My job, for buffy. - iPhone 3G

Hayesimus · 06-27-2008, 02:46 PM

Here is my response to your inquiry as to what I do all night at work.

Well, I work for a packaging company. They make things like gladware, saran wrap, and maybe even plastic that is later used to make trashbags from what I've been told.

Well, my department is called Blown Film.

This is a process by which chemicals are mixed together along with PVC and are then heated and pushed through an extruder. The emerge from the extruder facing the ceiling in the shape of a ring. That ring expands to form a bubble that rises for about3 stories. At this point the bubble is squeezed between to cylinders called nip rolls. It then begins its journey back downstairs. It zigzags between more smaller cylinders called Idler Bars that create tension. It then goes through another nip roll. Now since this is a bubble that has been smashed together essentially, there are two sides, so we then seperate the two sides and send them to two different nip rolls called winders. Each winder has two sets of cardboard cores to roll the plastic up. One spinning plastic and one waiting its turn. THese are called mandrels.

Now the sizes and lengths and thickness of the plastic can all vary, but we usually run 4 18in. and 2 12in. 2,000 ft rolls. These take about 6 minutes to complete. THen a buzzer sounds. We take a big knife and "transfer" the plastic to the new mandrel. We pick up the full mandrel which weighs around 80 lbs and hang it in a holder on one end. We then peel the end of the plastic off the roll because there is wax on the new mandrel so that the plastic will stick to it. We peel any wax off the complete rolls. Then they are set on a skid for shipping. Then we put new cores on the mandrel and set it on the winder where it waits its turn. :P

ANy questions?

Buffy · 06-27-2008, 02:54 PM

Ah, now I understand! Thanks for the explanation, Hayes.

Are you in the department you want to be in, or do you eventually plan on transferring? Does the repetition ever get to you, or do you just get in the groove and keep moving?

jjvaldez · 06-27-2008, 03:01 PM

that's cool .. I feel like I just read an episode of Discovery's "How its made"

Hayesimus · 06-27-2008, 03:20 PM

haha. well, i can't make up my mind. There is this other job that I am just AWESOME at. It is the Chemical Mixing Job. I did the job on overtime for like 6 months, but then they got a full time position for it. I like my job because it keeps me in shape. There have been PLENTY of people that have moved out of my department to other jobs and gained quite a bit of weight because they aren't lifting the weight every 6 minutes. There's als to issue of my position within my department. Like there are at least 2 people on every line. The Operator and the helper. I'm a helper. The operator does the majority of the crap work when the line is having trouble or is down completely. The third month I was there, they told me I was ready to train for operator. Then I found out how much it sucked!

So I've been avoiding it at all costs! Also, they don't give you a raise to do the job, so... why would I? Most people want the job because it gives them the illusioin of power. I however know better. The only person I report to is my supervisor. I get along with my operator quite well because I like him and I want to do a good job for him. That doesn't mean its because he signs my checks. These other peeps think that because they get to go to break before the helper then they are like God or something. They don't do anything to help the helper and the frequently disappear from their lines and leave them to do all the work. ANyway, I'm happy where I'm at with my operator. I've already let them pass me up with two subordinates for the operator jobs that have been open. I will continue to do this until I just can't anymore. :P