Aluminium capsule (still wine)
A one-piece capsule drawn and rolled from lacquered aluminium. Light, rigid enough to keep its shape and fully recyclable. The material is thicker than disc foil and is usually 8011 or 3105.
Packaging foil guide
Wine Capsule Foil Coil for Top Discs and Skirts
Wine capsule foil coil is lacquered, printed or laminated aluminium foil and thin strip that capsule makers convert into the top discs and skirts covering the cork and neck of a wine bottle. Most of it is 8011 or 3105 alloy, coated with a decorative lacquer on the outside and a heat-seal or protective lacquer on the inside. This guide explains capsule types, alloys, coating structures, sizes and the checks that keep a capsule line running.
- Alloys
- 8011 / 8011A, 3105 (H14 / H16)
- Foil gauge
- Typically 40 – 80 µm for discs
- Coatings
- Primer, colour lacquer, heat-seal lacquer
- Supply
- Master coils or slit coils
What is wine capsule foil coil?
The capsule on a wine bottle does three jobs: it protects the cork and bottle lip from dust, insects and damp in the cellar, it shows that the bottle has not been opened, and it carries much of the brand's shelf appearance. Aluminium is the dominant material because it forms easily around the neck, takes lacquers and print well, gives a premium metallic look and is recyclable.
Capsule foil coil is the semi-finished material behind that capsule. A capsule maker buys wide coils of coated or printed aluminium, slits them, prints or embosses them where needed and then blanks, draws, rolls or laminates the material into discs and skirts. The foil supplier is responsible for the metal, its gauge and flatness, and for coatings that adhere, seal and survive forming without cracking or changing colour.
This page is written for capsule converters, printers and packaging buyers. Metline supplies the aluminium foil and strip in coil form; it does not make or sell finished capsules.
Types of wine capsule and the aluminium each uses
Polylaminate capsule
A skirt of aluminium-polyethylene-aluminium laminate, softer and quieter than a pure aluminium capsule, with an aluminium top disc sealed on. Widely used for mid-price still wines.
Sparkling wine foil
A hood of thin embossed or printed foil, often laminated with paper, that covers the cork and wire cage of sparkling wine and has a tear strip for opening.
Heat-shrink capsule with foil disc
A PVC or PET shrink sleeve topped with an aluminium disc for print and branding. The disc is the aluminium element.
Tin capsule
Rolled pure tin, heavy and pliable, used on premium wines. Tin is not an aluminium product and Metline does not supply it; aluminium-polyethylene laminates are often chosen as a lighter alternative.
Historical lead capsules
Tin-coated lead foil capsules were phased out in the early 1990s and banned in the US by the FDA in 1996 because of lead residues on the bottle lip.
Top disc and skirt: different jobs, different specifications
Two pieces of a capsule are commonly made from capsule foil coil, and they should not be specified the same way.
| Feature | Top disc | Skirt |
|---|---|---|
| Position | Flat round piece over the cork | Sleeve around the neck and lip |
| Main demands | Flatness, print and embossing quality, seal strength | Formability, wrinkle-free spinning or rolling, colour uniformity |
| Typical structure | Single coated foil: decorative outside, heat-seal lacquer inside | Coated aluminium, or Al/PE/Al laminate |
| Typical gauge | Around 40 – 80 µm, set by stiffness and embossing depth | Depends on capsule type; laminate layers are thinner than disc foil |
| Critical tests | Heat-seal strength, print adhesion, emboss cracking | Coating flexibility, elongation, laminate bond strength |
Because the disc is sealed to the skirt, the two specifications must be developed together. A heat-seal lacquer that bonds well to a polyethylene laminate may perform poorly against a vinyl-lacquered aluminium skirt, so state the mating material in the enquiry.
8011 and 3105: composition and how to choose
Two alloys cover most capsule work. 8011 (and its European variant 8011A) is an aluminium-iron-silicon alloy that rolls to clean, pinhole-free thin gauges with good formability. 3105 is an aluminium-manganese-magnesium alloy that is stronger and stiffer at the same thickness. Limits below are from EN 573-3 and the Aluminum Association registrations.
| Element (%) | EN AW-8011A | AA 8011 | EN AW-3105 / AA 3105 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silicon (Si) | 0.40 – 0.8 | 0.50 – 0.9 | ≤ 0.6 |
| Iron (Fe) | 0.50 – 1.0 | 0.6 – 1.0 | ≤ 0.7 |
| Copper (Cu) | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.30 |
| Manganese (Mn) | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.20 | 0.30 – 0.8 |
| Magnesium (Mg) | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.05 | 0.20 – 0.8 |
| Chromium (Cr) | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.20 |
| Zinc (Zn) | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.10 | ≤ 0.40 |
| Titanium (Ti) | ≤ 0.05 | ≤ 0.08 | ≤ 0.10 |
| Others each / total | ≤ 0.05 / 0.15 | ≤ 0.05 / 0.15 | ≤ 0.05 / 0.15 |
| Aluminium | Remainder | Remainder | Remainder |
| Choose | When |
|---|---|
| 8011 H14 / H16 | Top discs and skirts for still wine where appearance, print and easy forming matter most; the usual default and the most economical |
| 3105 H14 / H16 | Thicker or more rigid parts, sparkling-wine applications and designs that must resist denting or hold a sharp shape; also used for screw caps and ROPP closures |
| 1235 / 8079 / 1200 | Very thin laminating foil inside Al/PE/Al skirts or paper laminates, where softness and pinhole performance count more than strength |
Mechanical values for capsule foil depend strongly on gauge and temper. Order to the property ranges in EN 546-2 or an agreed specification, and check the mill certificate rather than relying on generic figures.
Coating and laminate structures
Most capsule foil is coated on both sides. The outer side carries appearance; the inner side carries sealing or protection. The table shows the usual layers and what each contributes.
| Layer | Side | Function | Typical options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primer / wash coat | Outer | Adhesion base for print and lacquer; can be clear or tinted | Epoxy, polyester or vinyl primers |
| Colour lacquer | Outer | Base colour and gloss without printing | Gold, silver, red, black, white, champagne, custom matched colours |
| Outer | Logos, patterns, regulatory text | Rotogravure or flexo, applied by the foil supplier or the converter | |
| Overprint varnish | Outer | Scuff resistance and gloss or matt effect | Clear, matt, soft-touch finishes |
| Heat-seal lacquer | Inner | Bonds disc to skirt or liner under heat and pressure | Systems formulated to seal to NC, vinyl, PVC or PE surfaces |
| Protective lacquer | Inner | Corrosion and scratch protection where no seal is needed | Clear vinyl or epoxy lacquers |
| Polyethylene layer | Core (laminate) | Flexibility, soft hand and forming tolerance | Al/PE/Al polylaminate |
A common structure for still-wine discs is a clear or coloured primer outside and a heat-seal lacquer inside. For skirts that are printed by the converter, a print-receptive primer on the outside and a protective lacquer inside is typical. Always confirm the coating system and coat weight against your sealing equipment with trial runs.
Typical supply specification
Wine capsule foil coil
- Alloys and tempers
- 8011 / 8011A and 3105 in H14 or H16; 1235, 8079 and 1200 for laminating foil
- Thickness
- Disc foil commonly about 40 – 80 µm; thicker strip for drawn aluminium capsules; other gauges to order
- Width
- Wide master coils for printing (often around 700 – 800 mm) or slit coils to the converter's width
- Core
- 76 mm or 152 mm ID for foil; larger IDs for thicker strip; aluminium, steel or paper cores
- Surface
- Mill finish, lacquered, printed, embossed or stucco patterned
- Coatings
- Primer, colour lacquer, overprint varnish, heat-seal or protective lacquer
- Packing
- Coils wrapped in film with desiccant, eye-to-sky or eye-to-wall on export pallets
Ranges are industry-typical; exact gauge, width, core and coating are agreed per project after sample review.
How to choose thickness and structure
| Project | Direction | Points to confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Standard still wine | Balance appearance, forming and cost; 8011 coated foil | Disc gauge, skirt structure, print method |
| Premium still wine | Heavier disc, deeper embossing, higher-gloss finish | Disc stiffness, emboss depth, colour match |
| Sparkling wine | Thin foil hoods or stiffer 3105 components | Tear strip, wire-cage coverage, emboss pattern |
| Older or slower forming equipment | Thinner, softer specifications that feed easily | Temper, coil flatness, coating slip |
| Unusual bottle necks | Fix dimensions before gauge and structure | Neck diameter, height, taper, skirt length |
- Start from the bottle: neck diameter, taper and capsule height decide blank size and forming strain.
- Match the line: share the forming method (drawing, spinning, rolling) so temper and coating flexibility suit it.
- Fix the colour standard: agree a physical master sample and a measured colour tolerance (ΔE) before mass production.
- Test the seal: run disc-to-skirt sealing trials at production speed and temperature, not just in the lab.
Food-contact and regulatory checks
A capsule does not normally touch the wine, but it does touch the bottle lip, and residues there can reach the glass when the wine is poured. That is why lead capsules were banned and why buyers expect capsule materials to meet food-contact rules.
| Requirement | What it covers |
|---|---|
| EN 602 | Chemical composition limits for aluminium wrought products intended for contact with food |
| Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 | EU framework for materials intended to contact food: no transfer of constituents that could endanger health |
| Regulation (EC) No 2023/2006 | Good manufacturing practice for food-contact materials, including coatings and inks |
| US FDA 21 CFR 175.300 | Resinous and polymeric coatings used on food-contact surfaces |
| Customer declarations | Declarations of compliance, migration test reports and heavy-metal statements as required by the brand owner |
Metline provides mill test certificates for the aluminium and can arrange coating and food-contact declarations as part of a project, based on the agreed coating system and the destination market.
Inspection points that prevent line problems
| Check | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Gauge and profile across width | Uneven gauge gives uneven forming and capsule height |
| Flatness and coil winding | Poor flatness and telescoped coils cause web breaks and misregistration |
| Pinholes (thin gauges) | Visible defects on discs and weak spots in laminates |
| Coating weight and cure | Controls adhesion, seal strength and resistance to forming |
| Colour and gloss | Batch-to-batch consistency on the shelf |
| Adhesion and flexibility | Tape and bend or cupping tests show whether lacquer cracks during forming |
| Heat-seal strength | Disc must stay attached through bottling, transport and cellar humidity |
Printing, embossing and special effects
Most of the visual value of a capsule is added on the foil before it is formed, so the coil has to be prepared for the decoration route. Rotogravure gives the deepest, most consistent solid colours and fine metallic effects and suits long runs; flexographic printing is more economical for shorter runs and frequent design changes. Either way, the primer must be compatible with the ink system and fully cured, or ink will lift during forming.
Embossing of the top disc, such as a crest, logo or vintage, stretches the foil locally. Deeper embossing needs a slightly thicker gauge or a softer temper, and a lacquer flexible enough not to craze at the edges of the relief. Hot-foil stamping, metallic inks and matt-gloss contrast varnishes are applied by the converter, but they still depend on the surface energy and cure of the base coating supplied with the coil.
Registration
For printed discs, coil camber and gauge variation translate directly into misregistration. Tight flatness and straight edges matter more than nominal gauge.
Metallic look
A clear or tinted primer over bright foil gives gold, copper and champagne shades without metallic inks, and keeps the aluminium sheen.
Tear strips and perforations
Sparkling foils and easy-open skirts use tear tabs or perforation lines. The foil must tear cleanly along them and nowhere else.
Common mistakes when specifying capsule foil
- Specifying the disc without the skirt: heat-seal lacquers are chemistry-specific; a disc tested only against one skirt material may fail against another.
- Quoting closure-stock properties for foil: tensile values for 0.2 mm screw-cap sheet do not apply to 50 µm disc foil. Agree property ranges for the actual gauge.
- Approving colour on a flat sample only: lacquer colour can shift slightly after forming and heat sealing. Approve colour on a formed and sealed capsule.
- Ignoring storage conditions: lacquered coils stored in humid or hot warehouses can block (stick between wraps) or pick up condensation. Keep coils sealed until use and let them reach room temperature before unwrapping.
- Changing only one variable at a time in trials: it is better to change gauge, temper and coating in planned combinations than to discover interactions during mass production.
Capsule foil is also a sustainability choice. Aluminium capsules can be recovered with other aluminium packaging, and remelting aluminium uses only a small fraction of the energy needed to make primary metal. Laminates with polyethylene are harder to recycle in some regions, so brand owners with recycling targets increasingly specify mono-material aluminium capsules.
How to order capsule foil from Metline
- Share the briefCapsule type, disc or skirt, bottle neck dimensions, forming method and annual volume.
- Define the materialAlloy and temper, gauge, width, core, coating structure, colour reference and food-contact requirements.
- Sample and trialSamples are supplied for line trials; colour, seal and forming results are confirmed in writing.
- ProductionCoils are produced to the approved specification with mill certificates and batch identification.
- ShipMoisture-protected export packing, shipped worldwide on EXW, FOB, CIF or DAP terms.
References and standards
- EN 573-3 – Chemical composition and form of wrought products
- EN 546-1 to -4 – Aluminium and aluminium alloys: foil
- EN 602 – Wrought products: chemical composition of semi-finished products used for the fabrication of articles for use in contact with foodstuff
- Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 on materials intended to come into contact with food
- US FDA 21 CFR 189.301 – Tin-coated lead foil capsules for wine bottles
- The Aluminum Association – International Alloy Designations and Chemical Composition Limits
Wine capsule aluminium (aluminum) foil: frequently asked questions
Is capsule foil coil a finished capsule?
No. It is coated or printed aluminium in coil form that a capsule maker converts into discs and skirts. Metline supplies the coil, not finished capsules.
What is the difference between 8011 and 3105 for capsules?
8011 is softer and rolls to cleaner thin gauges, so it suits most still-wine discs and skirts. 3105 is stronger and stiffer at the same thickness and is chosen for rigid parts, sparkling-wine components and screw caps.
What is a polylaminate capsule?
A capsule whose skirt is a laminate of aluminium foil, polyethylene and aluminium foil. It is softer than a pure aluminium capsule and is closed with an aluminium top disc.
Why do top discs need a heat-seal lacquer?
The disc is bonded to the skirt or capsule by heat and pressure. The heat-seal lacquer must match the mating surface, whether that is a vinyl, nitrocellulose, PVC or polyethylene layer.
When did wine capsules stop using lead?
Tin-coated lead capsules were phased out in the early 1990s; the US FDA banned them in 1996. Aluminium, aluminium laminates, tin and plastics replaced them.
Are aluminium wine capsules recyclable?
Yes. Aluminium capsules and discs can be recovered with other aluminium packaging, and lacquers burn off during remelting. Laminates are recyclable where collection systems accept them.
Developing a wine capsule material?
Send the capsule type, alloy, gauge, coating and colour reference. We will propose a specification and arrange samples.
