Watch: The Mill’s Process for Manufacturing Rubber Bands
Rubber bands are widely used in Indian homes for a variety of functions, including closing candy packages and other commonplace uses. Even though they are widely used, people sometimes ignore the complex process that goes into making these apparently simple products. An intriguing look into this production process, tracing the path from sap collecting to the finished product, was posted on Instagram.
The production process in the film starts with the gathering of sap, which may be synthetic or natural, and often arrives at the facility in big bales. The first step is to extrude the rubber into long tubes, which establishes the framework for the following molding processes used to form the rubber bands. Several strategies may be used at this crucial point in the manufacturing process to get the desired result.
The collected rubber is first processed on the rubber plantation before being packaged and sent. In the first purification step, the latex is strained, additional ingredients are extracted, and impurities like tree sap and debris are removed. After being cleaned, the rubber is consolidated in large vats using acetic or formic acid to force the rubber particles to clump together into slabs. After that, the slabs go through drying procedures that include compression between rollers. After drying, the slabs are shaped into blocks or bales that are ready to be sent to other businesses. These blocks or bales usually measure two to three square feet (.6 to 9 square meters). These blocks’ measurements are specific to each rubber plantation’s capacity.
Although you can get these rubber bands in a wide variety of colors at the store, they were originally used for hair ties in addition to packaging. However, the search for substitute materials for hair bands has been spurred by modern worries about hair breakage. In order to overcome these issues, different materials are used nowadays, which reflects the continuous growth in the use and design of this apparently commonplace home object.
