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Redesigned Coke Can Won't Roll Off the Table
Instructables: Copy a Key Using a Coke Can

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rcast1986
09/23/09

In reply to Redesigned Coke Can Won't Roll Off the Table
Wow, the use of the word "can", as in "soda can", gave me a hard time in that sentence before I realized it wasn't in its verb form.
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CustomFirmware promoted this comment rcast1986 was starred rcast1986 was unstarred

citizen024
09/23/09

In reply to Redesigned Coke Can Won't Roll Off the Table
nice design for packaging, but why would anyone want to drink that H3PO4 and sugar infested crap. Would be better if people just learned to drink water, definitely save tax payers on healthcare.
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DaveExile (SimANT for iPhone NOW!)
09/23/09

@citizen024: Because Rum and Water sucks?
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G-Ram promoted this comment

Denver_80203
09/23/09

In reply to Redesigned Coke Can Won't Roll Off the Table

I want my cans to roll. Got one of these in my fridge
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SjN promoted this comment Denver_80203 was starred Denver_80203 was unstarred

Mr_Biggles:Windows 7 was my idea
09/23/09

In reply to Redesigned Coke Can Won't Roll Off the Table
Still waiting for those werid coke bottles shown in Back to the future .. though these looks very Retro-futurism
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Jrsy Devil's Bright Idea® promoted this comment

Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
09/23/09

@Mr_Biggles: They were Pepsi bottles, not Coke.

Pepsi, the choice of a new generation...
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Edited by Jrsy Devil's Advocate® at 09/23/09 9:52 PM

Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
09/23/09

@Jrsy Devil's Bright Idea®:
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Mr_Biggles:Windows 7 was my idea
09/25/09

@Jrsy Devil's Bright Idea®: oh yea they were! so then theres still a chance WOOHOO
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KTK1990
09/23/09

In reply to Redesigned Coke Can Won't Roll Off the Table
Hopefully they will still be able to fit the same amount in the box, withought raising the prices too much. Then hopefully they will bring Coke C2 back.
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kbrearey
09/23/09

@KTK1990: I wish they would bring C2 back too. That was the best!
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Darklighter
09/23/09

In reply to Redesigned Coke Can Won't Roll Off the Table
Pressure vessels are cylindrical for a reason.
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Bender
09/23/09

In reply to Redesigned Coke Can Won't Roll Off the Table
Is this a solution in search of a problem? Seems to me if you set your can on it's side, you've got a bigger problem than it rolling away. (time to get a mop)
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SQLGuru promoted this comment Bender was starred Bender was unstarred

SQLGuru
09/23/09

@Bender: Better storage? I'm sure the angled sides make stacking "cleaner".
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Super Moose
09/23/09

In reply to Redesigned Coke Can Won't Roll Off the Table
I remember reading about similar cans in Popular Science magazine. I also remember I was at the dentist too, and i was 11, but I digress. The benefits of these geometric designs is that they use less material, sometimes around 10%. With the shear number of cans produced 10% savings on the aluminum required quickly turns into billions of dollars saved. Unfortunately for the designs aluminum is one of the most common metals on the planet and easily recycled bringing down the long term benefits of implementing such can designs to the point where they are cost prohibitive.
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weatherman promoted this comment Super Moose was starred Super Moose was unstarred

anexanhume
09/23/09

@Super Moose: The most efficient volume-to-surface-area container is a sphere. This design goes further away from that by creating extra surface area in the form of polygons. The current can approximates a sphere while still allowing it to be useable by using an elongated circle (a cylinder).
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nutbastard
09/23/09

@anexanhume:

while mathematically correct, it's contrary to the goal here - yes volume to surface are is always a smaller ratio for a sphere, so from a material consumption standpoint, a sphere is ideal. however, spheres and cylinders are some of the worst regular 3d shapes for packing.

i haven't the spare time to model various 12oz containers to put numbers to it, but consider this - coke costs more to ship than it does to produce and package. any savings on the shipping side are bound to be more gainful than savings on the material side.
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valkilmerisawful
09/23/09

@anexanhume: By incorporating convoluted geometry into the can, CocaCola can essentially argue that there is an infinite volume of soda within each can, based on the infinite circumference length described by fractal geometry. Is that a stretch? Nahhhh.
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anexanhume
09/23/09

@nutbastard: I don't dispute that. The shape of the can is a precarious balance between packaging costs, volume held and both packaged volume. The thing is, this furthers none of those goals.

@psychiccheese: Right, because they value liquid content and packaged shape over most efficient. This is most likely due to low metal packaging costs.

@valkilmerisawful: Of course, if calculus says I can do finite volume and infinite surface area, why not the opposite?
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Edited by anexanhume at 09/23/09 2:35 PM anexanhume was starred anexanhume was unstarred

Super Moose
09/23/09

@anexanhume:

You're not taking into account that with more rigged geometric shapes, the material itself can be made thinner. Not everything is surface area.
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anexanhume promoted this comment Super Moose was starred Super Moose was unstarred

anexanhume
09/23/09

@Super Moose: The material is already sufficiently thin, and besides, I question your assertion. Those creases would create stress points.
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Super Moose
09/24/09

@anexanhume: I'll let the designers judge if it is sufficiently then. As for the shapes they're designed for rigidly, I'm sure they took into account stresses.
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met2art
09/23/09

In reply to Redesigned Coke Can Won't Roll Off the Table
Yet another victim of design fail, with idiotic designers trying to invent problems to fix so that they can flex their design muscles. These designers likely have little to no real-world experience with engineers or manufacturers, and garbage like this just illustrates their own ignorance rather than their ingenuity.
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eagles3 speeeedin
09/23/09

@met2art has an invisible star: Engineering student here, the design isnt all that bad. It needs some improvements in terms of packing, but done correctly this could definitely be more efficient. I'm not sure you actually have any idea what you are talking about.
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Edited by eagles3 speeeedin at 09/23/09 1:26 PM eagles3 speeeedin was starred

met2art
09/23/09

@eagles3 halfinsane: This weakens the can design, which is under considerable internal pressure, by having edges which create tensile stress points. The polygonal top also increases the potential for tearing, especially with the thinness of aluminum used in the process. Also, the polygonal top creates unnecessarty eding at the drinking side, which is both unnecessary and would likely lead to spillage in use. Overall, it solves nothing and adds problems. I'm a fan of design and engineering, but not when it's both needless and detrimental to a simple and previously functional design. Also, I'm not concerned about your concern with my qualifications for commenting on this design.
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OCEntertainment promoted this comment Edited by met2art at 09/23/09 1:29 PM met2art was starred met2art was unstarred

OCEntertainment
09/23/09

@met2art has an invisible star: Dang met! You never told us you know stuff about stuff! Here I thought you were just a highly entertaining pun machine that probably had a job, but hey? Who knows what it is?

"Tensile stress points", "unnecessary eding", "needless and detrimental"? Wow, man! I mean, just...wow.
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OrbitalGun
09/23/09

In reply to Redesigned Coke Can Won't Roll Off the Table
Coca-Cola never experimented with a Crystal recipe like Pepsi did, so maybe this is the perfect opportunity for them. Though they should probably put some extra thought into what name they want to go with, because I'm fairly certain that Crystal Coke might get confused with something else. Still in the demographic, though.
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The Lab
09/23/09

In reply to Redesigned Coke Can Won't Roll Off the Table
Cans roll off tables? I didn't even know I had that problem. Oh right, I don't because I stand them upright. Problem solved.
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secretmanofagent
09/23/09

@The Lab: That's what I do. If only I could figure out how to keep it from leaking out the bottom...
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Scotland promoted this comment secretmanofagent was starred secretmanofagent was unstarred

Pessimippopotamus
09/23/09

@The Lab: Bahahahahahahahahah. Brilliant!
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danger the pirate
09/23/09

In reply to Redesigned Coke Can Won't Roll Off the Table
commenter on the original article crushes the concept: " The cap on a normal can is generally put on using a process called "Swaging" which would be impossible with this design. The facets would be weak points and could easily tear making razor sharp exposed edges. With the tight profit margins in this industry, increasing the production cost by only as much as one penny per can would probably make the entire thing cost prohibitive, which it looks like this design definitely would be. Why not apply a similar design to a bottle? There are reasons this hasn't been done with metal cans. " -Mikebdesign
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Palmer74
09/23/09

In reply to Redesigned Coke Can Won't Roll Off the Table
Looks sexy crushable
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Hello Mister Walrus promoted this comment Palmer74 was starred Palmer74 was unstarred

Hello Mister Walrus
09/23/09

@Palmer74: Yeah, I'd imagine that lots of these would be dented in transit.
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Palmer74
09/23/09

@Hello Mister Walrus: Also looks like no more fridge packs. They will not roll out of the 12 pack fridge boxes. New design = sexy fail.
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Palmer74 was starred Palmer74 was unstarred

tobedetermined
09/23/09

In reply to Redesigned Coke Can Won't Roll Off the Table
How many ounces of Coke will be losing due to the redesign?
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Barry99705 promoted this comment tobedetermined was starred tobedetermined was unstarred

Barry99705
09/23/09

@tobedetermined: Most likely none, they probably account for that.
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ripfire
09/23/09

In reply to Redesigned Coke Can Won't Roll Off the Table
Looks like the space station from Elite.
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ripfire was starred ripfire was unstarred

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