How'd They Do That; Logoed Lollipops

It all starts the same way, cooking

the ingredients to a boil and vacuuming

off the water.

The cooked, colored (by flavor) candy is poured

from the steam pot into the carrier to place on the

cooling table – adding the flavor.

After vigorous hand-mixing and

pulling, the candy is ready to become

fresh lollipops.

The hot candy is placed into the

batch roller assembly to become a

candy rope.

The candy rope is cut into
chunks and headed to the

press die and stick inserter.

At nearly 100 per minute,
the lollipops are spun

around the carrousel on

the way to the imprinter for

candy head logo printing.

After printing, the

lollipop is cellowrapped and heat

pressed around the candy and then

quickly cut into individual pops before

dropping onto the conveyor belt.

All of the same order is

spread to cool and await

their boxes for filling.

How'd They Do That; T-Shirts

The high-resolution digital image

is received and reviewed to make

sure it is good enough to print

(preferably 300 dpi at size).

A paper proof is printed. The paper

proof is calibrated to match the

colors the press can achieve and is

used for matching on press.

The image is color separated using

Photoshop. The layers are output on

a high-end image setter, resulting in

a clear transparency for each color.

Each color requires its own screen,

which is exposed to an intense

light in an exposure unit. A thin layer

of emulsion on the screen is

cured by the light.

The film is removed from the

screen and the unexposed areas

of the screen are washed out with

pressurized water.

Each screen is taken to the

press and precisely adjusted for

registration tolerance of 0.001”.

A white underbase is printed to

block out the T-shirt color.

The magenta layer is printed and

you can begin to see the image

develop.

Yellow comes next to add life to the

headdress.

With the cyan layer, flesh tones

come to life.

The final layer, black, completes the

image and adds depth.

The finished product is ready to

wear.

How'd They Do That; Chocolate Coins

Chocolate is melted and cooled to

the proper temperature for molding.

Melted chocolate is transferred to

a depositor.

Molds are filled with chocolate.

Chocolate travels through a cooling

tunnel and is then ready to be

removed from the molds.

Chocolate blanks are loaded into the

foiling/imprinting equipment.

Rolls of foil are loaded onto

machinery.

Foil is fed out to wrap chocolate

blanks.

Metal die with the design to be

imprinted is put in place.

A punch cylinder enwraps the

chocolate, cuts the foil and imprints

both sides in one continuous motion.

Finished chocolate casino chips are

ejected into bins.

How'd They Do That; Golf



The logo artwork file is prepared for

golf ball imprinting using computer

graphics software.



Film containing the artwork is used to

burn the image into a light-sensitive

plate. This plate is washed/processed,

which results in a shallow, etched

image of the artwork on the plate.

The plate is set on a pad print

machine. The image on the plate

is flooded with ink, then doctored,

which leaves ink behind in the etch.

Printed balls are placed on trays at

the pad print machines. The trays

are then transported to dry rooms

where the ink is cured for durability.

The custom package is designed,

using templates that can be

customized with different photos,

logos and colors.

Each color is adhered one at a time

when the press runs the web of paper

over a drum that contains that color

of toner.

UV coating is applied by running the

web over a rubber roller with the

coating on it.

Packaging is die-cut using a 40-ton

press die cutter. A die is placed into

the press, a roll of prints is webbed

through and tension applied.

Before the prints enter the rails, they

pass under a glue dispenser that

beads glue where it is needed.

Golf balls are hand-packed into

custom sleeves.

Sleeves are assembled in custom

boxes to make the finished product.

How'd They Do That; Whistle

This week we are taking a fun look behind the scenes on the factory floor thanks to these images shared by Advantages Magazine editor Kathy Huston.

A large coil of brass is fed through the side of a 39-ton press.

Here we punch out the top of the whistle, known at the factory as the “Mickey Mouse ears.”

The “Mickey Mouse ears” are then stacked and loaded into another machine.

This press simultaneously die strikes a logo into the top of the whistle and folds the “ears” down to create the sides of the whistle barrel.

A separate press punches out the bottom of the whistle and rounds it out to create the barrel, or body of the whistle.

The completed top and bottom are then assembled by hand. The assembled whistles are lined up on a conveyer belt and a robotic arm places them on the solder table.

The assembled whistles are lined up on a conveyer belt and a robotic arm places them on the solder table.  A state of the art solder machine uses seven robotic arms and advanced computer technology to apply solder to six different points on the whistle.

Once the whistle is through assembly and solder, it is given a vibrator bath with water and soap, which prepares the surface for plating.

After the whistle has been plated, a split ring is attached to the back and a synthetic cork is inserted into the vent.

The whistle is complete!