turret assembly, and main shaft turret planetary gear, and the mold turret assembly is composed of a group of several mold end sleeve assemblies, which include a mold end sleeve, mold end push rod, necking external mold, necking internal mold and two mold end follower bearings, and the bearings adopt the drive structure of elastically clamping the mold end cam, which can ensure the transmission of high-precision necking movement under high-speed operating conditions, solve stability and reliability problems existing in the operation of the can neck forming equipment under high-speed operating conditions, and obtain good stability, high reliability and high-quality necking effect.

A rotary manifold includes a manifold assembly outer body assembly with a generally toroid outer body, a number of manifold assembly outer body assembly bearing assemblies, a number of seals, and a number of fluid couplings. The manifold assembly outer body assembly body defines a number of radial passages. A generally toroid manifold assembly inner body defines a number of right angle passages. The manifold assembly inner body is rotatably disposed within the manifold assembly outer body assembly body. Each manifold assembly inner body passage inlet is discontinuously in fluid communication with the manifold assembly outer body assembly body passage outlets. Each manifold assembly inner body passage outlet is discontinuously in fluid communication with the process shaft assembly body passages inlets.