Drink Can Creation from Start to Finish

Creating a drink can is a fascinating process that involves several stages. It starts with designing the can's shape and size to fit the product it will hold.

The design process typically involves computer-aided design (CAD) software, which allows designers to create a digital model of the can. This model can be adjusted and refined until it meets the desired specifications.

The can's shape and size are crucial in determining its functionality and appearance. A well-designed can can make a product stand out on store shelves.

The design process usually takes several iterations before a final design is approved. This ensures that the can meets the manufacturer's quality and safety standards.

Aluminum beverage packaging is a game-changer for manufacturers and consumers alike. Aluminum cans are extremely lightweight, making them easier to transport and more portable.

Aluminum cans are also hygienic, non-toxic, and corrosion-resistant, providing total protection against light, oxygen, and ultraviolet rays. This ensures that the flavor and quality of the beverage are preserved.

One of the most significant benefits of aluminum cans is their recyclability. They are infinitely recyclable, making them a key component of sustainable growth and responsible resource management.

Aluminum cans are durable and can withstand the rigors of transportation and storage, making them a reliable choice for beverage packaging.

Aluminum beverage packaging offers a wide range of design options to make your product stand out.

A large, printable surface area on aluminum cans provides a canvas for creative brand messaging that can captivate customers.

You can feature intense colors, textured finishes, and eye-catching effects to impress customers and boost the brand experience.

Aluminum cans let you begin the customer experience before the product is even opened, making a lasting impression.

Aluminum cans have a large, printable surface area that serves as a canvas for creative brand messaging.

This unique feature allows you to captivate, intrigue, amuse, and impress your customers with intense colors, textured finishes, and eye-catching effects.

With a wide range of finishes and effects available, your packaging can do the talking and start the customer experience before your product is even opened.

In fact, aluminum cans let you begin the customer experience before your product is even opened, setting the tone for a memorable interaction.

You can see what other brands have done to stand out in our case study section, where you can find inspiration for your own packaging design.

Standard sizes of drink cans vary significantly from country to country.

In the US, standard can sizes are measured in US fluid ounces, while in the UK, they're measured in imperial fluid ounces.

A 1,000 milliliter can is equivalent to 33.8 US fluid ounces.

Here's a comparison chart of various standard can sizes:

Can dimensions can be cited in metric or imperial units, with imperial dimensions written as inches plus sixteenths of an inch.

Aluminum is the primary material used to make most metal drink cans in the United States, although some parts of Europe and Asia use steel and aluminum alloy instead.

In many parts of the world, a deposit can be recovered by turning in empty aluminum containers, making recycling a cost-effective option. Aluminum cans are coated internally to protect the aluminum from oxidizing, but trace amounts of aluminum can still be degraded into the liquid.

The average weight of an empty U.S.-size can is approximately one-half ounce (14g), with 34 cans per pound or 70 cans per kilogram.

Most metal drink cans are made of aluminum, with steel and aluminum alloy making up a smaller percentage in some parts of Europe and Asia.

In the United States, beverage containers are made of two different aluminum alloys, with the body made of the 3004 alloy that can be drawn easily and the top made of the harder 5182 alloy.

Aluminum cans are coated internally to protect the aluminum from oxidizing, but trace amounts of aluminum can still be degraded into the liquid depending on storage temperature and liquid composition.

The Australian Aluminium Council reported that the average Australian-size can weighed approximately 14.9 grams in 2001, with improved manufacturing techniques reducing metal requirements from 16.55 grams in 1992.

In 2011, an empty U.S.-size can weighed approximately one-half ounce, or 14 grams, with approximately 34 cans per pound or 70 cans per kilogram.

Aluminum is one of the most cost-effective materials to recycle, especially when recycled without other metals being mixed in, allowing for the production of new stock for the main part of the can.

Filling cans requires extreme precision to speed up the production process. Filling and sealing operations need to be precise to ensure the can is sealed properly.

Cans are filled before the top is crimped on by seamers. The filling head centers the can using gas pressure, purges the air, and lets the drink flow down the sides of the can.

The lid is placed on the can and then crimped in two operations. A seaming head engages the lid from above while a seaming roller curls the edge of the lid around the edge of the can body.

Filled cans usually have pressurized gas inside, which makes them stiff enough for easy handling. Without the riveted tab, the scored section of the can's end would be impossible to lift from the can.

Can filling lines come in different line speeds, ranging from 15,000 cans per hour to 120,000 cans per hour or more.

Aluminum cans have been around since 1957, and their design has evolved significantly over the years.

The inside of an aluminum can is protected from corrosion by a spray coating of epoxy lacquer or polymer, which also prevents a metallic taste from forming.

Aluminum cans are made from two pieces, with the bottom and body drawn from a flat plate or shallow cup. After filling, the can end is sealed onto the top of the can, ensuring it's air tight.

Aluminum offers several advantages over steel (tinplate) cans, including its light weight, competitive cost, and clean appearance.

When choosing an opening style, consider the requirements of your can end. The standard opening style is a popular choice.

There are two main types of openings: standard and pull-off. Standard openings are suitable for most applications.

A pull-off opening, on the other hand, is ideal for creating a can end that meets specific requirements.

Aluminum cans have undergone significant changes over the years, and one of the most notable developments was the introduction of easy-open aluminum ends in 1962.

These easy-open ends were first developed by Alcoa for the Pittsburgh Brewing Company and are now used in nearly all of the canned beer market.

The pull-tab, also known as the ring pull, was invented in 1962 by Ermal Cleon Fraze, who received a US Patent for his design in 1963.

The early pull-tabs detached easily, which led to cases of children ingesting pull-tabs that had broken off and dropped into the can, as noted by the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1976.

The introduction of the "wide mouth" can in the late 1990s provided an alternative to traditional can designs, with the American Can Company and Coors Brewing Company owning the patent for this design since 1997.

Other companies have similar designs for the wide mouth, and Ball Corporation's design from 2008 features a vent tube to allow direct airflow into the can, reducing the number of gulps during the pour.

Here are some common opening mechanisms found in aluminum cans:

Aluminum cans can be made with recycled aluminum, and in 2017, 3.8 million tons of aluminum were generated in the US.

A significant amount of aluminum remains unrecycled in the US, with roughly $700 million worth of cans ending up in landfills each year.

The aluminum can is considered the most valuable recyclable material in an average recycling bin, and Americans throw away nearly $1 billion a year in wasted aluminum.

The aluminum industry pays nearly $800 million a year for recycled aluminum, making it a lucrative business.

Cans are the most recycled beverage container worldwide, with a rate of 69%, and 92% of aluminum beverage cans sold in Switzerland were recycled in 2012.