Arburg makes lemonade from vuvuzelas

OK, I promise after today, no more vuvuzela posts. But you have to love German injection press manufacturer Arburg GmbH + Co. KG for its stroke of marketing genius today, putting out a news release: "Arburg makes noise for World Cup: Vuvuzelas for South Africa and Germany produced on Allrounders." Vuvuzelas are in the news -- they've been turning up in media reports all over the world, as soccer fans comment on the buzzing noise that's dominated the audio and TV broadcasts of the World Cup games from South Africa. Arburg jumped on the news, pointing out that many of the instruments are produced on the company's Allrounder-brand presses. "Sandeplast, which also uses Allrounder injection moulding machines in its production facilities, has been manufacturing the instruments and supplying them to stadiums and fan shops from their South African base since 2001," the release says."Neil von Schalwyk's company in Cape Town [South Africa] produces the horns with six employees on nine injection moulding machines and has even been featured in the media as a result of the controversial debate surrounding the colourful trumpets." "Allit AG, a long-standing and loyal Arburg customer from Bad Kreuznach, has had similar experience. This company has also profited from the media hype surrounding the World Cup deafeners. Using a total of 13 injection moulds and several Allrounders, around 4.5 million multi-piece Vuvuzelas have been produced to date in the relevant national colours, such as black, red and gold for Germany. The fan items are produced for Urbas Kehrberg Gmbh. An Allrounder 720 S is used to produce the end piece, an Allrounder 570 C for the middle section, an All-rounder 420 C for the mouthpiece and a further Ar-burg machine produces the silencer. Television reports on the production of the plastic trumpets were shown in the children's news programme "logo" on ZDFtivi as well as on RTL, for example." Why not take advantage of the vuvuzela publicity? It will die down soon, and some molder, somewhere in the world, will remember Arburg for its role in the project. Enjoy the rest of the World Cup!