The Cone Shaping Machine: Turning Steel Tubes into Tapered Containers

I remember walking through a steel drum factory that was producing tapered steel buckets—the kind you see for paint or 

chemicals, where the top is wider than the bottom. I watched a cylindrical drum body go into one machine and come out as 

a perfect cone. I had to stop and ask, "How does that work?" The answer, I learned, is a machine called a **cone expanding 

machine**, or as some call it, a **cone shaping machine**.

You see, not all steel drums are straight cylinders. Some drums need to be tapered—the top diameter is slightly larger than 

the bottom. This makes them nestable for storage and shipping, which saves space and money. In the industry, this tapered 

body shape is called a **conical drum** or a tapered steel bucket . These cones are made from 18 to 30 gauge steel sheets 

and are typically used for paint, oil, and chemical packaging.

How does the machine work? The process usually happens after the drum body has been welded into a straight cylinder. 

The cylindrical body goes into the cone shaping machine, where a set of hydraulically driven expansion blocks force the 

metal outward in a controlled way . Instead of just pushing the metal outward evenly, these blocks are designed to push 

more on one end than the other, creating the taper. The result is a clean, precise cone shape that's ready for the next steps: 

flanging, beading, and seaming .

When you're choosing a cone shaping machine for your steel drum line, there are a few things to pay attention to:

The first is the **diameter range**. A good machine will handle a range of top and bottom diameters. Look for a model that 

can handle the specific sizes you're producing. If you're making standard tapered steel buckets, you'll want a machine that 

covers the 15 to 30 liter range, but if you're doing large conical drums, you might need something that goes up to 200 liters.

The second is **material thickness**. Most tapered steel drums use steel between 0.6mm and 1.5mm thick. Your machine 

should be able to handle that range without issues.

The third is **cycle time**. In a modern production line, you need the cone shaping machine to keep up with the rest. Look 

for a machine with a fast cycle time—ideally under 5 seconds per drum for medium-speed lines.

One practical tip: make sure the machine has adjustable hydraulic pressure. Different steel grades and thicknesses need 

different pressures for the cone expansion. If the pressure is too low, the cone won't form properly. If it's too high, you risk 

tearing the metal or creating wrinkles. A machine with precise hydraulic control lets you dial in the perfect pressure for your 

specific material.

Your cone shaping machine may not be the most glamorous piece of equipment on your line, but it's the machine that turns 

straight cylinders into tapered drums. And if you're in the business of making nesting containers, it's one of the most 

important.