In today’s society we are conditioned to think that technology makes everything easier, faster and cheaper. While examples of this can be found rather easily it does not hold true for all products and services.
One industry that suffers from the misconception of technology equating to easy and fast processes is the CD replication and DVD replication industry (not to be confused with CD duplication and DVD duplication).
As noted below, in many instances every component of a fully packaged CD or DVD is completely custom made. The only ‘off-the-shelf’ component being paper stocks and ink that are used in the printing processes. Custom manufacturing of so many components for each and every order certainly creates a burden of time and expense, which becomes a challenge in today’s market of easier, faster and cheaper expectations.
The example shown below breaks down the steps required to create what is likely to be the most popular packaged disc option in the market today: That being a CD or DVD disc packaged in a printed board-stock sleeve or wallet.
1. Glass Master and Stamper Creation
The CD replication process embeds data into the disc during the injection-molding process.
Using a specialized suite of software programs, the data from the client’s master disc is ripped, analyzed for errors, and is then transferred via an etching process onto a “glass master”. The glass master is then electroplated to create a “stamper” which, in turn, is used to embed the data into the disc in the replication process.
2. Disc Replication
The replication process begins with optical grade polycarbonate pellets which are heated and injection-molded into the finished size and shape of the disc product.
During injection-molding, the clear polycarbonate is pressed up against the stamper which embeds the data into the plastic. After the discs cool a very thin aluminum layer is added to the data-side of the plastic and is then protected with a clear lacquer coat.
3. Disc Printing
When replication of the discs is complete the graphics (also commonly referred to as the ‘label’) are printed onto the clear lacquered side of the disc.
This is typically done using either CMYK Offset Printing or Silkscreen Printing methods, which are commercial machines that require a pre-press stage involving film rip and imaging prior to the printing taking place.
4. Disc Sleeve How Do Manufacturing Companies Make Money Printing
Many of today’s eco-friendly packaging solutions are completely custom made as they consist solely of printed boardstock.
Sheet stock is printed using CMYK Digital or CMYK Offset commercial printers which require a pre-press stage and ripping of artwork files. Depending on the type of printer being used printing plates may (or may not) have to be created.
5 Die-Cutting
After the sheet stock has been printed and dries sufficiently the individual sheets are die-cut.
Die-cutting is a process where the printed sheet stock is run through a machine that (a) cut’s the individual eco-sleeves from the sheet, and (b) creates creases and fold lines as …
Tag: nature
Efficient Manufacturing is Green Manufacturing by Its Very Nature
Last year, I was reading Industrial Engineer, I think it was the June 2010 issue, and there was this interesting article with a green designing and engineering theme titled; “The Lean to Green Revolution” by J.T. Black and Don T. Phillips. It was something you would expect due to the huge PR push to make everything green. Indeed, the low-carbon footprint rage is on in nearly every industry isn’t it? Yes, and these authors surely made a note of that fact in their well-written and fairly interesting article.
Still, I’d like to make a comment. You see, it is my contention that “Efficient Manufacturing is Green Manufacturing by Its Very Nature, and really, philosophically speaking; “That’s all you really need to know.” Why you ask? It’s simple really, because in the manufacturing process, anything left over is waste, and that includes any scrap created, gasses escaping, or inefficient use of energy. See that point?
In other words, if your processes in manufacturing are the epitome of efficiency, chances are you are already green, and have hit the point of cost breakpoint and diminishing returns on any “green” upgrades. Now it’s nice to consider all this, and try to rationalize a Levels Of Industrial Development “Good Samaritan” point of view, but you must also consider the creation of new tools for your manufacturing plant and the pollution or waste created by the company that is making the green apparatus to make your factory a tiny little bit greener and more efficient.
Consider if you will that “wind turbine” generators require a cement base and the creation of that concrete base will produce CO2, thus, offsetting any real savings. Consider that if you buy solar panels from China, they use an etching compound that creates a vapor (gas) which 18,500 times worse Manufacturing Engineer Jobs for the atmosphere than any known greenhouse gas. Thus, you are not really helping anyone, but yes, you will “look good” to all the global warming alarmists, ecologists, environmentalists, and who knows may be you’ll even get a tax credit, subsidy, or the world’s best PR in the media.
Still, that does not automatically make it better, more efficient, or greener. The problem with all this green push, is that we are pushing so hard, no one has stopped to see where we are really going with it, or what the actual end-game is. In fact, maybe it’s time we interject some common sense to all this, because it’s long over do. Please consider all this.…
Efficient Manufacturing is Green Manufacturing by Its Very Nature
Last year, I was reading Industrial Engineer, I think it was the June 2010 issue, and there was this interesting article with a green designing and engineering theme titled; “The Lean to Green Revolution” by J.T. Black and Don T. Phillips. It was something you would expect due to the huge PR push to make everything green. Indeed, the low-carbon footprint rage is on in nearly every industry isn’t it? Yes, and these authors surely made a note of that fact in their well-written and fairly interesting article.
Still, I’d like to make a comment. You see, it is my contention that “Efficient Manufacturing is Green Manufacturing by Its Very Nature, and really, philosophically speaking; “That’s all you really need to know.” Why you ask? It’s simple really, because in the manufacturing process, anything left over is waste, and that includes any scrap created, gasses escaping, or inefficient use of energy. See that point?
In other words, if your processes in manufacturing are the epitome of efficiency, chances are you are already green, and have hit the point of cost breakpoint and diminishing returns on any “green” upgrades. Now it’s nice to consider all this, and try to rationalize a Levels Of Industrial Development “Good Samaritan” point of view, but you must also consider the creation of new tools for your manufacturing plant and the pollution or waste created by the company that is making the green apparatus to make your factory a tiny little bit greener and more efficient.
Consider if you will that “wind turbine” generators require a cement base and the creation of that concrete base will produce CO2, thus, offsetting any real savings. Consider that if you buy solar panels from China, they use an etching compound that creates a vapor (gas) which 18,500 times worse Manufacturing Engineer Jobs for the atmosphere than any known greenhouse gas. Thus, you are not really helping anyone, but yes, you will “look good” to all the global warming alarmists, ecologists, environmentalists, and who knows may be you’ll even get a tax credit, subsidy, or the world’s best PR in the media.
Still, that does not automatically make it better, more efficient, or greener. The problem with all this green push, is that we are pushing so hard, no one has stopped to see where we are really going with it, or what the actual end-game is. In fact, maybe it’s time we interject some common sense to all this, because it’s long over do. Please consider all this.…