In the first part of this series, Laura Rigoni Medeiros, Packaging products development manager, and Gilles Mangin, Senior R&D specialist at ArcelorMittal Global R&D explored how advances in metallurgy and microstructure engineering are helping the packaging industry push lightweighting further while maintaining performance and reliability.
But lightweighting is only one part of the equation. Packaging must also meet increasingly demanding expectations from manufacturers and consumers alike. One area where this is particularly evident is easy-open ends (EOE), where consumers expect packaging to open smoothly, safely and with minimal effort.
ArcelorMittal Maleïs® portfolio already covers a wide range of strength levels, from 460 MPa to 700 MPa, addressing conventional EOE requirements. However, as consumer expectations for ease of opening continue to increase, particularly for food packaging applications, ArcelorMittal developed Maleïs® OpenUp range, to meet a more specific challenge: opening performance.
Through microstructure engineering, Maleïs® OpenUp delivers a reduction in tear force of around 10 N compared to standard grades, while maintaining the mechanical robustness required for industrial processing and end-use performance.
At the same time, canmakers must ensure that easy opening does not compromise safety, product integrity or manufacturing efficiency. Maleïs® OpenUp has been designed to strike this balance, combining enhanced consumer convenience with reliable industrial performance.
In practical terms, this means a smoother opening experience for the consumer, without increasing the risk of premature opening, deformation or failure during production and handling.
Beyond average performance, Gilles Mangin and Laura Rigoni Medeiros highlight another key advantage: consistency.
Variations in yield strength and microstructure can lead to fluctuations in opening behaviour, ultimately affecting process stability. For canmakers, inconsistent tear force can create challenges in scoring, tab attachment and end conversion.
The Maleïs® OpenUp grades deliver tightly controlled mechanical properties, with limited variation in yield strength. This consistency contributes to more stable forming operations and predictable opening performance.
Importantly, these results are not limited to laboratory conditions. ArcelorMittal confirms that the observed improvements have been validated with customers across different diameters and strength levels, reinforcing the industrial relevance of the solution.
Laura Rigoni Medeiros and Gilles Mangin emphasise that innovation does not stop at laboratory results and that the co-development has an undeniable value.
“In a market where application requirements are becoming increasingly specific, steel design cannot be developed in isolation” says Gilles Mangin. Collaboration between steelmakers and canmakers is essential to ensure that innovations address real operational and market needs.
Solutions such as Maleïs® OpenUp are not simply the result of material innovation; they are the result of iterative development cycles involving laboratory testing, pilot trials and validation with customers across different configurations.
For canmakers, this approach reduces the risk associated with adopting new materials, while accelerating the transition towards higher-performance packaging solutions.
The insights shared by Laura Rigoni Medeiros and Gilles Mangin at METPACK 2026 point towards a broader shift in the packaging steel landscape.
As lightweighting progresses and performance requirements become more demanding, the role of metallurgy is evolving from a supporting function to a central driver of innovation. The ability to engineer microstructures with precision is becoming a competitive advantage not only for steel producers, but also for their customers.
For the canmaking industry, this opens new opportunities:
At the same time, it raises the bar in terms of material understanding and process integration. Success will increasingly depend on how effectively these advanced materials can be translated into robust, high-performance industrial applications.
Innovation in steel for packaging is not about pushing limits in isolation. It is about integrating expertise across materials science, industrial processes and user requirements to deliver performance that is both measurable and reliable.
In a sector where incremental gains can translate into significant competitive advantages, such developments are set to play a key role in shaping the next phase of steel for packaging evolution.
This article examined how advanced metallurgy can translate into tangible benefits for easy-open end applications. Combined with the lightweighting opportunities discussed in Part 1, it illustrates how materials innovation is helping shape the future of steel packaging, balancing performance with consumer expectations.
Laura Rigoni Medeiros has been Product Development Manager for ArcelorMittal’s global packaging portfolio since April 2024, leading initiatives focused on steel solutions. She holds a degree in Materials Engineering from the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (Brazil), complemented by an academic exchange at INSA Rennes (France).
Laura brings a strong blend of technical and commercial expertise, with early career experience as a research engineer, followed by roles in tinplate product industrialisation and marketing. Her background enables her to bridge innovation and market needs in the packaging segment.
Gilles Mangin is a Senior R&D Specialist at ArcelorMittal Global R&D, where he oversees metal forming and new tinplate applications. He has built extensive expertise within the French steel industry over several decades.
Since beginning his career in 1988, Gilles has specialised in the tinplate sector, holding a range of technical roles spanning R&D and customer services. His long-standing experience provides deep insight into material performance, application development, and customer-driven innovation.
