25x04 - Storage Sheds, Industrial Fans, Parchment Paper, Climbing Walls

[bunniefuu]

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

Throughout history,
people have needed a place

To store
their personal belongings.

Early storage sheds
were basic huts.

Today, factories
produce substantial structures

That can be easily assembled
from a kit.

This means finding extra storage
space should be no problem.

Storage sheds provide a home

For things that don't belong
or fit in the house.

They're made from plastic panels
embossed with a wood grain.

Making one starts
with a computer design.

Once they have a plan,
machinery rolls into action.

High density polyethylene
plastic flows into a big mixer.

Some of the plastic pellets
are new material,

While the rest are pellets
recycled

From previous processing.

This is called regrind.

An automated scale
measures out

The correct amounts
of ingredients

As they enter the mixer.

They add a cooling accelerant
and a colorant

To the polyethylene pellets.

Thorough mixing ensures
that the final product

Will be evenly colored
and have structural integrity.

A vacuum pump moves the blend
out of the mixer

And through a network of pipes
along the factory ceiling.

The pipes deliver the
polyethylene mix to a machine

Called a blow molder.

It will blow melted plastic
into a two part mold ...

In this case,
a floor panel mold.

The blow molder melts the
plastic into a tubular shape.

The plastic emerges hot
and malleable.

In manufacturing lingo,
this is call a parasin.

The mold closes
around the parasin

As little needles pierce
and inflate it.

The parasin swells against the
walls of the mold,

Taking its shape.

The mold embosses a tread design
on one side

And a ridged one
on the back for strength.

A long, automated clamp
extracts the hollow panel.

At this point, the plastic is
partially cured but still hot.

When the panel
is ready to be handled,

A team trims the overflow.

This material is called flash.

The flash is warm and has
a taffy like consistency.

The team leaves it to cool
and firm up

Before feeding it to a grinder.

The grinding process produces
the pellets known as regrind

That will be used
to make more panels.

Next, the team cuts slots
and tabs

That will be used for assembling
the floor panel to the walls.

They stack the panels.

It's quite a pile.

They manufacture
several thousand panels a day.

Now, it's over to another
blow molding machine.

This one creates roof panels,

Complete
with cedar shingle detail.

Once again, they trim the flash

And grind it up
to make new panels.

Very little polyethylene
goes to waste.

The next machine
molds door panels

With a tongue and groove
beadboard look.

Although all of the shed panels
are made of plastic,

They look like a variety
of materials:

Cedar shakes, siding, beadboard,

And even treaded vinyl flooring.

A worker randomly pulls panels
off the production line

For testing.

She verifies that the assembly
holes are the right size.

She also weighs
and measures the panel

To confirm
it meets specifications.

Another member of the testing
team dabs gel onto the panel

In various locations.

This gel allows an instrument
to measure the thickness

Of the plastic.

Once the panels pass the tests,

It's time to pack up the kits.

There are 15 to 20 panels
per kit.

Employees pack the parts
in the order

That they are to be assembled.

On the computer, the parts
come together in seconds.

But in the real world,

It takes up to three hours

To assemble this
plastic storage shed.

However, it's a lot easier
than building one from scratch.

And in the end, you have a place
to store things.

Narrator: industrial fans are
extra large to provide air circulation

In a large factory
or a warehouse.

They whip up a breeze
to keep workers cool,

And in the process,
they clear the air of dust

And other harmful particles.

Almost 3 feet in diameter

And a body tough enough

To survive a run in
with a forklift,

This is no ordinary fan.

It's an industrial fan.

They're designed
to circulate air in large spaces

Like warehouses and factories.

Production starts
with the motor.

A worker slides the fan's
aluminum hub onto it.

Then, he inserts wing like
blades known as airfoils

Into notches in the hub.

Using a hammer, he taps the ends
to set them in the hub.

He places a part
known as a taper lock

Into a hole in the center.

The taper lock will fasten
the motor shaft to the hub.

He screws the lip
of the lock to the hub.

He confirms that each screw has
been set to the desired torque.

Next, he installs
a blast reinforced plastic cone

On the hub.

This one secures the ends
of the blades in the hub.

He snaps a cap onto the center
of the nose cone.

Now, he transfers the motor
and hub assembly

To a mount that's
in a heavy duty plastic ring.

He adds an upper mount
and screws it to the lower one.

This completely encases
the motor and hub assembly.

He trims the outer ring
of the fan with rubber molding.

The rubber
will reduce vibration noise.

He lowers a steel yolk
onto the plastic surround

And attaches it with a screw.

He wires a speed control
mechanism to the fan motor

And fastens it to the outside
of the plastic surround.

He installs a plate

With a control knob on the front
of the speed control mechanism.

He screws on two metal screens
to the fan's yolk.

This forms a safety cage
around the fan.

He plugs the fan
into a power source

And turns it on
to test its function.

Satisfied
that it's in good working order,

He tightens the screens
to the yolk.

A two person crew
bolts a wheeled pedestal

To the stem of the fan.

They set the 108 pound fan
upright.

It's now ready to circulate.

Designed to move
large volumes of air,

This industrial fan generates

A considerable breeze
inside a factory.

To make
an industrial ceiling fan,

They use long,
aluminum airfoils.

Their wing like profile

Will generate lift
to produce more air.

A punch cuts holes
to assemble them to a hub.

A worker then
attaches the main fan assembly

To the end of a long post

In order
to facilitate the installation

Of the long airfoils.

He activates a lift
that raises the hub assembly,

Then slides the airfoils

Onto spars
that protrude from the hub.

This ceiling fan
has 10 airfoils.

He reinforces the installation

With boomerang shaped
metal retainers.

High strength bolts

Secure the retainers
and airfoils to the spars.

He attaches plastic winglets
to the ends of the airfoils.

The winglets will direct air
downward.

He installs a trim ring
on the hub.

This completes the assembly
of the industrial ceiling fan.

Using a remote control,

He tests its operation
at multiple speed levels.

From this vantage point,
it seems pretty cool.

Narrator: lining a cooking or baking
pan with culinary parchment paper

Instantly makes cleanup
a whole lot easier

Because nothing
sticks to the pan.

With parchment paper,

There's no need
to grease the pan

With messy butter or oil.

This culinary parchment paper
comes in a standard sheet roll

Or an assortment
of specialty shapes.

It's heat resistant
to a temperature of 450 degrees.

Making paper begins with pulp,
which is pulverized wood.

This parchment paper
manufacturer

Uses eucalyptus because it's
a sustainable resource.

They mix the pulp with water
in a huge, industrial mixer.

This special recipe

Of eucalyptus fibers
produces tan colored paper.

Once the consistency
is just right,

They pump the soggy pulp
out of the blender

And into a machine

That spreads it evenly
across a metal mesh belt.

The water drains through
the openings in the mesh.

By the time the pulp

Rolls into the first drum
of the next machine,

It is formed
into a sheet of paper.

Sprayers rehydrate
what's trimmed off the edges

So it can be recycled.

The paper travels through a long
line of heated rollers.

They squeeze out the remaining
water and dry the paper.

A high resolution scanner looks
for imperfections as the paper

Exits the machine.

Workers unwind the bolt

And conduct a visual inspection
against backlighting.

Next, the bolt undergoes

The first of two critical
operations,

Which transforms
this regular paper

Into culinary parchment paper.

First, the sheet
passes through two baths

In a proprietary
water based solution.

This eliminates air pockets

And renders
the paper heat resistant.

After a series of rinses,

Another long line
of heated rollers

Squeezes out the rinse water
and dries the paper.

The next station sprays

Both sides of the sheet
with food grade silicone,

Then bakes on the coating
in a gas fired dryer.

Silicone withstands heat
up to 1,500 degrees,

So even at the highest cooking
temperatures,

There will be a barrier

That prevents food
from sticking to the paper.

Silicone also repels water.

This is the paper
before the treatments

Make it heat resistant,
nonstick and waterproof.

And here's how the paper
performs after those treatments.

Because it's waterproof,
you can wet the paper

To make it malleable enough
to line a pan of any shape.

The factory cuts the bolts
to consumer widths,

Then shrink wraps and ships
them to factories

That supply restaurants
and supermarkets.

Here, machines unwind the bolts,

Then wind specific lengths
of parchment paper

Onto cardboard tubes.

Winding a 165 foot roll
takes just three seconds.

The factory also
applies its logo to the paper

At regular intervals.

However, that operation
is top secret.

The automated packaging
equipment tapes down the edge

To prevent unraveling,

Then places and seals the roll
in a cardboard box.

The machine stamps
the box with a lot code so,

If a problem arises,

The factory can trace the roll

Back to the large bolt
from which it originated.

This parchment paper,
cardboard tube,

And box are all made
from sustainable resources.

The box edge is rigid enough
to tear off a sheet,

So there's no need for an
unrecyclable metal cutting edge.

You can throw
the used parchment paper

In your compost bin or rinse
off the food remnants

And put it along with the box
and tube in your recycling bin.

Narrator: a climbing wall is
an artificially constructed wall

With grips for hands and feet.

These walls mimic the experience
of outdoor rock climbing

But in a more controlled
environment,

Allowing people
of all ages and abilities

The opportunity to climb.

A climbing wall
can have a flat surface,

Studded with hand holes
that the climber grabs

Or steps on.

Or it can be what's called
rock realistic,

Designed to look
like a natural rock wall.

That type can also have
hand holes,

Or just cracks and fissures
like the real thing.

The factory builds the wall
structure

Out of thick steel bars.

Workers weld them into frames.

Each frame will hold a panel
that's one portion

Of the wall face.

They reinforce the corners
of the frame with gusset plates.

Each frame is a distinct size
and shape.

To make the panels for
a flat surface climbing wall,

Workers trace the frames
on plywood

Or engineered
wood particle board.

After spray painting
the corresponding part code,

They cut out each panel
to match the wall plan.

Then they screw in t nuts.

These nuts

Have a larger than standard
flange for extra strength.

They screw a bolt
in the middle of the t nut

To protect the threads
from the cement finish

They will spray onto the wood.

To make a rock realistic wall,

They mold cement panels
to attach to the steel frames.

To mix the cement, they
combine ice and liquid polymer.

Ice keeps the cement
from overheating in the mixer.

The polymer is a binding agent.

It also makes the cement
flexible

So the wall
doesn't crack or chip.

While they
mix the cement ingredients,

They monitor the temperature
with an infrared thermometer.

Correct temperature is critical
for the cement to properly set.

They pour the cement
through a sieve

To filter out large pieces.

Then, they pump the cement
into a spray g*n.

With slow and even strokes,
they sh**t the cement

Onto a silicone mold
of the mountain face.

After brushing it into
the mold's nooks and crannies,

They spray two more coats.

This time,
they simultaneously sh**t a g*n

That chops
and sprays fiberglass string

To reinforce the cement.

They compress
the fiberglass reinforced cement

With rollers
to even out the thickness.

Then, they embed rebar loops.

Rebar is a steel rod
used for reinforcing cement.

They embed thick, steel rods


Long along the perimeter.

Then, they let the cement
set overnight.

The next day, they
extract the panel from the mold.

A cement panel like this
can weigh more than 600 pounds.

They knock off jagged edges
with a mallet

And check for any weak areas
caused by air pockets.

After drilling numerous holes
for the hand hold t nuts,

They grind the edges smooth.

They weld the wall panels to
their corresponding steel frame

And fill gaps
between panels with cement.

When they're building
a flat surface wall,

They spray a cement finish
on the wood,

Then a coat of paint.

Once the paint dries,
they mount the hand holds.

They're made
of molded polyurethane.

Then, they attach the wall panel
to the steel frame

With a nail g*n.

Flat surface walls
are more versatile

Because they can hold
far more t nuts

Than rock realistic walls.

The more t nuts,

The more locations
for hand holds.

This enables a gym

To create a greater range
of climbing routes,

Suiting both
experienced climbers

And rookie mountaineers.

If you have any comments
about the show,

Or if you'd like to suggest
topics for future shows,

Drop us a line at...