Working in a PVC pipe manufacturing facility, I encountered a diverse range of processes involved in production. The resin arrives via railcar and is then transported to the blending area. In the blender, the ingredients are mixed together, after which we draw from the batches created for the production area. The blended material is fed into a hopper and then into an extruder, where it solidifies as it travels through the cooling zones. Finally, the finished product is cut, labeled, and sometimes has a bell end created. The operator stacks and bundles each pallet continuously throughout the shift, with only an hour's break, and remains mostly on their feet. The production line operates tirelessly, and equipment issues can be hazardous; when things get jammed, it can create a bowing effect, and if it suddenly releases, it can be dangerous. I learned many valuable lessons during my time there, thanks to all the individuals I met, until the new company took over. I started in 1990 and left in 2000. The most hazardous times were when the power would shut off and back on many times, especially during a heavy thunderstorm. Imagine, if you will, four single-strand lines with the larger sizes and five dual-strand lines, meaning they all would need to be restrung after a power failure. Smaller lines would need to be adjusted by hand: getting your hands under the bit of water coming out from the tank and sizing tube, and twisting the hot PVC coming from the extruder into a small enough mass to fit into the sizing sleeve. Then you would pull it all the way down the line through the cooling tanks and into the puller. Next, you have the printer and then the saw. The material would then be hand-guided past these obstacles. Once the cooling tanks are closed and full of water, the vacuum is applied, and it becomes round and able to be cut. The larger sized lines have a tow plug connected to a chain inside the pipe. For sizing, it keeps pressure inside to maintain roundness. When the power stops, the PVC that was moving at full speed becomes a mass of hot material that becomes impossible to pull down the line. Many hours inside the tank with a sawzall is hard work for sure. Once you cut a nice spot in the pipe for a hook, you would replace the sizing tube, then roll the tank back and start the extruder. As the hot material makes its way to you, with precise timing you stab the moving pipe with the hook. Then you have to lift the pipe up and over the guides as you go, all while assuming you made the connection with the hook and your puller and extruder speed match.