The Aluminium Foil Container Production Process at a Glance

The production process typically includes six main stages:

1. Decoiler and feeding: Aluminium foil is unwound and fed into the press at a controlled rate.
2. Lubrication: The material's lubrication requirements are addressed according to the foil specification and mould design.
3. Press forming: The mould forms the tray, shapes the rim and cuts the tray from the foil strip in one press stroke.
4. Sensing and counting: Sensors monitor production and the control system records the tray count.
5. Stacking: Finished trays are counted, organized and stacked for handling.
6. Collection: The finished stacks are transferred to packing or the next production stage.

These are functional stages of an integrated production line, rather than necessarily six separate machines. The exact configuration depends on the press model, mould, foil specification and customer's production requirements.

1. Decoiling and Feeding: Preparing the Foil for Forming

How the decoiler feeds the press

The decoiler unwinds the aluminium foil coil and supplies material to the press. Stable feeding helps the strip enter the mould consistently, reducing the risk of feeding-related wrinkles, misalignment and interruptions.

LIKEE's feeding system uses a three-stage adjustable accumulator to help manage the foil strip before it enters the mould. The feeder head is motor-adjustable, allowing the feed position to be set for the selected production configuration.

The appropriate feeding settings depend on the foil's thickness, width, temper and the geometry of the tray being produced. A deep tray, a thin wall and a large-format container can place different demands on the material during forming.

For this reason, material selection should be considered together with the tray design and mould specification, rather than independently of the machine.

Oiled foil or plain foil?

Both pre-oiled and plain aluminium foil can be used, provided the material and lubrication arrangement are compatible with the mould and production process.

When pre-oiled foil is used, the lubrication film is supplied with the incoming material. When plain foil is used, the lubrication requirements must be addressed through the selected production setup.

The choice should be confirmed during mould development and sample testing. Punch-to-die clearance, material properties and lubrication conditions all influence forming performance and finished-tray quality.

2. Press Forming: Where the Tray Takes Shape

Forming, rim curling and cutting in one stroke

The press is the central component of an aluminium foil container making machine. As the foil enters the mould, the press stroke forms the container, shapes its rim and cuts the finished piece from the surrounding strip.

LIKEE offers mould configurations for different tray shapes, sizes and rim styles. Depending on the mould design, these may include full-curl, folded-edge and reverse-curl configurations.

The selected rim style is determined by the product design and mould specification. It is not simply a setting that can be changed without considering the tooling.

During production, trimming scrap is directed away from the forming area by the scrap removal system. A scrap baler can collect and compress the recovered material. Where the plant layout and equipment capacity permit, one baler can serve multiple presses.

Choosing between the LK-T63, LK-T80 and LK-T130

The appropriate press depends on the required tray dimensions, mould layout, number of cavities, material specification and production target.

LIKEE's three models have different frame structures and configurations.

• LK-T63: A 63-tonne C-frame press

The LK-T63 uses a C-frame structure and is designed around a three-cavity mould configuration for small and medium-sized trays, subject to the selected tooling and product requirements.

The model uses lithium-based grease lubrication, according to the current machine configuration.

View the LK-T63 aluminium foil container making machine.

• LK-T80: An H-frame press for production flexibility

The LK-T80 uses an H-frame structure. The frame arrangement supports the press's load path and is intended for production configurations that require different mould layouts.

The model uses an enclosed oil lubrication circuit, according to the current machine configuration. The actual number of mould cavities depends on the selected tray and tooling.

View the LK-T80 automatic foil container machine.

• LK-T130: A higher-tonnage H-frame press

The LK-T130 also uses an H-frame structure and is designed for production applications requiring its specified pressing capacity.

Like the LK-T80, it uses an enclosed oil lubrication circuit according to the current configuration. The suitable mould, cavity count and production rate must be confirmed against the target tray and material.

View the LK-T130 aluminium foil container production machine.

Machine model comparison

The following table summarizes the model information currently available. Specifications marked for confirmation should be completed using the approved technical datasheets before publication.

How mould accuracy affects tray quality

Finished-tray quality depends on more than the press's nominal tonnage. Mould geometry, punch-to-die clearance, material properties and forming conditions all influence the tray's wall, rim and overall shape.

LIKEE's mould manufacturing process includes vacuum heat treatment and the use of imported guide pins and bushes. These features are intended to support tooling accuracy and stable operation.

When the mould is correctly designed and adjusted for the selected material, forming, rim curling and cutting can take place in the same stroke without a separate trimming or polishing operation.

This can reduce additional handling between forming and packing. The actual edge quality and consistency should be verified using the intended tray design and material during sample testing.

Press structure, mould changing and maintenance

The press bed and main frame provide the structural support required during repeated forming operations. LIKEE's stated design targets include a service life of 10 years for the press line and 30 years or more for the main frame. These are design-life statements, not guarantees of actual operating life; service conditions, maintenance and operating loads remain important.

The machine uses a hydraulic pump to adjust table height, and a mould lifting arm assists mould handling. Under the specified changeover conditions, a mould change can take approximately 15 minutes with one operator.

Before quoting this changeover time as a guaranteed figure, confirm the applicable mould, machine configuration and changeover procedure.

3. Sensing and Counting: Tracking Production Automatically

How the machine counts finished trays

An automatic foil container machine can record production counts through sensors and the machine control system.

In LIKEE's stated configuration, trays passing the counting sensors are added to the production total displayed on the control panel. This gives the operator a running count during the shift and helps the production team compare recorded output with the planned quantity.

Automatic counting reduces reliance on manual tallying. However, recorded counts should still be checked against the actual finished stacks as part of the plant's production-control routine.

What happens when a fault occurs?

The control system can stop the machine and display fault information on the touchscreen when a detected fault requires intervention. Clear fault messages can help the operator identify the issue before troubleshooting begins.

The feeder controller and stac