Dimensions / Industrial & logistics / Steel drums / Open head
An open-head steel drum has a removable lid held by a closing ring, so it takes solids, pastes and thick products that will not go through a bung. ISO 15750-1 sizes the 216.5 l type A drum at 571.5 mm inside and 888 mm tall, and keeps it within 585 mm even over the ring by narrowing the top; a type D drum may measure 620 mm over its ring. Mauser’s US 55-gallon open head is 595 × 873 mm, and Uline’s is 24 in across the lid against 23 3/4 in at the ribs. The UN code is 1A2; a solids rating reads like 1A2/X400/S, 400 kg gross at most, and every removable head needs a gasket (49 CFR 178.504).
| Inside diameter | Over the ring, type A | Height, 216.5 l |
|---|---|---|
| 571.5mm | 585mm | 888mm |
Sources: ISO 15750-1. Checked October 2026.
Mauser’s 595 × 873 mm open head is filled in, on a 48 × 48 in pallet and in Triton’s 20 ft. Put in the widest diameter of your drum, over the ring; each check uses the numbers in the tables on this page.
Sizes in millimetres, weights in kilograms. 1 in = 25.4 mm, 1 US gal = 3.785 L; water is 1 kg/L.
Standing upright, 2 × 2 drums of 595 mm fit inside the 1219 × 1219 mm pallet: 4 per pallet, enough for your 4.
Mauser’s 595 mm drum on ISDI’s recommended 48 × 48 in (1219 mm) pallet. Over the ring an ISO type D drum may reach 620 mm: measure yours there.
Upright in straight rows, one layer takes 9 × 3 = 27 drums; 2 high that is 54, enough for your 54.
Four abreast is for drums of 585 mm or less (ISO 15750-1 types A and C); Triton’s 20 ft is 2,352 mm wide inside.
Each drum is 200 L × 1.2 kg/L + 19.5 kg = 259.5 kg; 54 drums make 14013 kg, 14367 kg under the 28380 kg maximum payload.
Uline’s 55 gal open top weighs 43 lb (19.5 kg) and is rated 734 lbs. A 1A2/X400/S mark means solids, 400 kg gross at most.
Packing powders or pastes in drums? Photograph a closed drum, mark the diameter over the ring and the height in SizeMarker and send it with the packing list.
Mark a photo| Drum | Diameter × height | Capacity; empty weight |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 15750-1 type A, 216.5 l571.5 mm inside; a narrowed top keeps the ring within 585 mm | 585 mm max over the ring × 888 mm | 216.5 l total |
| ISO 15750-1 type A, 210 l | 585 mm max × 878 mm | 210 l total |
| ISO 15750-1 type B, 216.5 l596 mm over the hoops | 610 mm max over the ring × 888 mm | 216.5 l total |
| ISO 15750-1 type D, 208 l566 mm inside | 620 mm max over the ring × 890 mm | 208 l total |
| Nippon Steel Drum open drum (JIS Z 1600)Same sizes as ISO type D; the ring adds about 2 kg | 620 mm max over the band × 890 mm | 208 L; 17.5–27.0 kg by grade |
| Mauser 55 gal open headBolt-ring or lever-lock ring | 595 × 873 mm | 208 L nominal |
| Berlin Packaging open head, 210 L | 589 × 872 mm | 210 L |
| Uline S-10758, open top23 3/4 in at the ribs, 22 1/4 in inside; bolt ring | 24 in at the lid × 34 1/2 in | 55 gal; 43 lb (19.5 kg); 1A2/X400/S and 1A2/Y1.6/150 |
Sources: ISO 15750-1 · Nippon Steel Drum (open drum, JIS Z 1600) · Mauser Packaging Solutions · Berlin Packaging (open head 210 L) · Uline (S-10758)
| Guide | Size or rule |
|---|---|
| Over the closing ringISO 15750-1 | Normally 585 mm max, slightly more over the lever or bolt section |
| Ring typesNorth Coast Container | Bolt ring, top lever lock and side lever lock |
| Bolt ring gapMauser | 1/4 in or less between the ring ends; aim for 1/8 in |
| Bolt torque, 5/8 in boltNorth Coast Container | 60 ft-lbs; do not use the drum if the ring ends touch |
| Gasket49 CFR 178.504 | Required under every removable head |
| Height with the lid offISO 15750-1 | 878 mm for type A 216.5 l; 880 mm for types C and D |
| Reading 1A2/X400/S49 CFR 178.503 | Steel, removable head; packing groups I–III; solids up to 400 kg gross |
| Where the marks go49 CFR 178.503 | Not only on the removable head |
| Rated loadUline S-10758 | 734 lbs |
Sources: ISO 15750-1 · North Coast Container · Mauser (closing instructions) · North Coast Container (closing) · 49 CFR 178.504 · 49 CFR 178.503 · Uline (S-10758)
| Guide | Size or rule |
|---|---|
| Four abreastISO 15750-1 | Types A and C (585 mm max over the ring) are sized for four abreast in ISO containers |
| 20 ft insideTriton | 5,898 × 2,352 × 2,393 mm; 28,380 kg payload |
| 595 mm drums in Triton’s 20 ftOur calculation, straight rows | 3 across × 9 rows = 27 a tier; 54 two high |
| Drum palletISDI | 48 × 48 in (1219 mm) recommended for four drums; no overhang |
| Wood drum pallet, H-1125Uline | 48 x 48 in; 3,500 lbs; 2-way |
| StackingISDI | One drum high per pallet; four high up to specific gravity 1.5 |
Sources: ISO 15750-1 · Triton (20ft) · ISDI Alert 15-03 · Uline (drum pallets)
An ISO 15750-1 type A drum of 216.5 l is 571.5 mm inside, 585 mm at most over the ring and 888 mm tall. Mauser’s US 55-gallon open head is 595 × 873 mm; Uline’s open top is 24 in across the lid and 34 1/2 in tall.
Because the closing ring sits outside the lid. ISO allows 610 mm over the ring on type B and 620 mm on type D; types A and C narrow the top so the ring stays within 585 mm.
North Coast Container offers a bolt ring, a top lever lock and a side lever lock. With a bolt ring, Mauser tightens until the gap between the ring ends is 1/4 in or less; a lever ring is shut when its latch snaps in place.
Mauser: 1/4 in or less between the ring ends, aiming for 1/8 in, with no bent lugs. North Coast Container torques a 5/8 in bolt to 60 ft-lbs and says not to use the drum if the ring ends touch.
A steel drum with a removable head (1A2), tested to packing groups I to III (X), for solids (S) up to 400 kg gross mass (49 CFR 178.503). Uline’s open top carries it next to 1A2/Y1.6/150 for liquids.
It depends on the widest point. ISO types A and C, 585 mm over the ring, are made for four abreast; Mauser’s 595 mm drums go 3 across × 9 rows = 27 a tier in Triton’s 20 ft, 54 two high, by our calculation.
Buyers of powders, resins and pastes ask whether the lid is bolt ring or lever lock, the UN solids rating, the gross weight per drum and the diameter over the ring. Mark the real drum, ring and height on your own product photo in SizeMarker, as in the picture at the top, and send one product card for WhatsApp or WeChat.
