10x06 - Wooden Barrels/Fire Hydrants/Automotive Seats/Cathode Ray Tubes

[bunniefuu]

Narrator: today on

"How it's made"...

Wooden barrels...

Fire hydrants...

Automotive seats...

And cathode-ray tubes.

In the old days, wooden barrels

Stored all kinds of goods,

Simply because they were easy to

Move.

If you couldn't lift them, you

Could roll them.

Today modern machinery has made

Barrels obsolete, except for

Storing fine wine and spirits.

And so the time-honored

Tradition of barrel making lives

On.

These wooden barrels are for

Storing whiskey.

They're made from american white

Oak cut into pieces called

Staves.

The staves go into a planer that

Shaves them to about an inch

Thick.

Next, a machine punches two

Quarter-inch holes on either

Side of each stave.

Dowel pins made of hickory, a

Very strong wood, go into these

Holes to hold the staves

Together.

Workers take the staves, place

Them on a guide, and press them

Together.

A smaller piece completes the

Shape.

Now it's onto the rounder, a

Machine that cuts it into a

Circular shape.

This creates the barrel's lid,

Or head, as it's called.

And each barrel requires two,

One for the top and one for the

Bottom.

The barrel head now goes onto a

Contraption called the char

Tunnel.

Its gas burners scorch the wood.

This charring not only changes

The wood's appearance, it also

Gives color, flavor, and aroma

To the whiskey this barrel will

Hold.

The workers coat the head's edge

With liquid beeswax, which helps

Them set it snugly into the

Barrel body.

They run the staves against this

Machine to narrow their ends.

This gives the barrel its

Characteristic shape, with a

Smaller radius at the ends than

In the middle.

At the barrel-raising station, a

Worker positions an iron hoop

And starts to assemble the

Barrel inside it.

He selects staves that vary in

Width in order to use as few as

Possible.

This reduces the numbers of

Joints and potential leak

Points.

He has to be gentle as he lassos

The barrel together.

If he pulls that dry wood too

Tight, it will break into

Pieces.

A loose hoop gives the wood room

To expand.

Next, the barrels pass through a

Steam tunnel for about 15

Minutes.

This adds moisture to the wood

So it can flex without snapping.

Workers pull out the barrel and

Remove the top and bottom hoops.

Sturdier hoops replace them and

Are hammered into place.

Without them, the barrel would

Spring apart.

Next, two more hoops around the

Body.

The wood groans from the intense

Pressure that forces the staves

Together, but there can't be any

Gaps between the staves or else

The barrel will leak.

The barrels pass over a gas

Burner that blasts a flame

Inside each one to char its

Interior.

Seconds later, water shoots into

The barrel to put out the

Flames.

An automated saw cuts a v-shaped

Notch into the top and bottom of

Each barrel.

This is where the barrel head

Will slide in.

A fan blows away the sawdust.

Now a machine removes the iron

Hoop on each end.

A worker pours in a gallon of

Water to cool the barrel, still

Hot from the charring process.

Then he puts on a barrel head

And stronger, permanent iron

Hoops on both ends.

Now machines remove the two iron

Body hoops and replace them with

Stronger ones.

These barrels hold their shape

By sheer pressure.

There's not a drop of glue

Holding them together.

That gallon of water is still

Inside the barrel.

Workers drill a hole in the

Side, then plug it by hammering

In a rubber stopper with a

Spout.

An inspector checks the barrel

For leaks, stamps it approved,

And labels it with a bar code

For inventory.

Then they remove the stopper and

Out comes the water, turned to

Steam because of the heat.

The barrels are now ready to go

Onto the distillery, where

They'll get their fill of some

Fine kentucky whiskey.

When we return, you see them on

Every street corner, but how are

They made?

Narrator: fire hydrants have

Been in use for more than 200

Years.

In the old days, their main

Purpose was to supply water to

Fight fires, but they also

Provided the public with a handy

Water supply.

Today fire crews rely on the

Nearest hydrant to help them

Douse flames whenever and

Wherever they break out.

Fire hydrants are essential to

Every community.

They need to be instantly

Recognizable, easily accessible,

And simple to operate.

The ones in residential areas

Are designed to deliver an

Impressive 1,500 gallons a

Minute.

The hydrant-making process

Starts with recycled scrap iron,

Along with steel and raw iron.

Using a magnetic crane, workers

Load the metals into a furnace

And melt them at 2,800 degrees

Fahrenheit.

This turns the scrap metal into

Molten iron.

This superhot mixture is

Transferred into a

Remote-controlled ladle...

And emptied into an automated

Pouring system.

To cast the hydrants, workers

First make two-part molds by

Compressing a mixture of sand

And bonding materials.

One part, called the mold,

Forms the hydrant's exterior

Shape, while the other part,

Called the core, forms the

Interior shape.

An automatic core setter

Positions a core in each mold.

Then a conveyer advances the

Mold under the pouring box,

Which fills the cavity between

The mold and core with molten

Iron.

After the iron cools and

Solidifies, the molds enter a

Tumbling barrel.

As they revolve, the sand

Gradually disintegrates, freeing

The iron casting inside.

Workers drill and thread the

Hydrant castings to prepare them

For assembly.

Then they pre-assemble and paint

Them.

The fire hydrant's internal

Workings, called the valve

Assembly, allow water to flow

Through when the hydrant's open.

A series of rubber "o" rings on

The main valve will prevent

Leaks when the hydrant is

Closed.

Now the hydrant is ready for

Final assembly.

Workers attach the nozzle

Section to the top of the

Hydrant barrel and fasten nozzle

Cap chains with a crimping tool.

Using a torque wrench, they

Attach cast-iron safety rings.

These rings are designed to

Disengage the top from the

Bottom of the hydrant so it

Doesn't get damaged if a vehicle

Hits it.

Workers clamp the water-main

Connector into place and

Pressurize the hydrant to normal

City pressure to check for

Leaks.

Using a hoist, they lower the

Pre-assembled nozzle section

Over the stem...

And fasten it to the water-main

Connector with stainless steel

Bolts.

They lower the bonnet into

Place...

Bolt it to the nozzle section...

Then open the hydrant for a

High-pressure test.

They turn the operating nut to

Allow water to flow through.

But first, they have to force

Out the air inside the hydrant

With water.

Workers transfer the finished

Hydrant to a pallet and apply

Final paint touch-ups.

Some fire hydrants that were

Installed more than 100 years

Ago are still in use today.

Coming up, it's a cushy job, but

Somebody's got to do it.

Narrator: most people don't

Pay too much attention to car

Seating, but this feature has

Come a long way since the car

Was invented in the 19th

Century.

Back then, seats had no springs

And not much padding.

So you could feel every bump on

The road.

In today's car seats, we have

A much easier ride.

Padded and belted, modern

Automotive seats are designed to

Be safe and comfortable.

The components are manufactured

Separately and shipped to this

Factory for assembly.

They arrive as needed on the

Production line so there's not a

Lot of stockpiling.

It means the flow of parts into

This plant has to be highly

Organized because they make over



The parts are carted to the

Assembly line in the order

They're needed.

On this assembly line, there are



Tasks to perform.

They receive a build ticket for

Each part and scan it.

This allows a central computer

To track production and verify

That the right parts are being

Used to build the right seat.

An operator tucks the

Seat-warmer pad and cables into

The cushioning for the bottom

Half of the seat.

She loosely places the fabric

Cover over the assembly and

Attaches it with wire.

Then it's over to the next

Station, where the operator

Completes the upholstery job.

Each worker has just 88 seconds

To perform his or her tasks, so

There's no sitting down on this

Job.

They install a seat-warmer

System on the backrest section

Of the seat and cover it.

Then they slide an air bag into

A special sleeve.

These seats come with springs

That clip on to their metal

Framework to provide lumbar

Support.

Workers fit the cushion assembly

Onto the spring framework and

Pull it tight.

They smooth out any wrinkles,

A process called finessing.

Then they install the headrest.

Next they tackle the lower

Framework.

They equip it with a mechanism

That adjusts the height of the

Seat.

Electrical connectors go in

Next.

Then they bolt the lower

Framework to the cushioned

Backrest.

They attach the pretensioner

Apparatus, which locks the seat

Belt into position, then wire

The connector box.

They fit the lower cushioning on

The framework and add the

Recliner spring.

A plastic valance makes it all

Look neater.

Now it's time to take this

Driver's seat for a test run.

Inspectors hook it up to a power

Source and make sure the air bag

And seat warmer are operational.

They iron out all the wrinkles

Because the automaker will

Reject any seat that's less than

Perfect.

Then they slide and tilt the

Seat to make sure the adjustment

Mechanisms are working properly.

Workers assemble the rear seats

Using the same techniques.

Again, each operator gets

Exactly 88 seconds to complete

His or her job.

When you add it all up, an

Entire seat set takes just 62

Minutes to assemble.

Before they ship the seat set to

The car factory, they snap a

Photo as a production record.

It proves each set was in

Perfect condition when it left

The factory.

Now these seats are ready to hit

The road.

Workers strap them onto delivery

Pallets and load them into a big

Truck, 60 sets at a time.

They'll arrive at the car plant

Just as the vehicles they were

Made for are rolling off the

Assembly line.

Once they're installed, all you

Need to do is sit back and enjoy

The ride.

Next, making the tubes that

Bring tvs to life.

Narrator: the crt, short for

Cathode-ray tube, produces the

Image that we see on our tvs and

Computer monitors -- the ones

That aren't lcd are plasma, that

Is.

Believe it or not, the

Cathode-ray tube was invented

Back in 1879.

A crt is made up of two main

Components, a large glass bulb

And an electric g*n.

Crts start with a molded glass

Bulb.

Workers remove microscopic

Debris with a high-pressure

Water rinse.

Then they spray hydrofluoric

Acid to clean the glass at an

Atomic level.

Phosphor solution is poured into

The bulb.

Phosphor is an organic compound

That emits light when struck by

Electrons.

The phosphor particles settle

And form a chemical bond with

The bulb face.

Workers pour off the excess

Solution...

And clamp the bulb over a nozzle

That sprays clear lacquer over

The phosphor.

The centrifugal force guarantees

An even coat.

This worker paints a conductive

Coating over the anode button

Which will provide a flow path

For the electrons that will

Light up the phosphor particles.

Meanwhile, another worker drops

An aluminum pellet into a

Tungsten coil.

He places the bulb over a vacuum

Device and draws out the air.

Then he applies an electrical

Current to the coil.

It evaporates the aluminum

Pellet, which spreads a

Mirror-like coating on the

Inside of the bulb.

Now they heat the bulb to 425

Degrees fahrenheit for one hour.

This bakes out the lacquer and

Any trace of moisture.

Using a high-temperature flame,

A worker aligns and fuses a

Glass neck to the bulb.

Then he paints it with the same

Conductive coating.

This assembly is part of the

Electron g*n that goes inside

The bulb.

It shoots electrons at the

Bulb's phosphor particles that

Lights them up, creating the

Image we see on screen.

Workers stack the grip cups that

Focus the electrons on the

Screen.

Then using beading glass, they

Align and fuse them into

Position.

Robots heat and affix the

Beading glass to assemble the

Electron-g*n components.

Then the g*n is cooled with

Pressurized air.

Once cooled, a worker builds up

The g*n and inserts the

Completed g*n assembly into the

Bulb.

Next he positions the bulb on a

Glass-blowing lathe and cuts

Excess glass from the neck.

Using a graphite paddle and a

High-temperature torch, he mates

The glass neck to the

Electron-g*n stem.

This ceramic heating coil melts

That green glass pellet to keep

The bulb under vacuum.

The tube is heated to 750

Degrees fahrenheit for two

Hours, and once again, a vacuum

Is drawn.

To minimize image flicker over

The tube's life-span, workers

Condition the bulb using a

High-voltage coil.

It smoothes any rough surfaces

That might remain on the

Electron g*n.

Finally, workers apply

Electrical connections to the

Electron g*n to bring the

Cathode-ray tube to life.

If you have any comments about

The show, or if you'd like to

Suggest topics for future shows,

Drop us a line at...