Factory Visit

Last week I visited a factory in Pune called Forbes-Marshall. It's a respected industrial house in India and they are major manufacturer and exporter of boilers and pressure gauges (among her related products). As far as factory visits go, its wasn't the most stimulating (I've much preferred other visits to the Tata Truck factory and the Crayola Crayon factory in Easton, PA), but every factory interests me, regardless of its final product.

I've identified this interest in the very basic concept of what a factory accomplishes. Its takes elements and puts them together in specific way to create a new and more highly refined element. It takes a bunch of little parts and creates something new by adding unique. Not only that, but it all happens in the physical realm. I'm sometimes discouraged working in the "ideas" market where the results of my work can't always be seen. I'm often envious of those who work with materials. Who can see there product being developed in tangible ways. It's exactly this reality that made my short stint building a house in Va Beach so rewarding.

Factories also have a really interesting sense of the asthetic, and I've take a couple photos to show you here what I mean.

Aside from production, Indian factories have their own little qualities that add a little spice. I found one such quality in the safety posters printed on the walls of the factory floor. Most workers communicate in the native Maharashtran language of Marathi. I can't read a word of the script, so it gave me the chance to have some fun developing my own captions for these gems.

#1

Just keep yelling at everyone and point your finger at them angrily. This will help get your questions answered with excitement!












#2

When you talk to the fork-lift driver, be sure to use hand gestures. This will make him happy. But don't do the one where you raise both hands over your head. This will cause a disaster!









#3

When cooking tomato soup, be sure to use an oversized vacuum cleaner or else you will turn into a cross between Papa Smurf and Gargamel!












Your captions are very much welcomed to these photos as well.

All in all it was another educational experience in India. Next entry even more so... Talkin' Toilets: Discovering My Voice Regarding Sanitation Issues in India.