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I've worked in different (U.S.) industries, each with some neat technology that is actually kind of fun to watch. It is often fascinating to know how a machine works, and to watch it work.
The idea here is to open a small "theater" in a shopping mall kind of environment (lots of foot traffic).
It can be a multiplex of 3 or 4 smaller theaters. Each theater shows some industrial equipment at work. "Making Styrofoam Cups" "High-Volume Chocolate Chip Cookie Maker" "Fiberglass Boat Construction."
Run a "show" for about a week, then change the playbill. Popular shows can be repeated.
Network with real manufacturers in the nearby economy, so they sponsor the equipment and expertise. In fact, they could actually perform real production for the "show." The manufacturing company gets good PR from it (though you don't want to make this an advertising venue - YUCK).
Each show should be 15 to 30 minutes long, with some explanation of the technology. That's just enough time for a harried family to eat a McFoodItem and drink a beverage and relax a bit (again, the shopping mall environment).
Maybe it's just a "guy thing," but machinery and industrial automation is just fun to watch. Why not sponsor the activity as a money making venture.
Please, contribute your ideas for the playlist.
Chick Grinders
http://www.mcspotli...ia/books/druce.html
One accusation pointed at the fast food industry is the mass extermination of male chicks using specially designed chick grinders. Their remains are freeze dried and sold as feed. There's a piece of machinery you don't want to see in your local shopping mall. [sdm, Aug 24 2001, last modified Oct 05 2004]
Unwrapped
http://www.foodtv.c...w/0,6525,CW,00.html
"Unwrapped" is a FoodTV show that features lots of food making machines. Great show, but I often wonder how you keep things like chocolate chip extruders clean.... [tspyz, May 16 2002, last modified Oct 05 2004]
[link]
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Day Old Chick Grinder [see link] |
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Could call it that. Sounds (slightly) more depraved though. |
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<Drool>Martin Guitars handing out any samples?</Drool>
As interested as I am in how things work... before television became *what it is* I used to fall asleep watching how (example) coffee was grown, harvested, dried, chopped, canned on the dullest of TV productions. Make damn sure no one involved in those boring shows or their descendants is involved in your present day scenario. Perhaps it's an overgeneralization, but: Culturally, I think it's interesting how men seemed to be interested in 'how things work' in comparison with women. |
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thumbwax: //Make damn sure no one involved in those boring shows or their descendants is involved in your present day scenario// -I second that. |
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I find documentaries quite interesting, and thought the reason that they seemed so dull when I was younger was because I just wasn't interested. |
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I recenly scored a job being sub-contracted out to local primary schools doing routine maintenance on their PCs, and calling in specialists when necessary. While I was in one of the classrooms, I watched the kids watching an old documentary on outer space from my era (not too long ago, I hope). It was mind numbingly boring, which leads me to the conclusion that the production of documentaries *must* have changed for the better. I see shows like the recent BBC documentaries on the human body, and beauty and am honestly captivated. I think, why didn't we have these when I was young? |
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I visited a fortune cookie factory some time ago; the machines they have for making fortune cookies are pretty neat. |
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One problem is that interesting machines are often pretty large (so they'd be difficult to bring into the mall and back out), expensive (so the manufacturer might want to make more money by selling the machine to an actual customer), and require/produce large amounts of material (which would have to be shipped in/out). |
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1. Any modern NC mill is cool to watch; better with robotic tool changing.
2. Superplastic (supral) panel forming (hard to have in a mall setting)
3. Hydrodyne meat tenderization
4. Twinkie making |
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If you're ever in my neck of the woods, (Detroit-land)drop me an email and I'll see if I can't sneak you into an auto plant somewheres. I've seen quite a few of 'em. |
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1) Stereolithography is fun to watch. Not particularly fast moving, but interesting. |
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2) I've done some work for meat processing plants. Lots of potential there. In particular, the sight of about ten or twenty hot dogs per second flying out of a hole in the wall about 10 feet above the floor flying about 3 feet and landing in a plastic bin was quite entertaining. |
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My brother-in-law has both a CNC mill and CNC lathe. I can sit and watch them make parts just for the sheer entertainment value. |
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[RayfordSteele]: if things work out, I just may be in your neck of the woods later this year. I may take you up on that offer. My wife and I enjoyed touring the Harley Davidson plant in York, Pennsylvania a few years ago. An auto plant should be that times 10. |
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Currently baked. "How its made" |
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