The grade 3 class at Hamilton Preparatory went to visit three local factories recently. The pupils are busy with the Life Skills topic ‘Products and Processes’ and wanted to experience it firsthand. They started at the candle-making factory, Boardman Bros, where they saw how fine powder wax is put into moulds to compress it into a candle. The children got to dip their candles in two colours and they loved it! They got to see the biggest candle made in the factory, which is over a metre tall. In the factory shop, they were shown candles with photos printed on them. The factory can print any picture or photo on a candle for you to purchase. The pupils were sent on their way with a free candle, chips and a cool-drink. A special thank you must go to Linda Boshoff for all her trouble.
The second factory visited was the ‘icy’ factory, Freeze Me. Factory owner Frank Jardim showed them how an icy is made and let them taste all the preservatives that are added, resulting in a few laughs. The children were shocked by the bitter after-taste of many of these ingredients. He then showed them the huge mixers that blend all the ingredients. Thereafter, the water, that has gone through UV and filtering processes to kill any bacteria, is added. The liquid is then poured into plastic and sealed. This process was mesmerising to watch. Lastly, Mr Jardim showed the class a huge freezer container in which the icies, which contain dairy, have to be stored so as not to go off. Everyone was sent off with an icy each.
Finally, the grade 3s visited Durban Overall. Owner Steve Tandy met them and started the tour by showing samples of all the products they manufacture. The children were then led to where the patterns are made and shown the huge printers that print them. After that, it was off to where the material is cut according to the patterns. They then moved on to the production section, where the panels of material are attached to make a jacket or a pair of trousers. This was an excellent opportunity for the pupils to practice their mathematical skills, as the guide said that 240 pockets are made every hour and the grade 3s couldn’t resist working out how many were made in a day, a week and a year! Once again, they were sent off in style with a 500ml bottle of cold cool-drink. On a hot day, it was such a treat!
All in all, it was a very worthwhile experience. The children gained wonderful insight into how the manufacturing processes work and they would like to thank everyone for their fantastic hospitality.
