Towards a wickless smooth–Wall aluminium food packaging tray mould tool digital twin - Advanced computational modelling supported by experimental validation

•Mechanisms responsible for the generation of manufacturing defects on the corners of an aluminium food container were studied experimentally and explored numerically.•Three practical processing and tool design parameters (pressure, curling diameter and initial aluminium sheet shape) were proposed to reduce or eliminate the defects.•Analyses revealed that defect generation was significantly dependant on the quantity of material left at the corners before the curling stage. [Display omitted] With the objective of eliminating defects in the rims of smooth–walled aluminium trays, potentially causing food spillage and waste, the present study uses computational simulation to identify practical engineering solutions for the problem. The complex tool geometry used for the multi-stage tray manufacture is modelled using an Explicit analysis. The model was validated using experimental data from a local Tool & Die manufacturer. Laboratory testing also assessed the variation in mechanical properties of the aluminium sheet and the changes in thickness that occurred throughout the manufacture of the tray. The validated model was used to study the effects of three manufacturing parameters, namely holding pressure, the initial shape of the aluminium sheet, and the curling diameter of the rim. Optimum levels of each parameter were numerically identified, leading to one practical solution being tested by the manufacturer which has now been successfully adopted into the design of a tool that can produce defect-free trays.