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OT: No metal content - Beach Balls

I was looking at a inflated plastic beach ball this weekend. Sheet vinyl panels heat-welded at the seams. Costs what, $2.99? Suddenly I realized that I have no idea how they make these things! For that cheap! Yeah, I know they're all made by slave labor offshore, but how do they back up the seams while welding them? Where is the "last seam"? Do they turn them inside out through a small hole just before welding on the valve piece? Is there an automated machine that cranks these out by the millions? Inquiring mind can't figure it out, and I pride myself with being able to visualize almost any manufacturing process.

OK, there is probably metal in the tooling somewhere.

-- Bob (Chief Pilot, White Knuckle Airways)

I don't have to like Bush and Cheney (Or Kerry, for that matter) to love America

Reply to
Bob Chilcoat
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Geeze, thanks for causing my brain to warp. Now I HAVE to know!!!!

Searcher1

Reply to
Searcher

I would guess something like hydroforming combined with heat welding. Only... pneumatoforming. Or something. By which I mean, inflate the ball in a spherical mold with a line that heats up and welds the last seam. Somehow, the pressure forces the plastic against the mold, preventing leaks.

Tim

Reply to
Tim Williams

I haven't looked at one lately, but I've always assumed that was the case. Isn't there a circle of vinyl at each end, where all the "wedges" come together? I've always assumed it was glued on, but maybe not.

Buy one and cut it open...

Anything that is made in that kind of quantity, there must be a machine that makes them. Some years ago a company I worked for had a customer that made machines that made paper cups. What's the market for that kind of thing? The cups are made by the millions, but how many machines does it take to make them, and how fast do they wear out?

Reply to
Ron Bean

This one looks like the circle with the valve is attached last:

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Best regards, Spehro Pefhany

Reply to
Spehro Pefhany

Most beach balls are made in Ireland by the wee people!

LB

Reply to
Leonard & Peggy Brown

Another challenge is to figure out how to print an all over continuous design on a ball like that. I was told basically how that is done by the people at Tampoprint pad printers when I went there for training. Pad printing is used on a LOT of stuff.

RJ

Reply to
Backlash

Interesting pictures, especially the one labeled "Sealing"

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Reply to
Lane

Unless you're talking about umm, making the sign of the triple finned aardvark in the sand (hopefully above the high tide line), then beach balls can include metal content. If nothing else, there is the machinery needed to make the mold for them :-)

Reply to
pyotr filipivich

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