Archival Cylinder Box:

Bill Klinger

© 2007 ARSC

An ARSC Design andEngineering Project

Problems withHistorical Cylinder Boxes

Brown-Wax Record Packed in Cotton BattingTypical of U.S. packaging (1890s – 1903).

(introduced in 1898)

Generic “Euro” Box with Integral Cotton Lining

Columbia Cotton-Lined Box(1903 – 1909)

Edison Cotton-Lined Box(September 1905 – 1912)

Unlined BoxTypical container for celluloid cylinders.

Problems• Cotton lining retains moisture, which

promotes growth of fungus.• Record surface abraded by contact with

interior walls or lining.• Acidic paperboard deteriorates with age.• Contaminants are common in old boxes.• Lids loose or missing.

Better designs amongHistorical Cylinder Boxes

“Phonogram Mailing Box”

Patented by Harry F. Searle (1889)

Rectangular Spindle Box

(early 1890s)

Edison Spindle Box

(August 1904 – August 1905)

Modern Cylinder Boxes

Library of Congress (LC) Cylinder BoxDesigned by Robert Carneal (c1972).

Gaylord Bros. “Wax Cylinder Replacement Box”(introduced in June 1994)

Priced at $4.29 each (1-29) or $3.63 (30+), in 1999.

Photo: Jerry Fabris, ENHS

ENHS Archival Cylinder BoxDesigned by Jerry Fabris, with LC input, in 1996.

Ridgid Paper Tube Corporation (Paterson, NJ) manufactured 11,000 boxes for ENHS at $3.70 each, in 1998.

Perforated Tin BoxesDesigned by Frans Jansen in 2001.

Volume manufacturing cost: 55¢.

Metal Edge Inc. Wax Cylinder Box “WCB1”Designed by David Seubert (UCSB) and Bob Henderson (Metal Edge), in 2002.

June 2007 prices: -- $9.50 (5-24) -- $8.50 (25-49) -- $7.65 (50-99)

Goal: To define, design, and produce an optimized, low-cost, archival-quality container for use in safely storing and transporting a single “standard-size” cylinder phonograph record.

September 2005:NRPB commissioned ARSC to develop an Archival Cylinder Box (ACB).

Step 1:Define Requirements

Preferences Sampled

Discussions toward an optimized ACB began during the 2002 ARSC Conference, in Santa Barbara.

Proposed Concept

An ACB having just two main parts—a Body and a Lid—each molded as a single piece, from a stable, inert, plastic-resin material.

Critical Objectives

• House the cylinder without contacting the playing surface.

• Minimize any mechanical, chemical, or biological stress on the artifact.

Preferred Configuration

• Cylindrical Form: inherent geometric simplicity and physical strength; ease of retrieval from an array of stored boxes.

• Box Body with centering Spindle.• Box Lid with positive-retention features.• Shock-absorbing cushions in both Body

and Lid.

Venting

• Provide venting to allow for a free exchange of air, into and out of box.

• Prevents degradation caused by material outgassing, moisture condensation, or the creation of a microclimate within the box.

• Note that the nitrogen oxides given off by decomposing celluloid are heavier than air.

Material Properties Sought

• Chemically inert (non-reactive).• Long-term chemical and mechanical

stability.• Known purity.• Very low flammability.

Materials to Avoid

• Plasticizers• Mold Release Agents• Undesired fillers or additives• Adhesives

Requirements Document

Archival Cylinder Box: Proposed Specification (an eight-page paper issued on September 29, 2004) describes the proposed ACB and specifies the known requirements.

Step 2:Research Candidate Materials

Plastic Resins Considered

• High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)• Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)• Polypropylene (PP)• Polycarbonate (PC)

Superior long-term chemical stability and excellent mechanical properties make PC the best candidate. However, PC costs seven times as much as HDPE.

Possible Beneficial Additives• Carbon Black: Absorbs damaging UV

and improves long-term stability of the resin. Produces a black box.

• Titanium Dioxide: UV-reflecting pigment, for an opaque white box.

• Flame Retardants• Antioxidants• UV Stabilizers

Plastic Foams• Must remain soft and compressible, over a long

period of time and a wide range of temperatures.• Certain polyethylene foams (such as Ethafoam®,

Plastazote®, and Volara®) have been used in archival applications.

• Cellular silicone foams exhibit unsurpassed compression-set and creep resistance. Very resistant to ozone and UV exposure, they also meet the highest UL flammability ratings. These favorable properties point to a silicone as the best candidate material for the ACB cushions.

LC Review

The ARSC Cylinder Subcommittee report Archival Cylinder Box: Plastic-Molding Considerations (July 7, 2004) was reviewed and approved by experts in the Conservation Division of the Preservation Directorate of the Library of Congress.

Step 3:Study Plastics Molding

Technologies

Molding Process Options

• Seven processes considered: blow, compression, extrusion, injection, rotational, stretch, and transfer molding.

• Based on the configuration, size, quantities, and end purpose of the ACB, injection molding is the best suited process.

Injection Mold for a simple plastic part

Step 4:Assess Suppliers

COMPANY NAME LOCATION

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CONTACT NAME CONTACT TITLE

Basilius, Inc.OH, Toledo, 4338 South Avenue x x x x AmCon Keiser, Dave Vice President

Basilius, Inc. [Rep]OH, Maumee, PO Box 91 AmCon Moore, Daniel Mfrs' Representative

CAPCO Polymer IndustriesOH, Columbiana, 44054 Heck Road x P Enctr Green, Doug President

CAPCO Polymer Industries [Rep] P Enctr Mussomeli, Mike Account Executive

Chardon Plastics MachineryOH, Chardon, 11680 Butternut Road x P Enctr Schindelholz, Donald President

CIMA Plastics GroupOH, Twinsburg, 2146 Enterprise Parkway x AmCon Stewart, James M. President

Clark Plastics Co.OH, Burton, 14281 Kinsman Road x

Complete Design Services, Inc.

OH, Chardon, 514 Water Street, Unit 103 x

Rickard, William; Kalcher, Frank

Custom Design & Mold LLCOH, Englewood, 140 Harrisburg Drive x x + P Enctr

Shock, Richard J., Sr. President

Custom PlasTech Ltd.OH, Newbury, 15002 Cross Creek Park + x Zab, Robert General Manager

Excel Polymers LLCOH, Burton, 14330 Kinsman Road x

Ferriot Inc.OH, Akron, 1000 Arlington Circle x x x x P Enctr Peck, Roger

Director of Sales & Marketing

Flambeau Products Corp.OH, Middlefield, 15981 Valplast Road x

Credits

CAD Images and Renderings

Rich Williams(The Technology House, Solon, Ohio.)

Cylinder Box Photos

Dale Monroe-Cook(Oak Park, Illinois)

ARSC Cylinder Subcommittee• Adrian Cosentini• Michael Devecka• Peter Dilg• Jerry Fabris• Martin Fisher• Christer Hamp• Michael Khanchalian• Peter Shambarger

Step 5:Draft an Initial Design

Estimated Per-Piece Costs

COST ($US)Body Lid ACB

1,000 4.20 1.20 5.405,000 3.12 1.19 4.31

10,000 3.00 1.19 4.19

Quantity

for the Design of 20060811

(Cost of foam cushions is not included.)

The very thick wall in this design requires 0.365 pound of PC resin to mold the Body. (PC costs at least $2 per pound.)

Step 6:Revise Design

3-D CAD Model

This fluted Body requires 0.234 pound of PC—36% less than the original version.

The refined Lid requires 17% less PP.

Step 7:Build Prototype

Simple Injection Mold

Complex Injection Mold

Machining a Plastic Prototype Part

Rapid Prototyping

Stereolithography

An additive fabrication process that builds 3-D objects, layer by layer, using a UV laser to solidify cross-sectional patterns on the surface of a liquid photopolymer.

Animation: ProtoCAM

Stereolithography Process

Step 8:Review Design