Summary

Colour photograph of the control room for the emulsion coating machine. The control room (Monitor Room) was in Building 3, Emulsion Coating Department, at the Kodak factory complex, Coburg, circa 1964. The monitor (supervising operator) commanded the whole operation from this desk, with an alarm panel, footage counters and an intercom system, communicating with all operator workstations. A second operator monitored all the remaining instruments and controls in the room.

Since the operators worked in almost complete darkness, they were relieved of most instruments and controls checking so that they could safely devote their whole time to the product and the machine. The Monitor Room contained all instruments and most controls for the coating machine. Along the long wall panel shown in this photograph were instruments and controls for the winder, dryer air pressures, dryer wet and dry bulb temperatures, steering frame widths and suction drive rollers speed and torque. Other instruments and controls were for the drawdown and flow of the emulsion to the coating head were also in this room.

Photo-sensitive emulsion in gel form made in the Building 2 Emulsion Making Department was transferred in 'kettles' to Building 3 where it was layered on to the film or paper base master rolls using this machine. The coated master rolls were then transferred to the various finishing operations throughout the factory complex.

The coating machine (which occupied most of the Building 3 area), consisted of four sections. One section comprised an unwinder and winder with magazine storage and splicers enabling the master rolls to be handled continuously at the input and output respectively. The coating section was where the liquid emulsion was drawn down from the kettles and laid down on to the base (film or paper). In the chilling section, emulsion was set to a gel consistency and in the drying section, the wet emulsion was dried in a very controlled manner to avoid mechanical disturbance and desensitisation.

The transport of very wide master rolls required accurate steering devices and controlled torque drive rollers throughout this machine. Many other proprietary devices controlled parameters such as emulsion flow, emulsion laydown, emulsion to base adhesion and electrostatic minimisation. Air conveyance systems in the chiller and dryer kept the wet emulsion surface from touching any mechanical drive rollers. The coating machine was operated under strictly controlled cleanroom and darkroom conditions to avoid triggering photo development within the emulsion. Allied equipment such as fan motors, air conditioning steam and chilled water lines and valves and circuit breakers, were all located outside the cleanroom environment in order to limit entry of dirt and for easy access by tradespeople.

Kodak manufactured and distributed a wide range of photographic products to Australasia, such as film, paper, chemicals, cameras and miscellaneous equipment. Its client base included amateur and professional photographers, as well as specialist medical and graphic art professionals who used photography, x-ray and other imaging techniques.

This photograph is part of the Kodak collection of products, promotional materials, photographs and working life artefacts collected from Kodak Australasia in 2005, when the Melbourne manufacturing plant at Coburg closed down.

Description of Content

Green metal alarm panel with intercom and switches for 'Kettle Wash Valves' plus a key and various printed and handwritten notes and instructions. On the desk to the right is a grey telephone and a wall-mounted holder for 'Plant Log Sheets'. There is a clock reading '14:21' on the top of the desk. Beyond the desk are green metal panels with various dials and monitors.

Physical Description

Colour photograph printed on medium weight paper, landscape format with white border.

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