HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1975-12-18, Page 17' a
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and The,Mcilint Forest Confederate hi Wenger Bros. Limited.
—CrOSrOad*--December
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Cement blocks,
If you've ever passed through
Shallow Lake, which is abotit ten
miles west of Owen Sound, you
may or may not have noticed that
there seetna to be an unusually
large amount ,of cadent block
construction.in this little place of
not yet 500 people.
This phenoMenon isn't all that
surprising, if you know that
Shallow Lake has the distinction
of being the home of Shouldice
Cement Products Limited. Shoul-
dice isn't your average everyday
cement company. It's a one of a
kind operation which, by its exist-
/
but untouched by human hands!
ence, goes to prove that you don't
have to goto the big cities t� find
20th century technology muscling
in on good old-fashioned man-
power.
The uniqueness of this opera-
tion stems from he fact that the
complete process of making
4
COMPLEX SYSTEM—Rob Shouldice, plant manager, points to one of the panels that
automatically control the movement of blocks. Different programs can be put into the
system to handle the many different types of blocks.
blocks at Shouldice is absOlutely just put this over here and that
and utterly automated (well, ,ex- over there, and a pully here, and
cept for two sets Of eyes). From a gear there, Well, maybe . . . just
one end to the other, the blociks, maybe."
movethrough the factory pristine The 'maybe's' all got put to -
pure, literally untouched by gether at ShOUldice's and the
human hands. '‘, manpower -operated cement fac-
Pit gravel comes to the factory'tory that Rob's father, Bev
yard. It's put through four crush- (president of the company and
ing processes, three waskeS, still active in it today) put into
taken inside by an unclergroW operation in 1947 has come
tunnel, mixed with the concrete, through a lot of changes since
taken from the mixer and put into that time. In 1947 making cement
molds, removed from the molds blocks took "blood, sweat and
and cleaned Off, wheeled to the tears" and it remained that way
drying kilns and tenderly sjd for the next.12 years. In 1959 the
onto the racks, dried and taken plant took its first step towards
atTaytolibefii neopunted and staC1d complete automation by install -
4d
then
llyrolled out the ing a largely homemade piece of
other end of the factory.'DiOng. equiPment. By 1969, many other
the coMplete• cycle at the Shorpl- sophisticated machines had been
dice plant Jo* two men areadded to the production line but
volved, and their job is simplOo Shouldice • Cement was by no
watch. means 'fully -automated'.
"We thought about put**f Lob said, "In 1969 we. asked
closed circuit TV in to monitor ourselves if we were in the block
the \machines,'.' said. Rob Sh#- business or ,not." They decided
dice, manager, "but there -44'1 e they were, in fact,,1;#1 the .block
some limits to this automat* businessand so began their final
and we really need the two mento drive towards totaPautomation.
be; right there with the Ma- "We've been a guinea pig for a
chines."
"N lot of new equipment that has just
Up to 20,000 blocks can cue come out on the market," Rob
out of thg,Shouldice plant each said "There were many snags in
day, and while they're Untouched the beginning but they're ironed
by human hands, they are*ot out now to the point that very
only touched but pushed, prOd- rarely are we shut down. During
ded, lifted, nudged and cleaned the summer, we run 24 hours a
by a multitude of mechanical day, seven days a week."
hands. ;The four human eyes that "There ate a couple of other
watch to make sure everything plants hi the States which have
goes smoothly are aided'. by equipment similar to ours, but
mechanical eyes as well as blink- v. ,thtre isn't one an lace malting
ihg • lights, snapping -swit010, .etnent --blocks,1 with—just -two
endless belts, greasy chains, men," he said, "and we're ex -
computers and, yes, I'm sure tremely proud of our operation."
someplace in the middle of it all, So proud, in fact, that they go
a little pink heart happily keeping out of their way to encourage
beat to the sound of passing groups, clubs and school kids to
blocks. go out and take a tour of the
It doesn't matter where you are plant. Rob, said, "While the
in the factory, the big machines operation is quite unique, we
that tirelessly spit out concrete don't have any secrets out here.
blocks make their presence felt We don't have anything to hide.
wherever you are. Inside it's im- We like to see people comeout
possible to talk. above the and have a look around andlind
thunder, outside there's still out exactly how the plant works.
a noticeable rumble, and sitting We like to show it off."
in Rob's office, which is located
above the big machines, you're
given to sensing the pulse of the
bump and grind going on down-
stairs right through the soles of
your feet.
Blood, Sweat
and Tears
There was a time when making
cement blocks was back -break-
ing work. Gravel was shovelled
by hand, mixed by hand, poured
into forms by hand, lugged on and
off drying racks by hand and
stacked by hand.
But whether it's making a good
five cent cigar or inventing a bet-
ter mouse trap, there's always
,someone thinking about a better
way to do things —"Now , if we
They've even built a public -pic-
nic area for the people who come
on the tours. Predictably enough,
it's all made out of concrete. This
includes the patio and barbecue,
of course, but also We fence
around it, the picnic tables and
the benches. In spite of all the
automatic equipment, it is still
quite a human and friendly type
of factory.
The Shouldices (two other
brothers, Doug and Bill are also
involved in the operation) may
have a passion for automation
but theyhave a bigger passion for
concrete itself.
By next summer they will have
a 'concrete education centre'
ready for the public. "We've got
to make people aware of con-
crete," Rob said. "By the time
they go through the new centre
and see all the applications of
concrete, they'll forget about
lumber." Rob's sunnier cottage
is all concrete and his brother
Doug is just pUtting the finishing
touches on his concrete home.
"There's not a stick of lumber in
the, place except the roof?"
"You must drive down to
Florida," he said. "They just
don't build with lumber.' down
there. Wood is almost # dirty
word. WOod certainly has its
place but the supplies can't last
forever, andconcrete is a. natural
as far as a building 070114 goes.
Its sound -absorbing, strong,
warm in the winter and cool in
the summer, eoinParal4e in 004,
tfilnkltiMbpoentem
,aride,MmeStosef,allit 't
burn. We must educatePPOPIP to
t people atill
,
thinkus
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GIVE IT A F LI p—This is part of theautomated accumulator and packager .,it'SkriOWn
to its friends as the 'cuber'. The top row of blocks in a stack are put fief Sideu
Won't fill. with -tfloW. This part of the machine rilakeS*Sue4iptit: • •
• —
KEEP ON COMING—An endless stream of blocks pour through the plant each day. In the
summer the plant operates around the clock and can produce up to 20,000 blocks per day.
CAREFULLY CLEANEDIn the background, blocks
leave the 'Besser B -3-12-C' which actually molds the blocks.
411P.
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just came on the market last spring. It is capable of produc- IN ONE, OUT THE OTHER — In the background the gravel
ing 112 different types of blocks with is variations on each Is crushed, screened, washed and then taken by an under -
finished blocks roll out of the other end of the factory, ready
for use. Only two sets of eyes watch during the whole pro-