Dude this guy made something that's normally really boring into a really fascinating and enjoyable video to watch. Never thought I'd enjoy a 12 minute long video about cans.

They were some nice cans.

@oscar montana We just had the same experience. I don't recall what led me to this.

3 years later and its still going strong, I just zoned the hell out to this.

For reals I don't even know how I started to watch 👍

12 minutes, 12 oumces. Coincidence? I don't think so. 😉😃😃

It’s easy to forget how well engineered even the most simple things in our day to day life really are.

@why do people use sentences instead of nicknames? You don't seem to understand what "irreversibly destroy" means.

unbelievably so. ALOT of hardwork went into making hte modern life as easy as possible

ok i like it

@AndrewWithEase11 11 you kinda can design something forced to be recycled. you can produce things that degrade naturally and are renewably sourced like wood and hemp and things like that. it's not efficient money wise, that would require a different mode of production to be realistic, but it is possible.

I love educational videos like this. No NordVPN sponsorship, no random "funny" videos or stock images that interrupt the flow, no "upbeat" music to distract from what he's saying, just a great, informative lecture. Keep at Bill!

@John Simth I repeat, this is from seven years ago. The YouTube landscape has changed much, and it changes so fast, you're admiration here is really nostalgia. I might add that recently YouTube has been hiding the date of release on the main page of the video, lately. Perhaps they want to leave this false impression that the social media and vlogging landscape has changed.

Dude, this was made seven years ago! Bill's last YT video was three years ago. YouTube has entirely changed, and there's professional "YouTubers" and "influencers" now. I appreciate your nostalgia, but... I think you're under some illusions about how this works!

Yes, everything is correct and to the point

@buickboy92 Thank you so much. Periodic Video's is going to eat up so much of my day tomorrow.

He also ends the video by telling people to go to other video sites to get more knowledge, telling people to LEAVE his Youtube for more knowledge. Respect. Anyone just trying to get a buck would never literally end a video with "leave my channel if you want some great info"

The engineers had to overcome many challenges over the decades to give us this outstanding design. Fortunately they maintained a can do attitude.

Ba-dum-tss

It's a good time for some canned laughter.... Because no one is going laugh at any of these puns🙄

How do i like and dislike a comment at the same time

r/angryupvote

Dang!!! Punished again!!

I want this guy as my physics/engineering teacher. He breaks it all down to easy to understand segments, and explains it all beautifully. A+

I'm not lying, and I can't be the only one like this, I've watched this at least 50 times simply because I enjoy watching it and listening to this man explain how aluminum cans are made.

@Vachan Panicker 101 how's that work?

Man, you really need a life, 50 times, really!

😟

@Vachan Panicker 101 I can't believe you did that

Wow, I am impressed by the level of detail that goes into can manufacturing

Dude! you almost produced the full perfect explaination of how a modern beverage can is made and works...! You forgot to explain the part on "how they etch the lid opening" for the pealing of the metal and how it is achieved with such consistency and precision!

This is probably the most interesting video about a thing I wouldn't expect myself to be interested in. I love the speech cadance. If more professional educators (a.k.a. teachers) were like this, the world would be a better place. Thank you for a great video Bill, I'm looking forward to exploring more!

I really enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I was going to. Absolutely loved it. Cannot wait for the next one

You know you're a good teacher when you can make something as seemingly mundane as the aluminum can into one of the more captivating videos I've ever seen. Almost everybody, including I would say most instructors, struggle to keep explanations in layman's terms without dumbing it down, as almost none of us speak the internal language of whatever industry is presented.

His soft secure voice mimics Carl Sagan's voice 'billions and billions of cans'

@Dart Lathrop same tbh.

. You say this because you’re watching this for fun. Your opinion would more than likely be different if an assignment was involved.

@An Actual Texan 📸🤨

I remember as a child when you had to have a can opener to open a soda can, or a beer can. Then came the pull off tab. And then the tab we use now. Great video. Explains things very well. Now I understand how the can keeps it seal.

I am old enough to remember when the ring pulls were standard. They came in two varieties, at least in the UK - one with the little flanges for leverage either side of the rivet - as shown herer - and one without. The former were always more popular: after pulling them off the can, the ring could be broken from the tab, and then you had a great little toy. The tab was a spring, and the ring was a miniature frisbee which could be launched by fitting one end of it in one of the slots between a lever flange and the rivet, pulling it back and releasing it. I get that the tabs are a better design, but they are a lot less fun.

Yep same in Australia.

Exactly the same here in Finland! Alas, the _soda_ cans of the 80's here, lacked those little slots in otherwise similar design. For some reason, the slotted design was almost exclusively used in beer cans. Luckily they were plentily available in form of steet litter for us little rascals. ;)

USA hated pay in royalties to push in tops

The lever is absolutely ingenious! It took me a while to understand the implications but oh once I did it made so much sense! The fact that you're essentially opening the can not by pressing in the tab but by drawing out the pin getting help from the pressure to shear an opening that lets out the pressure and then you push the metal tab in, is an absolutely amazing engineering solution and I have never realized it!

8:43 I remember large cans (upwards of 40 or even 64oz) containing milk or hawaiian punch. This was before those 64 oz (later 2L) plastic bottles appeared. Those had to be opened with that triangular punch tool as shown. I remember seeing lots of pull tabs out in city parks, those things were blight. The stay-on-can openers started around 1980. The big cans still exist but are niche now.

What a video. No clickbait, no sponsors, nothing. You got to the point straight away. Very informative, quality video. 10/10 would watch again. Brilliant 👍

Look at the creation date

Also no unnecessary stock images/videos of some random jackasses sipping on a can of soda appearing every 5 seconds.

@engineerguy you did a great job with what they gave you.

@Jay Elimination ????

I will again ... just about to deliver book to publisher and then working on companion series

Explained well and in an engaging way. It's hard to find a video like this that explains concepts in a way that you could show to cub scouts or young children in schools without boring them. Bill gives just enough detail spreads out with diagrams and animations to keep the interest. I didn't even realize the video was nearly over until I saw the first bench on the right side of the screen.

I've been using cans for 50 years and never thought about it. After this video I have great respect for a simple can.Thank you. ❤️ Regards from 🇩🇪

That was great! Thank you. I was amazed by the lid sealing and the opening tab. Never knew that was a river that depressurized the can!

Bill, what a great video. Being in the can making industry, I could see the immense value your presentation could have on training new hires for our facility in the basic concepts of can making. Would I be able to use this video for training purposes?

Yes … they are licensed creative commons for this purpose … use it has you need

His calm enthusiasm coupled with the knowledge of the process in creating the aluminum can is what makes this so interesting.

@Steve Johnson Sadly he doesn't seem to know maths. Ok he knows a lot about the process etc but very simple maths show you that dimension of those cans are suboptimal regarding the amount of materials used and volume they can contain. The optimal height is twice the radius

Right? I love learning from someone who not only knows about the topic, but loves the topic.

Fk67Lg 34 definitely

If teachers teach like this I would learn soo much

And his hair looks wonderful. I wonder does he have a 36 inch waist or 34??

Absolutely a design masterpiece. The opener alone is close to brilliant. I’m old enough to remember the pull tabs that littered beaches and wooded areas that cut feet and were a health hazard. The opener that doesn’t detach unless with concerted effort is by itself is fantastic. And it turns to allows a straw to fit! It’s a miracle of engineering.

Not to mention they still expected people to throw the tabs on the ground against all odds and designed them to not cut at your feet if you step on them.

I love how he goes step by step and explains every little detail without fail he is such a great teacher

You made something so mundane into an extremely interesting explanation. No small task in today's world of nanosecond attention spans. Congratulations on creating an outstanding video!

Very well presented video. No filler info. Everything I would want to know about aluminum cans. Love this type of video. You nailed it! And gained a subscriber. Looking forward to other videos you have that are hopefully like this.

He explains it pretty clearly, because he can.

🎶 Who can take tomorrow? Dip it in a dream. Who can take the world and make it better than it seems? The Candy Man? The Candy Man can. The Candy Man can ‘cuz he mixes it with love and makes the world taste gooooood. 🎶

It’s uncanny how well he explains it.

Can you?

Stop it please

Enjoyed all the visual representations and diagrams/videos. Kept me stimulated and engaged while constantly providing high value information. Unlike modern videos where it's just someone talking to the camera the entire time with tons of filler. Thank you Bill

The double seal was invented by 'mechanical' workers in Pittsburgh for sealing duct-work for heating and air conditioning and is called a Pittsburgh bend. They are hard to make by hand, but in the olden days that's what you did. I have a can 'seamer' made for #10 cans that applies the same bend with 2 actions, a push and a pull.

One of the most amazing youtube videos ever - informative without being cliche or clickbait. Watched this with the children so thank you.

Great video! I'm so dang old, I remember every generation of beverage can demonstrated here, including the flat top that required the use of a can opener. And, there were mostly aluminum cans that had a steel seam. PSAs of the day for recycling included this distinction of a seamless side, as the seamed ones were not considered (as easily) recyclable and had to be dealt with separately. You missed a chance to throw in a few seconds of Jimmy Buffett when describing the early pop-tops. But, I guess that wouldn't fit your format very well, heh. The pull tabs were sometimes linked together by hand to make a useless chain, or collected in a container, as ways to avoid just tossing them carelessly. The glass deposit bottle was so much better than aluminum in so many ways. Sad that in most places they're no longer used. Even the uncommon glass bottles are not deposit bottles in most places now. I used to make pocket money when I was a kid, by scouring the roadside for deposit bottles. At 5¢ a pop, I could buy a large soda AND a small bag of chips for five returned bottles, plus one for the deposit. But, no doubt the aluminum can is cheaper to ship.

@Evin Chester You and I were far from the only kids that did this. That's why the bottle laws made sense. I can't understand why most areas have abandoned the practice. But then, how many of today's youth would find scouring roadsides to be worthwhile? Maybe if the deposit was 25¢ they would. Inflation.

And I thought I was the only kid who looked for bottles people had tossed so I could buy candy. And I'm sure you will remember when it was a penny a piece. Mind you l live in Texas. Back when I was a kid I quickly figured out that at .10 cents you had to pay sales tax. But if you bought 9 pieces, you didn't. Then with the penny left over you could get one more and not have to pay the sales tax.

I watch this every few years and enjoy it like the first watch. This and the injection molding video are peak YT. Bill's a fantastic lecturer.

@engineerguy make more videos. That is an order

Seems to be going viral again, a million views every week!

Same

@Pakcik Pingu I hope so, I just subscribed but I noticed last video was three years old.

Over the years I keep coming back randomly to enjoy this dude's amazing video. He's made entertainment out of mundane. Thank you, engineerguy.

I love the way you explain this subject!! Clear and well illustrated, and give us another resources ! Thanks for sharing this ! new subscriber here

Wow, I'm impressed. Aside from the content, which is very interesting, the absolute precision of Bill's word choice and arrangement is so impressive. I'm technical, and I strive to describe technical subjects - precisely. I do not pretend to have the mastery of presentation Bill has, but I recognize it.

Great work Bill. Solid and briefed explanation of a daily marvel we take for granted...

Welcome back! This was fascinating, thank you :-)

@Louis Weisz wait, the chicken slap guy, this comment section is getting more and more confusing by the second

@ALive Creeper 6 years ago, people didn’t feel the need to reply to comments as much as they do now.

Cans are just closed off mugs. the design of mug-like containers have existed for thousands of years lol. nothing fascinating or ingenious about it really.

Holy crap you’re here

Hi shishwammy

In my opinion, science and engineering are two of the best fields. They're both so fascinating.

It’s surprising what we take for granted. The science, engineering and thought that goes into a simpler can 👍

Very well done. Thank you for the effort, Bill. 16 million have enjoyed it.

It's truly amazing. You watch this video, and marvel at how ingenious some features of our world are. You think of the sustained intelligent effort that has been invested to reach the present economic efficiency, and state of the art technology in carbonated beverage containers. And then you pick up the newspaper - or watch television - and you see various elements of the US Federal Government at work. Do you wonder, as I do, how a society capable of such engineering and efficiency in beverage cans come to be governed by lame stooges with Joe Biden as the leader?

Amazing. I never knew how incredibly ingenious and complicated our modern cans were. This wasn't just informative, but fun, thank you.

@engineerguy come back to us!

Do note he's wrong about the epoxy layer stopping things from having a "metallic taste". Metal has no taste nor smell, only the oxidation and other reactive byproducts can have this which is the real reason the coating exists.

@sniper_monke dayum

It's reality amazing what Human intellect can achieve

@sniper_monke that’s cool

This was the best , clearest most interesting lecture I can ever recall hearing ,flawlessly delivered ,

Excellent job! This was really well made and I loved it!

I seem to recall (from college 30 years ago...) that the material properties are very important also carefully chosen such that it is ductile during rapid deformation while otherwise fully hardened. Pretty amazing process engineering!

This is my first view on your channel and this is an absolutely amazing introduction to the channel! Very cool look at something so common :)

I like to imagine this guy lives in a parallel universe, surrounded by tables and cans, and nothing else exists except an eternity for him to learn everything about aluminum cans

@Digital Footballer I must tell you quite _candidly_ that it's my favorite dance too!

I think it goes without saying that his favourite dance is the can can 😜

@Chris Gal LOL! Looks like he already dropped his eyeglasses, so he can't read books but at least he can still play with aluminum cans :)

like that twilight zone episode "Time enough at last.." xDD

Alternate dimension 😭

Thank you! Never knew this is how cans were made before. Amazing video to watch.

Very cool! Never gave much thought to aluminum cans but the design and manufacturing is impressive!

Its amazing how complicated everything is made in a factory yet it's just a simple item

Amazing, i never watched such scientifical approach to the such domestical things been shown in a YouTube videos. Thank you for your efforts, it's was please to look at all the explanations and listen to them.

Man, this video was 11:00 minutes long. It was also about cans. But man this was an extremely interesting video!!!

And 39 seconds!

Danger X69 Thank you very much

I am honoured to give you the 1000'th like to your comment

This cans ingenious design requires 3 different kinds (alloys) of alluminum also. I worked in an alluminum R&D facility. Alluminum is amazing in so many ways. Particularly the way it itself is made!

Soemthing I never really thought of (until I visited Colorado) was pressure. I often have noticed that their condiment containers always have more pressure in them, like they’re going to pop. So it’s interesting to me to know that cans can purposefully withstand normal atmospheric pressures.

I actually spent 11 minutes watching something that I've always wanted to know as a kid. Thank you for educating me. This is a lot better that the stupid animated ones they showed you back in school

That was a great video you did. I knew about them being lined. I melt them for aluminum. I love melting aluminum, but cans aren't my first choice.

This guy is incredible. The production quality is ridiculous. The explanations are flawless. The editing is seamless. The voice is silky. I haven't had any interest in product design and engineering for over a decade but this brought back that interest instantly.

Rostislav Svoboda If you paid attention, that was a demonstration of how it's *not* supposed to work. He's demonstrating using the tab solely as a first class lever. The tab acts as 2nd class, to vent, then first to open the top

Take a look at 10:13 before getting exit too much about the product design.

Being an ex-engineer, I already thought of the modern aluminum can as a marvel of engineering. (I'm the only one I know that would think so) This was a very interesting video, thanks.

Amazing video and superb animation. Very clear explanation, I liked this a lot!

Thank you for making a wonderful video about something no one's ever asked about. It's truly a fascinating process and something I've never actually asked myself about.

I’ll admit I’ve always been a bit curious how the tabs on soda cans work. Cool video.

Don't know why this was in my recommended but it is a well made video. Enjoyed watching it

I've noticed that YouTube uses some kind of software algorithms that associate your subscriptions and random searches and deduces which topics are usually of interest to you. Also, it seems that your likes and dislikes correlate somehow to your level of education, intelligence, social status (and apparently political persuasion - based on the suggestions I get!!) So... you would seem to be a person of mental agility, intelligence, and curiosity Congratulations!.

Same

@BFFs Engineer I have no clue as to why it was one of my recommended videos, but it was very interesting. I love learning about the science behind everyday things and this guy does a great job. And I remember those old tabs from when I was a kid --they'd slice you like a razor!

Same here. No idea why it got recommended but enjoyed throughly :)

You enjoyed it? That's why it was suggested 😊

Fascinating to know how aluminum cans and other things are made especially historically.

I was really surprised that he left out one of the most impressive engineering aspects of the can — when you leave the can in extreme temperatures, e.g. the freezer, the top and the bottom are designed to expand (bulge outward) so that the can doesn’t just explode. This is another reason for making the can cylindrical — so that it’s easier to direct that extra pressure into a specific direction (into the top or bottom of the can, i.e. if the can were spherical, the extra pressure would expand the can in all directions).

Way to make a subject that, even though is interesting it's hard to explain without boring the audience, into a very engaging and entertaining video!

Absolutely fascinating. The thing that is missing is the iconic shape of a certain cola.

Awesome video...very well explained process...very interesting. Thank you for sharing.👍🏼

This video was recommended to me multiple times, but each time I thought I'll watch later. And now, I'm regretting why didn't I watch it earlier. So well made and explained. It is a masterpiece, and a treat to watch.

God that was unironically incredibly fascinating. I never even realized how the fold the edge to create a seal. For all the soda industry does this. This is some incredible engineering

Yep. Soup cans also have that folded seal on the edge.

Thank you, Sir. I have pondered how they make aluminum cans for years, probably decades. Bravo!

His clarity and inflection are easy on the ear, pleasing and interesting. He is direct and efficient. Excellent all around.

@Jobbe Wijnen talking about his voice and the way he pronounces things

Sorry but its hilarious to see you talking this seriously but then looking at DARTH NIHILUS

Not 'his', but 'their'. He has an entire production team and a dedicated co-writer for these texts. Well made, indeed, but a team product. ;-)

thank you darth nihilus

He’s like agent smith. Everything about the matrix he knows

*This is probably the most perfectly presented talk on all of YouTube.* 👍

Love the way he explains things. I wish my college professors were like him. I would have actually learned something useful!

Ok, this goes in my favourites! That was one *_HELL_* of a great explanation and with some nice visuals at that!

Thanks for the informative invention of the Can. Did you ever done a video on different rubber and it processes and applications?

you know it's a well made/narrated video when you watch an 11 minute video on how cans are made when you're not an engineer..

True xD, he reminds me of michael stevens

Such simple yet precise animations! What a delight

Went through the Miller Can making plant. What's super amazing is how fast they are make. Much faster than the eye. Went in my industrial maintenance class.

Great vid. Long but never wastes time, efficiently packs so much information in!

Bill, I’m a new viewer who happened upon your channel thanks to the YouTube algorithm. I enjoy your narration just as much as any other mainstream network or high dollar production. I’ve worked in metals for years, so I knew SOME of the things you mentioned, but you tied everything together so neatly that I learned several new (yet critical) things about the manufacturing process of cans. Thank you for such quality work and thorough narration, especially since you included such fun facts about the processes and what the byproducts look like.

I never thought I'd watch eleven minutes of someone talking about cans. Incredibly informative and exceptionally well presented! Thank you!

Same

took the words right out of my mouth

even weirder for me- i already spent several semesters listening to professors lecture about this stuff in my industrial engineering program... yet i watched this anyway.

For me it depends what kinda cans you're talking about...

The seam on the pop lid is finitely accurate I was told. Enough to hold the pressure but able to be separated under the pressure of the leverage. The can design is great, the production line is another level again.

Your delivery of the sentence "The term of art in the industry... is DECORATION." is a moment that has inspired me over the years - you have made an extremely straightforward sentence sound unbelievably cool. That moment is the one I remember from this video most.

Not sure how I landed on this video..but I am telling you ..I am amazed the way the depth of this topic is explained in a very simple and very methodically way! I wish I had teachers like that in my school or college who were patient , calm and could explain with so much ease! Just wow!

Really interesting! It's amazing what people have invented.

When I was in middle school, we went to this giant electrical engineering companies facility and one of the engineers asked me if I knew why cans were con-caved on the bottom and I said probably so they can stack easier, and he said it was a good answer but explained to me how it saves them about a 10,000th of a cent but after a week of production that greatly adds up. Idk why I decided to comment this, just related to the video ig lol

I've seen this video before. It's brilliant and fascinating. If only more people showed interest in "ordinary" things that we take for granted every day. It's a genious design.

Thanks for sharing your time and knowledge. Thorough and excellent. Cheers.

Thanks for this great video. I have a question. Has there ever been any concern with the hygiene of the stay-on cap? It pushes a part of the external side of the can into the beverage. Yes, we can wipe a can clean, but not all toxins/bacteria are visible.

I noticed that a while ago and while it doesn't overly concern me I'm surprised there hasn't been a solution for such a mass manufactured product

This is the way engineering should be taught

@Força Kong he didn't laugh at his name. He merely asked how it's pronounced.

@Cykablaster well it's more enjoyable then the standard school method

It is

I remember the pull tab being phased out in the late 70s. As kids, it was a dare to drop the pull tab into the can and drink from it because it could prove dangerous if you accidentally gulped down the sharp tab. I also remember a competing replacement that involved pressing a button on the top of the can to open up the hole. Lastly, I remember the cans getting the taper at the top in the 1980s.

7 years late, but this video will always be interesting informative and fun! Little note, we used those pull tabs as kids to make a Christmas ornament chain and put it on the tree. A tribute to dad's love of beer!🤣 Anyway, picking them up kept us from cutting our little feet.

Glad we both saw this video today

Nice video, but to me, the most interesting part of this can is progressive die setup and manufacture of the stay on pop top itself. My Father was one of the Tool & Die Makers at Continental Can Company who worked with the engineers on this design.

Wow. That was a concise and clear description. Such a relief in comparison with other videos which don't get to the point. Thanks a lot.

Thanks for your well explained video. I appreciate your attention to detail.

.... I made my granddaughter watch this after I saw it and she agreed, great teacher, learned some actual interesting stuff and all about a boring can :)

At 6:08, there is another step. After the flange is folded out, its outer edge is again uneven from the necking and flange creation. There is a final trimming step making a consistent lip size around the can. This happens on the same machine folding out the flange but as a separate operation in the process.

Thank you for this very informative video. It's the best I've seen so far, in the category. :D

Back when I did calculus regularly, I once used it to determine the most efficient cylindrical shape that a soda can should be. If I remember correctly, the most efficient design was wider and shorter than what is currently used. The manufacturers don’t use the most efficient cylinder design because shelf space on a grocery store is limited more on the x and y axis than the z axis. So, the amount of aluminum in each can today is more than it needs to be if horizontal space was not a concern.

you're forgetting 1 thing, even if they did make em more efficient, people wouldn't buy em as the current ones are more comfortable to hold

Well there's also ease of use for the consumer; grabbing things with too much circumference can get annoying - similarly if you have big hands it gets awkward to hold something that's not tall enough in a manner that's comfortable to drink out of. Also soda cans are already stacked on top of each other in grocery stores and a wider design would allow those stacks to be higher so I doubt it's as a significant factor than the usability.

The wider the can, the thicker the wall needed to sustain the same pressure. I don't believe that wider and shorter is the solution, because of growing wall thickness.

@Vincent van go touch grass 🧘‍♀️

@Wassux yeah thats why im thinking too. it was an interesting story for sure, but you are probably right

I LOVE this video!!! I spent 16 yrs working in this industry and often held peoples attention when I explained what I did for a living. Always thought about the amazing amount of science that went into the profitable production of cans. Yet no one really gives them a thought

I found this video very informative, but I would like to know why Americans are not able to pronounce the word " solder" it's not sodder! It's 'Sol - der' Der!

in Australia we also had another evolution before the modern "stay on tab".. it was called a "push button top", there were two push down buttons on the top of the can, a small vent you push down on first then a bigger one to drink out of.. some though would only partially open the big one and place a straw in the smaller one to avoid bees climbing in while at picnics...