Master List of Virtual Tours
Virtual Tour Sites for Russell/Taylor, Operations Management, 5e
This list contains 117 tour sites, which are only some of the many virtual company tours
available on the Internet. We have organized our list according to several different
industries and for each site we provide a brief description of what the company produces
(if it’s not obvious), what kind of tour it is (i.e., video or photos, narrated, etc.), how long
it is (if it’s a video tour), and any special features of the tour. Some of these tours are
used specifically for the virtual tour question and answer modules for each chapter.
Auto/Vehicle/Plane
Boeing ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by
the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes
a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and
exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link
which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Airplanes” from the “Products 1” page.
This video begins with a brief narrated introduction with diagrams, photos and text and
then moves to a speeded up video of the complete production process for a Boeing 777
with background music (and no narration). The entire video is approximately seven
minutes. This site was basically designed for high-speed Internet connection; if you don’t
have a DSL or cable connection the videos take a long time to download.
BMW (http://bmwusfactory.com/build/)
This virtual tour of the BMW plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina is one of the slickest
sites on the Internet. Tours are provided for both the X5 SUV and the Z4 Roadster. Each
tour includes a series of pages with text and excellent photos that encompass the body
shop, paint shop and assembly line. You navigate through the steps in the manufacturing
process from a timeline. The site also includes separate links for “efficiency” and
“quality control.” Each of these links includes narration and photos that discuss these
facets of BMW auto manufacturing. For example, the “efficiency” link discusses how
BMW uses flexible manufacturing and 3D CAD programs for design.
Ford ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by
the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes
a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and
exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link
which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Cars” from the “Products 1” page. This
video begins with a brief narrated introduction with diagrams, photos and text and then
moves to a narrated video of the complete production process for a 1994 Ford Mustang.
Although the video is 10 years old it is still an excellent presentation of the basics of auto
manufacturing. The entire video covers the production process from the delivery of
rolled steel to the final car and is approximately nine minutes. This site was basically
designed for high-speed Internet connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable connection
the videos take a long time to download.
Ford Rouge Plant (http://www.detnews.com/specialreports/2004/rouge/virtualtour.htm)
This is a limited site presented by the Detroit News. It includes a diagram of the Visitors
Center at the Ford Rouge Plant and a second diagram of the Dearborn Truck Plant where
they make F-150 trucks. You can click on several points on this truck plant diagram for
photos and brief descriptions of some of the manufacturing processes. There is no sound,
animation or video.
Ferrara Fire Trucks and Emergency Vehicles (http://www.ferrarafire.com/)
This site for Ferrara Fire Apparatus, Inc. provides a 10-minute narrated video tour of its
Louisiana fire truck plant. The video does not provide a step-by-step description of the
assembly process; rather it focuses on individual fire truck features that are superior to
competitors. The video focuses on the company’s modular design process and their
trucks’ quality, dependability and ease of service features.
GE Locomotives
(https://www.getransportation.com/general/locomotives/virtual_tour/tour/planttour_defau
lt.asp)
This tour is of Building 10 at General Electric’s Transportation Systems Erie,
Pennsylvania plant where locomotives are assembled. The text and photo tour shows the
six stations in the final assembly process for a locomotive.
General Motors (http://www.lsj.com/news/gm/flash/gm_plant.html)
This is a graphic tour of the General Motors Lansing Plant. It shows the basic process
flow of manufacturing a car. The tour includes a color overhead drawing of the plant
which includes 3 main sections – body shop, paint shop and assembly. When you click
on a building/section there is a brief introductory narration of that process and then
additional links that provide pop-up boxes with text descriptions of the individual
processes in that facility.
General Motors ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by
the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes
a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and
exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link
which activates a pop-up window, then click on “More Cars” from the “Products 2” page.
This is an 18-minute video that is not narrated but has factory sound. It includes a series
of shorter titled videos that show different auto manufacturing processes at a GM plant as
cars proceed along the assembly line. Because of the length of the total video it takes
some time to download. This site was basically designed for high-speed Internet
connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable connection the videos take a long time to
download.
Harley-Davidson ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by
the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes
a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and
exercises. There are four Harley Davidson videos at this site. To get to the first two
videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link which activates a pop-up
window, then from the “Products 1” page click on “Motorcycles” or “Motorcycle
Engines.” The “Motorcycles” video begins with a brief narrated introduction with photos
and text and then moves to a speeded up video of the complete production process for a
motorcycle with background music (and no narration). The entire video is approximately
six minutes. The video for engines is also a speeded up video showing the complete
production of an engine and it is approximately 3 minutes. On the “Products 2” page
there are two additional video tours; one for “Motorcycle Side Cars” that is 5 minutes
long and another one for “Motorcycle Engines II” that is 3 minutes long. Both of these
videos are unnarrated with background music. This site was basically designed for highspeed Internet connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable connection the videos take a
long time to download.
Honda Ohio (http://www.ohio.honda.com/manufacturing/facilities/index.asp)
This site contains virtual video tours of four Honda plants in Ohio – the Anna engine
plant, the East Liberty auto pant, the Marysville auto plant and the Marysville motorcycle
plant. For each plant there are 4 or 5 separate videos for different departments; for
example, paint, stamp, assembly and quality. At this site there are also two additional
short (2 to 3 minute) videos – “Watch How to Make a Car” and “Watch How to make an
Engine.”
John Deere ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by
the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes
a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and
exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link
which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Construction Equipment” from the
“Products 2” page. This 10-minute narrated video tour shows the manufacture of a John
Deere bulldozer tractor from the design stage to the final product. Employees narrate
different sections highlighting the manufacturing processes. This site was basically
designed for high-speed Internet connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable connection
the videos take a long time to download.
Morgan Motor Company (http://www.morgan-motor.co.uk/index_frames.html)
The Morgan Motor Company in the United Kingdom manufactures convertible sports
cars. From their home page, click on the “Production” link at the top of the page to
access the factory tour. Once you start the tour continue to click on the arrow at the
bottom of the plant diagram to move through the assembly steps. The brief tour has
photos and text.
Nummi (http://www.nummi.com/manu_process.html)
New United Manufacturing, Inc. (Nummi) is a joint auto making venture of GM and
Toyota. The company currently manufactures the Toyota Corolla, Toyota Tacoma and
Pontiac Vibe. This page at the Nummi web site, called “How We Do It,” contains a
primarily text description of 9 functional areas and processing including stamping,
plastics, body and weld, paint, assembly, production control, quality control and quality
assurance. Each page includes a few photos. There is also a page devoted to the
production system which provides a good glossary of terms associated with the Toyota
Production System. There is a separate “Cyber Tour” which can be assessed form the
“Tours” link at the top of this page and then clicking on ‘Cyber Tour” from the drop
down menu. This tour is an overview of the information provided on the “How We Do
It” page.
Toyota Manufacturing Kentucky (http://www.toyotageorgetown.com/vtour/vtour.asp)
This is a tour of the Toyota plant in Georgetown, Kentucky where Toyota Camrys,
Avalons and Solaras are manufactured. The virtual tour visits six plant areas –
powertrain, stamping, bodyweld, paint, plastics and assembly. Each stop on the tour
includes a page with text, videos photos and IPIX photo images with 360 degree visuals.
This tour provides a very good overall description of the auto assembly process.
Workhorse Custom Chassis (http://www.workhorse.com/tours/virtual.asp)
Workhorse Custom Chassis manufactures chassis for RVs, school buses, commercial
vans and motor homes at its Union City, Indiana plant. This virtual plant tour combines
animation, photos and text plus sound effects. The tour is conducted over an animated
assembly line that describes the 10-step manufacturing process. As an animated chassis
moves along the line at each stop a specific step in the production process is described
with text and photos.
Boats
Correct Craft (http://skinautique.com/)
Correct Craft manufactures the Nautique line of ski/recreational boats. To access the tour
move your cursor to the “Correct Craft” tab at the top of the page and then click on the
factory tour link from the drop-down window. This brings up a separate window with the
factory tour. The tour includes 26 numbered steps each corresponding to a page. Each
page includes a photo with a brief text description. The tour is accompanied by music.
Folbot (http://folbot.com/plant-tour.html)
Folbot is a Charleston, South Carolina that manufactures foldable kayak boats. The tour
employs text and photos to describe the manufacturing process for a kayak.
Namura Shipbuilding (http://www.namura.co.jp/eng/factory/yard00-e.htm)
This is a slide presentation of the Namura shipbuilding facility in Imari City, Japan.
Namura makes tankers and bulk transport ships and other commercial vessels. The
shipyard tour includes 13 color slides of the construction process with brief text
descriptions.
Ceramics/Glass/Pottery
Bennington Potters (http://www.benningtonpotters.com/tour-page1.html)
This tour of Bennington Potters in Vermont provides text descriptions of the 5 steps
involved in pottery production – clay, forming and shaping, hand finishing and glazing,
firing, and back stamping. Each step has a page with text and several photos.
Blue Mountain Pottery (http://bluemountainpottery.com/online/)
This nine-page tour of the Blue Mountain Pottery Company in Ontario, Canada
encompasses text and photo descriptions of the 9 step pottery manufacturing process
from raw clay to shipping. Each page describes a step in the process. The photos are
thumbnails that can be enlarged by clicking on them.
Homer Laughlin (http://members.aol.com/hlfiesta/tour/intro.htm)
This is a tour of the Homer Laughlin plant in Newell, West Virginia where Fiestaware
china is produced. The tour includes 63 pages of text and color photos describing the
production process for cups, bowls and plates.
Kokomo Opalescent Glass (http://www.kog.com/Tour/Tour1.html)
Kokomo Opalescent Glass makes colored glass like the kind that is used to make stained
glass windows. This tour of the Kokomo, Indiana plant includes 12 pages with text and
several photos on each page describing the glass production process.
Food Products and Beverages
Cadbury (http://www.cadbury.com.au/magicaltours/virtualtour.php)
The Cadbury factory tour uses text combined with color animations to describe the
process for making chocolate candy. The process steps shown in the tour include the
ingredients, mixing, refining, conching, tempering, making products, wrapping up and
delivery. There are also links for making chocolate bars, chocolate blocks and Easter
eggs.
Canadian Springs Water (http://www.canadiansprings.com/tour.cfm)
The Canadian Springs Water Company produces distilled, bottled water for a British
Columbia and Alberta market. This plant tour includes 6 pages with text and photos
describing the production process. Quality is emphasized. There is no sound or videos.
Cargill Salt (http://www.cargillsalt.com/sfbay/T_main.html)
This tour shows how Cargill harvests salt from San Francisco Bay at its salt works. The
photo tour is divided into three sections – salt stacks, solar plant and salt refinery. The
photos are accompanied by text descriptions.
Coca-Cola (http://www.vpt.coca-cola.com/vpt_index.html)
This is an animated plant tour that encompasses the 10-step process for making and
bottling Coca-Colas from the ingredients delivery stage to warehousing and delivery.
The tour contains no voice narration; only music and sound effects and written
descriptions. Each step in the production process has a page that also includes a few
photos that can be enlarged. It also includes some drag and drop exercises and games
aimed at kids. The tour is both informative and fun and the animation and graphics are
excellent.
Coca-Cola Bottling ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by
the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes
a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and
exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link
which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Bottling Drinks” from the “Products 1”
page. This 5 minute narrated video tour shows the bottling process for Sprite at the
Coca-Cola Bottling Company’s Bishopville, South Carolina plant. This site was
basically designed for high-speed Internet connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable
connection the videos take a long time to download.
Coors (http://www.coors.com/movie2/home.html)
This tour is a 30-second unnnarrated video clip (with sound) of the Coors Colorado
brewery. It includes shots of bottling and packaging.
Dubble Bubble Gum (http://www.dubblebubble.com/tour.html)
This site contains two Dubble Bubble factory tours for Bubblegum and Gumballs. Each
tour combines animations, text and short 10-second videos to describe the manufacturing
process. For each stage in the production process there is a brief text description with a
video. There is no sound.
Eli’s Cheesecakes (http://www.elicheesecake.com/indexabout.htm)
When you go to this site for Eli’s Cheesecake in Chicago click on the “Tour Eli’s” link
and from there you can link to the virtual tour. The brief tour is one page with text and
photos describing the process for making cheesecakes.
Fudge House at Fisherman’s Wharf
(http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/fudgehouse.html)
This is a short factory tour of how fudge is made at the Fudge House at Fisherman’s
Wharf in San Francisco. The tour encompasses 3 pages with text and photos that
describe the steps in the fudge making process.
Golden Cheese Company
(http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/gccc/homepage.htm)
This site for the Golden Cheese Company of California provides a detailed text and photo
tour of its plant for making cheese and milk by-products. The tour encompasses 15 pages
that focus on various aspects of cheese production such as milk receiving, block forming,
shredding, whey processing, quality control and process controls. There is also a page
with graphic color step-by-step schematics of the processing operations for different milk
components that also explains how each milk component is used. There is no sound or
videos.
Great Divide Brewing Company (http://www.greatdivide.com/)
The Great Divide Brewing Company is a small, independent brewery located near Coors
Field in Denver. From their home page you can take the brewery tour by clicking on the
“In the Brewhouse” link. The text and photo tour encompasses 8 pages that describe the
brewing process. There are also separate links to the brewhouse process flow diagram
and the fermentation process diagram. Each diagram includes numbered steps in the
process with text descriptions of each step.
Hersheys (http://www.hersheys.com/tour/index.shtml)
Hershey’s provides an excellent factory tour of its chocolate manufacturing process. This
site actually contains two versions of the factory tour – one with text and photos (without
sound) and the other with videos and narration. Each tour follows a six-step
manufacturing process from tropical jungles where cocoa beans are harvested to final
product distribution. The video version is narrated by two kids and each of the six
manufacturing steps includes a video that is one to two minutes long. The text version
includes photos that correspond to the videos.
Hersheys ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by
the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes
a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and
exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link
which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Chocolate” from the “Products 1” page.
This video begins with a brief narrated introduction with diagrams, photos and text and
then moves to a narrated video of the complete production process for chocolate. The
video is approximately 5 minutes. This video is produced by the Chocolate
Manufacturers Association but it is very similar to the Hershey’s tour listed previously,
although it is more detailed. This site was basically designed for high-speed Internet
connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable connection the videos take a long time to
download.
Jack Daniels (http://www.jackdaniels.com/distillerytour.asp)
This is an excellent website with a sophisticated virtual tour of the whiskey distillery
process at Jack Daniel’s Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee. The distillery tour is
narrated by a tour guide and includes 9 pages describing the distilling process from the
“rickyard” to the “barrel house.” Each page combines animation, photos, voice narration
and text to describe a process. Most pages also include a short one or two minute video.
Jelly Belly (http://jellybelly.com/Cultures/en-US/Fun/Tours/)
This site includes a brief text and photo “virtual” tour of the Jelly Belly plant in northern
California. The tour describes the 8-step production process for Jelly Belly candy. Each
step has a short text description and photo.
Jelly Belly ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by
the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes
a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and
exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link
which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Jelly Beans” from the “Products 1”
page. This video begins with a brief narrated introduction with diagrams, photos and text
and then moves to a narrated video of the complete production process for a Jelly Belly
jelly bean. The video is approximately 6 minutes. This is a much more detailed tour than
the previous Jell Belly tour. This site was basically designed for high-speed Internet
connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable connection the videos take a long time to
download.
Kendon Candies Lollipops (http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/candy/kendon.html)
Kendon Candies located in San Jose, California is the world’s third largest producer of
lollipops. This site contains two factory tours. One is a 1:45 minute video of the lollipop
production process narrated by the company’s owner and head cook, Tom Kennedy. The
other tour contains much of the same information as the video, but it is static combining
text and photos.
Kona Coffee (http://www.lioncoffee.com/tourkona.html)
This tour of Hawaii Coffee Company’s Kona coffee processing mill on the Big Island of
Hawaii includes 16 slide photos with text descriptions. The tour covers the complete
production process from coffee beans to the final product.
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts (http://money.howstuffworks.com/krispy-kreme.htm)
This a very good, detailed factory tour of how doughnuts are made at Krispy Kreme from
the “How Stuff Works” Internet web site. The tour encompasses 6 pages with a lot of
text, excellent photos and 4 videos for different processes including the proof box, frying
and flipping, glazing and filling.
Manischewitz Wines (http://www.manischewitzwine.com/tour/tour.htm)
This tour of the Manischewitz Winery in Naples, New York includes 10 slides with text
descriptions of the steps in the wine-making process.
Marshmellow Peeps (http://www.marshmallowpeeps.com/about/factory_tour.html)
Marshmellow Peeps are the brightly colored, marshmellow animals that you see
displayed prominently in stores around Easter-time. This brief animated plant tour shows
the six-step manufacturing process from mixing and whipping the ingredients to
packaging. Each step in the process is on a separate page with a single photo and a
written description. There is no sound or videos.
Marshmellow Peeps ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by
the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes
a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and
exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link
which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Candy Packaging” from the “Products
1” page. This is brief 2-minute narrated video showing how two candy products, “Hot
Tamales” and “Marshmellow Peeps” are packaged. This site was basically designed for
high-speed Internet connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable connection the videos
take a long time to download.
McCadam Cheese (http://www.mccadam.com/Structure4.html)
This site contains a one-page text and photo tour of the McCadam Cheese plant in
Chateaugay, New York. The brief factory tour encompasses the six-step cheese making
process.
Milk (http://www.moomilk.com/tours/tour1-1.htm)
This virtual tour is called “The Story of Milk,” and it describes the process of producing
milk from feed to its delivery to a company like Nestles for chocolate production. The
tour encompasses 8 pages that combine text with animations and photos. It is somewhat
juvenile but still interesting.
Miller Brewing (http://www.millerbrewing.com/takeTour/takeTour.asp)
This is a brief photo tour of the Miller Brewery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The tour
includes 6 steps in the brewing process; each step ahs a page with a color photo and text
description. The steps are ingredients, brewing, fermentation, aging, packaging and cold
filtering.
Monitor Sugar (http://www.monitorsugar.com/htmtext/btintro.htm)
This is a very detailed and well-done animated tour of the sugar production process. It
includes a point-and-click flowchart with 16 pages showing the steps of sugar making
from beet receiving to packing and shipping. Each page has a detailed color animation of
the specific step in the manufacturing process accompanied by an equally detailed written
description of the step. Photos are also included on some pages and there is a separate
photo tour. There are also interesting links to the “history of sugar” and the “chemistry
of sugar making.”
Moonpie (http://moonpie.com/manuf.asp)
This short text and photo tour describes the 9-step process for making Moonpie
marshmallow and chocolate sandwiches at the company’s Chattanooga, Tennessee plant.
Norbest Turkeys (http://www.norbest.com/a_turkey_tour.cfm)
Norbest is a cooperative of turkey producers and processors headquartered in Midvale,
Utah. The tour includes 11 pages with text and photos describing the turkey production
process from the hatchery to final packaging.
Redhook Brewery (http://www.redhook.com/brew_virtual_tour.html)
The Redhook Brewing Company has breweries in Woodinville, Washington and
Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The factory tour at this site includes primarily text with
color graphics for the three primary brewing facilities and processes – the brew house,
cellar and packaging. The brew house segment describes six steps from malted barley to
the heat exchanger. Each step includes a brief text description and color drawing with a
link to a more detailed text description. The cellar segment encompasses two steps for
fermentation and filtration and it’s constructed similarly with an overview of each step
and links to a more detailed description. The final segment on packaging encompasses
three steps – bottling, kegging and shipping. Separate from the tour at this site are a
series of ten interactive photo images of the manufacturing facilities and processes that
can be rotated 360 degrees.
Royal Cake Company (http://www.royalcake.com/planttou.htm)
The Royal Cake Company produces packaged cookies at its plant in Winston-Salem,
North Carolina. The plant tour is on a single page that includes text descriptions (and 7
photos) of the steps in the production of oatmeal cookies.
Furniture
Statton Furniture (http://www.statton.com/tourpics.htm)
Statton is a Maryland company that makes fine solid cherry furniture. The plant tour is
made up exclusively of photos with written descriptions that describe the four main
furniture-making processes – rough mill, machining, assembly and finishing. There are
approximately 35 photos showing the manufacturing process.
Stickley Furniture (http://www.stickley.com/)
Stickley Furniture manufactures fine wood furniture in its New York factory near
Syracuse. This home page for Stickley contains links to two tours – a text and photo
factory tour, and an 11-minute narrated video tour. The text and photo factory tour
includes 5 pages that describe the furniture making process while the narrated video tour
provides a detailed look at Stickley products, its employees and the furniture making
process. Quality is particularly emphasized.
Light Manufacturing
Advanced Micro Devices ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by
the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes
a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and
exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link
which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Semiconductors” from the “Products 2”
page. This 2-minute narrated video shows how semiconductors are produced in an
environmentally-controlled facility at AMD. This site was basically designed for highspeed Internet connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable connection the videos take a
long time to download.
Arlon Vinyl Films (http://www.arlon.com/graphics/)
Arlon Vinyl films located in Santa Ana, California manufactures vinyl films that are used
in the graphics industry to make signs like the ones you see outside fast food restaurants
like KFC. The plant tour (which takes a short while to download) includes a narrated
five-minute video with text and photos of steps in the manufacturing process. Arlon has
ISO 9001 certification.
Bic (http://www.bicworldusa.com/inter_us/site_map.asp)
This link takes you to the Bic site map where you can click on “How it is made”
animated tours of three Bic products – pens, lighters and shavers. A tour shows a picture
of the product, and when you place the cursor on the product it breaks apart (using
animation) into its component parts. As you roll the cursor over the various parts a
written description appears that describes the production process for that specific part.
The graphics and animation are excellent. There is no sound, video or narration.
Buck Knives (http://www.buckknives.com/plant_tour.php)
Buck Knives, located in El Cajon, California, manufactures pocket knives. The factory
tour at this site encompasses 18 pages that describe the process of manufacturing knives
in detail using text and photos. The tour shows photos of a number of different types of
machines found in job shops.
Cameron Hot Air Balloons (http://www.bized.ac.uk/virtual/cb/)
This is a comprehensive tour of the Cameron Hot Air Balloon Company in Bristol,
United Kingdom. The factory tour takes you through production, design, marketing and
sales, accounts, and purchasing. Each of these stops includes a page with text and photos
describing the function or process. They include links to resource pages such as a more
in-depth explanation of the process. There is also a “virtual tour” that is an interactive
imaging photo tour of the Cameron plant. The site also includes a feature called “A Day
in the Life” which describes the activities of the accounts manager, marketing manager
and production manager. Another nice feature at this site is a link to “Student Questions
and Answers” that ask questions about operations management at Cameron. Overall this
is a great site.
Corbin-Pacific (http://www.corbin.com/factorytour/)
Corbin makes motorcycle accessories, such as motorcycle saddles, at its plant in
Hollister, California. The plant tour is 13 pages with text and photos of various product
production processes, primarily saddles.
Empire Snowboards (http://www.empiresnowboards.com/Factory.html)
This tour includes a series of color slides with brief text descriptions showing the
construction of snowboards at Empire’s Venice, California plant. The manufacturing
process is described from the design stage to final product. Once you start the tour it
moves itself at its own pace; do not click on the link to advance the tour yourself or it will
start over.
Friesens Book Division (http://www.friesens.com/Bookplant/PlantTour/BPTour.asp)
Friesens is located in Manitoba, Canada and produces all kinds of books (coffee table,
art, trade, cook, educational, etc.) for the North American market. The plant tour
includes 6 pages, each with multiple photos of the book manufacturing process plus
detailed text descriptions. Also included are separate links to more detailed aspects of the
production process including, customer service, paper stock, learning about printing and
various pieces of equipment. Friesens has ISO 9002 certification.
Honeywell (http://content.honeywell.com/sensing/solutions/markets/aobmrkt/vtour.stm)
This tour is of Honeywell’s automotive sensing and controls facility which makes speed
and position sensors for automobile engine management, wheel speed and transmission
control. The tour includes color slides with text descriptions of different stages and
processes in the overall manufacturing process. However, the tour is somewhat generic
in that it does not relate to the manufacture of a single product. It describes individual
processes like quality control, JIT, design, molding, etc.
Malloy Lithographing (http://www.malloy.com/siteindx.htm)
Malloy is a book manufacturing company located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It
manufactures books from electronic files, camera-ready copy and film that it transfers
onto lithographic plates for printing. The text and photo tour describes a six-step
production process encompassing book engineering, digital imaging, prepress, press,
binding and shipping. There is an overview of the process. Links are also provided for
more detailed descriptions of various functions and equipment. There is no sound or
videos.
Ping Golf Equipment (http://www.pinggolf.com/innovation_factory_tour.html)
This plant tour encompasses the four phases for manufacturing Ping golf clubs – design
and engineering, molding and investment casting, heat treating and finishing, and
component matching and personalization. Each phase has a page with a verbal
description and a 15 second video. There is no sound or narration. There is also some
interesting information and a separate page about Ping’s ISO 9001 certification.
Ping Golf Equipment ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by
the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes
a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and
exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link
which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Golf Clubs” from the “Products 2”
page. This video begins with a brief narrated introduction with diagrams, photos and text
and it then moves to a narrated video of part of the production process for golf clubs
called investment casting at Ping. The video is approximately 3 minutes. This site was
basically designed for high-speed Internet connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable
connection the videos take a long time to download.
Thompson-Shore Books (http://www.tshore.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=27)
Thomson-Shore is a Michigan book manufacturer. This factory tour encompasses 4
pages with detailed text and photos describing the manufacturing process and the
company’s commitment to customer service and quality. There is no sound or videos.
Tom’s of Maine (http://www.tomsofmaine.com/about/tour_factory.asp)
Tom’s of Maine makes toothpaste using natural ingredients. This short, one-page factory
tour uses text and photos to describe the steps of the production process.
Heavy Manufacturing
Abba Rubber International (http://www.abbarubber.com/tour.html)
Abba fabricates rubber rolls, recover rolls and manufactures precision molded parts at its
plant in southern California. The tour encompasses 7 pages with text and 18 photos that
describe the different processes at Abba. There are some good photos of CNC
machinery.
Air-X-Changers (http://www.airx.com/hightech.htm)
Air-X-Change manufactures air-cooled heat exchangers at its plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Heat exchangers are the large fans you see on the tops of building and plants. The brief
factory tour is on one page and includes text and 9 photos of the manufacturing process.
Ball (http://www.ball.com/bhome/can_mf/can_life.html)
Colorado-based Ball Corporation produces different containers including jars and
aluminum cans. The tour is a combination of brief unnarrated videos, text and photos.
The tour is broken down into 3 sections – can sheet production, manufacturing which
includes 11 steps, and packaging and filling. Each section includes text and photos plus
some brief (20-second) videos.
Boeing Aircraft (http://www.boeing.com/companyoffices/aboutus/tours/tourphoto.html)
This tour includes 6 photos of the Boeing plant in Everett, Washington where Boeing
747s are manufactured. There is no text with the photos.
C&R Manufacturing (http://forecast.umkc.edu/vtours/compback.htm)
C&R is a small, highly automated manufacturing company (i.e., job shop) near Kansas
City. The tour is broken down into 12 specific topic or functional areas, for example,
“What is a Job Shop?,” “Marketing,” “Human Resources,” and “ISO 9000 and Quality.”
Each topic (page) includes a detailed written description with examples of how this topic
or function relates to C&R. Each topic page includes several photos. There are no
videos, sound or animations.
Elk Corporation (http://www.elkcorp.com/new_virtual_tours.cfm)
Elk Manufacturing produces laminated fiberglass roofing shingles at four U.S. plants in
Texas, California, Alabama and Pennsylvania. This site includes 4 to 7 minute video
plant tours of all four plants. Each plant video shows the manufacturing process for
laminated shingles which is straightforward and virtually the same for each plant,
although the Alabama facility is smaller. The tour for the PA plant emphasizes their
customer service while the video for CA emphasizes their site selection, distribution and
logistics as well as their quality control focus. Each tour is very good and informative.
Flat Glass ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by
the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes
a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and
exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link
which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Glass” from the “Products 2” page.
This video begins with a narrated introduction with diagrams, photos and text and it then
moves to a narrated video of the complete production process for flat glass that is
primarily used in buildings and cars. The video is produced by PPG and GMIC and is
approximately 8 minutes. This site was basically designed for high-speed Internet
connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable connection the videos take a long time to
download.
Glass Bottles ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by
the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes
a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and
exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link
which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Glass Bottles” from the “Products 1”
page. This video begins with a 4-minute narrated introduction with diagrams, photos and
text showing how a glass bottle is produced. It then moves to a narrated video of the
complete production process for a glass bottle provided by Saint-Gobain Containers, Inc.
The video is approximately 13 minutes. This site was basically designed for high-speed
Internet connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable connection the videos take a long
time to download.
Jotul Stoves (http://jotulflame.com/tour/starttour.html)
Jotul is Norwegian manufacturer of wood burning and gas burning stoves for the home.
It manufactures all of its stoves at its plant in Frederikstad, Norway and then ships them
to is facility in Portland, Maine for final assembly for the U.S. market. The site contains
two tours, a slide show with photos and text and a six-minute video tour with text and
music but no voice narration. Both tours describe the manufacturing process from the
material stage to the warehouse.
LA Aluminum (http://www.laaluminum.com/Plant_Tour/plant_tour.htm)
LA Aluminum, founded in Los Angeles, is now located in Hayden Lake, Idaho. It
manufactures mold aluminum castings that are used by its customers to make other
products. The tour includes two pages of text with photos of the production of aluminum
castings process.
Manufacturing Processes ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by
the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes
a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and
exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link
which activates a pop-up window, then click on the “Processes” page. This page includes
23 short narrated videos (mostly one to two minutes) of various manufacturing processes
such as die casting, blow molding, bending, forging, milling, turning, casting and
assembly. This site was basically designed for high-speed Internet connection; if you
don’t have a DSL or cable connection the videos take a long time to download.
Meier Tool and Engineering (http://meiertool.com/PlantTour.htm)
Meier is a custom metal stamping company (i.e., tool and die shop) located in Anoka,
Minnesota. The tour includes 24 pages with brief text and color photos of various metal
stamping operations. Emphasis is on process control and inspection with some good
photos of CNC equipment and dies.
Multifilm Packaging (http://www.multifilm.com/tour.htm)
Multifilm Packaging located in Elgin, Illinois manufactures wrapping materials for the
food industry, primarily confectioneries. The tour is only one page with 8 photos and
text describing several different steps in the production process.
Paper Making (http://www.wipapercouncil.org/process.htm)
This is a generic tour of the paper making process produced by the Wisconsin Paper
Council. The tour encompasses the five-step paper making process including forestry,
debarking, pulp preparation, paper formation, and finishing. Each step is described on a
separate page with text and nice color drawings.
Plastic Bottles ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by
the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes
a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and
exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link
which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Plastic” from the “Products 1” page.
This tour begins with a brief narrated introduction and then moves to a narrated video of
the production process for a plastic bottle provided by the Society of Plastic Engineers.
The video is approximately 3 minutes. This site was basically designed for high-speed
Internet connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable connection the videos take a long
time to download.
Plastic Caps ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by
the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes
a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and
exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link
which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Plastic Caps” from the “Products 1”
page. This tour begins with a narrated introduction with diagrams, photos and text then
moves to a video showing how a plastic bottle is produced at Portola Packaging
Company in South Carolina. The video is approximately 7 minutes. This site was
basically designed for high-speed Internet connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable
connection the videos take a long time to download.
Portland Cement (http://www.cement.org/basics/images/flashtour.html)
This tour at the Portland Cement Association web site describes a six-step process for
making cement – 1. quarry; 2. proportioning, blending and grinding; 3. preheater tower;
4. kiln; 5. clinker cooler and finish grinding; and 6. bagging and shipping. Clicking on a
step accesses a window about that part of the process, which includes animations, sound
effects and a text description. The tour is self-directed.
Royal Homes (http://www.royalhomes.com/about/profile/tour.html)
Royal Homes of Ontario, Canada builds modular homes at its plant that it transports and
assembles at home sites. The tour includes a series of 16 black and white photos with
text descriptions showing the different stages of constructing a home in modules.
RMC Lonestar Concrete
(http://www.michaelholigan.com/departments/tvshow/seg_index.asp?ts_id=5305)
This site includes a very well-done and detailed 7-minute narrated video showing the
production of Portland grade cement at the RMC Lonestar plant in California. The video
shows the complete manufacturing process for turning limestone into cement.
Steel ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by
the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes
a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and
exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link
which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Steel” from the “Products 2” page. This
video begins with a narrated introduction with diagrams, photos and text and it then
moves to a narrated video of the complete steel production process. The video is
produced by Steelnet and is approximately 13 minutes. This site was basically designed
for high-speed Internet connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable connection the
videos take a long time to download.
Triangle Brick (http://www.trianglebrick.com/)
The Triangle Brick Company is located in Durham, North Carolina. This tour can be
accessed from the Triangle Brick home page by clicking on the “Virtual Plant Tour” link
on the left side of the page. The tour is an excellent 5 minute, narrated color video that
includes all the stages of the manufacturing process from mining shale and clay to
delivery of the final product at home sites.
Tupperware ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by
the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes
a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and
exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link
which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Plastic Containers” from the “Products
1” page. This is a 5-minute video tour of the injection molding production process for
making Tupperware plastic containers at Tupperware’s Hemingway, South Carolina
plant. This site was basically designed for high-speed Internet connection; if you don’t
have a DSL or cable connection the videos take a long time to download.
U.S. Mint (http://www.usmint.gov/kids/index.cfm?fileContents=coinnews/preshow.cfm)
This is basically a kid’s site but the tour does briefly outline the six-step process for
making coins at the U.S. Mint. The tour includes six pages with text and animated
cartoons of the production steps.
USS Ronald Reagan
(http://www.nn.northropgrumman.com/Reagan/frmconstruction.htm)
The USS Ronald Reagan is a Nimitz-class nuclear powered aircraft carrier that was
commissioned in July, 2003.
This site, called “About the Ship,” describes the
construction of the USS Ronald Reagan by Northrop Grumman at its Newport News,
Virginia shipbuilding facility. It includes links to pages about the ship’s capability, size
and capacity. The link to “construction” includes a text and photo slide show tour of the
Reagan ship-building process at various points in time. There is also a link to the
Newport News Shipbuilding facility. The “photo gallery” link at the top of this page
includes the construction tour on a single page with text and photos.
Wheelabrator Abrasives (http://www.wheelabr.com/Tour/process.htm)
This detailed tour of the Wheelabrator Abrasives Beford, Virginia plant includes photos
and text of each step in the manufacturing process. The plant was the first in the U.S. to
acquire ISO 9002 certification.
Musical Instruments
Gibson Custom Guitars (http://www.gibson.com/magazines/amplifier/1999/3/mainev1.html)
This is a brief tour of the Gibson Custom Guitar Division in Nashville, Tennessee where
repairs, custom orders and the Gibson Historic Collection are produced. The tour
includes 3 pages with text and photos describing how these special guitars are made.
Powell Flutes (http://www.powellflutes.com/home/index.html)
At this site for Verne P. Powell Flutes located in Maynard, Massachusetts, click on
“Workshop” at the bottom of the page and then from the pop-up menu click on the
“Factory Tour” link. The visually attractive 6-minute video factory tour appears in a
separate window and includes animation, background flute music, and video with
interactive photos narrated by Powell employees. The tour encompasses 7 areas in the
production of flutes including parts, body making, steels, stringing keys, finishing, testing
and headjoints.
Rickenbacker Guitars (http://www.rickenbacker.com/us/factory.htm)
Rickenbacker makes electric guitars primarily by hand at its plant in Santa Ana,
California. The tour encompasses four departments – wood shop, finishing, assembly
and inspection, and acoustic guitars - each with a separate page with text and photos
Rickenbaker guitars have been used by many famous rock musicians including the
Beatles. There is also an interesting link to the history of electric guitars.
Steinway Pianos (http://www.steinway.com/factory/tour.shtml)
The factory tour for Steinway & Sons in Manhattan includes text and photos. The
process for making pianos is described in detail and the 14 thumbnail photos can be
enlarged in a separate window by clicking on them.
Tacoma Guitars 1. (http://www.tacomaguitars.com/tour.htm and 2.
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Features/Tacoma/tacoma01.html)
There are two tours for Tacoma guitars. The first one is a Tacoma company tour that
encompasses 34 photos of various steps in the manufacture of wooden acoustic guitars.
The photos are presented in no particular order and they are accompanied by very brief
(one-line) descriptions. The second Tacoma tour is by an independent group and it is
much more detailed and well-done. It encompasses 3 pages with about 40 color photos
on each page. Each photo is a thumbnail with a brief description. You can enlarge the
photos by clicking on the thumbnails. This tour also includes four brief (about 15
seconds) videos of specific manufacturing steps, for example the use of CNC machines to
cut guitar necks. (However, these videos take 4 to 5 minutes to download).
Yamaha Musical Instruments (http://www.yamaha.co.jp/edu/english/index.html)
This site includes tours of the manufacturing processes for five musical instruments –
trumpet, horn, saxophone, clarinet and flute. Each instrument has a separate tour. The
tours describe the steps in the manufacturing process in detail from the design stage to
final assembly and finishing, plus the mouthpieces. Each stage in the process has a
separate page with written descriptions, photos, drawings and animations. Each tour is
followed by a “question and answer” page abut the process. There is no sound or
narration.
Product Innovation/R&D
Bell Labs (http://www.bell-labs.com/)
This site is the home page for Bell Labs. The link on this page to “Video Highlights”
provides several videos about significant Bell Labs achievements. A six-minute video
titled, “Bell Labs Innovations – Music Video,” provides a historic overview of Bell Labs
achievements over time with a lot of interesting photos and videos set to music.
3M (http://www.3m.com/US/index.jhtml)
This site is the U.S. home page for 3M. Click on the link, “A Century of Innovation.” At
the bottom of this page is a link to a 5-minute video with narration titled, “Century of
Innovation, Historical Snapshot,” which provides an interesting and informative
overview of 3M products and their development. The video includes recreated scenes
with actors about the early days of 3M.
Services
Centropolis FX (http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/cfx1.htm)
Centropolis FX (CFX) creates computer-generated (digital) visual effects for Hollywood
movies. This tour (at the “How Stuff Works” Internet Site) provides a detailed
description of how CFX creates visual effects. Included are written descriptions, photos
and video clips that show examples of its tools and techniques primarily from the movie
“The Patriot” with Mel Gibson. For example, it has several “before-and-after” videos
and a number of photos showing scenes as they were shot and then how they looked in
the movie after the visual effects had been added. Sections (pages) include an overview
of the visual effects process and the technology used. One interesting point is that it uses
Microsoft Project to build its extensive production schedule.
Los Angeles Times (http://www.latimes.com/extras/tie/virtualtour/)
This tour, called “A Day in the Life of a Newspaper,” describes the production process
for the Los Angeles Times. The tour has 7 steps including the story, digitizing, editing,
composing, printing, distribution and delivery. Each step has multiple pages with text
descriptions and photos. Some of the pages also have links to 360 degree photo images
of the manufacturing process. This is a well-done tour without sound and videos.
New York Stock Exchange (http://www.nyse.com)
This site is the home page for the NYSE. On the left side of the page click on “About the
NYSE” and from the drop-down menu click on “Education.” This will link you to a
virtual tour of the trading floor. The tour uses a combination of text, animation and
interactive panoramic photos. From an animated map of the trading floor you can click
on different areas, which results in a interactive view of the area with a text description of
what takes place in that area.
Pal’s Sudden Service (http://www.palsweb.com/html/2001timeline.html)
Pal’s Sudden Service is a 2001 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award winner in the
small business category. It is a privately owned, quick-service restaurant chain with 17
locations within 60 miles of Kingsport, Tennessee. It was the first restaurant to win the
Baldrige Award. This site is not an actual tour of one of Pal’s restaurants but an
interesting “timeline” that details the restaurant’s history from its start in 1951 to the
present. The timeline includes photos and text descriptions of the openings of all Pal
franchises and product introductions.
Port of Seattle (http://www.ody.org/explore/container_shipping_01.htm)
This site is a text and photo tour of the Port of Seattle. There are a series of 9 photos and
accompanying (brief) text descriptions dealing with loading container ships. Also
included are shipping statistics for the port.
SRP Power (http://www.srpnet.com/community/kids/tour/)
SRP (Salt River Project) Power located in Arizona is the nation’s third largest public
utility providing electricity and water. The tour of an SRP power plant includes voice
narration, animation, sound effects, photos and text descriptions. The tour is divided into
3 sections – fuel, water and electricity. When you start one of the section tours a pop-up
window shows a series of photos. The window and the photos have loudspeaker icons
and by clicking on them you receive voice narration. When you click on an individual
photo it enlarges and there is also a loudspeaker icon that provides a more detailed voice
description of that process or facility. Pay close attention to the instructions on the
toolbar at the bottom of the pop-up window to navigate through the tour.
Textiles
Burlington (wool) ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by
the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes
a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and
exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link
which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Wool” from the “Products 1” page.
This video begins with a 4-minute narrated introduction with diagrams, photos and text
showing how a wool fabric is produced. It then moves to a narrated video of the
complete production process for wool fabric at Burlington. The video is approximately
10 minutes. This site was basically designed for high-speed Internet connection; if you
don’t have a DSL or cable connection the videos take a long time to download.
Burlington (denim) ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by
the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes
a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and
exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link
which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Denim” from the “Products 1” page.
This video begins with a narrated introduction with diagrams, photos and text showing
how cotton denim fabric is produced. It then moves to a narrated video of the complete
production process for denim fabric at Burlington. The video is approximately 8
minutes. This site was basically designed for high-speed Internet connection; if you
don’t have a DSL or cable connection the videos take a long time to download.
Ferguson Irish Linens (http://www.fergusonsirishlinen.com/factorytour/index.asp#)
Thomas Ferguson Irish Linens is located in Banbridge in Northern Ireland. When you
open this site it is on the “Factory Tour” page; the link to the virtual tour is at the bottom
of the page. Clicking on the virtual tour link opens a window that includes 19 pages with
short text and photos describing the linen making process.
Universal T-Shirt Factory (http://www.simon.ca/tour.htm)
Universal is a Quebec company that custom prints t-shirts; it doesn’t actually make the tshirts, it prints blank shirts. The factory tour is a brief, one-page text description of the
steps involved in designing and printing t-shirts. There are 13 black and white and color
photos.
Toys
Crayola Crayons
(http://www.crayola.com/factory/preview/factory_floor/crayon_mfg.htm)
This is a very short, one-page tour describing the 5-step process for making Crayola
Crayons. Each step from wax and pigment production to packaging has a brief text
description and photo.
Crayola Crayons ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by
the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes
a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and
exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link
which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Crayons” from the “Products 2” page.
This video begins with a brief narrated introduction with diagrams, photos and text and
it then moves to a narrated video of the complete production process for crayons at at
Crayola. The video is approximately 3 minutes. This site was basically designed for
high-speed Internet connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable connection the videos
take a long time to download.
Dolls ( http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/)
This video is from the “How Everyday Things are Made” Internet website developed by
the Alliance for Innovative Manufacturing (AIM) at Stanford University, which includes
a number of narrated video tours for different products and companies plus questions and
exercises. To get to the videos click on the “How Everyday Things Are Made” link
which activates a pop-up window, then click on “Playgrounds and Dolls” from the
“Products 2” page. This video begins with a brief narrated introduction with diagrams,
photos and text and it then moves to a narrated video of the rotational molding process
used to make plastic toys like dolls and playgrounds. The video is produced by the
Association of Rotational Molders and is approximately 6 minutes. This site was
basically designed for high-speed Internet connection; if you don’t have a DSL or cable
connection the videos take a long time to download.
Lego
(http://www.lego.com/plugin/required.asp?callFrom=&pluginType=0&returnURL=/eng/i
nfo/howLEGOismade.asp)
This is one of the neatest, hi-tech tour sites on the Internet. The factory tour encompasses
the 5-stage process for producing Legos – granules, molding, transport, decorating and
assembly, and packaging. Each stage has a separate page that incorporates animation,
animated text, sound effects and videos. The page opens with an animation of the stage
process with numbered icons that link to short videos of steps in the process.
Roundhouse Engines (http://www.roundhouse-eng.com/factory.htm)
The Roundhouse Engine Company makes toy locomotives at its factory in Doncaster,
England. The tour includes color photos with brief text descriptions of the manufacturing
process. The tour is a little tedious to navigate; after looking at one slide you must use
your back key to return to the home page and then click on the next slide to proceed
through the tour.
Xootr Scooters ( http://www.xootr.com/xootr/tour/nfactorytour.htm)
Xootr LLC in Scranton, Pennsylvania makes individual push scooters. This tour begins
with a process flow diagram that includes product design and order processing as well as
the manufacturing and assembly process. To navigate the tour you must click on an
individual process which includes a color photo and text description, and then return to
the process flow diagram to go to the next stop on the tour.