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!