25x09 - Armoured Vehicles, Tension Fabric Buildings, Rowers, Scuplture Enlargements

[bunniefuu]

Narrator:
the first armored car

Was developed
in the late 19th century.

First used
as scouting vehicles,

They quickly became a source
of protection in modern warfare.

Today, private armored vehicles
are made for celebrities,

C.e.o.s,
and government officials.

This armored s.u.v.
Looks like an ordinary car,

But it's reinforced
with bulletproof steel

And has
transparent armor windows.

A designer
integrates armored parts

Into the original design of
the car using a 3d cad system.

A c.n.c. Precision
laser cutter

Shapes the armored parts
out of a ballistic steel sheet.

A mechanic tests the steel's
ballistic resistance

Using a high-power r*fle.

He makes sure the armor

Meets international
ballistic impact standards.

A mechanic starts

By removing the inside covers
and liners of the car,

Stripping it down
to the chassis frame.

Now the mechanics
can install the armor.

They weld bulletproof steel
sheets to the chassis frame.

They reinforce
the car floor

With blast-absorbent
steel sheets

And install
ballistic armored steel

To cover
the interior cabin walls.

A mechanic now uses
an electric grinder

To remove the standard-steel
panels from the door.

Armored steel plates
designed to fit to the chassis

Are welded in place.

At the end
of the process,

The vehicle is armored
from top to bottom.

The armor adds around two tons
of weight to the vehicle,

Depending on the model,

So each vehicle is equipped with
an adapted suspension system.

A welder assembles a fuel-tank
casing using ballistic steel.

He arranges the metal to form a
protective shell around the tank

Then welds
the pieces together.

Another worker applies
electrostatic, anti-rust,

And flame-retardant paint,

Designed to prevent
the tank from exploding

If exposed to open flames.

A welder attaches the fuel pan
to the bulletproof casing.

He uses a mig torch to tack-weld
the pan onto the armored steel.

The c.n.c.-Designed casing
fits perfectly around the tank.

Mechanics now reassemble
the interior fitting,

Air-conditioning system,

And electrical wiring
running through the roof.

Another worker reattaches
the original panels

To the armored door frame

And puts the door-lock and
window controls back in place.

They cover the blast-absorbent
steel with floor mats,

Then they bring in
the rear bulkhead door,

Which is upholstered
to match the original interior.

The bulletproof door can be used
as an emergency escape hatch.

It opens horizontally

Because the door is too heavy
for hatch lifts to support.

Now they install
the windshield.

It's made
of transparent armored glass.

The thickness of the glass

Depends on the ballistic
standard the car needs to meet.

He installs runflat devices
made of composite plastic

Inside the wheels.

This allows the car
to keep rolling on a flat tire

For 40 to 50 miles

At a speed of
up to 50 miles per hour.

A mechanic tightens
the device around the rim

Before a robotic arm
attaches the tire to the wheel.

He labels
the reinforced wheel

With the specifications
of the runflat device

And mounts it
back on the car.

A keen observer
may see the overlap

Between the edge of the
doorframe and the main chassis

Or notice the unusual thickness
of the windows,

But the design
of these cars

Makes them look
perfectly normal to most people,

Even though they are
as protected as armored tanks.

Narrator:
a tension fabric building

Combines the benefits
of a tent and a building

Into a single structure.

It has a strong,
load-resistant roof

And a sturdy steel structure

But can be quickly
dismantled and reconstructed

At a new location.

You often see
tension fabric buildings

On farms
or at public works yards.

They're often used
to store equipment

And bulk materials
like gravel or road salt.

Tension fabric buildings
can also house small factories.

The fabric cover
is high-density polyethylene,

A material known
for its exceptional strength.

It can withstand strong winds
and heavy snow accumulation.

Following
the engineer's plan,

Workers cut
the required sheets of fabric.

Then, the assembly
process begins.

They flatten and tape down
the first sheet to immobilize it

Then overlap the second sheet
by two inches.

They tape down that sheet
to keep it in position.

Then, with a hot-air welder,
they melt the overlapping edges

And press them together
with heavy wheels.

This fuses the edges
into a strong seam.

Workers use this same process
to weld on tension pockets

Two feet in
from the bottom and sides.

Each pocket will contain
a steel or pvc tube

Holding nylon straps.

The straps are spaced


Depending on
the building size.

They apply tension

To fasten the fabric down
over the steel structure.

The assembled sheets
form a single cover

That goes over the sides
and roof of the building.

Separate covers are made
for the front and back walls.

The covers of larger buildings
are made differently.

Workers connect multiple covers
with a keter system.

Keter is an ultra-strong
pvc or nylon rope.

An automated
hot-air welder

Folds the edges of each cover
over the keter.

The fabric-sealed rope edge

Will slide snugly
into an aluminum channel

In the building's
roof structure.

When the cover is finished,

Workers fan-fold it...

...then roll it up for transport
to the installation site.

For the building's
steel structure,

The factory
orders steel tubing

And cuts pieces
to the required lengths.

The steel is coated with zinc
to prevent corrosion.

Works put the tubes
into a press

To flatten the ends
into connectable surfaces.

At the same time, the press
punches holes for bolts.

For buildings
with a rounded top,

Works bend tubes
for the trusses,

A main component
of the roof framing.

The operator
programs in the required radius,

And the machine
automatically adjusts the dies

To curve the tube
accordingly.

Workers then place the parts
for each truss segment

In an assembly jig
to prepare for welding.

They tack-weld
the parts together

So they come off the jig
as a single unit.

At the next station,
workers finish the welding.

This truss segment
will connect with six others,

Forming a 200-foot truss running
the full width of the building.

To keep up with the high demand,
robots do all the welding

For this factory's
most-popular models.

Welding removes
the galvanization,

Which keeps the steel
corrosion-resistant,

So the last step is to spray
zinc-rich paint on the welds

To restore
that protection.

A tension fabric building

Typically takes a team of four
just a few days to set up.

It can be customized

To attach to different types
of foundations

And be designed
with windows and garage doors.

Narrator: rowing machines
were invented in the late 1800s.

These early versions
were rudimentary

But helped competitive rowers
train in the off-season.

As technology improved,

Rowing machines
gained a much wider appeal.

Today's machines offer
a realistic rowing experience

Without putting
an oar in the water.

When the weather is bad,

A rowing machine
can bring the workout indoors.

To make a rower,
a computerized tool

Punches assembly holes
in high-carbon steel.

Then, a laser carves out
the parts around the holes.

These parts will be used
to create the housing

For the rower's
flywheel and brakes.

They fold the edges using a
bench press, making neat flaps.

Next up is the main tube
for the rower.

All the other components
will attach to this part.

A punch cuts assembly holes
into the steel tube.

Then, an employee places
the tube in a welding fixture.

He positions the stand
of the seat frame at one end.

A robot welds
the stand to the tube

And welds mounts
for the seat rail.

They apply a powder-coat finish
to the assembly,

Making it corrosion-resistant.

An employee places the flywheel
housing parts in a fixture

And activates
an automated welder,

Which fuses them together
at the seams.

They powder-coat
this assembly, too.

Plastic wheels
with metal bearings

Allow the seat
to slide on the rails.

A worker
screws four wheels

To the carrier plate
under the rower seat.

Now an employee applies
a decal with the company name

To the main tube.

He inserts a pulley in a notch
at the end of the tube.

Next, he sets the chrome
seat rail on the mounts

And secures it with screws.

He attaches the ends
of the chrome rail

To eyelets on the stand.

He screws plastic feet
to the bottom of the stand.

At another station,

A worker places a bearing
in the center of the flywheel

And uses a press
to secure it.

Next, he pulls a black,
plastic cord through a spool

And knots it at the end.

He also pulls a white,
rubberized cord through,

Then mounts the spool
to a shaft in the flywheel.

He locks the spool to the shaft
with a special steel ring

And winds the black cord
around the spool.

He puts the flywheel
in the steel housing

And screws it in place.

Using a hooked tool,

He grabs a spring linked
to the magnetic braking system.

He fastens
this end of the spring

To a hole
in the flywheel housing.

A team now threads the white
pull cord through the main tube

And uses the pulley at the end
to loop it back.

A piece of metal cable attached
the end of the pull cord

Makes it easier to snake
the cord through the tube.

Now a worker unwinds
some of the black cord.

He threads it through a guide
on the flywheel housing

And attaches it
to the handlebar,

Also known as the oar.

He pushes caps
into the ends of the handlebar,

Then rests it on top
of the flywheel housing.

Another employee builds
a protective outer structure

Around the flywheel
steel housing

Using molded
plastic parts.

He installs a port
for the electrical system

That powers
the workout computer.

The top part of the casing
contains the computer.

The computer measures
row strokes and calories burned.

After making
all the necessary connections,

He screws it in place.

A plastic cradle
supports the assembly.

It snaps into place.

Once the seat
is attached,

This rowing machine
is ready for a workout.

Narrator:
until recently, if a sculptor
wanted to create a large statue,

They had to make
their model by hand,

But now an artist

Can make a small-scale replica
of their statue

And have a large copy
made in foam.

The artist
can then use this model

To make their full-size
sculpture,

Saving them
a lot of time and money.

A full-size sculpture starts out
as a small clay model.

The artist
uses the clay model

To make a mold
out of wax, plaster, or resin.

The artist then sends
the copy, called a maquette

To a specialist,
who produces a foam enlargement

To be used as a model
to cast the full-size sculpture.

The specialist places
the maquette on a turntable.

He spins it at an event pace
while scanning it.

The scanner's five cameras

Take continuous
high-resolution photos

And upload them
to a computer.

The computer then converts
these photos into a 3d image.

He scans
the maquette several times

To make sure he captures
every detail.

Then, he combines
the pictures together

And divides the sculpture
into sections.

He uses another program

To calculate
the scale of enlargement.

This helps him determine

How many and what size
blocks of foam he needs

To produce
each section.

He uses a dense foam
with a fine grain

Called extruded polystyrene.

He secures
the foam with tape,

Then uses
a computer-guided router

To carve the enlarged sections
of the sculpture.

The larger
and more detailed the part,

The longer
this process takes.

For example, this half of
the dog's head took 45 minutes,

While carving half a leg
would take just eight minutes.

He uses a hot-wire machine

To slice through the block
and free the carved part.

The specialist removes excess
foam with a sanding block.

He makes sure adjacent sections
line up properly,

Then tapes them together.

He scrapes off the seam
with a horse-grooming comb,

Then sands it down.

Next, he measures
the sections

So he can cut a steel pipe
to the correct length.

The steel pipe is used
as a stiffener

To make the sections
more rigid.

It also connects
adjacent sections together.

He uses
a standard pipe bender

To match the stiffeners to
the sections they're going into.

To embed the stiffener
in the dog's leg,

He first traces it
on one side of the leg,

Then he carves out
a trough

To the depth of
the stiffener's diameter.

He cleans out the loose foam
with a narrow brush.

He checks to make sure
the stiffener will fit.

Then, he applies an adhesive
designed especially for foam

And inserts the stiffener.

He places the other half
of the leg on top,

Encasing the stiffener.

He leaves about six inches
sticking out of the leg.

He inserts
the protruding steel rod

Into a hole drilled
in the enlargement.

Once he has assembled
all the sections,

He tapes them together
to check their alignment.

The completed
sculpture enlargement

Is about four times bigger
than the original maquette.

It's now ready
to be sent back to the sculptor,

Where he or she
will cover it with clay

And add fine details that
can't be reproduced in foam.

Once this is done,

The sculptor sends
the clay model to a mold maker,

Who casts a mold
and sends it to a metal foundry

To create
the final sculpture.

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