Field Trip: Berry Plastics

Berry Plastics is a manufacturing plant for packaging and food service items.

They tend to make products in large masses for wide distribution by large companies such as McDonalds.

Materials used include: plastics and some cardstock/ paper goods. Basically from here on out, I have no idea. The place was so loud that you could barely tell ever. Just shake your head and nod. Everyone except the last guy refused to yell. So, here we go.

They had very large press machines which long sheets of plastic ran along it and was pressed then press cut out of the sheet. That's how they made lids and cups. I don't know what to tell you. I couldn't hear. They also had this cool machine that layered ink onto the plastic. I think. That's what I gathered from context and lip reading.

Overall it was very loud and industrial. I was not surprised by this. It was an interesting and cool environment, but I couldn't tell you what they said.

6/10. Loud.

Field Trip Eldorado Inc.

Eldorado Inc. is a small, locally owned architecture firm and sign maker. I think. I have no idea. I'll touch more on this later.

The company makes sign and building designs for... somebody. Local businesses, I guess.

The materials they used were... I have no idea. 

Processes? They had a bandsaw, a press, and a welder. That's all I saw. It was in a garage if that helps.

This was easily the WORST  field trip yet. I was there on time and I had no idea what the place was or what it did until we were going over our final questions and answers and he mentioned something about architecture. It was super short (which I didn't mind) and it didn't really do anything for us. At all. Which is a shame, because he is a teacher at KU. 

2/10, would not recommend. 

National Geographic Mega Factories Ikea

In class, we watched an episode of the National Geographic series: Mega factories. The topic was Ikea which was where we would be visiting in a few days time. Throughout the course of the show, they discussed the creation of the company, the growth, the expansion, and the different key components of the company.

A majority of the film was relatively boring with little true insight to the company beyond it's roots. The beginning itself was far more interesting but it did not focus on it too long. The rest of the video seemed as if it could be applicable to almost any other modern day furniture company. Large warehouses filled with dozens of people making by the number furniture using cheap materials and expensive tools. Not the most captivating, but interesting I suppose.

I recall some members of the class sleeping through out the film and I guess in that way I can be proud of myself. I truly wished to join them but I kept myself awake through the boring sludge of repeated information and uninteresting craftsmanship. I'm totally just kidding, I have no room to comment on the quality of their materials or craftsmanship, but I was rather just uninterested and un-engaged by the program.