We hardly ever pay much attention to the design of aluminum cans that contain most of the beverages we take on pretty much a daily basis. It should not be surprising that there exist about a trillion cans of soda that are designed each year. Perhaps, we start to take things for granted when they become such a normal part of our lives. Do not underestimate the work that goes into making those cans, though. Bill aka. The EngineeringGuy from YouTube explains the choice of design for most cans and details the steps of manufacturing involved in creating those cans.
Bill believes that the circular can has a large diameter but it leaves a lot of empty space during its packaging. Plus, it would simply roll off the surface and waste all the beverage within its body. Conversely, a square would have no empty space at all during its packaging. However, it would need very strong corner besides being a pain to drink from. As evident, a cylinder shape combines the best of both worlds.
The process of manufacturing the cylindrical can begins once you punch a can from an aluminum sheet. The thickness of this can could be roughly three-tenths of one millimeter. An aluminum die, also termed the ‘Blank’, rests on a drawing die. A blank holder sits atop the surface of the can itself. The blank is punched once more by a much smaller cup until the diameter and length of choice is achieved. As the cup is continuously pressed, it continues to stretch out. Finally, you end up with a can that is familiar to all of us in this day and age.
