Since its emergence in the early 19th century, the three-piece can has been the primary packaging container in the food can industry. Initially, it was made through manual tin soldering. However, with technological advancements, resistance welding gradually replaced tin soldering as the primary method for manufacturing three-piece food cans.

The main materials include tin-plated steel sheets (tinplate) and chromium-plated steel sheets. Tinplate, characterized by its corrosion resistance, ease of welding, and good sealing performance, is commonly used for three-piece cans; while chromium-plated steel sheets are mostly used for packaging of products with less corrosivity.

Based on their shapes, they can be categorized into round cans and irregular-shaped cans; based on their sealing conditions, they can be divided into airtight containers and non-airtight containers; based on the form of the can wall seams, they can be classified into hooked, bonded, soldered, and welded types; and based on the opening methods, they can be classified into cut-open, rolled-open, pulled-open, and other types.

It possesses characteristics of environmental protection, safety, and recyclability, with relatively simple manufacturing technology and low equipment requirements. It exhibits high compressive strength and corrosion resistance, along with good processing performance. It can be fabricated into containers of various shapes, meeting the requirements of industrial production. However, compared to two-piece cans, it has disadvantages such as seams, poor airtightness and malleability, and heavier weight.