The performance of this seemingly simple, but in fact highly technological sports equipment, we will find out thanks to a journey through one of largest factories on production tennis balls.
One factory can produce up to 300,000 balls per day. The assembly begins with a rubber blank weighing 900 kg, from which 2,000 balls are made.
At first the blank is hard as a stone. Then it is heated and treated with lubricants in order to soften it. The rubber itself may not bounce high and wears out quickly. Therefore, a chemical mixture is mixed into the material for good rebound and durability.
The plant has its own proprietary mixtures of more than ten ingredients. One of them is sulfur, which gives heat and vulcanizes rubber, that is, makes it harder. Next, the rubber is stirred and leveled, and air bubbles are squeezed out, which weaken the elasticity of the ball. Then, long strips are cut from the layers of rubber, which are sent to a press, in which balls are stamped from them. Next, the balls are treated with silicone and hot water so that they are smooth and can slide out of the mold.
If the balls were made of hard rubber, they would be so heavy that after several matches, tennis players’ hands would simply fall off. Therefore, they are made hollow so that they bounce better and become lighter. Each solid ball is placed in a hot mechanical press.
The half-core sheets move along the line, and a razor-sharp stamp pushes them out.
A huge number of ball halves are raked in the desired direction so that the polisher can cut the edges to the desired size. The edges are then coated with a layer of heat-activated adhesive.
Finally we are ready to give the ball a bounce. To do this, the halves of the balls are placed in a machine, which gives them the ability to bounce, creating enormous pressure inside the ball. The prepared ball halves are manually placed into molds.
After the press closes, air is forced into it under pressure. This increases the pressure to 1.5 bar, causing the two halves of the ball to stick together.
Nothing is visible from the outside, but inside this ball is charged with potential energy. When it hits the surface, it tries to immediately return to its original position. The molecules compressed inside the ball exhibit resistance, and the ball rebounds.
Now you need to think about ball control. The core is treated with a heat-activated adhesive in order to prepare for the coating of the most important component for any tennis ball - fluff. Now let's analyze one of the main components of a tennis ball - felt. During the game, the tennis player has to control the rotation and braking of the ball, which is made real thanks to the felt. A special feature of this material is its fleecy surface, which, when the ball flies, does not allow air to easily slide over its surface.
This makes the flight of the ball more leisurely than completely smooth balls, but allows the tennis player to control it more easily. Felt blanks for a separate ball are stamped using a special press.
Two such blanks are combined and create a covering for the ball. On outside Glue is applied to each piece to secure the felt. After which the two blanks are combined together into a ball.
Then the ball moves along the conveyor. It is barely squeezed to ensure that the felt is perfectly fixed. The balls are placed in a heat press at 325ºC for 12 minutes to ensure the felt firmly adheres to the rubber core.
The final stage in the production of tennis balls is their treatment with hot steam. This is done in a special drum.
This drum performs one of the main functions. It is made with fluffy felt that provides excellent ball control.
If you don't have tennis balls on hand, run to the nearest tennis court, there are more than enough of them there. Joke! In fact, tennis balls can easily be found in any sporting goods store, children's stores, and even in retail outlets in underground passages. In general, no one should have any problems buying tennis balls.
Life hack 1: protect floors from scratches using a tennis ball
Those of you who have parquet floors at home are well aware that restoring parquet (scraping or sanding) is an expensive procedure. And if, in addition, you have a lot of chairs in your house that are regularly used, or there is movable furniture that quite scratches the parquet, then frequent sanding of the already expensive parquet can cost you a pretty penny.
Make an X-shaped cut in 4 tennis balls, insert the chair legs into the slits, and your walker chairs are ready. Such attachments ensure safe sliding of the chair legs along the precious parquet, protecting it from damage. This option is perfect if you are planning a party or celebration with big amount guests, and you can’t even imagine that someone will damage your floor. Agree, it's fast and cheap.
Lifehack 2: washing with a tennis ball
We all like to use soft towels after taking a bath. But, as a rule, after washing they look like sandpaper, and it is completely unpleasant to wipe the body with them.
Of course, today there are various laundry detergents on the market to suit every taste and budget. There are liquids for softening fabrics, there are even special laundry balls (you can wash down jackets, jackets, and any other clothes with them).
But situations are different - someone has allergies, someone hasn’t found their favorite scent today, or maybe you’re a student, and today you can’t afford such a product.
Throw 2-3 tennis balls into your towels washing machine. And you will see that ordinary tennis balls cope with this task just as well. The only thing is that, unlike store-bought products, tennis balls are not scented.
Lifehack 3: parking sensor ball
Even experienced car enthusiasts will agree that sometimes driving into a garage is a test of strength. Even if you do this every day, it can still be a hassle. This especially applies to those who have recently gotten behind the wheel and are not yet very confident in the saddle.
In order to protect your car from damage, and yourself from spending on subsequent repairs, you can again use a tennis ball.
- Hang a thread (rope) from the ceiling so that its end hangs in the center of the windshield or directly in front of the driver's face. (if you don’t want to bother with a carabiner for fastening, you can secure the thread-rope with glue, reinforce it with tape, in general there are a lot of options)
- Try to drive your car the way you would like to park your car in the future.
- Using a laser pointer, a long stick, or your own eyeball (if you are confident in it), mark the length of the rope at the end of which you will tie the tennis ball.
- Tie a tennis ball to the end of a string. Ready!
In the future, you just need to stop when the tennis ball touches the windshield of the car.
Life hack 4: tennis ball for cleaning the pool
Many people have recently acquired swimming pools in their dachas. And with the arrival of warmer weather, the task of keeping the pool clean appears. Everyone sunbathes in the summer and uses sunscreens, mousses, and oils. These products are not washed off before a person dives into the pool. However, some of these products are washed off in water, leaving a greasy film on the surface of the water. Agree, it looks disgusting, and hardly anyone would want to swim in dirty water.
Tennis balls will help deal with this problem. They absorb the remnants of oils and fatty creams. The felt covering absorbs this nasty greasy film from the surface of the water. Throw a few tennis balls into your pool if it looks shiny.
Life hack 5: a tennis ball removes black streaks from shoes on linoleum
From school, many of us remember how sometimes teachers forced everyone (or just those on duty) to stay after class and wipe off shoe marks from the linoleum. It was not a pleasant, long and painstaking task. For many, school years have long passed, but the problem of marks on linoleum remains (in some in the office, in others at home, in the hallway). And here tennis balls come to the rescue again. Lightweight, cheap, and most importantly, quick way get rid of black stripes.
Make a cut in the ball and secure it to the stick. Rub the black stripe vigorously with the surface of the ball - here the ball acts as an eraser.
Life hack 6: massage ball
If after a hard day or exhausting physical activity If your back hurts, then even in this case an ordinary tennis ball will come to the rescue.
Take a tennis ball and rub the sore area. This way you will warm up your sore spot and ensure blood flow to it, which will make you feel better. For lower back pain, lie on the floor and place a ball under your lower back. Relax and lie in this position for 10-20 minutes until the pain begins to subside.
Place the ball between the wall and the area that hurts (the back is ideal) and roll the ball until you feel relief.
Life hack 7: safe angles using a tennis ball
If you have children, then you probably try to protect them and protect them from collisions with corners in the house. And, as a rule, there are a huge number of them (tables, cabinets, cabinets, and so on). Of course, today you can find special attachments for furniture on the market.
But what if you don’t have them, or you came to visit and forgot to take yours off the furniture and put them in your bag, or, conversely, you have guests with a small child coming to visit you? There is a way out - and these are again the most ordinary tennis balls! Make cuts on the balls and place them at dangerous angles. That's all! Your children are safe!
Life hack 8: polishing
Sometimes it is necessary to sand an uneven surface. Using just sandpaper, you cannot always achieve an ideal result, especially if the surface must be without flaws. Wrapping a tennis ball in sandpaper will prevent marks on the surface (where your fingers press on the paper) and unevenness on the object being sanded.
Life hack 9: bottle opener
Imagine that you just finished a grueling tennis match, sat down in the shade and decided to refresh yourself with a jar of pickles? But bad luck, the lid is tightly stuck to the can... And no one can help you, not even Super Man (if such a one could fly to your aid). That's all - you are left without a refreshing crispy cucumber. But don't get upset ahead of time. Don't forget - you have a wonderful assistant in the form of a tennis ball!
Cut the tennis ball along the seam. You'll have a little bulbous green friend covered in rubber on the inside. With its help you can open the jar. Your modified assistant will give you enough strength for this difficult process. And now, you are already much stronger than Super Man or any other superhero. They would definitely not be able to do this.
Life hack 10: a ball for storing things and notes
Tennis balls are hollow and easy to cut. Thanks to this, it can become a stylish accessory for storing notes on your desktop. It can be used for internal office correspondence. Make a cut in the ball and place your note in it, throw the ball to your colleague. That's all. Your messages will remain only between you.
If you go to Gym, swimming pool, or any place where you need to leave your belongings for a long time, place valuables (flash drives, money, jewelry) in a tennis ball.
Conclusion
Today we answered in detail the question - what can be made from a tennis ball. You are convinced that a tennis ball is suitable not only for playing tennis, but also for playing with your pet. It's a really cheap and easy way to improve your life. Try the suggested options and share your impressions. Or maybe you have your own ideas about using tennis balls? Share them in the comments. Good luck!
First stage: preparing the solution. Typically, a tennis ball is made from natural rubber. Raw rubber arrives at the plant in 70- to 250-pound bales. To make it softer, it must be thoroughly ground. And in order to obtain the various required properties of the future ball (strength, color, hardness), various powders are added to the rubber. The rubber compound is then placed in a tank of solvent and after a few hours a sticky dough is obtained. To obtain the mass of the required consistency, it is necessary to mix the dough with a large amount of solvent.
Second stage: composition. In general, pressure balls are usually made from natural rubber containing a high load of fine filler for low gas permeability. The composition (by weight) is as follows: natural rubber - 100 black - reinforcing filler - 30 clay - 32 zinc oxide - 9 sulfur - 3.5 diphenylguanidine (DPG) - 2 cyclohexylbenthiazylsulfenamide (HBS) - 1
Third stage: extrusion. At this stage, long strips are cut from the rubber mass, from which small granules are squeezed out using an extruder (forming device) (this is similar to squeezing toothpaste from a tube). The granules are then cooled.
Fourth stage: form. The pellets are loaded into a hydraulic press which converts them into hemispheres (ball halves), usually within 2 and a half minutes at 150º. Next, the hemispheres are removed from the forming sheets using figured knives.
Fifth stage: polishing. The edges of the hemisphere are rough, so to ensure their smooth gluing, it is necessary to sand them using a grinding wheel. After grinding, a vulcanizing rubber solution is applied to the edges of the polished hemisphere.
Stage six: hardening and inflation. There are two methods of inflating or increasing the pressure in a tennis ball. The first method is the use of chemicals. Chemicals for inflation are usually sodium nitrite and ammonium chloride, which produce nitrogen during the molding process. The compressed air method is much more complicated. The two halves of the sphere are brought together and air enters. The closing of the hemispheres occurs in stages as follows: a) The press is closed until the edges of the hemispheres touch each other; b) In this position, the internal area of the cell with hemispheres is isolated from the atmosphere by rubber o-ring; c) Compressed air is introduced at the required pressure into the area of the cell with hemispheres; d) Pressure cells with hemispheres are brought together, thus trapping compressed air between the hemispheres; e) The balls are then heated until the rubber solution vulcanizes and cooled. The balls are typically pressurized to about 12 psi. inch. Due to the fact that rubber compounds are easily permeable to gas, the pressure in them is gradually lost, and after a few months the balls will be unsuitable for play. Therefore, they are sold in special jars that maintain the pressure of the balls.
Seventh stage: coating with solution. To smooth out the rough surface of the ball, it is polished and coated with a special rubber solution.
Eighth stage: covering with tennis cloth. There are two types of cloth used to make tennis balls. These are "Melton Cloth", a cloth that has a high wool content, and "Needle Cloth", a more synthetic cloth. The cloth comes in 100-meter rolls. On one side it is covered with a vulcanizing solution. A special machine is used to cut blanks into shapes resembling dumbbells in cross-section. Using an automated wrapping machine, a rubber ball, initially treated with glue, is wrapped with two felt pieces, which are tightly fixed to its surface. Next, the balls are once again subjected to the vulcanization process.
Ninth stage: molding. The ball is placed in a molding press and heated, the rubber core of the ball and the ends of the cloth harden, and a smooth seam is formed. The molded ball is cooled and removed from the press. This molding leaves the fabric very smooth and compressed, with a crease where the mold closed.
Tenth stage: steaming. At this stage, the tennis balls are immersed in an atmosphere filled with vapor, the cloth swells, becomes more raised and soft, after this operation the fold across the ball disappears.
Eleventh stage: finishing. At this stage, the balls are checked and evaluated according to international standards of tennis organizations (ITF, USTA), and the brand name is also applied. They are packaged in sealed jars that maintain pressure during storage. The balls are now ready to go.
Dear friends and partners! We only sell balls approved by the International Tennis Association (ITF).
The balloon can be widely used in everyday life. Is it hard to believe? Then look at the recipes collected in the new review and remember them. Surely some of them will come in handy in every home. It’s worth sharing the secrets you’ve received with your friends.
1. Ice scenery
Balloons filled with slightly colored water will help decorate your yard in winter. When the water completely freezes, take the balls out into the yard and carefully remove the rubber casing.
2. Bright vases
Using balloons of different colors, you can decorate ordinary glass glasses, turning them into bright vases for small bouquets of flowers.
3. Door handle
A tennis ball can be a great alternative to a broken doorknob.
4. Drying form
To prevent a natural wool hat from losing its shape after washing, dry it on an inflated balloon.
5. Towel holders
Tennis balls make fun and very convenient towel holders. To do this, you just need to make a small longitudinal cut in the middle of the ball and attach it to the wall in the kitchen or bath.
6. Key holder
Just one cut and a pair of toy eyes will allow you to turn a tennis ball into an original key holder, which will become an original and practical detail in the hallway.
7. Cooling drinks
Fill air balloons a little water, place in the freezer and use to cool drinks on the beach or during an outdoor party.
8. Decor of cans
Decorate ordinary glass jars with colorful balls and use them to store various things and products.
9. Unusual invitation
Inflate the balloons, beautifully write invitations to the celebration on them, release the air, attach the balloons to cards and distribute them to friends who will be able to read the text of the invitation only by inflating the balloon. Such unusual invitations will amaze your friends and will be remembered for a long time.
10. Washing
To prevent the filling of a down jacket or blanket from bunching up when washing, place several tennis balls in the washing machine.
11. Marker hanger
A tennis ball suspended from the ceiling in the garage will avoid possible parking problems.
12. Protectors
Old tennis balls can be placed on furniture legs to protect the floor from scratches and damage and reduce noise levels.
13. Cover
A balloon will allow you to easily and airtightly close any container.
14. Crafts
The inflated balloon can be used as a mold to create beautiful vases, lamps and desserts.
15. Opener
Holiday decor.
Balloons can be turned into giant candy canes and used as unusual holiday decorations.
Video bonus:
Continuing the topic that everyone will appreciate.
Tennis is an exciting and interesting game. It appeared in the form to which we are accustomed in the 19th century and was similar to the game of royal tennis, and as a game it originated in the 12th century in France - of course, it was very different from the modern one. Now in tennis Thousands of people around the world play - professionals and beginners, regardless of gender and age. Have you ever wondered how such an important equipment for this game as a tennis ball is made? Previously, it was a simple leather bag with horse or human hair inside. Meanwhile, in modern times its production has a number of interesting features. Let's talk about this in more detail.
9 out of 10 tennis balls are made in Asia, because this is where the basis for production - rubber - is mined. So, let's imagine ourselves as masters of making balls.
Before us is the most important thing - a piece of rubber weighing almost 1000 kg. First of all, we heat it and treat it with lubricant. For better “jumping ability” and long service life, we must mix chemical mixtures here, since the rubber itself quickly wears out and does not spring as high as we need.
Be sure to add sulfur - then it will give heat to the rubber, that is, it will vulcanize it and make it a little harder.
We knead the resulting raw material, level it so that there are no air bubbles left - they make the elasticity of the ball worse, and then we make a huge layer.
We cut it into strips and send it to the press, from which balls come out - we have to treat them with silicone and hot water so that they easily slide out of the mold. The balls are made hollow because rubber is a heavy material.
Place the balls in a hot press. A sharp stamp pushes out the halves, which move along the line. Assembling hundreds of ball halves is the job of a polisher, who cuts the edges to the required size and coats them with a layer of glue that begins to work when heated.
Now the balls must go into a special machine, which will create high pressure inside them - an order of magnitude higher than atmospheric pressure. This is necessary for them to have a good rebound.
The process is as follows: we place the halves of the balls manually in a mold, close them... The smart machine will do the rest itself: the pressure in the balls becomes 1.5 bar, which is 2 times more than atmospheric pressure, and the halves stick together.
Pure physics: after an impact, compressed molecules literally “push” the ball upward, trying to return to its original shape. Thus, the ball is filled with potential energy. So, the cores of our future tennis balls are ready.
It's time to make the balls well controlled. We dip them in glue - this is how we prepare it for processing with fluff.
Felt is a material with interesting properties and very important in the production of tennis balls. For complete control over braking and spin of the ball, felt is the right material. The pile prevents air from sliding over it unhindered.
Consequently, the ball moves slower, but the player has time to follow and control it. By the way, previously the covering material was black and white, but they were made bright by the decision of spectators and journalists - this way they are better visible both on the court and when broadcast on television.
Felt blanks are made on a press, separately for each ball. Their inner side is treated with glue, they are connected and turned into an almost completely finished tennis ball.
The balls begin moving along a conveyor, which gently squeezes them to ensure the strength of the felt.
After this, we send the balls to another press with a temperature of 325º for exactly 12 minutes. The felt should adhere well to the inner rubber blank.
And finally, the last but very important stage of the process. The balls are immersed in a drum, which, with the help of hot steam, makes them fluffy, exactly as they should be for ideal controllability, and therefore an enjoyable game.
The balls are ready. It is mandatory to comply with the requirements: weight 56-58 grams, diameter 6.4-6.7 cm. Now they are numbered from 1 to 4 and placed in jars of three balls with the same numbers.
Please note: jars are always hermetically sealed with metal lids using a special machine that creates the required pressure. The fact is that over time the air comes out of the balls and they become unsuitable for play. This is why it is important to check balls that we do not play with for a long time. By the way, this can be done very easily. Raise the ball to eye level, then release it. He should jump up to about his waist. If the ball does not have such a jump, then feel free to buy a new one.
