05x11 - Cement/Caskets/Soft Drinks/Glider Rockers

[bunniefuu]

Narrator:
today on "how it's made"...

...cement...

...caskets...

...soft drinks...

...and glider rockers.

Many people confuse the terms
"cement" and "concrete."

Cement is a fine, gray powder
that's used to make concrete.

It's also an ingredient
in the mortar

That masons use
to lay brick and stone.

Cement also goes
into soil cement,

A material that's used
in paving roads, building dams,

And lining reservoirs.

The action begins
at the limestone quarry.

The limestone near the surface

Has a high content
of the minerals silica,

Iron, and aluminum oxide.

Deeper down,
the limestone is more pure,

Containing less
of those minerals

And more calcium carbonate.

The plant
uses both types of rock,

Altering their proportions to
make different types of cement.

Workers drill holes
in the rock wall,

In which they plant
powerful expl*sives.

For safety, the workers
have to position themselves

Behind the area
they're blasting,

Maintaining a distance
of at least 150 feet.

After the expl*si*n,
loaders move in.

They transfer
the limestone rocks

To 50-ton-capacity dump trucks.

The trucks then haul their cargo
to the cement plant nearby.

At the plant,
the trucks dump the rocks

Into what's called
the primary crusher.

The rocks
can be as big as a piano.

The primary crusher reduces them
to about the size of softballs.

There's a constant spray
of water

To keep the dust
from billowing up

And settling on the chutes.

From there,

A conveyor transports the rocks
to the secondary crusher.

It reduces them further
to about the size of golf ba*ls.

Rock high in calcium carbonate

And rock low
in calcium carbonate

Are crushed separately.

Now it's time to mix the two.

The ratio varies

According to the type of cement
they're making.

This overhead machine,
called a tripper,

Makes piles
of the required proportions.

They call this the raw mix.

Then a reclaimer loads
the raw mix

Into a grinding machine
called a roller mill.

Depending on what minerals

Are already naturally
in the crushed rock,

The factory adds
extra minerals

Such as silica and iron.

Certain types of cement
also require aluminum oxide.

The roller mixes and grinds
the ingredients uniformly,

Producing a dry rock powder
called the raw meal.

Now the powder
goes into a preheater.

The temperature of the powder
is 180 degrees fahrenheit

Upon entering.

Within 40 seconds, it gets
more that 10 times hotter.

This begins the process
of binding the minerals together

So that they'll later harden
when hydrated with water.

The preheater is equipped with
what's called a flash calciner.

In about 5 seconds, it removes


In the powder
through a chemical reaction.

This isolates the lime,

Which is the most
important element in cement.

From there, the powder
moves into a rotary kiln,

A huge, cylindrical furnace.

It's set on an angle so that the
powder moves from top to bottom,

A distance of 160 feet.

The kiln rotates
about 2 turns a minute

To ensure the materials travel
through at the right speed.

The burner's gas flame
at the bottom

Reaches a scorching 2,900
to 3,000 degrees fahrenheit.

As the powder approaching it
reaches the 1,500-degree mark,

It fuses into pieces
about the size of marbles.

These pieces are called clinker.

As the clinker leaves the kiln,
large fans cool it down

To between 140
and 180 degrees fahrenheit.

It's important
to cool the clinker quickly

In order to have quality cement.

From here, the clinker
goes to the storage area.

The last stage of cement making
is called finish grinding.

They add some gypsum
to the clinker.

The precise amount varies

With the type of cement
they're making.

Gypsum delays
the cement's setting time,

So it can be worked for up
to two hours before hardening.

The cement mills
are called ball mills

Because they contain
metal ba*ls,

About 150 tons of them,
in the largest mill.

As the mill rotates,

The ba*ls crush and grind
the clinker and gypsum

Into a fine powder.

Narrator:
the terms "casket" and "coffin"
are often used interchangeably,

But there are distinct
differences between the two.

Coffins are actually
those eight-sided burial boxes

That are narrower at
the bottom -- think "dracula" --

Whereas caskets are rectangular.

They can be made
of metal, plastic, or wood.

Whether the wood is ash, oak,
mahogany, or something else,

The casket's construction
is generally the same.

First they run wood slats

Through a machine
called a molder.

This profiles the edges,

Carving a tongue on one side
of each slat

And a groove on the other.

A worker applies glue
to these edges,

Then positions the slats
in a rounded vise

That locks the tongues
and grooves together.

The glue dries
in an hour and a half,

Bonding the slats permanently
into a large, curved piece.

This piece will form the top
and long sides

Of the casket's
rectangular cover.

To complete the rectangle,

A worker now makes
a v-shaped cut on each side

And glues in a triangular piece
of slatted wood.

While a press clamps
the components tightly together,

He secures the end pieces
in place with joint fasteners,

Which are like
heavy-duty staples.

Now a machine carves a groove
into the cover's underside

At the midpoint.

A worker glues in
a wooden piece,

Securing it
with joint fasteners.

This piece is called the bridge,

And it's the point
at which the cover

Will be cut in half later on.

They transfer the casket cover
to an automated machine

That gives it a rough sanding,
then a finer sanding.

The next step is to attach
a decorative molding

To the base of the casket cover.

This molding has a groove
on the inside

Into which they'll later
tuck the edge

Of the casket's
upholstery fabric.

A worker glues a small piece
of wood in the groove

At the midpoint

So the groove won't show
when the cover is open.

Now he saws the casket cover in
two, right through the bridge.

Meanwhile,
another worker assembles

The bottom of the casket,
called the box.

He glues together the sides
and applies a bottom molding,

Securing everything
with joint fasteners.

At this point,
the box is upside down.

He attaches the bottom,

Then flips
the box right-side up.

Now it's time to join the cover
and box, using four hinges.

They spray the casket

With one of countless shades
of wood stain,

Then rub it in equally
over the entire surface.

The casket goes into an oven
for an hour to dry the stain.

Next a worker sprays
on two coats of lacquer,

With 40 minutes drying time
between applications.

This happens to be
a high-gloss finish,

But many models
have a duller sheen.

Once the lacquer dries,
a worker attaches handles.

The more expensive the casket,
the fancier the features.

This higher-end oak model
with decorative corners

Has wood
and metal swing handles.

Other models
have all-metal swing handles

Or fixed bars
made of wood, metal, or both.

The fancier caskets also have
an adjustable wooden bed inside,

With a mechanism
to adjust the height.

A worker covers the bed
in fabric.

The base-model bed
is made of absorbent paper

Laid over a product
called wood wool,

Which is simply shredded wood.

The upholsterer lines the inside
of the casket with foam,

Covering it with either velvet,
satin, or silk polyester crepe.

By folding, nailing,

And stapling this fabric
a certain way,

She creates pleats, tufting,
and other design details.

Generally,
the more expensive the casket,

The finer the fabric, and
the more ornate the upholstery.

A decorative trim
hides the staples.

Fabric straps, or metal elbow
brackets, hold the cover open.

There's just no limit

To how beautiful and elaborate
caskets can be.

Narrator:
the soft drink was born
at the drugstore soda fountain,

Where pharmacists would serve up

Various flavors
of carbonated water,

Initially considered
a medicinal drink.

These sodas became so popular
that customers wanted to be able

To buy them in bottles
to take home.

That demand spawned
the soft-drink industry.

In 2003, almost 195 billion
liters of soft drinks

Were sold around the world.

That's 30 liters
for every person on earth.

These 2-liter plastic bottles

Have just arrived
from the bottle factory.

Even though
they're brand-new bottles,

The soft-drink plant
still has to clean them

Before filling them.

This rinsing machine
turns the bottles upside down,

Then flushes them with water
the plant filters on-site.

Once the water drains out,

The machine turns the bottles
right-side up again.

And they make their way
to the filling station.

Meanwhile, in the mixing room,

Technicians prepare
whatever soft drink

They'll be bottling
in this production run.

Each recipe begins
with filtered water.

It makes up 86% of the drink.

The rest is syrup.

Each syrup recipe
is a combination

Of carefully measured
ingredients,

Natural and artificial coloring
and flavoring,

And one or more various types
of sugar,

Such as glucose or fructose

Extracted from beets,
corn, or cane.

This machine releases

The right proportion of syrup
to filtered water,

Creating the final soft drink
minus the bubbles.

The drink now travels
to a pressurized tank

Called the carbonator.

There an injection
of carbon dioxide

Infuses the drink
with gas bubbles.

The carbonated soft drink
now travels

To the reservoir
of the bottling machine.

The bottles arrive
and travel its carousel.

The machine removes the air
in each bottle,

Then fills it with, in
this case, two liters of cola.

Now on to the capping machine.

The caps come down a chute
propelled by filtered air.

The machine twists a cap

On the part of the bottle
called the crimp,

Intertwining the threads
of the cap and crimp tightly

To hermetically seal the bottle.

Next stop, labeling.

The machine's roller
applies cold glue

To one metal plate
after another.

Each plate then grabs a label
and applies it to a bottle.

Brushes smooth edges down,
ensuring the labels adhere well.

Elsewhere in the plant,
a machine called the uncaser

Unloads cases
of refillable glass bottles

That have come back
to the factory.

The cases continue
toward a case-washing machine.

The dirty bottles head toward
the bottle-washing machine,

Where devices called cells
line them up in rows of 16.

Each bottle tilts and enters
the washer neck-first.

Inside, a combination
of powerful water jets and soap

Remove dirt and germs.

Then water jets
rinse off all traces of soap.

As they exit, they pass in front
of a neon inspection light.

Workers pull any problem bottles
off the line.

Now the bottles head to the same
bottling machine as before,

Only now it's been adjusted
to fill each bottle

With 10 fluid ounces of drink --
in this case, orange soda.

This factory takes a sample
from each production run

For quality-control testing.

The lab technicians
check such things

As the dilution ratio
of syrup to water,

The carbonization level,
and the airtight seal.

They also analyze the purity
of the drink and container

By running the sample
through a paper filter.

They put the filter
in a petri dish

Containing the nutrients needed
to grow micro-organisms.

Then they incubate
at a precise temperature

And observe
if any bacteria grow.

These glass bottles
have old-fashioned bottle caps,

Not the twist caps
the plastic bottles have.

As each cap drops down
onto a bottle,

The machine squeezes it tightly,
creating an airtight seal.

Once the bottles
are filled and capped,

They go into shipping cases.

Narrator:
a glider rocker combines
the back-and-forth movement

Of a traditional rocking chair

With the gliding motion
of a swing.

Parents often buy them
to rock their infants to sleep

Or soothe them while feeding.

Other models are designed
for people

Who like to rock and glide

While having a conversation,
reading a book, or watching tv.

Glider rockers
come in a few different styles.

Some are made of solid wood
with a variety of cushions.

Others have a metal frame that's
partially or fully upholstered.

The first step is to cut
the dried wood

To the required dimensions

Using laser-
and computer-guided saws.

The species this factory uses
for its wooden models

Are maple, oak, and ash --

Hardwoods known for
their strength and durability.

Then a computerized, industrial
router/shaper forms tenons.

A tenon is a projection
on the end of one piece

That fits into a cavity, called
a mortise, on another piece.

Another shaper
profiles the seat-frame pieces

Four at a time.

Workers glue each tenon
and mortise together by hand,

Then clamp the joint.

Once the glue cures,

These joints will be
virtually indestructible.

With the glue dry,

The seat frame moves on
to the next phase.

Another automated router/shaper
gives it the final contour.

Next they smooth
the surface of the wood

Using successively
finer sandpapers.

Now they bore a series of holes

For attaching the armrests
and back of the chair.

Precision is critical here.

They assemble those pieces
in a custom-made assembly jig

To ensure their exact position
and angle

Before screwing them in place.

Now they attach what's called
the multiposition mechanism.

This enables the glider-rocker

To lock in six different
comfort positions.

This part, called a trammel,
controls the angle.

Ball bearings located at the top
and bottom of the chair's arms

Are key to a smooth,
gliding motion.

Secured solidly,
they'll last a lifetime.

Workers assemble the parts

That make up
the rocking/gliding mechanism.

Finally, they slide it
under the seat frame

And attach it
to the multiposition mechanism.

It's critical
that the fit be precise

For the chair
to operate properly.

Meanwhile, work is under way
in the upholstery department.

There are many different styles
and colors of fabric available.

Workers stack several layers
of seat-cover fabric

For a given model in a pile
to cut several in one shot.

The pile lies
on a textured rubber mat

Held steady by a vacuum press
so it won't move

While the computerized cutter
does its work.

After the pieces are cut,

A seamstress sews
the zippered seat cushions.

Another vacuum press temporarily
squashes the seat cushions,

Enabling workers
to insert one in each cover.

The cushion
isn't a simple block of foam.

Rather,
it's a triple-decker sandwich

Composed of two different
densities of foam

Glued together with
a multilayered polyester fiber.

The fiber gives the cushion
more depth and smoothness.

The different foams
maximize comfort and durability.

The plastic wrapping
has no structural role.

It's merely part
of the vacuum system.

Relaxing in a glider rocker can
be a very soothing experience.

Picture yourself
in front of the fireplace,

Legs resting
on a gliding ottoman,

Relaxing your back
after a long day,

Reading, listening to music,
or just daydreaming.

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