Star Signs

     Star Signs is a signage manufacturer based in Lawrence KS that can tackle large and complex design jobs that many other manufacturers would not. Their market is massive with the capability to make signs for anyone that needs them.

     90% of the material Star Signs uses is aluminum due to its properties of relative lightness, and durability, but they also utilize acrylic, photopolymer, and vinyl prints on a regular basis with a capability to use an even wider range of material.

     With the use of a router, vinyl plotter, shears, breaks, sliprolls, and a digital printer capable of printing materials from aluminum to leather, Star Signs of incredible work.

      Finishing is just as important as fabrication to Star Signs and for that reason they have a full size ventilated paint booth and baking booth, equipped with vandal proof paint.

Star Signs is notable for their work with Boulevard Brewing, Kauffman stadium, and many Universities around the country.

Reuter Organ Company

     The Reuter Organ Company has been in Lawrence since 1919, and is one of only 4 pipe organ manufacturers left in the U.S. that still custom design and build every part of the organ.
   

     While the majority of the market for pipe organs consists of Churches and Universities, Reuter has made organs even for private homes and businesses.
     In the process of a custom build Reuter uses a multitude of materials including any type of wood a customer desires, Copper, zinc, "spotted metal" (cast in house), bone, leather, and plastics.
     A large CNC router greatly reduces the time spent on custom carvings, and an in house mill ensures the capability to complete projects of any size.

     All pipes are rolled, soldered or welded, polished/painted/flame finished, and tuned individually. A truly unique instrument every time.

 















  An organ from Reuters can cost anywhere from $500,000 to $2,000,000, but Reuters has managed to build more than 2,200 organs over the years, as well as rebuilt or refurbished another 2,200.

Materials and Processes

Toilet paper is an often overlooked, but tremendously important product in modern society. Both toilet paper and facial tissue are very simple products, being made almost entirely of cellulose fiber, but the manufacturing process necessary for the mass production of this staple is less simple.

The tissue paper is often made from recycled paper, but can be made with any source of cellulose fibers, such as wood. In the case of most toilet paper, recycled paper is ground with water to form a cellulose pulp, that is pressed and then ground again for the bleaching process. proprietary chemicals are added to the pulp to whiten the fibers before the pulp is cleaned with water. The pulp is then laid on a conveyor belt where it is quickly dried--transforming into sheets--and then put on to gigantic rolls. Cardboard is twisted and glued into long tubes that the tissue will be rolled onto. The long rolls of toilet paper are cut to size and individually wrapped by a very well timed mechanism, finally ready to be shipped.