Process for reusing printed cans

1. An in-line process for reusing printed cans comprising:

positioning a printed can in front of a laser, the printed can having existing-print on an outer surface of the printed can;

irradiating the outer surface of the printed can with laser radiation to remove 10% to 100% of the existing-print from the printed can and thereby form a lightened-printed can;

wherein positioning comprises moving the laser over a desired area of the outer surface of the printed can to remove the 10% to 100% of the existing-print from the printed can and without materially degrading an interior lining of the lightened-printed can;

coating the outer surface of the lightened-printed can with a masking agent to form a blank-reprintable can, wherein irradiating aids in the masking agent coating the outer surface and being retained thereon; and,

curing the masking agent of the blank-reprintable can.

2. The in-line process of claim 1 , wherein the irradiating step comprises removing the 10% to 100% of the existing-print from the printed can substantially uniformly across the outer surface to form the lightened-printed can.

3. The in-line process of claim 1 , further comprising printing a new print-pattern on the outer surface of the blank-reprintable can to form a newly-printed can.

4. The in-line process of claim 3 , wherein printing comprises digital print applied to the outer surface of the blank-reprintable can.

5. The in-line process of claim 1 , wherein the printed can has contaminants on the outer surface and the contaminants sit on top of the existing-print.

6. The in-line process of claim 5 , wherein irradiating comprises removing contaminants from the outer surface.

7. The in-line process of claim 6 , wherein the contaminants comprise oil and removing comprises removing substantially all of the oil from the outer surface.

8. The in-line process of claim 1 , wherein the printed can comprises an interior lining and irradiating comprises utilizing the laser radiation with an irradiation intensity that does not materially degrade the interior lining.

9. The in-line process of claim 1 , wherein coating comprises using masking agent in an amount that is inversely proportional to the percentage of the existing-print removed from the printed can.

10. The in-line process of claim 1 , wherein coating comprises electrostatically applying the masking agent.

11. The in-line process of claim 1 , wherein coating comprises applying the masking agent substantially uniformly across the outer surface to form the blank-reprintable can.

12. The in-line process of claim 1 , wherein the masking agent comprises a white paint.

13. The in-line process of claim 1 , wherein the existing-print is cured on the printed can before the printed can begins the positioning step.

14. The in-one process of claim 1 , wherein the printed can is empty of content in each of the steps of the process.

15. The in-line process of claim 1 , further comprising forming at least 60 blank-reprintable cans in a minute.

16. The in-line process of claim 1 , wherein at least the steps of positioning, irradiating and coating occur in-line with cans moving continuously from one step to the next.

17. An in-line continuous process for reusing printed cans comprising:

positioning a printed can in front of a laser, the printed can having existing-print on an outer surface of the printed can and the existing-print is cured on the printed can before the printed can begins this positioning step;

irradiating the outer surface of the printed can with laser radiation to remove 10% to 90% of the existing-print from the printed can and thereby form a lightened-printed can;

wherein positioning comprises moving the laser over a desired area of the outer surface of the printed can to remove the 10% to 90% of the existing-print from the printed can and without materially degrading an interior lining of the lightened-printed can;

coating the outer surface of the lightened-printed can with a masking agent to form a blank-reprintable can, wherein irradiating aids in the masking agent coating the outer surface and being retained thereon;

printing a new print-pattern on the outer surface of the blank-reprintable can to form a newly-printed can; and,

forming at least 60 newly-printed cans in a minute.

18. The in-line continuous process of claim 17 , wherein the irradiating step comprises removing the 10% to 90% of the existing-print from the printed can substantially uniformly across the outer surface to form the lightened-printed can.

19. The in-line continuous process of claim 17 , further comprising curing the masking agent of the blank-reprintable can.

20. The in-line continuous process of claim 19 , wherein the curing step concludes before the printing step begins.

21. An in-line continuous process for reusing printed cans comprising:

positioning a printed can in front of a laser, the printed can having existing-print on an outer surface of the printed can, where the printed can has contaminants on the outer surface and the contaminants sit on top of the existing-print;

irradiating the outer surface of the printed can with laser radiation to remove 10% to 90% of the existing-print from the printed can and thereby form a lightened-printed can while also removing contaminants from the outer surface;

wherein positioning comprises moving the laser over a desired area of the outer surface of the printed can to remove the 10% to 90% of the existing-print from the printed can and without materially degrading an interior lining of the lightened-printed can;

coating the outer surface of the lightened-printed can with a masking agent to form a blank-reprintable can, wherein irradiating aids in the masking agent coating the outer surface and being retained thereon;

using masking agent in an amount that is inversely proportional to the percentage of the existing-print removed from the printed can; and,

forming at least 60 blank-reprintable cans in a minute.

22. The in-line continuous process of claim 21 , wherein coating comprises applying the masking agent substantially uniformly across the outer surface to form the blank-reprintable can.

23. The in-line continuous process of claim 21 , wherein the contaminants comprise oil and irradiating comprises removing substantially all of the oil from the outer surface.

24. The in-line continuous process of claim 21 , further comprising curing the masking agent of the blank-reprintable can.