The Ingenious Design of the Aluminum Beverage Can

Caption notes

Bill Hammack follows a beverage can from its shape through manufacturing and opening. A cylinder balances material use, packing and rapid production; drawing, ironing, necking and a double seam turn thin aluminum into a sealed container. The small stay-on tab rewards a closer look. It first helps vent the can, then changes the relationship between load and fulcrum to push the opening inward. Manufacturing constraints and the sequence of use jointly shape an everyday object.