POLAROID : Reply From HARMAN technology Limited

[leicam5]

Why bothering about buying a production plant in the U.S. if there is one fully operational, and of a lesser size, nearby in Enschede/Holland?
Crossing the North sea (by Chunnel) is much easier than the Atlantic ocean...

Philippe

[PHOTOTONE]

Why bothering about buying a production plant in the U.S. if there is one fully operational, and of a lesser size, nearby in Enschede/Holland?
Crossing the North sea (by Chunnel) is much easier than the Atlantic ocean...

Philippe

I think all the peel-apart films such as type 55, were made in plants in the USA, and the Holland plant produces the integral films. Totally different products, requiring totally different machines and procedures.

[Photo Engineer]

A coating machine has to be in pefect alignment. Moving one does nothing good for this. Realignment is hugely expensive. Imagine a track nearly 1000 M long that has to be laser straight. Threading it with film or paper is a major expense all in itself, and then you have to make several waste runs to check it out.

That plus moving costs have to be added to the total cost of the machine and to the project. One roll of film or paper is not cheap. I would say that from a dead start, at least one year would pass and a cost of at least 5 full master rolls of wasted film would go by before production could start.

PE

[Ian Grant]

One thing Ilford/Harman wouldn't want is another coating machine, so that'll go for scrap who ever makes any Polaroid films.

Ian

[Photo Engineer]

And, there no chance that the existing Ilford equipment can make Polaroid peel apart film.

PE

[tim_walls]

Ilford moved their coating machine from the south of England to the north...

(Don't get me wrong, if Ilford take on Polaroid I'll eat my hat - just saying a coating line *can* be moved, if there's a will.)

[Andy K]

Ilford moved their coating machine from the south of England to the north...

(Don't get me wrong, if Ilford take on Polaroid I'll eat my hat - just saying a coating line *can* be moved, if there's a will.)

I used to live in Wickford, Essex, and remember the old Ilford factory on the other side of the A127 on the outskirts of Basildon.

[Paul.]

Hang about lads, Simon says Ilford are looking at the possibilities and are talking to Poloroid and here you are pontificating on why it wont work. Why in the name of God do you not just wait and see, it is Ilfords money and their decision.
There are too many pessamistic I told you so mechants here whom seem out to try and impress people with how much they know about how difficult it is to do anything. If Ilford had thought like that they would never of reserected themselves, give them some credit for knowing what they are doing.

Simon, wether or not this venture is a goer you have my thanks for even looking at it. If it gets off the ground you will have my support. The day you anounce what instant films you will make I shall go buy a poloroid back for the Hassy.

Regards Paul.

[Ian Grant]

Well I never said it wouldn't work . . . . . . . . . . .

[catem]

Just to add my thanks to Ilford for positive thinking about Polaroid. It would be a great shame and a great cultural loss if it was allowed to disappear.
And yes, it makes people like me - who never got around to using it in a big way or a particularly creative way - feel that you can't put off what you always meant to have a go at. But time is the essence and you can't do everything at once. Diversity is something we need to value and hang on to for all we're worth. It's important to feel that the various mediums we use won't necessarily disappear overnight, and we will have time to use them in our own way when the time is right for us, not because we only have three months left in which to do it.