Skateboard Wheel Evolution & Benefits

• 1970s invention enabled jumps and tight cornering
• Polyurethane wheels superior to old metal/ceramic wheels
  • Better grip on riding surfaces
  • More durable
  • Greatly improved shock absorption
• Available in different sizes, hardness, colors, graphic designs
• Practical and aesthetic considerations for riders

Skateboard Wheel Manufacturing Process

• Computer Design & Mold Creation
  • Starts with computer design
  • Software guides cutting tools
  • Tools carve solid aluminum puck into wheel mold half
  • Second half sculpted to fit first perfectly
  • Some molds are one-piece structures with center pin for bearing cavity
• Polyurethane Molding
  • Nozzle dispenses freshly mixed polyurethane liquid into molds
  • Liquid solidifies immediately
  • Molds baked in oven at 115°C for 40 minutes
  • Bubbles rise to top and diffuse during baking
  • Results in solid forms with no weak spots
• Wheel Extraction & Testing
  • Workers remove pins from molds
  • Compressed air blasts between wheels and molds to extract
  • Worker bounces wheel to demonstrate high rebound
  • High rebound indicates easy rolling with minimal drag
  • Barometer gauge probes wheel to ensure proper urethane hardness
• Edge Contouring
  • Wheel clamped in lathe
  • Automatic cutter contours edges to softer, rounded profile
• Graphic Design & Printing
  • Artist selects/arranges graphic designs on computer
  • Film negative printed of chosen images
  • Printing plate made from metal coated with light-sensitive emulsion
  • Film negative placed on plate in UV light chamber
  • UV light triggers photochemical reaction transferring image to plate
  • Solution removes unexposed emulsion, etches image into plate
  • Chemicals rinsed off, plate dried
• Pad Printing Process
  • Plates installed in pad printing machine
  • Wheels loaded onto indexing posts
  • Ink cup deposits ink on printing plate
  • Silicone pad picks up inked image, stamps onto wheel
  • Printed wheels removed and set on trays
• Final Testing & Packaging
  • Rebound testing: metal ball dropped onto wheel, bounce height measured
  • High rebound desirable for performance
  • Wheels wrapped in plastic and heat-shrunk
  • Total production time: 3 days
  • Durability depends on rider usage

CO2 Scrubber Overview & Purpose

• Apple harvest season only 2 months long
• Storage method: lower oxygen levels to put apples in hibernation
• CO2 scrubbers absorb/remove carbon dioxide gas apples emit
• Extends freshness by 8 months beyond harvest season
• Enables year-round crispy apple availability

CO2 Scrubber Manufacturing Process

• Frame Construction
  • Built from tubular steel
  • Supports all components including two sealed vessels with carbon pellets
• Dual Vessel Operation System
  • First vessel scrubs CO2 until pellets saturated
  • Second vessel takes over scrubbing
  • First vessel enters regeneration cycle
  • Fresh air blown through pellets to remove CO2 molecules
  • CO2 exhausted out of building
  • Vessels alternate between scrubbing and regeneration
• Vessel Construction
  • Steel sheet welded into circular shape
  • Base and top ring welded on
  • Ring has perimeter holes for lid bolting
  • Ring template creates corresponding holes in lid
  • Center of each hole marked with punch tool
  • Automated steel punch perforates steel following marks
• Finishing & Assembly
  • Vessels powder painted in paint booth
  • Baked in oven to cure paint
  • Filled with carbon pellets to top
  • Steel baffle laid in with holes for even air distribution
  • Foam rubber gasket placed around perimeter
  • Lid bolted tightly to seal vessel
  • Prevents air leakage and oxygen infiltration
• Piping & Blower Installation
  • PVC piping installed to feed air through vessels
  • Two blowers installed:
    • One pulls air from apple storage room for scrubbing
    • One sends scrubbed air back to room
  • Air flow controlled by valves wired to electrical panel
• Electrical System
  • Panel includes relays, pumps, gas analyzers, touch screen
  • Built in-house per customer country electrical standards
  • Wired to computer controlling entire operation
  • Computer has Wi-Fi for remote operation/monitoring via computer/smartphone
• Installation & Setup
  • Electrical box installed in machine frame
  • Panel installed inside box
  • Wires connected to valves
  • Touch screen installed and connected to computer
  • Touch screen sets target CO2 levels specific to apple variety
  • Critical as different apple varieties emit varying CO2 amounts

CO2 Scrubber Operation Process

• Apples stacked in airtight storage room bins
• Nitrogen generator feeds nitrogen to reduce oxygen to 1.8%
• Nitrogen feed automatically stops at target level
• Continuous CO2 scrubbing automatically begins
• Growers conduct quality control tests on scrubbed apple samples
• Without scrubbers, apples wouldn't pass tests after 2-month harvest season