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The Ingenious Design of the Aluminum Beverage Can

engineerguy · explainer · Watch on YouTube

Manufacturing & industrial processesProduct & industrial designMechanical & precision engineering

What it is

Bill Hammack of Engineer Guy explains the engineering behind the aluminum beverage can: why it is cylindrical, how it is manufactured, why it narrows at the top, the double seam, and how the pull tab works.

Why Hacker News recommends it

It is a go-to recommendation whenever cans, good design or mass-produced objects come up, and many also recommend the whole channel.

  • 9 people recommended it
  • 9 different months
  • 5 strong recommendations
  • first 2016, last 2026

What HN commenters said

  1. “That was an awesome video.”

    Explains can neck and two-mode pull tab

    MawNicker, 2016-06 · Strong recommendation · in “The Most and Least Expensive Cars to Maintain”

  2. “the Engineering Guy has a really good youtube channel.”

    Engineering Guy explains design and manufacture of mundane objects

    Laforet, 2016-07 · Strong recommendation · in “The Chemical History of a Candle”

  3. “Highly recommended related YT video”

    Ingenious can design

    vanderZwan, 2021-02 · Strong recommendation · in “I told a cat food company how much they’d save by using taller cans (2020)”

  4. “All of his work is fantastic.”

    Great engineering explainer

    anamexis, 2023-07 · Strong recommendation · in “Wavy walls use fewer bricks than a straight wall (2020)”

  5. “Design of the aluminum beverage can”

    Favorite YouTube video

    Gunax, 2024-10 · Strong recommendation · in “Ask HN: What's your favorite YouTube video, ever?”

  6. “Nice video on the design and manufacturing of aluminum drinks cans here”

    Design and manufacturing of drink cans, tab as lever

    leobakerhytch, 2019-11 · Recommendation · in “Boeing 777X’s fuselage split dramatically during September stress test”

  7. “Very clever and elegant solution to the problem of opening a can under pressure.”

    How the can tab opens under pressure

    jihadjihad, 2021-10 · Recommendation · in “Why soda bottles have gaps in their threads (2000)”

  8. “aluminum cans are a great example of quality design”

    Aluminum cans as example of quality design

    cjtoth, 2021-11 · Recommendation · in “Ask HN: What are the best-designed things you've ever used?”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: aluminum can, engineering, pull tab, industrial design, engineerguy

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