Inspecting can double seams is an essential step during the packaging process to ensure your product is safe and ready for the market. With so many seam inspection solutions to choose from, which one is the right fit for your company?

Operators can use manual tools to check seam tightness, countersink, thickness and height. Another option that moves beyond manual tools is a more reliable method of visual inspection using a system that provides consistent double-seam checks but without automated measurements. Companies that require advanced measurement capabilities can use a comprehensive inspection system with predictive and preventive intelligence.

Without adequate information, the selection process can be a daunting task. Your choice depends on your company’s goals and needs, factoring in your requirements for inspection, measurement and reporting as well as your budget.

Manual Teardowns

At a minimum, beverage canners should routinely perform manual can teardowns and use proper tools to check critical seam measurements including tightness, countersink, thickness, and height. It’s recommended to take these measurements at the start, middle, and end of each production run.

To manually inspect seams, operators will need tin snips, a utility knife, or a manual can cutter to carefully separate the can lid from the body. It’s important to avoid crushing or deforming the seam during cutting and to wear safety gloves to prevent injury. Once separated, handheld measuring tools are used to record key seam measurements.

What measurement tools are required?

OneVision’s Manual Double Seam Teardown Kit includes the necessary tools for conducting manual seam checks: a countersink gauge, micrometer, calipers, and machinist ruler.

Manual Teardown Kits are affordable. This is a great choice for companies just starting out or working with a tight budget. These kits contain the tools needed to inspect and measure seams, and they offer a good value for the price.

Multiple tools can be utilized with various types of cans. The tools in the kit can be used to inspect the double seams on both small and large cans. The countersink gauge is customizable based on can diameter and lid type. The micrometer and calipers confirm seam measurements are within specification.

Everything is contained in one protective case. The case is an ideal size to fit all the tools but isn’t overly bulky or heavy. Protective foam padding safeguards all the tools during shipment and provides storage between uses.

However, this kit lacks automation features compared to more advanced inspection solutions. Operators need to calculate double seam measurements by hand. And, prior to utilizing this kit, operators must manually tear down their cans which can be difficult and time-consuming.

Visual Seam Inspection

Visual seam inspection provides a faster, more reliable, and more accurate way to assess critical double seam measurements compared to manual teardowns. Optical measurement systems speed up the process, reduce inspector error, and detect subtle seam defects such as wrinkles, droops, or false seams that might easily be overlooked during manual checks.

Depending on the size of your operation and budget, OneVision offers a range of visual inspection systems equipped with high-precision video microscopes.

Portable Beverage System

The Portable Beverage System is another solution that offers brand-new technological innovation for can seam inspection. First, the compact saw makes slots in the cans and then the high-precision microscope combined with a viewing screen allows the technician to visually inspect and measure the seam.

The compact Mini Saw slots 200, 202 and 206 beverage cans. The Mini Saw quickly and effectively cuts beverage cans for conducting visual inspection with ease. Its high-quality blades last for 2-3,000 cuts before needing replacement.

The QuickViewer™ allows seam images to be captured and exported to a USB Drive for easy transfer of data. The built-in touchscreen lets the operator view and save the seam in real-time. Using the provided flexible ruler, on-screen measurements can be taken to quickly calculate body hook, cover hook, overlap, seam height and seam thickness.

The 2-piece system is housed in a sturdy case so it’s truly portable. The Mini Saw and QuickViewer are protected with foam padding, and the entire weight with case is only 25 pounds. With this grab and go system, visual inspections can be conducted right at the can line.

While the Portable Beverage System is tremendously useful since it offers unique capabilities for seam inspection, it does not feature automated measurement software to measure and label the parts of the can seam. The Portable Beverage System only grants visual inspection capabilities with the option to calculate your own measurements.

SeamMate® System

The best-selling, most advanced solution for can seam inspection is the SeamMate System which offers beverage canners a highly-automated approach to inspecting double seams using patented technology.

While the SeamMate system is the most powerful turnkey system in the industry for inspecting double seams, it does come with a higher price tag compared to the Portable Beverage System and Manual Takedown Kit.

The SeamMate’s Video Module combines multiple inspection processes into one unit. Along with a high-precision microscope for viewing the can seam, the Video Module also includes a built-in thickness gauge and a hand-held countersink gauge for calculating all can specifications and measurements.

As part of the patented technology within SeamMate, this system’s software automatically analyzes the can seam to capture measurements and calculate seam tightness. This information can then be stored in a database integrated into your network for easy transfer and analysis.

The complementary Manual Seam Saw produces fast, clean cuts on beverage cans. The tab bender opens the slot for viewing on the Video Module, making the inspection process quick and easy.

So, Which OneVision Inspection System is Right for Your Company?

The Manual Double Seam Teardown Kit and the Portable Beverage System are highly useful solutions to consider. The Teardown Kit provides hand tools for seam inspection. The compact and budget-friendly Portable Beverage System adds the capability of slotting cans, viewing seams on a convenient touchscreen, and saving images to a flash drive.

For companies that require automated measurements and reporting capabilities, the SeamMate System does it all! It is a fast, accurate, user-friendly seam inspection system.

After considering your company’s needs, requirements, and resources, select the seam inspection solution that’s right for you to ensure double seam quality. This critical step will help you be certain that your company’s products are packaged safely for your consumers to enjoy.

Brewing beer is a science that brewers work hard to perfect and customize to fit their brand’s tastes. However, it’s important to remember the science of packaging when it comes time to can your unique creations. When a beer is sealed in an aluminum can, a double seam is formed that helps contain the beer. The formed double seam also ensures your product is shelf stable and, when formed correctly, minimizes your packaging costs and keeps your brand integrity intact.

Can Seams Save the Beer

On the surface, can seams may appear to simply be a mechanism for keeping the lid of the can on so that beer can be distributed, but can seams also play an important role in keeping oxygen out of the can. Why is keeping oxygen out of a finished canned beverage so important?

Oxygen, while a needed component during the brewing process, becomes an enemy to finished beer and must be minimized as much as possible. Oxygen reacts to various compounds that can affect the taste of beer. For example, hoppy IPAs lose their edge when oxygen oxidizes the aroma compounds and darker beers can get that “stale beer” taste when oxygen reacts with the color compounds.

Undergoing double seam formation during the seaming process, aluminum cans limit oxygen coming in contact with liquid over time. In fact, can seams limit more oxygen than even a crown closure on a bottle. As a result, when properly seamed, cans ensure more of your product is safely distributed and help minimize your product losses. As a bonus, making that quality seam can extend your beer’s shelf life up to 6 months.

Sustainability is an Opportunity

In 2025, there is a major opportunity in the beer market in the form of environmental stewardship and sustainability. Research shows that consumers are gravitating towards brands that demonstrate responsible brewing, carbon footprint reduction, and especially recyclable/eco-friendly packaging. Aluminum cans are infinitely recyclable without losing quality. If can seams are managed correctly, not only can you reduce operating costs and mitigate product loss but also you have the opportunity to resonate with Gen Z’s and Millenials’ preferences of beer brands that make sustainability efforts.

To maximize sustainability, breweries should create quality control processes that include conducting can seam inspections. Doing so will help ensure your canning equipment is creating those air-tight seams that will keep your beer fresh and shelf stable.