Steel Drum Wiki

Steel drum

Cylindrical packaging made of steel, typically used for industrial, chemical, food, pharmaceutical or dangerous goods applications.

Industrial steel drum

Steel drum used as industrial packaging for bulk or semi-bulk products.

Tight head drum

Steel drum with permanently fixed top and small bung openings.

Open head drum

Steel drum with removable lid, usually closed by a closing ring.

Removable head drum

Synonym or related term for open head drum.

Non-removable head drum

Drum whose top is fixed and cannot be removed without damaging or modifying the drum.

Conical drum

Drum with tapered shape, allowing nesting when empty.

Straight-sided drum

Drum with straight cylindrical body.

Salvage drum

Special drum used to contain damaged, leaking or non-compliant dangerous goods packaging.

Overpack

Packaging used to enclose one or more packages for transport, handling or safety purposes.

Combination packaging

Packaging consisting of one or more inner packagings secured in an outer packaging.

Composite packaging

Packaging made of different materials forming an integrated unit, depending on regulatory context.

Inner packaging

Packaging placed inside an outer packaging.

Outer packaging

External packaging component protecting inner packagings.

Packaging component

Any individual part of a packaging, such as lid, ring, closure, gasket or liner.

Drum body

Main cylindrical body of the drum.

Shell

Cylindrical side wall of the drum.

Top

Upper part of a tight head drum or upper closure area.

Bottom

Lower part of the drum.

Lid

Removable cover of an open head drum.

Cover

Alternative term for lid, depending on context.

Closing ring

Ring used to secure the lid of an open head drum.

Lever lock ring

Closing ring with lever-lock mechanism.

Bolt ring

Closing ring secured by bolt and nut.

Locking mechanism

Device or construction used to secure closure, lid or ring.

Gasket

Sealing element between lid and drum body or within closures.

Seal

May refer to tamper-evident seal or sealing function depending on context.

Bung

Closure opening or closure element for filling, emptying or venting a tight head drum.

Bung opening

Opening in the drum top for filling or emptying.

Plug

Closure fitted into a bung opening.

Flange

Fitting inserted into the drum top to receive a plug or closure.

Vent plug

Plug designed to allow pressure relief or controlled venting.

Pressure-relief closure

Closure that allows pressure relief under defined conditions.

Capseal

Tamper-evident or protective cap fitted over a closure.

Tamper-evident closure

Closure showing visible evidence of opening or manipulation.

Chime / chine

Rolled or seamed rim at top or bottom of the drum.

Top chime

Upper rolled/seamed rim of the drum.

Bottom chime

Lower rolled/seamed rim of the drum.

Rolling hoop

Reinforcing ring around the drum shell, supporting handling and rolling.

Bead

Raised or recessed ring in the drum body for reinforcement.

Corrugation

Structural profiling of the drum body to increase strength.

Seam

Joint in the drum body or between body and ends.

Welded seam

Welded joint, often the longitudinal seam of the drum body.

Longitudinal seam

Vertical seam along the drum shell.

Triple seam

Multi-layer seamed connection between shell and top/bottom.

Double seam

Seamed connection involving two folded layers or profiles.

Body seam

Seam of the cylindrical shell.

Crimping

Mechanical forming process to join or secure edges.

Curling

Forming a rolled edge for strength or closure.

Drum end

Top or bottom end component of a drum.

Steel sheet

Sheet steel used as raw material for drum production.

Cold-rolled steel

Steel sheet produced by cold rolling, relevant for dimensional accuracy and surface quality.

Tinplate

Steel sheet coated with tin; more typical for cans and closures, but relevant in metal packaging terminology.

Gauge / thickness

Thickness of the steel sheet used for drum components.

Nominal thickness

Declared material thickness.

Tolerance

Permitted deviation from specified dimensions or properties.

Coating

Protective layer applied to steel surfaces.

Internal coating

Coating applied inside the drum to protect contents and steel.

External coating

Coating applied outside the drum for corrosion protection and appearance.

Lacquer

Protective coating, often used for chemical resistance or food contact applications.

Lining

Internal protective layer; may mean coating or inserted liner depending on context.

Plastic liner

Plastic bag or liner inserted into a drum.

Drum liner

General term for an inner liner used in drums.

Barrier coating

Coating intended to protect against migration, corrosion or chemical interaction.

Corrosion protection

Measures to prevent corrosion of steel.

Chemical resistance

Ability of drum material or coating to resist chemical attack.

Compatibility

Suitability of packaging material for contact with the filling product.

Food contact suitability

Suitability for direct or indirect contact with food.

Nominal capacity

Declared capacity of a drum, e.g. 200 litres.

Brimful capacity

Total volume when filled to the brim.

Filling capacity

Practical filling volume under defined conditions.

Filling level

Degree to which a drum is filled.

Headspace

Unfilled space above the product in a closed drum.

Ullage

Alternative term for headspace, often in transport or liquid packaging context.

Stackability

Ability of drums to be stacked safely.

Palletisation

Arrangement of drums on pallets for transport or storage.

Load securing

Measures to prevent movement during transport.

Strapping

Securing drums or loads with straps.

Stretch wrapping

Wrapping palletised drums with stretch film.

Shrink wrapping

Securing or protecting goods with shrink film.

Storage

Keeping drums before or after filling, transport or use.

Handling

Physical movement and manipulation of drums.

Transport packaging

Packaging facilitating transport or handling of one or more sales units; important under PPWR.

Sales packaging

Packaging conceived as a sales unit for the end user or final user.

Industrial sales packaging

Packaging used as the sales unit in industrial supply chains; key term for steel drums under PPWR.

Transport function

Function of packaging to facilitate transport or handling, relevant for PPWR classification.

Reusable packaging

Packaging designed, conceived and placed on the market to accomplish multiple trips or rotations.

Single-use packaging

Packaging not intended to be reused for the same purpose.

Reuse

Use of packaging again for the same purpose for which it was conceived.

Reconditioning

Industrial process to clean, inspect, restore and prepare used drums for further use.

Repair

Corrective action to restore a drum or component to usable condition.

Refurbishment

Broader term for restoring used packaging or components.

Cleaning

Removal of residues or contamination from drums.

Residue

Remaining product or substance in an emptied drum.

Contamination

Presence of unwanted substances affecting safety, reuse, recycling or product compatibility.

Inspection

Examination of drum condition, integrity and suitability.

Leak test

Test to verify that a drum or closure does not leak.

De-denting

Removal or correction of dents in a drum body.

Deheading

Removing the head or top of a drum, often in reconditioning or recycling.

Recycling

Processing of drum material into secondary raw material.

UN mark

Dangerous goods

Type approval

Dangerous goods

Packing group

Dangerous goods

Drop test

Type approval

Hydraulic pressure test

Dangerous goods

Stacking test

Type approval

Manufacturer

PPWR roles

Producer

PPWR/EPR

Supplier

PPWR Art. 16

Importer

PPWR roles

Distributor

PPWR roles

Placing on the market

Regulatory

Making available on the market

Regulatory

Declaration of conformity

PPWR

Technical documentation

PPWR

Recyclability

PPWR

Recycled content

PPWR

Secondary raw material

Circular economy

Material recovery

Recycling

Closed loop

Circular economy

Material value

EPR/recycling

End-of-waste

Waste law

Waste hierarchy

Waste policy

Extended Producer Responsibility

EPR

System participation fee

EPR fees