How it is Made
Skateboard Wheels come in different sizes, hardness, colors, and graphical designs.
How to make wheels:
It starts out as a one piece structure with a pin in the center to form a bearing cavity. Then a nozzle dispenses freshly mixed polyurethane liquid into the wheel molds. The liquid begins to become solid. Next a worker will load the molds into an oven and bakes them at 240 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minuets. Workers then remove the pins from the molds and the mold go to the next station. At the next station workers blast compressed air between the wheels and the molds to pry the wheels free and pop them out. Next a worker probes the wheel using the durometer gauge to insure the urethane has cured to the right degree of hardness if the whee is sufficiently hard the batch is ready. Then the worked clamps the skate board wheel in the lathe. The lathe spins the wheel while an automatic cutter contours the edges to make it clean. Then they design the wheel with patterns, colors, and or shapes.
Thank you, Caterina 🙂
Technology Post #5
This week we learned about adhesives. Adhesives are used to stick things together. Adhesive are made of polymers or resins.
Types of Adhesives
1) Pressure Sensitive- they don’t need solvent, water or heat to stick.
(ex- tape)
2) Polymer- great for bonding with wood and also food packaging, and the autonomic industry.
(ex-super glue)
3)Dextrin-a thin glue made from starch to hold the pages of books
4) Polyvinyl Acetate/ PVA – the white glue we use in classrooms
5) Reactive- used to bond cell phones and computers
6) Solvent-based- a liquid combined with polymerase that is found in post it notes
Thank you, Caterina 🙂