The disparity in size between the typical 500ml can sizes (500ml aluminum cans) and the 16-ounce (roughly 473ml) aluminum cans has a direct impact on the manufacturing, transportation and consumption experience. Let’s use diameter as an illustration. A 500-milliliter tank will be 66.1 millimeters (+/-0.15 millimeter), while the 16-ounce North American tanks are mostly 65.1 millimeters (such as Red Bull energy tanks), with the tank height at 168 millimeters and 157 millimeters respectively. The capacity variation causes a 1.2% variation in liquid level error rate of the filling line (±1.5% for 500-milliliter tanks). 16-ounce can ±2.7%. Ball Corporation statistics reveal that the compressive strength of the wall of the 500-milliliter tank is 0.21 millimeters and 90 psi. But the wall thickness of the 16-ounce tank drops to 0.18 millimeters due to its smaller capacity. But the compression increases the number of stacking layers from 15 to 18, decreasing the transportation cost by 8%.
There are significant differences in the material and cost structures. To make one million 500-milliliter cans, 21 tons of aluminum (21 grams per can) are necessary, whereas 18.9 tons (18 grams per can) are necessary for 16-ounce cans. At an aluminum cost of $2,700 per ton in 2023, the difference in material cost is $56,700. But the 16-ounce can has a narrower diameter, reducing the printing surface by 12% and costing $0.002 per can in terms of the expense of ink. Take Coca-Cola. The unit cost of its European can, which holds 500 milliliters, is $0.08, while that of its North American 16-ounce can is $0.075. But the changeover time on the filling line for a mold change is 20 minutes more, and production capacity is lost by 1,200 cans per hour.
There is huge difference between regional standards and functional designs. The European Union’s 500ml can dimensions size should be compatible with the EN 1.206 recycling compatibility standard (diameter 66.0-66.3 mm), while the United States’ 16-ounce can has a diameter of 65.1 mm to accommodate the vending machine holding slot (width 68 mm) with an error tolerance of ±0.2 mm. The 500-milliliter cans of Toyo Can-making in Japan are produced by seamless cold forming technology (with ±0.02 millimeters deviation in thickness) and possess a breakage rate of 0.3%. The 16-ounce cans, with the lower height (142 millimeters), are produced by traditional techniques, and the breakage rate is up to 1.1%. As far as functional variations are concerned, Carlsberg’s 500ml “Snap Pack” six-pack can has the same can wall design, with a packaging volume saving of 24%, while the 16-ounce can does not have such a design because single sales are the preference in the North American market.
Environmental protection regulations contribute to specification differences. The EU’s Green Packaging Directive requires the minimum 500-milliliter cans to contain 50% recycled aluminum by 2025, while in America, where there are lax federal regulations, the average amount of recycled aluminum in 16-ounce cans is a mere 30%. Carbon footprint of Ball Corporation’s 500-milliliter recycled can is 0.8 tons of CO₂/ton (4.5 tons of primary aluminum), and the carbon footprint of the 16-ounce can from weight reduction is 0.7 tons. However, a reduction of 5% in capacity leads to an increase of 3% in carbon emissions per unit of the drink. Ab InBev’s example shows that a switch to 500-milliliter recycling cans can boost ESG ratings by 12%, but tank cost increases by $0.003.
Consumer behavior dictates design iteration. Asian consumers like the grip stability of 500-milliliter cans (66.1 millimeter diameter), while North Americans like the single-handedness of 16-ounce cans (65.1 millimeter diameter). The starting power of the 16-ounce Magic Claw Energy Drink can is altered to 2.8 kilograms, and the can opening complaint rate is lowered by 18%. The thread height of the Yanki Forest’s 500-milliliter can is 6.1 millimeters (which is usable for a 3.5-kilogram pull ring starting power). In the smart can industry, the Orekin 500-milliliter can is embedded with an NFC tag (with additional cost of $0.03 per unit), having an interaction rate of 40%, while the 16-ounce can is only capable of being embedded with a QR code due to space limitations, with a scanning rate of only 25%.
There are huge differences in logistics efficiency and regional adaptability. The stacking height of regular 500-milliliter tank pallets is 1.8 meters (with one pallet for 1,200 tanks), and that of 16-ounce tanks is 2.1 meters (with one pallet for 1,400 tanks), thereby increasing the storage space utilization rate by 16%. However, due to the larger diameter of the 500-milliliter can, the shelf display area has increased by 12%, and the retail turnover rate has increased by 9%. Amazon Logistics data reports that the shipment breakage of 500-milliliter cans is 0.6% (due to a tolerance of ±0.3 millimeters in height), and the shipment breakage of 16-ounce cans due to a tolerance of ±0.5 millimeters in height is 1.2%. The financial difference in loss annually is over 150,000 US dollars for each million cans.