#total productive maintenance

[gemstraining1]

1.       Pump Maintenance Training

Pump Maintenance training is imparted by GEMS Training & Consultancy at prices that cannot be beat. Pump maintenance refers to the routine and preventative tasks carried out to ensure that a pump operates efficiently, reliably, and with a long service life. Pump maintenance comprises regular inspections, lubrication, cleaning, checking and replacing seals, monitoring fluid levels, and reviewing operational data. To gain more insights on training, click here www.gemstnc.com.

[terotam]

What is Total Productive Maintenance?

Businesses constantly look for innovative ways to stay ahead of the curve in an industry where productivity and efficiency are critical to success. One such technique that is becoming more and more popular is called Total Productive Maintenance. TPM arises as a comprehensive approach to equipment management as firms struggle to minimize downtime, maximize output, and cultivate a culture of continuous improvement. However, what distinguishes this concept from conventional maintenance methods, and how it may completely transform how companies manage their day-to-day operations, is something that needs to be understood.

How Does Total Productive Maintenance Work?

Total Productive Maintenance strives to eliminate losses in the production process by fostering a culture of ownership and continuous improvement. The methodology focuses on empowering employees to take responsibility for the maintenance of equipment, instilling a sense of pride and accountability.

Let’s check out the way it works in detail.

1. Proactive Maintenance Strategies

Central to the effectiveness of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is the shift from reactive to proactive maintenance strategies. Traditional maintenance often involves responding to equipment failures as they occur, leading to unplanned downtime and production disruptions. TPM, on the other hand, emphasizes anticipating and preventing issues before they escalate. This proactive approach is achieved through a combination of autonomous maintenance and planned maintenance activities.

2. Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE)

A key metric in TPM is Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE). OEE is a measure of how effectively equipment is utilized in the production process, considering factors such as availability, performance, and quality. TPM aims to maximize OEE by addressing the causes of inefficiency in each of these areas.

3. The 5 S of TPM

The principles of the “5 S” methodology play a crucial role in the successful implementation of TPM. The 5 S’s—Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain—focus on creating an organized and efficient workplace. This not only contributes to safety and cleanliness but also sets the stage for effective TPM implementation.

4. Continuous Improvement Culture

TPM instills a culture of continuous improvement throughout the organization. Employees at all levels are encouraged to identify opportunities for improvement, participate in problem-solving initiatives, and contribute to the ongoing evolution of processes. This commitment to continuous improvement ensures that TPM becomes an integral part of the organizational DNA, adapting to changing circumstances and technologies.

5. Cross-Functional Collaboration

One of the unique aspects of TPM is its emphasis on cross-functional collaboration. It brings together different departments, including production, maintenance, quality control, and management, to work towards common goals. This collaborative approach ensures that all aspects of equipment management are considered, leading to comprehensive and effective solutions.

Benefits of Total Productive Maintenance

1. Maximized Equipment Availability

Proactive maintenance minimizes unplanned downtime.

Ensures machinery is operational when needed, enhancing overall productivity.

Swift identification and resolution of issues.

Extended equipment lifespan through optimized care and preventive measures.

2. Elevated Product Quality

Prevention of defects through quality maintenance practices.

Consistent equipment operation results in improved product quality, enhancing customer satisfaction.

3. Heightened Productivity

Streamlined processes and reduced cycle times through autonomous maintenance.

Optimization of workflow leads to a substantial increase in overall productivity.

Continuous improvement initiatives actively contribute to operational efficiency.

Quick problem resolution prevents disruptions, maintaining smooth operations.

4. Cost Savings

Substantial reduction in overall maintenance costs.

Efficient resource utilization through a focus on continuous improvement contributes to long-term savings.

Preventive maintenance minimizes the need for costly reactive measures.

5. Enhanced Employee Engagement

Active involvement of employees at all levels fosters a sense of ownership.

Autonomous maintenance empowers operators, positively impacting morale and job satisfaction.

Conclusion

When it comes to operational efficiency, Total Productive Maintenance is revolutionary since it guarantees smooth operations and increased production. TPM promotes consistency in product quality and cost savings by optimizing equipment availability and optimizing operations through proactive maintenance. This extends beyond immediate advantages. 

[youandthemountains]

where to find Offline stylists who have never heard of tiktok

[smithwiliams]

Maintenance Resource Planning (MRP) is a methodology that helps to ensure that all maintenance activities, whether preventive, predictive, or corrective, are resourced timely and cost effectively. MRP integrates knowledge, people/workforces tools, spare parts, and job activities to enhance equipment operating hours and production efficiencies.

Omnex Systems recognizes that Maintenance Resource Planning is not just about work order scheduling! Maintenance Resource Planning is integrating maintenance with the overall business objectives, managing work to reduce delays and prolonging asset life. Our applications provide maintenance organizations with trend analytics that allow you to monitor, measure, and manage maintenance processes and contracted repair services. The applications provide resource management analytics that help forecast resource needs for planned and unplanned events. These applications support industry standards reporting requirements as well.

When workers work together we want to give them a tool that centralizes maintenance job and condition information. Daily reporting allows data to be analyzed in real-time to provide management with the information to optimize work activities to enhance productivity and reduce maintenance costs. The Omnex Systems Maintenance Resource Planning solution allows managers and supervisors to plan, organize, and even automate equipment inspections and maintenance notices.

Now organizations can ensure that equipment and people/resources are working effectively. For instance, proactive and published preventive maintenance notices can help prevent equipment failures, enhance equipment longevity, and support continuous improvement in all aspects of operations. Whether your operations are in a single facility or multiple global sites, our Maintenance Resource Planning tools allow organizations to track and see maintenance activities in real-time and provide a degree of expert control. Let Omnex Systems help moving you forward from a desktop executed maintenance strategy to a competitive Maintenance Resource Planning solution!

[arpitadey15]

Enhance operational efficiency and minimize downtime with Unichrone’s Total Productive Maintenance Training. Learn TPM principles for sustained productivity.

[davidcole]

total productive maintenance tools

Scops.ai offers a comprehensive suite of Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) tools, integrating IoT sensors and AI analytics to monitor machinery health in real-time. This proactive approach enables predictive maintenance, reducing unplanned downtimes by up to 40%, enhancing asset reliability, and optimizing production efficiency. With plug-and-play installation and 24/7 anomaly detection, Scops.ai empowers industries to achieve sustainable operational excellence.

[clemmmmmmmmmmmmmm]

HI! This is my first time making a request, but I found you and I LOVE your writing! I was wondering if you could do like Jason Todd and a very girly reader? You don't have to if you don't wanna!

“I wannabe a bimbo doll!”

Jason todd x Girly reader.

2 posts in one day?? Who dis.

Jason Todd x Very Girly!Reader Headcanons

⸻

Opposites Attract…

• Jason did not expect to fall for someone who wears bows in her hair and owns 30 shades of pink lipstick.

• You walked into his life like a glitter bomb, and he pretended to be annoyed — but was immediately obsessed.

• He teases you constantly. “You know, there are other colors besides pink.”

You: “There are, but why would I want them?”

• He secretly knows the difference between blush pink, baby pink, rose pink, and Barbie pink. Won’t admit it.

⸻

The Bad Boy + The Barbie

• You’re always in something cute—dresses, skirts, matching sets, heels.

• Meanwhile, he’s in black jeans, boots, and leather.

• You once made him carry your pastel purse and snapped a pic. He grumbled, but made it his lockscreen.

• He calls you “Princess,” “Dollface,” “Sweetheart,” and “Sugar.”

• You call him “Jaybaby” to annoy him. (It works, but he secretly loves it.)

⸻

LIVING TOGETHER

• Your bathroom is covered in skin care products, fluffy towels, perfume bottles… and his combat knife.

• He lowkey loves your scented lotions. He pretends to gag, but you catch him using your strawberry body wash.

• You gave him a pink silk scrunchie and he actually uses it to tie his hair back when he’s cleaning guns.

• “This is tactical,” he says, totally deadpan.

⸻

Protective Jason

• God help anyone who calls you “high maintenance” or underestimates you.

• Jason will snap necks and repaint his bike pink if that’s what you wanted. He doesn’t care what anyone thinks.

• If you cry, he goes full feral. “Who made you cry? Give me names.”

• He’ll wrap you in his jacket, press kisses to your forehead, and mutter how you don’t deserve any of this nonsense.

⸻

He Spoils You (Even If He Pretends Not To)

• Buys you everything you point at. “Jay, I don’t need it.” “Didn’t ask.”

• You decorated his safehouse with string lights, throw pillows, and candles. He never changed it back.

• He pretends to hate shopping with you, but he’s holding your bags like a trophy husband.

⸻

In Public vs In Private

• Public: He’s leaning against a wall, arms crossed, brooding. You’re twirling your hair and sipping a pink drink.

• Private: He’s got his head in your lap, letting you paint his nails while you talk about your day.

• He melts when you run your fingers through his hair and talk to him in that soft, sweet voice.

• “You’re my big scary baby boy,” you coo.

“You make me sound like a pit bull in a tutu,” he groans.

“Exactly.”

[nonotnolan]

Rush Week

You develop a special sort of bond with a guy when you've swapped bodies and you're touching each other's dick. It's the justification that Sigma Epsilon Chi gave for their partnership with Cuerpo Inc. during rush week, and I had to admit it makes sense. More to the point, Sig-Ep is THE frat to be in, so I knew I was going to do whatever it took to become a member, hazing be damned.

My face has never been much to look at-- my ears have always been huge, my hair is hopelessly curly, and I think my features are more rugged than handsome. I certainly don't have legacy money or family connections. I pledged with the hope that my muscles or my vibes would get me a ticket in, and I was so relieved to get that offer letter.

They said the house would swap bodies at random for the weekend, but I know that the machinery they use allows you to specify certain swaps and randomize others. I was convinced one of the upperclassmen will be taking my body while I ended up in some twig body for maximum embarrassment... and I wasn't wrong.

Henry is... he's a good guy, honestly. His parents are loaded and he can eat damn near anything and it doesn't affect his figure. I've never been fashion forward, so having access to his closet has been wild. The guy actually owns a sewing machine! He's also one of those guys who is never seen without product in his hair-- he actually left me instructions on how to take care of it. I can only imagine what he's gonna do in my low maintenance body-- all I own are tank tops and gym shirts. I'm half-expecting to come back to a new wardrobe and a manicure. But holy hell, the dude is thin and lanky in ways I didn't think was possible. I hope he enjoys having some actual meat on his bones.

The biggest thing is that Henry is gay. Which, you know, that's totally cool by me! More chicks for the rest of us. But once I was put into his body, seeing all of my fellow bros roaming around shirtless and feeling up their new muscles... I don't know how Henry can wear these skinny jeans all the time. I was rock-hard within minutes and it physically hurt to have my new eight inches constrained by denim. I almost feel guilty, giving him the shorter end of the stick.

I'm pretty sure Henry is an insatiable bottom, so all of that size seems wasted but... what can you do? Anyway, we're allowed to hook up this weekend as long as we use condoms and... when else am I gonna have this opportunity, you know? If I don't take this chance, I'm gonna be consumed by the 'what if's forever. Also the part where I'm horny as fuck in his body.

Lucky for me, whoever ended up in Joey's body was giving me the side-eye the whole time we were at the opening mixer, so I don't think it will take much effort to get my dick wet. His body has the type of smooth skin I've always envied, and I'm honestly jealous at how handsome his face looks. He's got a dirty blonde dye job that plays into his charm, and his muscles are... well, they might be bigger than mine. My real muscles, anyway.

"You wanna head upstairs to my room?" Joey asked, grabbing my bulge in his hand. He flashed a dazzling grin, and I could feel myself swooning from the confidence. God, I wanted him so bad. But Joey was just a Sophomore, which meant he still had one of the smaller bedrooms.

"My room," I said, shaking my head. A thought crossed my mind, and once again I figured I may as well follow the impulse. I threw my arms around Joey's neck and jumped into his arms. He stumbled a bit, but pretty soon his arms were hooked underneath my body to support my weight. So many of my friends back home did that all the time, and now I understood why they found it addicting. I leaned in close enough for him to feel the heat of my breath as I whispered into his ear, "I want you inside me."

---------------------------------------------

"I really needed that," I said, putting some clothes back on after the most intense session of my life. "Can't say that I had ever imagined getting fucked by a man before, but, uhh... I enjoyed it, it was good. Hopefully that was good for you, too?" I could feel myself starting to blush. "I've never been a gay man before, but I think I got the hang of it there at the end."

"Bro, you were great, don't even worry about it," Joey said, resting a comforting hand on my shoulder. "But, uhh... what do you mean, you've never been a gay man before?"

I paused, trying to figure out whether or not he was messing with me. "I mean... I'm in Henry's body right now? It's me, Matty. I'm not actually gay. But, you know... when in Rome."

He just laughed at me. "Bro, that's not how it works. Attraction is all in the brain. Like... yeah, the real Henry is out and proud, but you being in his body doesn't make you gay. If you were into that, you've always been into dudes. You were just too afraid to admit it."

His face was all smiles, but his words felt like a punch to the gut. "Wait, but... I can't be gay, I've had girlfriends, I..." I tried to come up with some sort of defense, but nothing came to mind. I thought I was caught up in what other guys looked like because I was jealous. Was that just some warped form of attraction? "Are you sure the swap works like that?"

Joey wrapped me in a warm hug. "I'm sure. Sorry, bro. Didn't mean to give you a existential crisis. I thought you knew. You may not be gay, if it helps? You might be, like... Bi or Pan instead. And no one's gonna make you pick a label right away. Take your time, see what feels right."

He had a point. Being attracted to dudes wasn't limited to just gay men. And anyway, it's not like being gay would be a bad thing. I just... I didn't think it was me. "Hey, thanks bro," I said, hugging him back. "And... sorry if I sounded insulting. There's nothing wrong with being gay, I just didn't think... well, I'll definitely have to figure out my, uhh... my truth, I guess."

I started lowering my hands back down to his ass, and pretty soon we were making out again. "Hey, are you sure this is what you want?" Joey asked, pausing as I started to strip again. "Feels like you're moving fast, and I want to make sure you're not, like... pressured or whatever."

"Yeah, I'm sure," I replied, smiling at him. "You're the one who told me to see what feels right. That was my first time having sex with a dude, and it felt pretty good. So I think I'm gonna have sex with a guy for a second time. See what happens."

He smiled back, and I could feel myself melt. I don't know who's in Joey's body right now, but I hope it's someone hot. There's no way we aren't hooking up once we swap back.

[c1qfxugcgy0]

I will never complain about a toolbox being too far from the jobsite again.

(previous post in this series)

Large Aircraft Manufacturer (LAM) has announced, to the surprise of nobody with a brain, that certification of our latest aircraft, Advanced Widebody Carbon Wing (AWCW), has been delayed to March 2026.

This firmly sets management on the horns of a dilemma. They have something like five thousand expensively trained employees on the AWCW production line who will not have much to do for the next year. You can continue production and clutter up the hardstand with precertification aircraft. But the process of certifying the aircraft against severe weather, bird strikes, lightning strikes, etc etc, will inevitably require serious changes to the beta aircraft. LAM must then modify every one of their backlog aircraft, ripping out the interior, replacing bond wires and ground straps, then reinstalling all those parts. Doing structural work inside a complete aircraft naturally takes much more time than doing it from scratch in the production jigs designed to accommodate such work.

(And if you don't believe me, just watch This Old House.)

Naturally, LAM tracks every minute of worker time on each aircraft. Enough rework can wipe out LAM's entire profit margin on a bird, especially given the large discounts it offers to early buyers of new model aircraft.

This is not idle supposition. LAM was hauled through an identical hall of thorns when Advanced Midbody Carbon Aircraft (AMCA) was delayed in certification a decade ago. Fifty aircraft required expensive rework, putting the entire program in the red for years afterward. The scars are fresh, and LAM is not eager to repeat the experience. Thus, AWCW production rate has been cut to zero point zero.

But what to do with the workers?

Airplane factories are always attached to an airport. [citation needed]

Everything outside the factory is the flightline. Flightline is where all the problems with an aircraft catch up with it, and occasion screaming matches between facility managers (who are desperate to clear their patch of concrete and get the plane in the sky) and production managers (who will have the rare pleasure of seeing their face on the nightly news when that plane kills three hundred people).

Airplanes require a really incredible amount of maintenance. If production delays mean the plane doesn't get delivered to the customer on time, scheduled maintenance can happen while the airplane is being made. These are not problems that happen when you build cars, I can tell you. This is the shop I, along with 20 of my coworkers, have been loaned out to.

There are lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of moving parts on an airliner. Every LAM aircraft has a design life of 30 years. They cost hundreds of millions of dollars each. Because they are so damn expensive, our customers want to fly them as close to 24 hours a day as possible, in rain, snow, sleet, from Kabul to Kathmandu, from sea level to eight miles above ground. Sealed bearings, so beloved by the automotive industry, are simply not an option across aerospace's range of temperature, pressure, salt spray, and total joint lifespan requirements.

As a result, every single metal on metal joint on the airplane has a grease fitting, and a prescribed grease type for each fitting. In just the photo above there are seven fittings visible. The document that lists every fitting on the plane is eight hundred pages long.

But greasing the points is, honestly, not that hard. You've got eight hours to finish any given IP, and in a storage IP the greasing will take, at most, 30 minutes. Greasing is not the problem. The problem is the fucking skin panels.

The exterior surface of a wing is, uh, important. It carries the weight of the aircraft, it has to be aerodynamically smooth to a frankly annoying degree, each carbon fiber wing skin panel has to be as light as absolutely possible, the insulative carbon fiber composite must be coated with an outer antistatic conductive layer to bleed off static charge, but at the same time the inner layer needs a more conductive aluminum foil layer to conduct the powerfully destructive lightning strike energies each plane will experience, oh, about thirty times over its rated lifespan.

On that list of priorities, "making it easy for ground personnel to take a panel off" is low on the list of the priorities. Very low. Real damn low. Put on your SCUBA gear and investigate the pelagic depths kinda low.

You take off the panels. Maybe ten percent of the screws will strip when you apply force, which means you get to carefully, slowly drill out the titanium fasteners while standing at the top of a scissor lift in the rain.

(There is an art to drilling out a Phillips head titanium screw. Ordinarily, you want to use carbide tooling, which is sharp, but brittle. But even after stripping the hell out of a screw there will still be some remnants of the head, which the cutting edge of the carbide drill will catch on and break. So when your crew is assigned to a new plane, the first thing you do right away is rush to the tool room to get drill bits before your oafish coworkers clean them out, and get both HSS and carbide bits-- tough and ductile steel to knock down the remnants of the screw head and then carbide to do the bulk of the drilling. And once you're into the bulk of the screw, you do peck drilling-- three or four seconds of drilling, then pull the bit out and apply lube. This isn't for the benefit of the drill-- it can handle high temps just fine. What you absolutely, must not do, is let the screw get too hot. Because when titanium gets hot and then cools down, it hardens, and you just turned a ten minute job into a four hour one. Because after you finish drilling the hole you follow it with a steel screw extractor, and there's no extractor on Earth that's going to bite into hardened titanium.)

You apply Aeroshell 33 to the bushings on the slats torque tube and carefully brush on Cor-Ban 27L to the specified exposed metal surfaces. You call QA out, who bitches and moans the entire time for being rousted out of their crew shelter to get rained on to witness that you greased the things that needed to be greased.

Now it's time to put the panel back on. First, you throw away all the used fasteners and order new ones from Logistics. Any screw that touches a flight component is used once, and only once. Try not to think about the dollar value of the two pounds or so of aerospace titanium screws you just shitcanned. Be careful when reordering, though-- across the five or six panels you're pulling off you'll have two different types of screws of differing surface finishes, (structural screws vs. antistatic electrical bonding screws) different diameters and different screw lengths. Why? Because fuck you, you stupid mechanic. You deserve to suffer. Your life should be only pain.

(If you screw up on this step and can't button up a panel before end of shift you need to "short stamp" the IP saying what you did and did not do, check the panel into the WIP cage (remember to label it with the part number, IP number, and your employee number!) and then "maintain closure" by covering the empty spot with a sheet of plastic taped down along its entire perimeter with 3M 8979 duct tape. It is, of course, still raining while you're doing all this, because some fucking idiot decided to build an aircraft factory in the Pacific Northwet. Does duct tape stick particularly well to sodden wing panels? No, it does not.)

The one advantage of going to work at 5 am is that you never miss a sunrise

Assume you have all the screws you need and you haven't dropped any of the panels and damaged them while bumbling around. Apply Braycote 248 to the threads and start banging them home with a torque-limited screwgun.

Once installed, there are those two important electrical bonds mentioned above. LAM does not take your word that you've correctly installed the panel, of course, they want you to measure it. Getting the antistatic value is easy enough-- one probe on the head of the fastener, the other to the surface of the panel, value in the hundreds of kiloohms. Impossible to screw up.

What's harder is the lightning conduction path bond. That's measured in single digit milliohms, and it's from the foil lining of the panel to the structure of the wing. The foil is hard to access, since it's on the other side of the goddamn panel you just expensively installed.

Well, in some cases, you can just reach from an adjacent open panel. (The IP notes which panel does not require a lightning bond reading, and you are supposed to infer that this is the last panel to install.) But LAM defines "adjacent" somewhat loosely. By the time you are on the final panel, you are measuring bonds by duct taping one probe of the M1 meter to the end of a broomstick, crawling up the asshole of the plane, and jamming it against the back of a panel six feet away. This is as stupid as it sounds, and it takes several tries and quite a lot of fumbling around to get a good reading. If you don't get a good reading, then you will have the experience of taking the panel off, cleaning it real good, and then trying again, while your team lead breathes down your neck.

But if the readings are good, you unthread yourself from the guts of the wing, pound in the last panel, plug in your scissor lift, dump your cleaning materials contaminated with various exotic aerospace greases and weirdo solvents into the hazmat bin, return your tools to the tool room, and clock the fuck out. You've got a different airplane to grease tomorrow!

[guiltyandashamed]

Helloo i love ur content so much , so entertaining to read and im exreamly greatful for it <3 , if its not too much of a bother could you write about how the brothers act when mc has curly hair and how she take care of it? I think that would be fun (totally not because im a curly hair gorly 👀)

headcannons: curly haired MC

(Consulted my curly haired friend for this, hope its accurate! Thanks and enjoy :))

Lucifer

At first, he doesn’t fully grasp the level of effort it takes, he assumes it’s just hair. But he notices the discipline in your routine and starts respecting it deeply.

Once tried to run his gloved fingers through it without thinking and learned quickly that you don’t do that without permission. His gloves have a tendency to make it frizzy, so you allow him only if he takes them off. 

Has offered to order expensive Devildom-grade conditioners (for his shower) and satiny pillowcases for his bed “for your convenience,” but it’s clearly because he likes how happy your good curl days make you. (And he wouldn't mind you sleeping over in his room more often.)

Mammon

Absolutely obsessed. Your curls are one of his favorite things, he’s always playing with them (until you tell him not to mess up your curl pattern).

Secretly tried to use your leave-in one day to make his own hair “bouncier” and it backfired hilariously.

He’ll join you on wash days, chatting happily while watching you go through your hair-care routine. Loves the intimacy of watching you care for yourself.

Sometimes you let him shampoo it and he loves it. Brings him the same joy a bubble bath would. He smiles as he looks down at you, hair in his hands. You trust him, almost feeling like a dog getting a good scratch.

Leviathan

Was nervous to touch it at first, thinking it was too delicate, but once you told him how to safely scrunch it or fluff it, he got obsessed.

He loves watching you slip a gaming headset on. Will gladly help you move your hair to make it sit comfortably, blushing the whole time. 

Will ask you to cosplay his favorite curly-headed characters. Dies if you do. 

Anytime he thinks about summoning Lotan, he remembers how furious you got the last time because it messed up your hair. So now, he takes a deep breath and reconsider. 

Satan

Reads up on curl science and protective styling so he doesn’t ask ignorant questions. Quietly observant of what you need on high-maintenance days.

Loves seeing you with a silk scarf or bonnet “it makes you look “regal,” he says.

Occasionally helps you finger-coil if you’re tired. He’s methodical, focused, and a fast learner.

Will write little poems or comparisons to nature about how your curls look in the candlelight, or how rain makes them swell. 

Likes when you lean on his shoulder while you read together, he can smell the products of your hair. It smells distinctively of you. 

Asmodeus

Absolutely a curl enthusiast. Thinks your hair is high art and treats it accordingly.

Constantly gushing over your volume, bounce, and texture. “Darling, your curls have more personality than most demons!”

Loves doing your hair with you, will sit behind you with a wide-tooth comb and detangler while you two gossip or listen to music.

Is always eager to try new hairstyles, occasionally weaving in ribbon or other fashionable accessories. 

He steals your products, all the time. But he makes up for it by giving you free hair-care products sent by his sponsors. 

Beelzebub

Thinks your hair smells amazing all the time. Is very gentle when he hugs you so he doesn’t smush it.

Always offers to help you on wash days, because you always say it makes your arms sore. It's sort of a workout, so he's intrigued. 

If your hair is frizzy or wild, he doesn’t mind, he thinks you look soft and warm, like a pillow.

He once asked if he could “pat it.” You let him. He was overjoyed. 

Fell asleep with his head on your curls once and called it the best nap ever.

Belphegor

Finds your hair fascinating when it's extra fluffy in the mornings. Has taken secret photos of you mid-sleep when your hair looks “cloudy.”

Constantly tugs at a curl while you’re talking just to watch it bounce. Smirks every time.

Loves napping with his face buried in it, even if it leaves your hair tangled and frizzy he doesn’t care. “You're soft. That’s all I need.”

Thinks it takes too much work to maintain. Says you should just use magic to do it. 

Will fall asleep holding your bonnet if you forget it on his bed.

[gemstraining1]

 Hydraulic Training in India

Hydraulic training involves learning about the principles and applications of hydraulic systems, which use liquids to transmit power and control motion. The training covers hydraulic components, circuits, troubleshooting, and maintenance. It may include hands-on experience with hydraulic equipment and tools, as well as simulations and exercises to enhance practical skills.

Hydraulic training is essential for anyone working with hydraulic systems, including technicians, engineers, and operators, to ensure machinery and equipment's safe and efficient operation. If you would like more details about Hydraulic Training in India, you can visit our site.

[slugtranslation-hypmic]

How the Sooseeji is Made: What's it Like to Work as a Japanese-to-English Media Translator?

I'm a bit under the weather today, so in lieu of working, I thought it'd be fun to write about the practical aspects of working in localization. What's a day in the life like? How does this affect the translation itself? Why do translators conduct themselves in public the way they do? How does all this differ from fan translation?

This was something I wish I'd known more about before I started working, and I think a lot of it is quite interesting even if you're not planning on working in this field. Let's dive in!

(Note: This is part 1 of 3! Later parts will be reblogged onto this post.)

How does your manga get made?

The overwhelming bulk of manga translation is contract work. Tiny publishers may have one or two dedicated translators as salaried staff, but virtually every other publisher will assign a given manga series to one of many translators within a large freelance pool. Generally speaking, a manga series will only have one translator at a time, although there are a handful of siblings and spouses who translate in pairs. Very famous series will sometimes scout a particular translator for related materials--for instance, a new Sailor Moon spinoff manga might warrant seeking out main series translators Alethea and Athena Nibley--but high demand for certain translators, cramped production schedules, and (to be frank) universal internal disorganization means this isn't always the case. It's not uncommon for a translator to translate one part of a franchise but not another--even if they're available and interested!

This can lead to term mismatches or slightly different writing styles. In public, this is often chalked up to gross negligence on the part of the translator, but the truth is often not quite so black-and-white. In some cases, publishing staff may assign a weaker or less well-equipped for the series translator. This could be caused by a lack of familiarity with the translator--perhaps this translator is a new addition to the freelancer pool or has never been tested on this kind of material--or, more frequently, too much work on the publisher's end to devote a significant amount of time to a single series. Publication staff are grossly overworked and (frequently) underpaid as a rule.

Other common errors stem from a poorly curated or else totally missing glossary. Every manga series has a glossary/term bible that contains common series-specific Japanese terms, their set English translation, and other information that could be useful for the translator. A typical glossary looks something like this:

(Please note that all images of example resources in this post are made by me for the express purpose of this post and are not indications that Hypmic is or will be licensed in English.)

A good glossary is super handy! Let's imagine a parallel universe where Hypmic is licensed and I'm the translator. Presumably, I have a lot of other projects and may go months between translating each volume. I may forget how I translated a term or some rule I decided for character voice. If it's all written down, I can always go back and refer to it! Now let's suppose I have to leave the series for whatever reason, and a new translator is assigned to the project. If they have these notes, they can pick up right where I left off and continue using the same spellings, terms, and style rules. Score!

However, that "if" is carrying a lot of weight. Glossaries don't always make it to the next translator in line for one of three reasons:

As glossary maintenance is unpaid labor, the previous translator may have neglected to keep their glossary up to date.

The overworked publication staff have lost the glossary file or neglected to share it with the new translator.

(As is often the case with spinoffs or franchises like Hypmic with multiple subseries) The glossary belongs to another company, and requesting a copy of the glossary--or a living document between companies--requires approval from the Japanese publisher or too much red tape to be worth anyone's time.

If any aspiring translators reading this take away only one thing from this post, then have it be this reminder to keep your glossary updated. I know it sucks. I know you're not paid to do it. I know it's only slightly less painful than having your fingernails torn off with rusty pliers. But you will forget details, even if you think you won't, and if you have to leave a series and give the next translator 30+ hours of labor fixing your glossary before they can begin, the next translator will hate your guts. ("Slug, are you subtweeting someone in particular?" If only! If I never fix another glossary in my life, I will die happy.) Update. Your. Glossary.

As alluded to above, manga translators may have large gaps in their schedule between books and grow fuzzy on details. (This is less of an issue for simulpub translators, who work on a new chapter every month or week. We'll talk about simulpubbing more below.) This could happen naturally, ie whenever the English release is caught up to Japan and the translator is simply waiting for the next volume, or the translator's schedule is too packed.

Wait...packed with what? What else does a translator have on their plate but the one series?

Usually, a separate job or a whole heap of other series! Manga pay fluctuates depending on a variety of factors but is generally in the ballpark of $1000 USD for volume. Translators are expected to complete a single volume every month-ish, although this is "ish" is again doing a lot of heavy lifting as publisher timelines have a lot of variation. (Some pubs will ask for a full volume within a week, which is actually not unreasonable--I don't think it's difficult to knock out a volume for most series within a single day, provided you have nothing else to do--but the assumption is that you're busy and really only squeezing in two or three work sessions in across the course of your assignment period. This can be challenging to do in a week if you're really and truly booked up.) For most people in the US or other high CoL parts of the world, $1200 a year is nowhere near enough to live comfortably on--and that's assuming there's enough books in the series to give the translator an assignment every month. It's not like translators are being unfairly shafted, either. While there is some amount of corporate greed at play, the fact of the matter is that quite a lot of manga is produced at a loss, and even the profitable ones don't make huge sums of money. Many publishers are sustained on cash cow series like One Piece or Naruto, which subsidize the rest of the publication's lineup. There just isn't enough money in manga to sustain a translator--to say nothing of the editor, letterer, and all sorts of support staff--on a single series.

Therefore, the vast majority of freelancer translators juggle numerous other translation/editing/writing projects, work a whole other full-time job and only translate for the love of it, or are subsidized by their spouse or parents. This is why superfans will often end up more knowledgeable than translators about their favorite series and may be upset when the translator makes a goof. Should the translator take steps to avoid errors? Yes, absolutely. At the same time, it's important to remember that some amount of human error is inevitable in any work, and in the media translation industry, overwork is the rule, not the exception.

Simulpubbing can help to mitigate this, as the relatively predictable publishing schedule gives a translator a guaranteed source of income. Having one or two simulpub series to fall back on eliminates some of the scramble to cram in as many books as possible to avoid the famine end of the feast-or-famine freelance cycle. But simulpubbing isn't without its own challenges, the most annoying of which being the overwork on both Japanese and English publisher ends leading to files coming in incomplete, late, or both with astonishing frequency. Turnaround times can be very, very tight--sometimes a matter of hours--and a non-Japan-based translator may be required to stay up into the middle of the night to receive files and turn in the translation before US/EU morning.

Simulpubbing, or any manga translation where the work is caught up to Japan, also has the thorny issue of a lack of context. It may come as a surprise to learn that manga translators typically have no contact with the author--and may be forbidden from speaking to the author at all! (This latter issue stems from issues of harassment. Some publishers, as a blanket rule, forbid any contact so that any negative interactions between authors and English-speaking fans can in no way be traced back to the publisher. This enables them to maintain working relationships with the Japanese publishers.) This frequently causes issues for mystery manga or manga with nebulous text like Jujutsu Kaisen. The translator doesn't have any more idea what's going to happen next than the reader! How do you lay foreshadowing when you don't know whodunnit? How do you futureproof upcoming reveals when the source text doesn't give you essential information like gender or singular/plural? A translator has to develop workarounds, but even the best translators will inevitably slip up and occasionally make the wrong assumption. Oops!

Now, with all that complaining out of the way, how does a manga actually get made?

In virtually all cases, a manga translator creates a script formatted in such a way that it's clear to the letterer and editor precisely what needs to be done. The average script looks something like this:

It should be noted that the above format does not match any one particular publisher's, but the vast majority of them look similar to this.

As you can probably imagine, the formatting can be just as time-consuming as the translation itself. Many manga translators use macros or scripts to speed up the process, but it can still be annoyingly tedious.

But clear directions for letterers--many of whom are using scripts themselves and not reading the text in full--are absolutely vital. Translators and letterers rarely have direct communication with each other, so clear direction is crucial.

In fan translation, this may not be necessary, and as such scripts are often much more relaxed. Here's the same text in the style I used in my scanlation days:

Once a script is complete, the editor gets to work on it. Many editors in the publishing side of the industry are (overworked) salaried employees and generally are not as fluent in Japanese as in game editing, where editors are often strong enough in Japanese to translate themselves. As a result, it's vital that translators check their own scripts for accuracy and provide explanation for liberties taken or potential points of confusion. Editors may have the ability to query translators, and some editor/translator pairs may corroborate directly (sometimes without publisher approval), but there generally isn't the time for the translator and editor to confer over every line. (Additionally, sending and addressing queries is unpaid labor.) Many famous mistranslations were introduced in the editing stage--where a translator, having written confusing text, is often just as much to blame as an editor.

How does this happen? Say I had been awkwardly literal with Jakurai's final line on page 1 and written "Yes. No doubt both teams have gone up in skill." (There's a katakana "sukiru appu" I rephrased.) The editor would have--correctly--flagged this as strange and set about trying to fix it. But what does "skill" mean here? Is it referring to their talent or the Rap Abilities which, annoyingly, the Japanese manga occasionally mislabels as "skills"? If it's the latter, what does it mean for an Ability to "go up"? Hypmic doesn't have a leveling system, but maybe Abilities can get stronger over time? Assuming as much, the editor might rewrite this as "Yes. No doubt their Abilities have grown stronger, too." Uh-oh. Now we have an error that, while technically not being something I wrote, still resulted from me doing my job improperly.

Outside of the primary editor, there may be others who attend to the script at this stage, like adapters or copyeditors. Adapters are line editors skilled in reworking overly literal translations into natural-sounding English--thus facing similar challenges as in the above paragraph--while copyeditors ensure adherence to grammatical rules and style guides.

When a script has been edited, it passes to the letterer. Letterers typically start their work in InDesign, a program used for adjusting book layouts, and replace all Japanese dialogue with dialogue from the script. Many letterers have automated programs that assist with the tedious copy/pasting aspect. Next, letterers recenter and style the text as necessary before addressing the SFX, signs, and any other bits of text that require extra TLC. A lot of SFX work is done in Illustrator or Photoshop and later linked into the InDesign file. Unfortunately, while the Japanese dialogue is layered in InDesign, there's no guarantee SFX will be layered in the (often flat) source psds or tifs. Many source files look something like this:

^ From a volume bonus in the FP/M+ manga

While some of the text has been removed, the letterer still has to contend with the ポs and the 飴 surrounding Matenrou. Some publishers require these to be retouched, meaning the letterer places the English SFX on top and then redraws the surrounding image until all trace of the Japanese SFX is gone. However, this is a lot of work, and as such it demands an extra fee that many other publishers can't or won't allocate funds to. In such cases, the letterer places their SFX near the Japanese SFX and styles it in a similar fashion. For SFX-heavy series, this can easily look busy or overwhelming. Both options could be nightmarish in a series like Hypmic. The volume of retouch work would be atrocious, and assuming most rap pages would be delivered as flat files, it would be difficult to squish all the text into the few blank spaces on the page. The Korean localization of the manga tries this latter approach, and it's a little visually underwhelming.

(Image from this blog post)

Other publishers opt for unstyled SFX or simply including a chart in the back of the book. I feel like this is a shame, as well-done SFX are such excellent storytelling tools.

At this stage of the process, the book enters some form of QA and layout/production. The exact workflow will vary depending on its publisher and whether the book is slated for digital, print, or webtoon-style release. However, the overall process follows a few basic steps. A uneditable copy (like a pdf) of the lettered book is sent to a proofreader, typically another freelancer. The proofreader's comments return to the editor, and the editor--who has some lettering ability--makes the necessary changes to the book's files. (Some publishers may choose to send the proofreader's comments to the letterer and have them make these changes themselves.) Then, once the book is in good shape, a layout and production team add in the cover, colophon, and all the other bits that make up a book. Finally, the volume is sent to the printers or digital distributors. That's it! Not long after, the book reaches stores and is in your hands!

In the interest of time, I'd like to wrap up here and continue at a later date. This will probably be a three-parter, with part 2 focusing on game localization (ideally, also touching lightly on anime and prose books) and part 3 talking about self-marketing and expected conduct in fan spaces.

Thanks for reading!

[silliest-sideblog]

A working factory

Pairing: Etho/Tango Length: 750 words Summary: Tango spends his time at his favorite spot in the factory, now that it is running again

Ao3 link

Note: Just some slabtek fluff for the soul, fic under the cut

It has been a few months now since Tango turned on the factory so when he flicked the switch and everything somehow turned out to be working, it was a huge relief. Originally he had wanted to try if everything was still in working order when he finished building the exterior but a day of waiting and just allowing himself to enjoy what he made.

But rather quickly, a day turned into a week, turned into a month turned into four.

So he tried telling himself that it’s fine, that he can get by with what he has in his storage but eventually he had to turn the factory back on.

And for once, things go well for Tango Tek.

He busies himself with some simple maintenance around the place, cleaning up a few chests, checking on farms he hasn’t visited in months and giving the occasionally strutting by Teknician a pat on the head.

The little guys trot along, dropping a few of the items along the way only to return moments later to pick them up again.

Everything is working as intended.

Once he’s sure he has finished most of his stuff around the base, Tango climbs up through his newly built hatch and into the noodles of his factory, manoeuvring until he sits on a pathway made of glass, water flowing below.

It’s been a while since he’s been here, but once Tango sits down with his legs crossed and his tail wrapped close around himself, he immediately feels the same comfort and joy as always. 

Watching items zoom down the water streams right below, seeing them shoot up water streams and eventually finished products rushing by. This is what exactly why he built the factory in the first place.

Of course it is nice to have everything automated and every minute not spent crafting dispensers is a minute well spent. But after all the work and frustration this project has caused him it’s nice to see this place function while also looking the part of a steampunk factory now.

So Tango sits here, watching items swim past for who knows how long. For the most part, no one can find him here, allowing him some peace and quiet while he thinks about his next projects, occasionally scribbling down notes as the factory works around him.

Unsure how much time has passed, Tango stretches his arms above his head, when a wooshing sound, alongside a faint cloud of purple, appears and quickly dissipates, leaving none other than Etho behind and only startling Tango slightly.

Trying to seem casual, Tango looks up at him, smoothing out the flames of his tail that poofed up, “Oh, what’s up, E?” and then mumbling under his breath, “Stupid nerd-pearls.”

Etho chuckles at Tango’s reaction before sitting down next to him, letting his legs dangle just above the water. “Saw that the factory was running.”

“Yeah, a miracle really.” Tango has complained many a nights to Etho when the minecarts made him want to tear his flaming hair out.

“So you sit down here and not upstairs at your fancy desk?” He can feel Etho’s curious stare, the slight tilt of his head and it makes Tango smile.

“Nah, down here is way better. Got an eye on everything right at this spot.” He leans closer to Etho and points at one of the water streams in front of them. “Got everything in view. Items coming in, seeing what’s being crafted. Lets me actually spot when items don’t get processed.” Tango’s laugh betrays just how often this has happened.

“Surprised you’re asking, considering how much time you spend at your moss farm.” Tango pokes him in his side, Etho flinching slightly before returning the favor with a laugh. “Hey, not saying I don’t get it, just thought it’s more comfortable up there.”

“You’re not wrong,” Tango says as Etho musters him before draping himself across Tango, right against his shoulder. “Or just do that, that’s fine too.” He is not panicking. No, totally not panicking.

After a moment he lets himself relax into the touch and soon after his tail wraps itself around Etho, before resting in his lap. It twitches under his touch until Etho’s hand stills again.

Sitting like this is a lot more comfortable and Tango allows himself to lounge against Etho, and enjoys the arm around him more than he’d admit.

Below them, items keep zooming by as they sit in a comfortable silence.

[agbpaints]

Oh the Hellspawn. Another 'mech brought to us by FASA Interactive which was later ported back into the construction rules of Classic Battletech, basically all of the discussion I've found online about the HSN-xx is largely negative, and while I don't necessarily disagree with a lot of the criticism I do think it's a design worth taking a look at.

In the late 3050s the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns determined that their aging fleet of Dervish fast fire support mechs was due for a replacement, having served since the times of the Star League and grown quite obsolete in the intervening centuries. General Motors won the contract to produce the new 'mech in 3060 with their Hellspawn concept, a design that promised to excede the capabilities of the existing DV marks significantly as both a lightweight fire support unit and an interdictor to handle light mechs and C3 spotters used by the Combine. The first 'mechs walked off of the line on Talcott in 3062 into the looming clusterfuck of the FedCom Civil War.

The initial HSN-7D that GM produced on Talcott sets a strong design language regrettably followed by the majority of Hellspawn variants. Weighing 45 tons, the 7D is scaffolded with a GM M-type endosteel chassis and powered by an in-house produced 270 XL fusion engine with 6 jump jets mounted between the side torsos. Dalban provided the electronics system, including an Guardian ECM suite to allow the HSN to add e-war missions to its repertoire. The offensive payload is actually pretty impressive for its weight class- the HSN-7D is armed with a pair of LRM-10s split between the right arm and left torso and supplied by 2 tons of ammunition, supported by three medium pulse lasers mounted on the arms and torso.

Of course, this level of mobility and weaponry comes at a cost- the original production Hellspawn only mounts 6.5 tons of armor. This is less than 70% of the total possible belt and dangerously close to Hellbringer levels of protection. All three torsos can be breached by a gauss rifle slug immediately. GM also neglected th mount CASE on their design, making the already fragile mech highly susceptible to total loss from ammo explosions in the field.

Reactions in the field from AFFS units were... poor. It was immediately apparent that the brass had handed GM the deal without actually considering what was being proposed to them. The Hellspawn's added interdiction capabilities did not offset the 'mech's abysmal protection and the fiddly engine and electronics suites required constant maintenance and parts to keep operational. The 15 year old Dervish 7D was generally favored by pilots and quartermasters- the standard fusion engine meant replacement parts were less expensive and the thicker armor and CASE-protected ammunition bays meant that mechwarriors were less likely to come to understand the workings of their ride's ejector seats personally.

In the face of their product's poor reputation, GM did no soul searching in the following years and instead chose to double down. Introduced in 3068, the HSN-8E did nothing to alter the mech's survivability, instead opting to exchange the arm-mounted pulse lasers for ER models in order to add Artemis firce control systems to the missile launchers. This nominally improves the 'mech's long range damage but in the leadup to the e-war spaked battlefields of the Jihad spending two tons on a 'mech with questionable armor to improve its direct fire capabilities is questionable. The same year GM also released the 9F, a worse than useless refit that removes the ECM suite, a laser, both of the LRM racks, and a half ton of armor (bringing us to 63% belt capacity) in exchange for a pair of MRM-20s. Again, *these are factory refit options from GM*. Someone at the Talcott plant must've been a plant by LOKI because I have no explanation for the AFFS deciding to take delivery of this shit except for a Lyran spy ring.

Luckily worse fortunes for the Inner Sphere led to better mechs. The Talcott plant was bombed by the Blakists during the early stages of the Jihad and presumably one of the casualties in that tragedy was the original design team for the Hellspawn. Shame. When production resumed in 3076, GM introduced a new variant that finally addressed the concerns of the original HSN models, the 10G. One jump jet and the ECM suite have been removed, the LRM launchers have been replaced by a pair of MML-7 variable missile launch systems fed by 3 tons of ammunition and the torso laser has been replaced by a light PPC. While CASE is still absent, light ferro-fibrous armor has been mounted and total protection has been increased to 7.5 tons--this gauss-proofs the torsos and brings the total belt to 83% protection. This is the variant I'm personally most familiar with and I find it a pleasant design to use: the long range damage is similar to the original 7D model but the short range potential throw weight of the MMLs and pulse lasers is brutal and the 3rd ton of ammo allows the 10G to mount inferno munitions alongside standard SRMs and LRMs, making it a general menace to heat hogs and conventional forces.

The final production variant is the 10SR, which focuses on developing the Hellspawn's role as a fast scout. The missiles have been removed completely in favor of paired ER medium lasers and light PPCs in the arms, a light active probe and TAG artillery designator have been added to support the ECM suite, the standard jump jets have been replaced with 8 improved models, and the armor belt has been increased to 9 tons. The 10SR is an incredibly slippery forward scout, combining the durability of a medium mech with the air mobility of a Spider

Overall, discussion focuses on the pre-3070 designs of the Hellspawn, which is understandable given the aversion many Battletech players have to the Jihad and Dark Ages, but a shame because it overlooks a very nice little chassis. With the proliferation of mixed tech designs a "modern" 315x variant of the HSN could likely do some very interesting stuff with the Chassis, possibly flipping the script and mounting clan ER lasers as the long range weapons while turning the missiles into a close-up compliment. If nothing else I hope more people do decide to pick up the 10G- it's a legitimately fanrastic little bodyguard and bully and I've thoroughly enjoyed running it.

[gasgasdaily]

We've been talking about the 80s, 90s, the height of racing, the lows of racing, the technological marvels of modern engineering and the fails of it. How companies rise and fall but today, we're gonna talking about something that revolutionized the motoring world, something that's iconic that drove two contrasting ideologies during different periods of time and also, we're going back in time, WAY back and that's the topic, "The Birth of a Revolution: The Volkswagen Beetle".

Pic from top to bottom, left to right in zigzag pattern: The creator and designer of the concept and the eventual starter of Porsche, Ferdinand Porsche -> Porsche and his creation, the Beetle -> The original form of the Beetle which had no rear windows at all -> Hitler addressing the crowd at the 1938 Nuremberg Rally whilst unveiling the car -> Post-war 1950s Type 1 production model of the Beetle

Post-WWI Germany was in total shambles as the economy tanked hard due to the Versailles Treaty sucking all resources out of Germany plus the collapse of Wall Street in 1928 kicking in the Great Depression turned the whole economics of Germany into turmoil and the Weimar Republic was doing a shoddy work of rebuilding it. When Hitler officially took power from the Weimar Republic by force, he managed to stabilize the economy by whatever means and by 1934, he drastically changed Germany's financial situation by withhelding supplies towards the reparations payment for the Versailles Treaty and he opened up tons of new factories to re-promote industrialization and thus, a reformed Germany began and this time, under the Nazi Party.

In 1933, to facilitate the movement of goods up and down the country and with future military plans in sight, Hitler set up a transportation ministry and from there, he started the project to set up a national highway across the country which would eventually become what's now known as the "Autobahn" but back then, it's known as the "Reichsautobahn". Subsequently, he would also set up the Verband de Automobilindustrie which was basically a ministry to control and dictate what the vehicle manufacturers in Germany could and couldn't do. In 1934, with the autobahn done, Hitler needed to prove a point. Cars back then was only for the elites and the extremely rich but to prove that Germany has the capacity and to show off how industrialized they were, he devised a plan in 1934 to produce a car that everyone can own and drive as free as they want across the German countryside and on the autobahn. Thus, he gave the orders to spread the contracts out to German car designers and Ferdinand Porsche was one of the few that picked the contract up.

Ferdinand Porsche at that time was a destitute car designer who despite having great works under his name with multiple big companies of its time from Daimler to Wanderer, he was on hard times like many during the Great Depression and the designing firm that he had set up was also hanging on a thread. When the contract landed on his desk in 1934, it was a saving move. He quickly got to work by pulling his firm staff for assistance and with aides like Karl Rabe, Erwin Komenda and Josef Kales helping him, the designed the car rather quickly due to the specifications set.

Hitler's specification was rather simple. It has to be a car that can fit 5 people, 4+driver comfortably and the engine has to be air-cooled as mechanics were sparse back than thus having an engine that doesn't require tons of maintenance was the key to a successful "people's carrier" (Hence the name "Volkswagen"). The team got to work and by the tailend of October 1935, they already had two working prototypes being the V1 and V2. V1 was a sedan and V2 was a cabriolet to test the car's features and also to see which one would work better. The selected version was scaled to the V3 which was released approx half a year later in July 1936 and 3 V3s were made. Two was sent to the Reich Chancellery for Nazi party officials to critique and view the prototype project which many had actually given pretty good reviews upon what they saw and the remaining one was sent to Hitler for his personal review and he too liked what he saw. The V3s would then go thru vigorous testing across various terrains across Germany and would travel up and down the country without any significant damages for over 50,000km/31,000 miles. This made Hitler very happy and thus he greenlit the program and passed it to Daimler-Benz to create some actual production models for extra testing. Daimler-Benz did just that and by April 1937 would produce 30 W30s (The then-production code) for extra testing and unsurprisingly, the car performed well again and this time the cars in total did over a million km marked at over 2.9mil km/1.8mil miles and again, without any major issues. Daimler-Benz would tweak the design abit more with Porsche's help and decided to put a split-window at the rear to aid rear visibility as the W38 which would be the benchmark for the actual production car.

Hitler would then order the split of the company for the "Volkswagan" project to have its own facility in Wolfsburg where it can focus more on producing the "car for the people". He also found out that due to the simplicity of the design that Porsche had made, it made adapting the core support to become a military vehicle rather easy thus he too wanted Volkswagen to focus on that thus, the new factory. However, it was all a pipedream as just as the car was going thru it's full production in 1939 once the plant had finished, the Germans declared war on Poland which in return kicked the nation into full war with other nations resulting in WWII kicking off. Now with WWII in motion, the need for a civilian vehicle was on the back foot as military vehicles were needed more thus Volkswagen, despite being set up as a civilian vehicle production facility switched towards making military vehicles. Plus raw materials into making war supplies was the most vital importance, civilian vehicle production was tossed even further thus for a period of time, the "Beetle" project was canned and didn't get revived till war ended in 1945. When the British seized the plant, they found on the log that 210 "KdF-Wagen" (The actual production name of the car which meant "Strength thru joy wagon") was actually made and might have been given to Nazi party officials in the early 1940s and they too found parts strewn all around and thus, they quickly restarted the factory and by 1946 had produced over 1,700 remaining cars from the spare parts leftover and gifted it to various post-war services in the occupied parts of Germany like the postal services and even occupying forces officers.

Despite the outlook of the car, the occupying British instantly disliked the car and even mocked it as "unbefitting of a motor vehicle" and can't grasp the concept. Despite that, the Volkswagonwerk would continue going and was even at one point nearly wiped out as the Americans were ready to knock the factory down due to the reports from the British but Herbert Hoover, the 31st POTUS helped sway the votes on not to knock down these factories and instead keep the status quo to keep Germany united once again. After that scare, Volkswagenwerk also saw a new management coming in to take over the reins from the distrusting British and also with Ferdinand Porsche leaving to focus more on his own company, Porsche. An engineer, Heinrich Nordhoff was asked to take over the company by the British in 1948 and from then on, he revitalized the factory. He expanded the company and pushed for more production of the vehicle and also expand Wolfsburg as it's now the homestate of the factory workers and the company itself.

By 1955, Volkswagen was already producing its 1 million Beetle and the company was even projected to build at least 700,000 units per annum, something that wasn't heard of in the auto industry then and that made Volkswagen a household name not only in West Germany but soon, the whole of Europe. Volkswagen would see the Type 1 Beetle being made as the standard of the company since the end of WWII and along the way, a Type 2 was made but shares about the same components basically albeit subtle changes. The recipe is the same as the original pre-war concept that they're all air-cooled and rear-engine RWD config. What was true about their adaptability to become many things was true as VW not only turned the Beetle into "a Beetle", it became many other products with the base of the car being practically the same like the Volkswagen Kombi van being one of them. The other would be the kit car companies like Manx who would take Beetle chassis and engine, stick a fibreglass tub onto the frame, stick big wheels on it and sell them as dune buggies. Not only was the car versatile for multiple platforms, it was also easy to make thus Volkswagen would later on sell their manufacturing licenses out to other nations like Mexico, Malaysia, Brazil, Venezuela and Finland being the few but most important foreign builders of the Beetle was Mexico and Venezuela.

Volkswagen itself would see production numbers slowly tethering off in the 60s and 70s signaling the time for a change of a newer product which they did in Germany itself with the introduction of the Golf. However, not so much in foreign markets as the Beetle continued to thrive. As mentioned above, Volkswagen was built in Mexico, Venezuela and even Brazil which made these cars a household favorite in these lower income nation as they are cheap to buy, easy to work on and reliable. Mexicans loved it soo much that they even nicknamed the car, "Vocho" What was even more ironic was that when the West German Volkswagen had already stopped production of the Beetle by the end of the 70s, the South American plants didn't and same goes to the Mexican ones where they were still producing the Beetle and even selling them back towards Europe in the 80s for customers who wanted them. The American Volkswagen entities would then produce the Beetle deep into the 90s and Mexico itself didn't stop production of the original Beetle till the arrival of the new Beetle in 2003.

Also, remember when I said how the Beetle shaped a whole time period and changed two contrasting ideologies? Yup.. Welcome to the hippie 60s but let's swing off for abit 1st. When Porsche left Volkswagen, he took his design concept of the Beetle with him and with him basically being the one that filed for the patent of the car, no one disputed him in Germany alone thus his cars would soon resemble the Beetle from then on but keeping the story short, let's head back to the 60s.

1960s saw the height of global tension with the Cold War being super warm with the Cuban Missile Crisis and for the Americans themselves, the Vietnam War. Counter-war sentiments ran high throughout the late 1960s to the early 1970s as people were against a foreign war that didn't help them and also forcing people thru conscripts to fight a war that they shouldn't even be involved in and these counter-movement soon gained a name, "hippie". These hippies would often roam the whole of the US thru protests after protests across states and what they needed was a car and the perfect car for them was one that's reliable, easy to maintain, comfy enough to drive, not American (As they figured that dumping money to American car companies would = funding the war which, in a weird way, is true) and the car that fits their bill was the Beetle. Thus, many hippies started buying Beetles to prove their point of being rebels of the system and not paying huge prices for large cars just to fund the war machine. What was ironic about it was that they're doing the counters of what the Nazi regime was doing in the 1940s which was pretty funny regardless. Despite the irony, the Beetle did shape a whole period as these hippies would often paint their car in outlandish and psychedelic paint and thus it became an iconic scene that if you talk about the Beetle, it's automatically accustomed to the period and would automatically label one's driver as a "hippie".

In total, Volkswagen across all it's production line from Germany to Mexico would produce over 21.5 million units from 1938-2003 making it not only the most produced motor vehicle in history and also one of the longest, non-breaking production lines ever in history with the Mexico line starting in the early 50s, without break, till 2003.

Who would have thought that a car that was supposed to be made in peace time would be mired due to the person who idealized the vehicle and would revolutionize culture in such a big way and from a dinky little passenger vehicle would spawn soo many things from commercial vehicles to literal war vehicles and later on sports cars? No one else could do it but.. The Beetle did. Herbie says hi.

[felassan]

Article: 'EA’s BioWare will lay off 50 and cut ties with unionized Keywords playtesting group'

[BioWare Blog post for reference]

Excerpts:

"The layoffs are a blow to morale at the studio and have made the environment difficult, said Gary Mckay, general manager of the developer, in a statement to employees today. He said EA is trying to make BioWare into a more agile and more focused studio. EA has an estimated 12,000 to 13,000 employees, and BioWare had perhaps 250 people. The moves come with a couple of related or perhaps coincidental events. A spokesperson for EA said that the company was unable to come to an agreement with a part of Keywords, a big game services firm, that provides playtesting services. In June 2022, this small part of Keywords had a group of contractors who voted to unionize. EA said it was unable to create a new contract and so will let that current one expire on September 27. It’s not clear what will happen to the contractors without the EA contract, but it’s fair to guess that some jobs will likely be lost over at Keywords unless they find other work. An industry source said EA has renewed work orders with Keywords Studios since their employees voted to unionize in June 2022. But the source added that, in this instance, the two companies simply couldn’t agree to terms. The Keywords contract requirements exceeded what EA/BioWare needed given the change in development approach at the studio.  The layoff also comes about three months after EA moved production of its massively multiplayer online game, Star Wars: The Old Republic, to a third-party publisher, Broadsword, in Reston, Virginia. The game debuted way back in 2011 and has entered maintenance mode. Broadsword has also taken over games like Ultima Online and Dark Age of Camelot so players can keep playing them. McKay’s leadership will not be affected. Michael Gamble, who recently returned to BioWare, serves as head of the Mass Effect team, and pre-production continues on the next Mass Effect game. Corinne Busche and John Epler, two leaders on Dragon Age, also continue in their roles. Andrew Wilson, CEO of EA, announced back in March that the company would cut about 6% of its total workforce, and these cutbacks are related to that move. EA has not said when Dragon Age: Dreadwolf will ship."

[source and full article]