What is a aluminium cans project report?
An aluminium cans project report is a detailed project report (DPR) for a plant that turns aluminium coil into printed, lacquered two-piece cans for beer and soft drinks. It sets out the can-making line, raw materials, buyers, BIS certification, project cost, means of finance, five-year projections, DSCR and break-even.
Promoters and packaging companies use it to size a can line and raise a term loan; lenders and investors use it to judge whether the plant can repay.
Also known as: aluminium beverage cans project report, project report on aluminium cans, two-piece can plant DPR, aluminium cans business plan.
Aluminium cans manufacturing plant cost in India
Our sample report models one two-piece line rated at 7,90,000 cans per day, or 26,07,00,000 cans a year over 330 working days. It starts at 60% of capacity and reaches 80% in Year 5, selling each can with a bought-in end at ₹7.88 before GST.
| Land and site development | 568.28 |
|---|---|
| Building and civil works | 1,630.70 |
| Plant and machinery | 5,185.05 |
| Other fixed assets | 641.91 |
| Contingencies | 340.79 |
| Preliminary and pre-operative | 209.17 |
| Working capital margin | 515.85 |
| Total | 9,091.75 |
| Promoter's contribution (25%) | 2,272.94 |
|---|---|
| Term loan from bank (75%) | 6,818.81 |
| Cash credit limit (separate) | 1,547.54 |
| Total project cost | 9,091.75 |
Term loan at 10.5% with a 12-month moratorium and 84 monthly instalments. All figures are illustrative; multi-line plants cost many times more.
Aluminium cans manufacturing process, step by step
A beverage can body is made from one disc of metal with no side seam. The line runs continuously, so each machine is sized to keep pace with the bodymakers.
- Cupping
Coil is unwound, coated with a thin lubricant and blanked into shallow cups, several at a time, in a cupping press.
- Drawing and wall ironing
Each bodymaker redraws the cup and pushes it through ironing rings that thin the wall, then forms the domed base that resists internal pressure.
- Trimming
The wavy top edge left by ironing is cut off so every body is the same height for the necker.
- Washing and drying
A multi-stage washer strips the lubricant and conditions the surface so coatings stick, followed by a drying oven.
- Decorating
The decorator applies a base coat and prints the brand design with over varnish in one pass; a pin oven cures the ink.
- Inside spraying
Spray guns coat the inside with a food-grade lacquer, cured in an oven, so the drink never touches bare aluminium.
- Necking and flanging
The open end is narrowed in a series of dies to take a smaller end, and a flange is rolled for the filler's seamer.
- Testing and palletising
Every can passes a light tester for pinholes and a camera check, then is stacked on pallets with tier sheets.
Which can-making route fits your plant?
Most of the cost decisions are made before the machinery order. These are the choices a project report should settle first.
| Two-piece drawn and wall ironed line | Coil-fed line for 330 ml and 500 ml beverage cans. This is the route in our sample report and the one beer and soft drink fillers buy from. |
|---|---|
| Make or buy the ends | Our sample buys ends with tabs ready made. An end line needs its own shell presses, conversion presses and lining machines, and pays back only at high volume. |
| Impact-extruded cans | Aerosol and bottle-shaped cans are made from slugs, not coil, on slower lines. They serve personal care and pharma fillers, so they need a separate report. |
| Can sizes on one line | Changing between 330 ml and 500 ml means tooling changes on the bodymakers and necker. Fix the size mix with your buyers before you size the line. |
| New or refurbished line | A refurbished line lowers machinery cost, but tooling condition, spare parts and the BIS factory inspection must be checked before you rely on it. |
Raw materials for aluminium cans
Can body coil is a special thin, hard-temper sheet, bought from rolling mills in India or imported. Its price follows the London Metal Exchange aluminium price plus a conversion premium, so suppliers usually quote it on a formula rather than a fixed rate.
| Raw material | Share of cost | Year 3 (₹ lakh) |
|---|---|---|
| Aluminium can body coil (3104 alloy) | 66% | 5,776.94 |
| Can ends with tabs (bought in) | 24% | 2,100.71 |
| Internal lacquer and external base coat | 5% | 437.65 |
| Printing inks and over varnish | 3% | 262.59 |
| Cupping lubricant and washer chemicals | 2% | 175.06 |
| Total | 100% | 8,752.95 |
In our sample, raw materials are 60.9% of sales in Year 3. A report should test how a rise in the aluminium price moves profit and DSCR.
Aluminium can making machinery and its cost
The bodymakers are the largest single item in our sample, followed by the decorator. Together they take about 40% of the machinery budget.
| Machine | What it does | Sample cost (₹ lakh) |
|---|---|---|
| Uncoiler, lubricator and cupping press | Feeds coil and blanks it into cups | 622.21 |
| Bodymakers | Draw and iron cups into tall bodies | 1,244.41 |
| Trimmers | Cut bodies to exact height | 259.25 |
| Can washer and drying oven | Remove lubricant, prepare the surface | 466.66 |
| Decorator with base coater and pin oven | Print and cure the outside design | 829.61 |
| Inside spray machines and curing oven | Line the inside with lacquer | 466.65 |
| Necker flanger | Narrow the top and form the flange | 674.06 |
| Light tester, camera inspection and palletiser | Reject faulty cans, stack pallets | 362.95 |
| Conveyors, compressed air and lubricant systems | Move cans and serve the line | 259.25 |
| Total plant and machinery | 5,185.05 | |
Costs are the sample report's estimates for one line. Get current quotations, including tooling and spares, before you finalise.
Utilities and manpower for a can plant
A can line runs round the clock, which shapes the shift pattern, the power supply and the maintenance team.
| Working pattern | 330 days a year with continuous shifts, as in our sample report |
|---|---|
| Manpower in the sample | 229 people: 34 in management and supervision, 80 skilled operators and 115 semi-skilled and unskilled workers |
| Power and fuel | ₹563.99 lakh in Year 3, about 3.9% of sales, for presses, ovens, compressors and lighting |
| Thermal load | Washer dryer, pin oven and inside-bake oven need steady heat; the fuel choice changes running cost |
| Compressed air and water | Air drives can transfer and rejection; treated water feeds the washer, and its effluent needs treatment |
| Maintenance | Ironing rings, punches and decorator blankets wear and are replaced on a schedule, so keep a tooling room on site |
BIS certification and approvals for aluminium cans
Aluminium beverage cans now fall under a Quality Control Order, so certification belongs in the project plan, not after it.
| BIS certification | IS 14407:2023, aluminium cans for beverages, under a Quality Control Order; BIS lists enforcement from 1 April 2027 (checked October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Business registration | Udyam and GST registration. With plant and machinery of ₹5,185 lakh, the sample plant sits in the medium enterprise band, which goes up to ₹125 crore of investment |
| Pollution board consent | Consent to establish and operate from the State Pollution Control Board, covering coating fumes from the ovens and washer effluent |
| Factory licence | Under the Factories Act and state rules, with fire NOC for the ovens and solvent stores |
| Buyer approval | Brand owners audit the plant and approve each can size and print before regular supply starts |
Who buys aluminium cans in India
Demand comes from beer and soft drink brands moving more volume into cans, and from newer drinks such as energy drinks, ready-to-drink coffee and sparkling water. Fillers still import part of their cans, and BIS certification will favour plants that can supply certified cans close to the filling line.
- Breweries and beer bottlers
- Soft drink and energy drink fillers
- Ready-to-drink tea, coffee and juice brands
- Packaged and sparkling water brands
- Contract canning and co-packing units
Plan for the summer peak: beer and soft drink sales rise sharply in the hot months, so fillers want stock built ahead. A report should show where finished cans are stored and how that stock is financed.
Mistakes that weaken an aluminium cans project report
- Pricing cans without saying whether the end is included
An end is a large part of the cost. Mixing up body-only and complete-can prices makes revenue and margin wrong.
- Assuming full output from the first month
New lines take time to reach speed, and start-up spoilage is high. Projections should ramp up, as the sample does from 60%.
- Fixing the coil price
Can body coil follows the aluminium market. A single fixed price hides the biggest risk to DSCR.
- Leaving out BIS lead time
Without certification the plant cannot sell after the QCO date, so testing and inspection must be in the schedule.
- Thin working capital
Imported coil, summer stock and 45 days of buyer credit tie up cash; in our sample, receivables are the largest current asset.
How NPCS helps you plan an aluminium can plant
- Line size and can mixMatch line speed and 330 ml or 500 ml sizes to the fillers you can supply.
- Machinery and toolingCompare new and refurbished lines, and list tooling and spares to budget.
- Bank-ready project reportProjections, DSCR and working capital tested for aluminium price swings.
- BIS and approvals planCertification steps, pollution consent and plant layout for your state.
NPCS's client list shows 4 assignments for aluminium can projects, and NPCS has prepared project reports for engineering and metal product units since 1994.
What's inside the aluminium cans sample report
- Introduction
- Uses and applications
- Market potential
- Manufacturing process
- Raw materials
- Plant and machinery
- Land, building and utilities
- Manpower
- Licences and approvals
- Project cost and means of finance
- Working capital
- Projected profitability
- Cash flow statement
- Projected balance sheet
- Depreciation
- Term loan repayment
- Debt service coverage
- Break-even analysis
- Financial ratios
- Key assumptions
- Conclusion
- Monthly loan repayment schedule
19 pages, five-year projections, illustrative figures.
Open sample reportFree sample or a report for your project?
| What you get | Free sample | NPCS report for your project |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity and location | Typical unit | Your capacity, site and state |
| Figures | Illustrative | Built on current prices and quotations |
| Machinery suppliers and quotations | No | Yes |
| Market survey for your region | No | Yes |
| Bank or scheme format (PMEGP, term loan) | No | Yes |
| Use for a loan application | No | Yes |
Real NPCS aluminium cans project reports
These are aluminium cans project reports NPCS has prepared, with the plant capacity, total capital investment, rate of return and break-even worked out in each. Costs have moved since some were written, so we bring any of them up to date for your capacity and location.
| Project report | Plant capacity | Total investment | Rate of return | Break-even | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aluminium Ingots From Used Beverage Cans | 1000 Kg /day | ₹2.98 crore | 24% | 51% | Get this report |
| Aluminium Cans | Aluminium Cans for Brewery: 15,000,000 Pcs./Annum Aluminium Scraps (Waste): 50,000 Kgs./Annum | ₹7.12 crore | 27% | 48% | Get this report |
| Aluminium Cans for Brewery | 15,050,000 Pcs. /annum | ₹7.12 crore | 26% | 47% | Get this report |
| Aluminium Beverage Cans | Aluminium Beverage Cans : 1,000 thousand Nos/Day | ₹29.57 crore | 26% | 46% | Get this report |
| Aluminium Cans for Beverages (Two Pieces) | Aluminium Cans for Beverages Each 330 ml Size: 3,450 Lakh Pcs per Annum | ₹77.6 crore | 28% | 40% | Get this report |
| Aluminium Cans for Beer and Beverages | Aluminium Beverage Cans each 330 ml Size:13.3 Lakh Pcs. / day | ₹399 crore | 23% | 36% | Get this report |
Figures as worked out in each NPCS report. Total investment includes plant and machinery, land and building, and working capital.
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Aluminium Cans project report: frequently asked questions
How much does an aluminium can manufacturing plant cost in India?
Our sample report models one two-piece line making 7,90,000 cans per day at a total project cost of ₹9,092 lakh, with ₹5,185 lakh for plant and machinery. As an indicative guide, a single refurbished line can cost less and a multi-line plant far more. Your report works out the cost for your line speed, can sizes, site and state.
What raw material is used to make aluminium cans?
Can bodies are made from aluminium can body coil, usually 3104 alloy, which is 66% of raw material cost in our sample report. Most single-line plants buy ends with tabs ready made; in the sample they are 24% of raw material cost. Inside lacquer, outside coatings, inks, lubricant and washer chemicals make up the rest.
Which machines are needed for aluminium can manufacturing?
A two-piece line starts with an uncoiler, cupping press, bodymakers that draw and iron the wall, and trimmers. A can washer and drying oven, a decorator with pin oven and inside spray machines with a curing oven follow. A necker flanger, light tester, camera inspection and palletiser finish the line. In our sample the bodymakers are the largest machinery cost.
Is BIS certification mandatory for aluminium beverage cans?
Yes. Aluminium cans for beverages are covered by IS 14407:2023 under a Quality Control Order, and BIS lists the enforcement date as 1 April 2027 (checked October 2026). After that date cans must carry the BIS Standard Mark under a licence. Plan the factory inspection and testing into your project schedule, because fillers will not buy uncertified cans.
Is aluminium can manufacturing profitable?
In our illustrative sample, the plant earns a 14% return on investment in Year 3, breaks even at about 44% of capacity and pays back in about 4.5 years. Profit is sensitive to the price of can body coil, line efficiency, spoilage during start-up and how well the plant fills its summer peak. These figures are not a forecast for your project.
Can a small unit make aluminium beverage cans?
Not economically. Beverage cans come off high-speed lines that need large, steady orders from breweries and soft drink fillers, so even one line is an industrial investment. Smaller press units make other aluminium containers, such as food trays or tins. If your budget is modest, a project report helps you compare those options before you commit.
Is the sample report free and can I use it for a loan?
The sample is free to view and download. It is an illustrative report that shows the format and depth of an NPCS report. Its figures are representative and not based on a real project, so it should not be submitted to a bank. For a loan, NPCS prepares a report for your own capacity, location and finance plan.
Sources and references
- Upcoming QCOs notified and due for implementation (IS 14407:2023, aluminium cans for beverages)Bureau of Indian Standards, checked Oct 2026
- Govt notifies revised criteria for classifying MSMEsAll India Radio News, Prasar Bharati, checked Oct 2026
The NPCS project team, led by Ajay Kumar Gupta
This page and its sample report are prepared and reviewed by the NPCS project team, which has written techno-economic feasibility studies and detailed project reports since 1994.
Ajay Kumar Gupta founded Niir Project Consultancy Services (NPCS) and leads the organisation. With 40 years of experience in MSME project consulting, he has built the team that has delivered more than 28,000 project reports for clients worldwide, helping entrepreneurs plan and finance profitable manufacturing businesses.
- Published
- Last updated
- Next review
- Oct 2027
- Reviewed by
- NPCS project team
This page is reviewed every 12 months, or sooner when scheme limits, GST rates, BIS rules or pollution categories change. The sample report is illustrative: its figures are generated from industry-typical ratios for a unit of this size, checked so every statement balances, and are not taken from any client project.