GEORGETOWN, Del. — On Wednesday, Aug. 14, about 70 people gathered for the University of Delaware Carvel Crop Day held at the Carvel Research and Education Center.
Every summer, they come to see the latest research on melons and beans, corn and cucumbers.
The tour was held under the threat of thunderstorms, but passing downpours missed the Carvel Center.
At the farm plots here, professors and graduate students are busy with a host of studies as they look at watermelon diseases, herbicide-resistant weeds, the use of drones, micronutrients, non-traditional crops like Asian melons, shade cloth to prevent heat damage, ways to reduce deer damage (a huge problem for soybean growers), cover crops and other research.
Lima bean expert Emmalea Ernest is conducting research on whether more narrow leaves on lima beans may possibly affect heat stress and blossom set concerns.
University of Delaware engineering students are working on commercializing a method using robots to treat gray mold, powderey mildew and two-spotted spider mites in strawberries.
Photo courtesy of University of Delaware
There are 40 different types of seedless and mini-melons being tested, including trials for Asian melons, canary and honeydew melons. Watermelon and cantaloupes are commonly grown locally, but not the other types.
Lima bean expert Emmalea Ernest talks about her research on whether more narrow leaves on lima beans may possibly affect heat stress and blossom set concerns.
Photo courtesy of University of Delaware
Researchers are looking at black and colored shade cloth and particle film to see if they can reduce heat stress in lettuce, tomatoes and peppers.
There is even a prototype robot being tested.
“Ph.D students studying robotics in mechanical engineering are working on commercializing a method using robots to treat gray mold, powderey mildew and two-spotted spider mites in strawberries,” according to the tour agenda.
One stop on the tour highlighted a study of boron and potassium to see if the micro-nutrients can significantly increase crop yields. Jarod Miller said they are using drones to study areas where the nutrients have been added and then compare it to areas where no extra nutrients were added.
Miller urged farmers to consider drones for such crop surveys to give them a good feel for what’s happening on the ground.
“It does open up your eyes to what’s going on (at) the farm,” he said. While you can easily put out $5,000 for a drone, he said they are getting good results with a $700 model.”
The latest research on melons, along with research on beans, corn and cucumbers, was presented at the University of Delaware Carvel Crop Day on Aug. 14 in Georgetown, Delaware.
Photo courtesy of University of Delaware
The university has been studying sub-surface drip irrigation for about seven years. James Adkins said the study began when corn prices were high and farmers were eager to be able to irrigate more land. Sub-surface irrigation means there are no corners of the field which don’t get irrigated and it can be placed in areas where it’s difficult to place a center pivot.
Adkins said the systems allow farmers to irrigate all sections of a field and potentially fertilize fields with injected nutrients. They do, however, require clean water because iron can clog and damage the system. Burying the drip tape lines prevents the possibility of deep cultivation and the drip lines can be damaged by burrowing animals, meaning there will be repairs needed.
Although touted for water conservation, Adkins said that isn’t true in Sussex County because of the sandy soil. It provides very slow irrigation to maintain moisture levels, but will not get you out of a drought, he said. “It is a tool to maintain, not to replace.”
Still, he said it is an option some farmers may want to consider. “It’s a viable technology that has the potential to last 20-plus years,” he said.
The automotive industry has delivered advances enabling cars to assist the operator in braking to avoid collisions, safely maintain a lane on the highway, even automate operations such as parallel parking. Eventually, your car will drive itself. Similar to these automotive innovations, iMFLUX believes the injection molding industry’s journey to autonomous molding can be accelerated by leveraging the built-in advantages of what we call the “Green Curve,” where controlling the filling process by actual plastic pressure unlocks the ability to deliver many truly autonomous features.
Plastics processors today encounter many barriers to an autonomous injection molding operation. This is because the levers that control the stability of the operation are often varying in ways that are either difficult, or in some cases impossible, for the processor to control. Overcoming these challenges requires: 1) a robust process that can withstand the normal variations in materials, mold, machine, and environment; and 2) a control system that can intelligently adapt to the variations that are outside the normal range of variation.
This is not a wishful fantasy. As discussed below, a process has been developed—and continues to evolve—that can self-correct for variations of up to ±50 MFI units in viscosity, random blocked cavities, leaky check rings, faulty heater bands, and worn screws or barrels—not something a conventional Scientific Molding process can accomplish. (See sidebar, “About iMFLUX.”)
About iMFLUX
iMFLUX, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Procter & Gamble Co., developed a proprietary control system that enables a new way to injection mold plastic parts. P&G formed iMFLUX in 2013, establishing it in a 200,000 ft2 facility in Hamilton, Ohio. After several years of operating quietly within P&G’s molding operations and with a select few external partners, iMFLUX recently unveiled the new technology to the world. The company is partnering with molders, machine builders, material suppliers and educators to expand adoption of and innovation with this new processing technology, referred to as the “Green Curve.”
The Green Curve works by filling and packing the mold using a low and constant plastic pressure. The key to making the process work is a proprietary control system that eliminates flow hesitations, packs the part as it fills, and reduces pressure loss within the mold. This allows plastic to flow much slower than conventional processing techniques, and results in a process with lower pressure, shorter cycle time, and the ability to adapt in real time as molding conditions vary. Advantages include improvements in OEE (overall equipment efficiency), greater material-selection flexibility, improved quality, ability to reduce clamp tonnage, lightweighting part designs, and flexibility in running sustainable materials – especially highly variable recycled materials. Figure 1 shows how the Green Curve compares to a typical decoupled molding process (in which control of the filling stage is separated from packing and holding stages).
To repeat the most important point: iMFLUX controls the filling process by maintaining plastic pressure at a lower, and more constant pressure. In so doing, the process is inherently less susceptible to variations that shut down a conventional process, referred to as the “Blue Curve.” The reason the process is so robust is that it actively controls plastic pressure during molding, which is the number-one factor impacting the quality and consistency of an injection molded plastic part. This overcomes the inconsistency of conventionally controlled processing where screw velocity is maintained constant, but plastic pressure varies as material and molding conditions change. When it comes to autonomous molding, the Green Curve is steering the process based on what really matters—plastic pressure—a massive advantage.
iMFLUX can adapt the process to handle variations, even variations well outside of the normal range, much easier than can be achieved with a conventional process. This is possible because the Green Curve is a simple process, essentially pressure and time. On the Blue Curve, adapting to changes requires modifying several variables—injection velocity, transfer position (or cavity pressure), holding pressure, and holding time. What’s more, the holding time itself must accommodate variations that have complex interactions.
On the Green Curve,adjustments are limited essentially to plastic pressure (how much pressure is driving the plastic in to the mold) and time (how long is this pressure applied). The simplicity of the process enables iMFLUX to create highly advanced control algorithms that can handle variations well beyond what is practical on the conventional Blue Curve.
Adjusting for Viscosity Shifts
The ability to reliably process variable materials is one of the industry’s biggest needs, since processors are being asked to run more and more recycled and lower-cost materials. Often these materials have varying viscosity, making them very difficult to handle. The conventional molding Blue Curve is set up to run parts at a static set of process conditions, and as even relatively small material variations occur, process adjustments are needed to maintain part quality. Recent advances in technology have made it easier to manage material variations on the Blue Curve,however, thatprocess is still inherently unstable due to its sensitivity to transfer position and pressure.The Green Curve is much less susceptible to such changes, since it has no transfer position and adjusts in real time to variations in material rheology.
Blocked CavitiesA traditional molding process is set to inject a certain volume of plastic into a mold, regardless of the ability of the mold to accept this volume. This can create issues if a gate becomes blocked, or if a part is not ejected completely, leaving nowhere for the plastic to go. Depending on the number of mold cavities and cavity volumes, this will result in bad parts and potential damage to the mold.
The Green Curve works differently, since it is continuously controlling the process and monitoring plastic pressure. If a mold cavity becomes blocked, the system immediately recognizes this change and profiles the injection velocity to match what is needed for the current state of the mold. Not only does this prevent tool damage, the process actually makes good-quality parts in the remaining cavities. Similar to automated braking on your car, the system understands when to slow the movement of the screw to optimally fill the cavity. This feature is particularly helpful with multicavity molds where the processor needs to keep a mold running at less than full cavitation. In this case, the mold cavities can simply be turned off without the need to develop a new modified process. This is not possible on the conventional Blue Curve.
Figure 2 shows results of a study using a 16-cavity deodorant cap mold, in which cavities were progressively shut off. No process adjustments were made. The conventional Blue Curve part weights immediately began to increase, and the mold could not be burn with fewer than 12 cavities. The Green Curve process could run good parts no matter how many cavities were shut off.
Leaky Check-Rings & Worn BarrelsConsistent check-ring functioning is necessary with traditional velocity-based process control to maintain a consistent polymer volume at transfer. Even small variations can cause big issues with part quality. On the Green Curve, a leaking check ring has virtually no impact on the process, since the process is completely reliant on plastic pressure with real-time feedback. If the check ring leaks, iMFLUX simply accelerates the screw to compensate for the leakage. The Blue Curve relies on static process settings and cannot make dynamic adjustments for inconsistent check-ring performance. On the Green Curve, as long as the press can build plastic pressure, a completely repeatable process can be obtained. This is true whether the repeatability issues are consistent shot-to-shot, or sporadic in nature. To achieve truly autonomous molding the process must be able to adapt to these kinds of common variations, or it cannot be effective in achieving a stable, repeatable process.
Steps toward Autonomous Molding
An advanced feature released by iMFLUX earlier this year, called Auto-Viscosity Adjust (AVA), enables the Green Curve to manage even larger variations than the base iMFLUX technology. The new feature can handle viscosity shifts of ±50 MFI or more. AVA works by detecting viscosity changes, then modifying filling pressure to achieve the same filling time shot-to-shot. Similar to cruise control in your car, the process adjusts in real time without needing operator input. This is true regardless of the source of variation, which can include regrind variation, percentage of regrind, colorant changes, moisture level of the material, or temperature variation. Basically, if the machine can melt it, the Green Curve can process it.
To illustrate the capability of the Auto-Viscosity Adjust feature, iMFLUX performed a running conversion from a virgin ABS to a lower quality reprocessed ABS. No process adjustments were made to the conventional Blue Curve process or to the iMFLUX Green Curve process throughout the run. The AVA feature substantially outperformed the conventional molding process for dimensional consistency, thus demonstrating its ability to dynamically adjust to large material variations. Aesthetic improvements were also observed throughout the run, resulting from continuous optimization of filling pressure provided by the AVA technology. Figure 4 provides an overview of the study.
Another feature just released enables the control system to compensate for material density shifts, even shot-to-shot. Called Precision Shot, the technology works by first building shot pressure to a predetermined threshold, followed by metering the shot into the mold (Fig. 5). This feature is only possible when controlling the process using plastic melt pressure, enabling the system to accurately determine that the check ring has seated and that the target compression of the melt has been achieved.
What’s Next?
iMFLUX has a strong innovation pipeline that will enable molding machines to make intelligent decisions on behalf of the operator, ultimately leading to an autonomous molding operation. This vision includes strengthening data-acquisition capabilities, adding learning algorithms to the software, and automating time-consuming and complicated steps such as establishing a process window and intelligently bringing a process up from a cold start or temporary stop. iMFLUX also continues to develop “soft” sensor technology, which derives critical process information without the need for a physical sensor, thus keeping the technology simple and efficient to implement.
What Do Molders & Other Experts Say?
“We truly believe the technology behind iMFLUX will drive a step change in the way injection molding is done. This is why we have been a partner and have systems running on large programs in Europe and North America, as well as development systems in our Innovation Center” –Kevin Hedspeth, CTO, Technimark, Asheboro, N.C.
“iMFLUX has proved to be a valuable asset to our injection molding operations. We recently inherited a transfer tool from one of our customers that was under a strict time deadline. Initial sampling with standard decoupled processes were yielding scrap rates of 20-25%. Utilizing IMFLUX’s Auto-Viscosity Adjust software, we were not only able to improve cycle time by 15%, but also reduce part weight and reduce scrap rate to less than 1%. It was a significant win for both us and our customer.” –Glen Fish, CEO, Revere Plastics Systems LLC, Novi, Mich.
“The benefits we have seen with iMFLUX have been a reduction in cycle time of existing molds and also the ability with new tools to increase cavitation by up to 50%, which allows us to free up injection molding capacity and production space for other activities.” –Christopher Hay, CEO, Hayco, Hong Kong
“The Green Curve has proved invaluable in our effort to establish more processes using sustainable resins. Not only have we been able to increase our percent of regrind used, but we are seeing more consistency than ever before.” –Brandon Meadors, engineering manager, Clarios, Milwaukee
Over six years ago, our early joint research with iMFLUX identified a number of interesting advantages over conventional molding practices, but also identified a number of challenges. What has been exciting to see is iMFLUX’s ability to take these challenges and turn them into strengths. Today iMFLUX has emerged as a method and a highly advanced control system that is providing a much needed alternative to the way the industry currently thinks of injection molding. –John Beaumont, president,Beaumont Technologies Inc., AIM Institute, Erie, Pa.
“We are excited to be able to offer iMFLUX integrated solutions, and with Milacron’s M-Powered IoT portal we will be able to quickly install iMFLUX technology and offer technology updates as they become available.” –Glenn Anderson, sr. v.p., Commercial-APPT Americas,Milacron, Batavia, Ohio
“We have customers running iMFLUX in a wide variety of applications, machine sizes, types and resins. Our joint iMFLUX-Milacron customers have seen many benefits, including, cycle savings, energy savings, scrap reduction, reduced tonnage and tighter and more consistent part dimensions. As molders, part designers, and mold builders become more familiar with the constant low-pressure filling, even more significant advantages will be seen as more complex part geometries are developed to take advantage of the iMFLUX process capabilities that are simply too difficult to achieve with the decoupled molding process.” –Andy Stirn, director NPD & product management,Milacron, Batavia, Ohio
About the Author
Gene Altonen
Gene Altonenhas been the chief technology officer of iMFLUX in Hamilton, Ohio, since 2015. He is the inventor of the iMFLUX core technology, and leads the iMFLUX R&D organization. Gene has spent his entire 27-year Procter & Gamble career developing new packaging solutions, including numerous injection molding technology innovations. Prior to the iMFLUX launch, Gene was a Research Fellow, leading major technology developments in the Injection Molding Capability organization within P&G. He holds more than 50 patents and has at least 35 patent applications pending. For more information about iMFLUX, contact 513-973-2042;info@imflux.com;imflux.com.
We’d rather send you $15 than rely on our crystal ball…
It’s Capital Spending Survey season and the manufacturing industry is counting on you to participate! Odds are that you received our 5-minute Plastics survey from Plastics Technology in your mail or email. Fill it out and we’ll email you $15 to exchange for your choice of gift card or charitable donation. Are you in the U.S. and not sure you received the survey? Contact us to access it.
Help us inform the industry and everybody benefits.
It may seem like a dull topic, but it will overcome the emotional experience that follows when you put a new mold into a machine and you find out there is not enough barrel capacity to make a full shot.
SULLIVAN, MO — Many spent Saturday morning cleaning up after severe storms swept through the area.
“It hit hard and then it was gone,” says a resident.
A viewer shared a video of the severe storm on Friday.
High winds, heavy rains, and even hail swept through Sullivan leaving a wake of damage.
“We started to see debris flying through the air, roofs coming off, vehicles being damaged, and homes being damaged around town and those types of things,” says JT Hardy, City Administrator.
The storm ripped off about a quarter of the roof from the skating rink and also damaged a concession stand.
“Behind me is the electrical department that had a roof land on several vehicles out front,” said Hardy.
High winds also knock down large limbs and trees. It trapped one resident in her home for a short time.
A neighbor said, “It just missed the house. It just missed our cars, but it was like right up to her door. She only had this much space to open her door and my wife brought her the phone so that she could call somebody.”
He says his family took refuge in the basement and couldn’t even hear the tree fall over because of the sound of the hail.
Officials say they’re trying to dry out the damage properties so that mold doesn’t form and stabilize the structures, then they’ll focus on the repairs.
Mold discovered at the Las Animas elementary school means classes won’t start until Sept. 3.
Recently, Superintendent Elsie Goines, elementary school Principal Lana Gardner and community members listened to a report about the status of the building. CEO of Rocky Mountain Construction Company, Greg Daviscourt, gave three factors for why moisture was making its way into the building:
Goines said that the first factor given by Daviscourt was the wind damage to the roof, which was fixed this past spring. “There was extensive roof damage in the areas located near and around the kitchen and cafeteria area.”
The second factor given was water seeping up underneath the foundation. This, according to Daviscourt, was due to a higher than average water table. The last factor given was that areas of the block walls were holding water, thus creating wet walls.
“Daviscourt reported that having undetected areas of contamination is not uncommon with the type of wallpaper that was present in the elementary,” she said.
She went on to say that the heavy vinyl wallpaper used in the school is great for teachers and students. However, it doesn’t allow the walls to breathe, making it impossible to notice if walls were wet.
Goines said the Colorado School Districts Self Insurance Pool has been onsite with its engineering team to investigate the issues and develop a remediation plan to waterproof the building. When asked about whether these issues are a result of poor construction or extreme weather patterns, the engineers told Goines to wait on their report.
She went on to say that once the report has been released, there will be a special board meeting to review the findings and to discuss the scope of work with the board, she added that community members were welcomed to attend.
“In the meantime, students kindergarten through sixth grade will be temporarily located at the secondary campus,” she said. “Jumpstart, the early preschool program, will be located at the Bent County Department of Social Services building.”
Grades 4-8 will be located in the junior high building. Grades K-3 will be in the high school.
Registration is scheduled to take place from 7:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, and the first day of school is scheduled for Sept. 3.
Mold Removal Doctor Miami celebrates its first anniversary in the mold removal industry. Mold Removal Doctor Miami takes care of all your mold issues with the newest state of the art mold removal, full and thorough mold remediation, mold cleanup and complete mold abatement.
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Mold discovered at the Las Animas elementary school means classes won’t start until Sept. 3.
Recently, Superintendent Elsie Goines, elementary school Principal Lana Gardner and community members listened to a report about the status of the building. CEO of Rocky Mountain Construction Company, Greg Daviscourt, gave three factors for why moisture was making its way into the building:
Goines said that the first factor given by Daviscourt was the wind damage to the roof, which was fixed this past spring. “There was extensive roof damage in the areas located near and around the kitchen and cafeteria area.”
The second factor given was water seeping up underneath the foundation. This, according to Daviscourt, was due to a higher than average water table. The last factor given was that areas of the block walls were holding water, thus creating wet walls.
“Daviscourt reported that having undetected areas of contamination is not uncommon with the type of wallpaper that was present in the elementary,” she said.
She went on to say that the heavy vinyl wallpaper used in the school is great for teachers and students. However, it doesn’t allow the walls to breathe, making it impossible to notice if walls were wet.
Goines said the Colorado School Districts Self Insurance Pool has been onsite with its engineering team to investigate the issues and develop a remediation plan to waterproof the building. When asked about whether these issues are a result of poor construction or extreme weather patterns, the engineers told Goines to wait on their report.
She went on to say that once the report has been released, there will be a special board meeting to review the findings and to discuss the scope of work with the board, she added that community members were welcomed to attend.
“In the meantime, students kindergarten through sixth grade will be temporarily located at the secondary campus,” she said. “Jumpstart, the early preschool program, will be located at the Bent County Department of Social Services building.”
Grades 4-8 will be located in the junior high building. Grades K-3 will be in the high school.
Registration is scheduled to take place from 7:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, and the first day of school is scheduled for Sept. 3.
Now that it’s back to school time, you’ve likely seen your fair share of checklists telling you what items you’ll need to purchase for your kids to make the most of the upcoming school year. In addition to the school supply checklists, we’ve put together a helpful to-do-list to help get your home ready for the upcoming fall season! Prepare now while you still have time before cold weather hits.
1. Winterize Your AC
Even though the weather may not be «cold» just yet, it’s important to know what steps you’ll need to take to prepare your AC for the winter season. You may have heard that covering your air conditioner is the best way to keep it safe and sound while not in use — but this isn’t true! When you cover your air conditioner, it may do more harm than good. Keeping a cover on your air conditioner may trap moisture inside of the unit, and this could lead to the development of mold. The worst part is that you won’t know about the development of this fungus until the spring season when you turn your cooling system on for the first time and notice a musty odor flowing through your home. Mold spores in the air could cause serious health problems for your loved ones.
Additionally, covering your AC during its «off-season» may create an inviting environment for rodents and other critters trying to find a shelter from the cold. These animals may get into your cooling system and cause damage to the wiring and other various components in the unit.
2. Check the concrete surfaces around your home.
Perform a visual inspection of your driveway, patio, pool area, sidewalks, and so on to determine if there are any cracks present. You’ll want to get them filled and sealed before freezing weather arrives. If moisture gets into these openings and freezes, the expansion of the precipitation in the concrete could cause the cracking to become worse.
Additionally, the moisture could seep underneath the concrete surface and cause the slab to shift upward/downward in place. It’s a much bigger headache to fix bowed concrete surfaces than to simply get the cracks filled in when you first notice a problem!
3. Inspect your roof
Your roof is the first layer of protection on top of your home against rain, sleet, snow, wind, and ice. Be sure to look for the following signs of damage while performing your inspection:
Missing or damaged shingles
Fading or discoloration
Damaged caulking or sealing around your chimney or venting
Mold growth
Loose or damaged gutter/downspout sections
Water damage
Bird or other animal nesting materials
You’ll want to get these issues taken care of before the worst of winter arrives. Any weakened areas on top of your home will be prone to serious moisture damage if your area experiences snow and ice. This moisture could damage roof panels and eventually make its way into the attic of your home.
4. Prepare or replenish your winter emergency kit
It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to keeping your family protected. If you don’t already have a winter emergency kit stocked and on-hand, now is the best time to get one prepared. You’ll want to include the following items: battery-powered radio with extra batteries, flashlight, bottled water, non-perishable food items, candles and matches/lighters, first aid supplies, extra blankets, any special need/medication items your family members may need. If you already have a winter emergency kit in your home, check it to see which items may need to be replenished, such as batteries, food, or first aid supplies. It’s also a great idea to keep a winter emergency kit in your car in case you are stuck in the cold on the road during winter weather. This kit should include the above items, as well as road flares, jumper cables, and an ice scraper.
5. Store lawn equipment and patio furniture
Once cold weather hits, you won’t need your lawn mower, weed eater, garden hose, or your patio table and chairs. Be sure to store these items safely in a shed, your basement, or in the garage. Keeping these items outdoor and exposed to the elements could cause them to suffer premature wear and tear from the snow, ice, and excessively cold temperatures. It’s especially important to remember to disconnect your garden hose, drain it, and put it away for the winter. If you leave the hose outside, any moisture left inside could freeze and cause it to crack. Also, failure to drain your hose, while keeping it connected to your outdoor spigot, could result in water freezing in your home’s pipes connecting to the outside line. When the water in these pipes freezes, it could cause the pipe to break inside your home’s walls or floors.
Additional to-do’s to add to your checklist:
Schedule annual maintenance for your heating system
Clear your gutters/downspouts of leaves and outdoor debris
Winterize your window and door frames by adding extra sealing, if necessary
Trim back tree limbs that hang over your roof or are growing too close to power lines
Have your chimney cleaned by a professional to remove ash build-up
Check your attic’s insulation and add more, if necessary
This homeowner to-do list for the fall should help keep your family warm and comfortable all season long, and also help to keep your home protected from the elements.
Mold discovered at the Las Animas elementary school means classes won’t start until Sept. 3.
Recently, Superintendent Elsie Goines, elementary school Principal Lana Gardner and community members listened to a report about the status of the building. CEO of Rocky Mountain Construction Company, Greg Daviscourt, gave three factors for why moisture was making its way into the building:
Goines said that the first factor given by Daviscourt was the wind damage to the roof, which was fixed this past spring. “There was extensive roof damage in the areas located near and around the kitchen and cafeteria area.”
The second factor given was water seeping up underneath the foundation. This, according to Daviscourt, was due to a higher than average water table. The last factor given was that areas of the block walls were holding water, thus creating wet walls.
“Daviscourt reported that having undetected areas of contamination is not uncommon with the type of wallpaper that was present in the elementary,” she said.
She went on to say that the heavy vinyl wallpaper used in the school is great for teachers and students. However, it doesn’t allow the walls to breathe, making it impossible to notice if walls were wet.
Goines said the Colorado School Districts Self Insurance Pool has been onsite with its engineering team to investigate the issues and develop a remediation plan to waterproof the building. When asked about whether these issues are a result of poor construction or extreme weather patterns, the engineers told Goines to wait on their report.
She went on to say that once the report has been released, there will be a special board meeting to review the findings and to discuss the scope of work with the board, she added that community members were welcomed to attend.
“In the meantime, students kindergarten through sixth grade will be temporarily located at the secondary campus,” she said. “Jumpstart, the early preschool program, will be located at the Bent County Department of Social Services building.”
Grades 4-8 will be located in the junior high building. Grades K-3 will be in the high school.
Registration is scheduled to take place from 7:45 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, and the first day of school is scheduled for Sept. 3.
Control is full of secrets, mysteries and awful Hiss monsters that show up while you’re trying to explore the farthest reaches of the Oldest House. Tucked away inside the shifting Brutalist architecture are several Hidden Locations. In this guide, we’ll show you how to find them.
Reaching each of these secret spots displays a “Hidden Location Discovered” notification and grants Jesse an Ability Point. They may also contain Easter eggs, even more special documents to uncover, and crafting items.
Since the Oldest House is a bizarre and large building to explore, we’ve uncovered its hidden locations for you. We’ll break them down by sector and give you detailed instructions on where to find them. Several of these require late-game abilities, plus we’ll be exploring late-game areas. These are best saved for the late game or for after you’ve beaten Control.
Once you walk into this office space, look up at the giant pillar in the center of the room. There’s an item box on the top left of the pillar.
To get to it, levitate as high as you can, and then aim your Ground Slam Ability attack at the wall next to it. If aimed properly, you should fall back onto the pillar. Since it’s so bright, you may even want to turn down your brightness so you can see your aiming reticle.
Communications Department Hidden Location 1
Remedy Entertainment/505 Games via Polygon
Looking at the map above, head to this area of the Mail Room (it’s opposite the entrance of the Mail Room to right).
Up the stairs and along the wall is a door. In that room is several computer stations surrounded by concrete. Simply levitate on top of one to get the Hidden Location.
There is also an item box above that requires some tricky positioning of your Ground Slam to grab. Like the secret area in Executive Affairs, aim for an area next to the box so you can sandwich yourself up there.
Communications Department Hidden Location 2
Remedy Entertainment/505 Games via Polygon
Remedy Entertainment/505 Games via Polygon
Just down the hall from the Hidden Location above is another door. Head through, and you’ll see a room covered in mold in the distance.
After you’ve completed Underhill’s quest line, you’ll be able to enter this room and any other mold infested room without taking damage. You’ll find an item box in the back.
Access Corridor Hidden Location
Remedy Entertainment/505 Games via Polygon
From Central Executive, take the elevator to the Maintenance Access Corridor. Once exiting the elevator, look to the ceiling for an area you can levitate up to. (You may need to jump off one of the pipes to your right to gain enough height to enter.)
Keep climbing up through the pipes until you reach the ledge above the light, and you’ll be in the Hidden Location. Inside the tunnels you’ll travel through on the way out, you’ll also find an America Overnight tape and an item box.
Break Room near Janitor’s office Hidden Location
Head back to the break room near the Janitor’s office — it’s the room where you fell through the floor and first received the Evade ability. (The closest fast travel location is the Ventilation Control Point.)
In the break room is a hole in the ceiling. Levitate into it, and you’ll be brought to the Astral Plane. You’ll need to levitate and evade to move through a series of floating platforms — several of which have item boxes on them.
Keep going toward the light until you drop back into the break room.
Firebreak from Janitor’s office Hidden Location
Remedy Entertainment/505 Games via Polygon
Head to the Janitor’s Office. (The closest fast travel location is the Ventilation Control Point.)
Go through the door on the left (near the dart board) so you can enter the tunnels. Keep going through the tunnels until you reach a doorway to your left that opens up to a Firebreak.
Jump out and levitate. Turn around to face the doorway you just jumped out of, and look to its left for another doorway. The picture above will show you the distance between the two entrances.
Bonus tip: Reenter the fire break and levitate down to the lowest platform. When the giant door opens and you walk through, you’ll find the NCS Coolant Pumps Upper Level Control Point, a collectible document, and a door to unlock that leads to the upper level of the NSC Coolant Pumps room.
NSC Power Plant Hidden Location
Levitate all the way to the top of the power plant in the center of the room. When you reach the highest spot, you’ll get your reward.
While you’re up there, you’ll find a weird TV with a furnace on it. What does it do? Well, it’s part of Control’s furnace puzzle.
Black Rock Quarry Entrance Hidden Location 1
Remedy Entertainment/505 Games via Polygon
Remedy Entertainment/505 Games via Polygon
From the Quarry Entrance Control Point, head toward the quarry until you can make your first right. Keep moving forward until you see a pathway beneath the floating rocks.
Head through that path until you see a wall on right made up of large blocks. Levitate above them and enter the mold-infested room.
Black Rock Quarry Entrance Hidden Location 2
Remedy Entertainment/505 Games via Polygon
In the room just past the Black Quarry Entrance Control Point — the one where all the monsters and Hiss attack you — is a doorway located above everything to the left.
Enter the room, turn left, look up, and levitate up through the hole in the wall. Go through the Level 5 security door.
In the vertical room beyond that, keep levitating up until you find a doorway that leads you through some tunnels. Once you reach the door at the end, that’s the Hidden Location. It will bring you back to the furnace.
Central Research Hidden Location 1
Remedy Entertainment/505 Games via Polygon
Take the elevator from Central Executive to the Central Research area. Once out of the elevator, walk down the stairs to the first landing. On a wall to your left, you’ll see an office behind a window. Levitate and crash through the window to gain access. Watch out: There’s a mold enemy in there.
Central Research Hidden Location 2
Remedy Entertainment/505 Games via Polygon
From the window you crashed through in the Hidden Location above, you’ll see the second hidden area across the way. And if you’re not in that room, you can see your destination from the level with the Central Research Shelter. Either way, you’re looking for a balcony covered in ivy.
Levitate over and smash through the glass to get into the yellow office on the left. Behind that door is a room labeled Lab 10. You can only enter this room if you’ve completed Underhill’s quest. Touching the radio here will call in a swarm of mold.
Central Research Hidden Location 3 (Lab 79)
Remedy Entertainment/505 Games via Polygon
Take the stairs all the way to the top of Central Research so you’re near Dr. Darling’s office. Above his office entrance, you’ll notice a balcony. To find the Hidden Location, you’re going to have to use Levitate and Ground Slam to travel between balconies.
Levitate as high as you can then aim your reticle at the top of the balcony’s ceiling so you can Ground Slam into that area. Turning around, you’ll notice two more balconies across from you. Levitate to the one on the right first. Once you’ve landed, levitate to the the other one and you’ll find a door leading to Lab 79. Head on in and find the Hidden Location.
Luck & Probability
There’s a room gated with a Level 5 security clearance here. Once you enter, it’ll be clear that this room involves a puzzle. Thankfully, we’ve written up the solution to the Luck & Probability puzzle.
Active Threshold Hidden Location 1
Remedy Entertainment/505 Games via Polygon
After completing the Luck & Probability puzzle (above), drop all the way down to the bottom of Central Research and into the mold infested area with Dr. Underhill.
Run past her office and into the main area of the infested zone. Looking to your right, and you’ll see a sign for the bathroom. Walk through that doorway, look up, and you’ll see a hole above you. Levitate up there to find the Hidden Location.
If you’re having trouble getting up, grab one of the nearby refrigerators and place it below the hole, and then fly up.
Active Threshold Hidden Location 2
Remedy Entertainment/505 Games via Polygon
Stand in the center of the Active Threshold Control Point, and turn to look through the strong beam of light (which is west on your map). Walk toward the wall, look up, and you’ll see several platforms you can levitate up. Keep going up and to the right until you find an entrance that reveals this Hidden Location.
Logistics Hidden Location
Remedy Entertainment/505 Games via Polygon
Travel to the Logistics Control Point, and turn to face the U.S. map on the wall. Look up at the ceiling to find a hole. Up there is a small office with two item boxes.
Firebreak Hidden Location
Remedy Entertainment/505 Games via Polygon
From the Logistics Control Point, head running north until you reach the Firebreak leading the Panopticon.
Once in the Firebreak tunnel, turn around and find the small room hidden to the right of the door.
Fast travel to the Upper Panopticon Control Point and head across the bridge to Fortified Unit 716 — the same place you got the Levitate Ability. Once inside the area where you had the boss fight, levitate all the way toward the light at the end of the tunnel to reach the hidden location.
Upper Panopticon fifth floor Hidden Location
Remedy Entertainment/505 Games via Polygon
From the fourth floor Panopticon Control Point, levitate up to the fifth floor. Head toward the open area that ends with a swan. Turn to your left, and you’ll see a small opening beside the much larger ones that are marked Floor 5.
It may be difficult to see or distinguish, but remember that you’re looking for the smaller opening.
Transit Corridor South Hidden Location
Remedy Entertainment/505 Games via Polygon
Fast travel to the Transit Corridor control point. Head south toward the NYC Subway sign. Along the wall, you’ll see an office behind glass. Levitate and smash through it to enter the Hidden Location.
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Damage Mold 