1. Ribbing on tin cans serves to reinforce the tin. This concept is akin to the corrugation seen in cardboard, where adding ridges enhances its strength significantly. The curved shape of the can, coupled with the ridges, minimises the likelihood of dents through regular handling. This is in contrast to aluminum soda cans, which typically lack such reinforcement and are prone to denting easily under hand pressure, especially when empty. The sections of the tin can with ridges are notably resistant to denting by hand.
2. Additionally, the ridges on tin cans allow for expansion and contraction. During the canning process, filled cans are often subjected to heat to cook and sterilise their contents. This process generates considerable pressure, and the ridges facilitate the can's ability to withstand such pressure without rupturing.
3. However, not all tin cans necessitate ribbing. Ribbing on the sides of cans serves to enhance their strength and withstand the extreme temperatures and vacuum pressures encountered during thermal processing and boiling preservation in the canning process. Products such as coffee, which do not undergo these procedures, may feature cans without ribbing.
