COOL TOOLS

PICKUP FREEDOM

Next cut two 4 cm pieces of wire, and strip both ends. Twist one end together with the marked wire from the battery compartment, and twist the other one to join the end of the first one. This gives you 3 twists of wire from the marked wire from the battery compartment. Push these three twists of wire into the chocolate block to join the marked wires from the structure, in spaces 1, 2 and 3. Repeat this procedure for the unmarked wires, pushing the twists into spaces 4, 5 and 6 to join the other unmarked wires. All the lights should now work.Bang it up at www.CADAudio.comThe plant tour begins in the core wire area. There, workers start with 15mm or smaller wire, which is then reduced in diameter using an extrusion press (AIM has five on site). Core wire operations also take place in Mexico, China and Europe. (Because of the large volumes, AIM makes core wire in fewer places than other solder types.)Supply Local, Supply GlobalThe channel plays a large role in the company's success, Black says. "You need to have the distributors to make sales. Customer orders tend to ebb and flow, and they need quick deliveries. [Solder] freight is high relative to the value and margin of the product, so it forces you to have local stock." AIM prefers distributors that are hands-on and seen as adding value with technical expertise. In Europe, South America and Asia, it tends to use a single distributor per country.Use glue to stick the battery compartment and the chocolate block to the cake board, directly under the trunk of the structure.Founded in 1936 as American Iron and Metal, the company has its roots in metals recycling and reclaim. Now a subsidiary, AIM's solders business was formed 22 years ago, and was spun out in 2007. It maintains the same ownership as AIM, though each unit is a separate legal entity. Ricky Black, the 40-something grandson of the founder, heads AIM Metals and Alloys, which has manufacturing sites in Canada, China, the US, Mexico, Hong Kong, Spain, Italy and Australia.

Bang it up at www.CADAudio.com