Factories are fun - and are everywhere. Some I have visited:
Pulp and paper plants: the chipper where they throw tree trunks into a hole and they are munched into little bits at a scary rate is the most impressive bit. Don't fall in. Look for a high degree of automation after that - try to see the contrl room.
Foam/polystryene: ridiculously simple process - combine chemicals and watch as foam expands to fit into whatever mold shape is present.
Extrusion molding: a cone of soft plastic slowly lowers, a mold is clamped over it, air injected and voila, a laundry detergent bottle. (loads of rejects with this but the plastic is endlessly recyclable)
Injection molding: test-tube of hard plastic are turned into 2 litre coke bottles with very high pressure. Impressivly automated, which means you often can't see much. Usually located next to a
Centrifugal molding: put plastic material in a large round mold, spin it fast for a while and apply heat. Open it up and there you have a (usually cylindrical) round trash can or similar.
Soda Factory: where soda is created from water, CO2 and proprietory syrup. Highly automated - and great pictures of all those bottles/cans whizzing around conveyer belts
Tin Can factories: 2 kinds: aluminium - cans are extruded from aluminium and printed on after that. (you try printing on a round, fragile can). Steel (think older beer cans and food tins): Steel is printed on and then rolled up and welded on a "soutronic welder". then the ends are put on. Impressive display.
Ice cream factories: and other food processing plants - usually a flow process with lots of tanks and pipes so you don't see a lot. B&J's was well set up so you could see the mixing of plain ice-cream, the adding of ingredients and the packing. Plus there were ice creams at the end.
Car factories: I have not seen one, but it would be fun to follow your car from chassis to completion, through paint-shop, production line and final quality checks. Just don't go on a Monday morning as you may get depressed. Be sure to ask questions about logistics (arrival of parts etc.) - this is one area the car industry is showing the way.
Computer factories/assemby plants: I have also not seen one, but these guys (i.e. Dell) have flexible manufacturing well sorted out - each computer can be different from the last.
Slashdot Mirror
>In the eyes of the Justice Department what is/are the greatest threat(s) to IP in the US?
and what % of time does the group spend on each kind of threat/case/activity?
Factories are fun - and are everywhere. Some I have visited:
Pulp and paper plants: the chipper where they throw tree trunks into a hole and they are munched into little bits at a scary rate is the most impressive bit. Don't fall in. Look for a high degree of automation after that - try to see the contrl room.
Foam/polystryene: ridiculously simple process - combine chemicals and watch as foam expands to fit into whatever mold shape is present.
Extrusion molding: a cone of soft plastic slowly lowers, a mold is clamped over it, air injected and voila, a laundry detergent bottle. (loads of rejects with this but the plastic is endlessly recyclable)
Injection molding: test-tube of hard plastic are turned into 2 litre coke bottles with very high pressure. Impressivly automated, which means you often can't see much. Usually located next to a
Centrifugal molding: put plastic material in a large round mold, spin it fast for a while and apply heat. Open it up and there you have a (usually cylindrical) round trash can or similar.
Soda Factory: where soda is created from water, CO2 and proprietory syrup. Highly automated - and great pictures of all those bottles/cans whizzing around conveyer belts
Tin Can factories: 2 kinds: aluminium - cans are extruded from aluminium and printed on after that. (you try printing on a round, fragile can). Steel (think older beer cans and food tins): Steel is printed on and then rolled up and welded on a "soutronic welder". then the ends are put on. Impressive display.
Ice cream factories: and other food processing plants - usually a flow process with lots of tanks and pipes so you don't see a lot. B&J's was well set up so you could see the mixing of plain ice-cream, the adding of ingredients and the packing. Plus there were ice creams at the end.
Car factories: I have not seen one, but it would be fun to follow your car from chassis to completion, through paint-shop, production line and final quality checks. Just don't go on a Monday morning as you may get depressed. Be sure to ask questions about logistics (arrival of parts etc.) - this is one area the car industry is showing the way.
Computer factories/assemby plants: I have also not seen one, but these guys (i.e. Dell) have flexible manufacturing well sorted out - each computer can be different from the last.
check out horizonsunlimited.com. motorcyclists have been doing this for years.
been done before many times.
cheers from panama heading south...