United Record Pressing 1986
4 Dual 7" automatic record presses manufactured by Southern Machine Technology. (SMT) The trash barrels catch the vinyl trimmed from the edges of the records.
Inside the dual press. On the right are the dies where the stampers are mounted. One piston applies 110 tons of pressure to the stampers to press the records. On the right are the trimmers. The press is currently hinged open to retreive a miss-pressed record.
Single press at United, showing lables in the foreground, arm extending the plastic into the press.
Front side of the single press. The trimmer is driven by the motor on the right. The records slide down the rail, and are released onto the spindle.
The trimming of the extra vinyl.
Belgiam manual press. The vinyl is hand loaded into the press. The press makes the record, then the operator takes the record out and loades the next record. In the foreground is the vinyl extruder that takes the vinyl beads and forms the plastic glob that becomes the record.
Manual press with trimmer at the left.
Operating the trimmer by a woman with all her fingers. It's a dangerous operation.
Packaging the record.