Berry Plastics

This was a really cool tour. I think in part due to my choosing of my tour guide. I chose to go with the plastic engineer in hopes that he would divulge and be able to answer questions of a more technical manner. Again, I am amazed at production, and in this case the sheer volume of it. In just a matter of minutes, it goes from a tiny pebbled raw material into a useable designed container. Not just one, but thousands and even millions! It's absolutely crazy and at the same time disturbing that we as a society use that much plastic. Sure it provides jobs, but at what cost? I would be willing to wager that not even 50% of the plastic that leaves that place gets recycled.

Oh look! I'm drinking out of a thermoformed cup and there isn't even a recycle bin at this place of origin to throw it out. Just a common trash bin. What is the hold up with instilling a common mentality of taking care of the earth? It seems as there are a select few who really give a rip about what's going on and no matter how hard (we) they try, it won't change the big picture until a broader portion of the population gets involved.

So, Berry Plastics... a company that exists because we are a disposable/on-the-go/wasteful society. The people have the power to change "the machine" it's for each one of us that these cups are made, that the landfills are littered with trash that can be reused and not add to the abysmal landscape of our collective disregard for the volume of trash that we produce!

I just can't seem to get off this topic this post can I?

Alright, so Materials: Plastic, lots and lots and lots of plastic. Ink.

Processes: Injection Molding and Thermoforming

Manufactured Landscape

As a photographer I found this video very interesting. It's intimidating how many people are involved in some of his shots. I prefer to document what's going on and mostly stay out of the way. It was somewhat of a letdown to see that some of his shots were staged, such as the guy guiding the donkey. Even though, that scene probably plays out a hundred times each day, it was sad to see that he staged it and what we saw as a scene of toil was somewhat staged and the guy was paid to play himself.  Can't exactly explain why it bugs me, but it just seems a little fabricated...

Concerning the magnitude of many of the projects, it was utterly mind blowing the scale of the dam and the number of people it was displacing. Added to that, the fact that they had to destroy their own towns with hammers and other human powered means. Similar to the way the Indonesians disassembled the gigantic cargo ships. They were driven as far up the beach as possible during high tide and then left to be gutted by men and boys with little or no safety equipment. Which is absolutely insane! OSHA would have a hay day!

From the point of design, it makes me question it all. Is all of the scarred landscape worth whatever raw material or structure is effecting the landscape? Is there a better way to do something to leave less of a footprint?

They are important questions that seem to come up time and again in discussions about responsible design.

El Dorado

El Dorado and DI were two of the places we toured that I would like to work at. The wide range of projects they take on would definitely keep things interesting. The city mockup of Wichita was really cool and it was interesting to find out that if they had their choice they would build one for every project they were working on.

The quality and volume of items that they can produce in their small shop is pretty incredible as well.

I was originally accepted into the Master's Program for Architecture at KU, but subsequently switched to Industrial Design for a number of reasons. However, I still have a draw to the field of architecture and working in a place like ElDo would be something that would keep me interested for sure.

Materials: Steel, concrete, brick, (all building construction materials), furniture materials, wood, acrylic.

Processes: drill press, various saws, welding, sanding, finishing.

Teething Toys

Materials:
Exterior - Food Grade Silicone
Liquid - Sterile water or gel

Process:
Exterior formed via injection molding. Two halves formed into one piece. Ring is then filled with liquid and sealed.

Huhtamaki

Huhtamaki was always one of my favorite places to get called to when I worked at Heubel Material Handling. My job was to diagnose and repair electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic problems with forklifts. So, I saw the operation from a completely different point of view, but was intrigued and would take extended breaks to walk through the production area and just watch everything that was going on.

Another amazingly clean environment for production. Granted paper isn't necessarily dirty, but if not kept in check, the whole place could get out of hand rather quickly considering all of the ancillary mechanical processes that are occuring in conjunction with production of the paper products. The food safe standards obviously have a big part to play in the cleanliness of the place.

It would have been cool to see the design process of a cup or a container and how all of the folds and rounded tops are taken into account.

Materials: Cardboard, glue, plastic, foam.

Processes: die cutting, printing, folding, 

Lawrence Paper Company

Lawrence Paper Company was a very interesting tour. It reminded me a lot of my time on the USS Georgia working in the engine room. The atmosphere was similar, very industrial and clean. They were both incredibly efficient at the tasks they set out to perform. It was amazing to see how quickly 3 huge rolls of paper were turned into corrugated boxing material. I was also surprised to find out how much the type of wood plays a part in the kind of ox it is most suitable for.

Materials: Paper, lots and lots of paper. Glue, ink.

Processes: Folding, Cutting, Gluing, CNC, recycling, printing,

Grip Equipment

Justin Atwater Taylor was inspiring to have come in and speak about his accomplishments with his disc golf bag. It was really interesting to see where the bag began and how he molded it into what it is now. The way he identified and exploited a major need in such a niche market is pretty incredible.

Dimensional Innovation

From innovative in house products and projects to interactive displays and static displays for big name clients, DI does just about everything.

They use a wide range of materials including, carbon fiber, acrylic, plastic, steel, aluminum, bronze, brass, glass, and corian.

Their processes of manufacture include, welding, adhesion, cutting, bending, planing, drilling, molding, extruding, shaping.

A House Contained

This house was a really cool glimpse into the realm of unique considered architecture. A blend of Industrial Design and Architecture, the house is made of shipping containers. Although they are not reused containers, it serves as a model for what can be accomplished if such design elements were used.

Old shipping containers could be reused and made into low income affordable housing for example.

Electronic Wasteland / Waste=Food

Electronic Wasteland:

It seems that people will always find a way to make an extra dime. It's sad that in the example of the CRT monitors that many well intending were trying to recycle, they had no idea that they were actually contributing to the electronic wasteland that exists over in China. Contributing to the health and environmental that exist due to the archaic dismantling of the high tech pieces of equipment.

Considering the effect that the initial design can have on these subsequent problems, it puts a lot of responsibility on me as a future designer, to think of the products life cycle and how it will end up after it's useful life is over.

Waste=Food:

A very intelligent and responsible set of ideas make up the majority of the content in Waste=Food. The relatively simple idea that when items are discarded they should be completely recyclable as part of the product or manufacturing world or that they become biodegradable food.

Accomplishing much of this through non-toxic and sustainable production methods. The term "eco-effectiveness" pertains to designing for eco-safety as well as const efficiency. Many large companies are adopting this way of thinking as they move towards a more responsible future of production and manufacturing.

It makes me want to take an even closer look at the materials that are used in the products I'll be designing in the future.

iPhone 3G Tear Down

Sketches of Frank Gehry

While watching the film, Sketches of Frank Gehry, I jotted down some thoughts that grabbed my attention. They follow in somewhat chronological order, following the flow of the film.

Don't be afraid to take a step back and think about the project. - Many times I think we get so buried in a project with deadlines and many other disturbances going on all around us that we just want to dive in and get it done. Frank said that sometimes he just needs to take a step back for a while, get away from it and come back to consider the project. I think that's an important thought to hold on to  going forward while designing and to remember during many instances in life.

Frank Gehry said he's always been interseted in art.

When he was starting out and getting his feet wet in the business world of architecture, he struggled to make ends meet a lot of the time. His friend noted that Frank was always going bankrupt.  - That's a good thing to remember as we're trying to make it in whatever field we choose. Most likely success will not occur overnight. We'll have to struggle for a while before we reap the rewards that we've been working for.

He changed his last name to Gehry, it used to be Goldberg.

While he's working on a building he is working on it at multiple scales at one time. It helps to see the project in a different way and helps him to not see the one model as the "project," and to view it simply as the model that it is.

He tells his clients what they need and why they need it. He has a very specific brand and people come to him to get a piece of that.  -In his circumstance he can afford to do it based on his reputation and past successes and experiences.

"Talent is liquified trouble."

Find a small space where you can make a difference. There is a tiny sliver in the world that each of us can make a difference. -Find that niche and exploit it. It's at the intersection of your interests and talents.

After he began to work so closely with a team he doesn't really want to work on his own anymore. The team is what makes everything work.

Finds the process exciting and not necessarily the final product.

"The best clients produce the best final product."

"Feels fragile how some people come upon the thing that defines their life."

"Sometimes you wonder what part of you an idea came from."

"If you're hoping for some capstone of success, it not there."

Zahner - Kansas City

Product(s) What do they make?

Mainly exteriors for buildings.

Market(s) for whom do they make it?

Everyone from a budding artist to the biggest corporation.

Materials.

Metal, Aluminum, Brass, Steel, Glass, Poly, Copper, Titanium.

Forming Technologies.
Slip roll, anvil, break, hammer.

Cutting Technologies.

Laser Cutter, CNC, Water Jet, industrial metal cutter

Joining Technologies.

Welding, rivets, bolts, glue.

Finishing Technologies.

Paint, chemical processes, lacquer, glass-blasting.

Overall Impressions/Epiphanies.

Amazing to see the scale of projects they take on and the little (in comparison) shop that they come out of. It does nothing but to show how well organized Zahner is and as much as they have made forming metal into an art, they have made the entire process from start to finish as streamlined and efficient as possible.

Hallmark Cards (Lawrence, KS)

Product(s) What do they make?

Greeting Cards and Ribbon.

Market(s) for whom do they make it?

Ultimately individual consumers, but they take orders from big box stores such as Wal-Mart and Target and so on.

Materials.

Paper, Plastic, Glitter, Poly, Glue, metallic film, brass, copper, aluminum, rayon fibers, blowing agent, color beads, vinyl, ink, 

Forming Technologies.

Laser Cutter, Embossing machines, pneumatic punches, dies, assembly line folding/stacking/packing

Cutting Technologies.

Laser Cutter, die cutters, hand cutting.

Joining Technologies.

Glue.

Finishing Technologies.

metallic film adhered with heat. Glitter applied to glue. Embossing.

Overall Impressions/Epiphanies.

I had been in Hallmark before. Mainly in the warehouse side when I would repair their forklifts. Just being in the warehouse was cool and impressive. I had caught a glimpse into the manufacturing area at one point but never got a tour.

Seeing the individual processes that go into each card, how it is cut, folded, embossed, glittered, fuzzied with the rayon fibers, and finally packed up was really cool. I would have really liked to see the ribbon forming process in action, perhaps another day.

Most of all I was impressed with the engineering of the production line and all that goes into the design of the process of how the card is assembled. I think that would be a fun task, to figure out how to automate an entire process. Not necessarily industrial design, more engineering, but still it would be interesting.

Star Signs

Product(s) What do they make?

Signs. All varieties. From huge stadium signs to doorway markers.

Market(s) for whom do they make it?

Businesses that require visibility of location to the public. Businesses that need signs for wayfinding.
Universities. Sports Teams. Individuals.

Materials.

Aluminum, plastic, glue, rivets, vinyl, auto paint, photo sensitive plastic, steel, rubber.

Forming Technologies.

CNC, hand cut, hand formed, hand assembled, photo-sensitive plastic.

Cutting Technologies.

CNC Router, Hand Cut with power tools, hand cut blade, laser cutter.

Joining Technologies.

Glue, solder, rivets, screws.

Finishing Technologies.

Auto Paint. Sealing Caulk. Covered in Vinyl. 

Overall Impressions/Epiphanies.

Always impressed at what an unassuming warehouse actually contains. Just looking at the building, one probably wouldn't expect them to make signs for such big name clients. The quality of work and the scale of projects they take on are very impressive.

Reuter Organ

Product(s) What do they make?

Pipe Organs, from start to finish.

Market(s) for whom do they make it?

Churches, universities, private citizens.

Materials.

Poplar, Oak, Walnut, Aluminum, Copper, Lead/Tin mix for smaller pipes, cow bone, goat skin, sheep skin, kangaroo skin, steel, zinc.

Forming Technologies.

CNC, hand cut, hand formed, glue press, sheet metal maker, hand assembled.

Cutting Technologies.

CNC Router, Hand Cut with power tools, hand cut blade.

Joining Technologies.

Glue, solder, springs, screws.

Finishing Technologies.

Blow torch on copper pipe, paint on zinc, laquer over finished pipes, wood stain, polished cow bone, wood/bone veneer on keys.

Overall Impressions/Epiphanies.

It’s amazing that something as elaborate as their finished product comes from that little warehouse/shop. I’m also surprised they have a bladder to hold the air, I figured it would just be a reservoir or accumulator with a pressure regulating valve. It was an impressive place and operation.