25x13 - Traffic Signal Poles, Coffee Filters, Chainsaw Mining Machines

[bunniefuu]

Narrator: Traffic-signal poles
must be strong enough

to bear the weight
of road signs, street lights,

and, of course, traffic signals.

The poles are also built

to withstand
extreme weather conditions,

such as high winds
and heavy snow accumulation.

Traffic signal poles
are made of high-strength steel.

Years of weather exposure
can cause corrosion,

so the poles are galvanized
on both sides for protection.

Each pole
has a welded plate

to connect it
to a perpendicular pole.

The poles are made out
of these steel sheets.

The steel arrives at the factory
in one large roll.

They use a decoiler to unwind
the sheet and flatten it out.

Then a shear cuts it
to the correct length.

A computer-guided plasma cutter

marks short lines
on both ends of the sheet.

These lines indicate
where to bend the flat sheet

to form a round pole.

The machine cuts the sheet
into a rectangular shape,

or a trapezoid shape if the pole
will taper at the top.

Workers number the machine lines
with chalk,

giving lines directly opposite
of each other the same number.

Then they transfer the sheet

to a bending machine
called a press brake.

The press brake bends the sheet
along the marked line

to a preprogrammed angle.

Workers use
a digital measuring device

to make sure the first bend
is accurate.

If it is, they continue bending

along the remainder
of the lines,

transforming the flat sheet
into a multisided round pole.

Now the pole moves
to a welding station,

where hydraulic rollers
apply pressure from both sides.

This forces
the edges of the sheet together

so that a welding head can fuse
the seam with molten steel.

At the same time,

the head deposits
a granular powder called flux,

which prevents air
from penetrating the weld

and weakening it.

Workers place the pole
in a hydraulic press

so it doesn't warp as
the seam weld cools and shrinks.

Next,
a computer-guided plasma machine

cuts a connection plate
out of thick steel.

The machine also drills holes
for the high-strength bolts

needed to attach the plate
to the traffic-signal pole.

Workers
center the connection plate

on support plates they've
already welded to the pole.

Then they weld
everything in place.

Next, workers weld a baseplate
to the bottom of the pole.

It has holes
for the anchor bolts,

which are used for securing the
traffic signal to the street.

Workers inspect the welds
with a testing device.

It uses an electric current
to magnetically draw

colored powder
into any defective area.

The factory ships the finished
poles to a galvanizing plant,

where they're dipped
in a series of wash tanks.

The plant's tanks
are deep enough

to fully submerge the poles
so they can treat both the inner

and outer surface
at the same time.

Now the poles go into a vat
of sulfuric acid.

This bath dissolves
the more stubborn contaminants

that washing can't remove.

The next tank
contains a chemical

that weakens
the surface of the poles.

This allows the galvanizing
metal to penetrate the steel,

rather than sit on the surface.

The final tank
contains molten zinc.

As the poles bathe
in the 842-degree zinc,

workers in fire-protection suits
skim the surface

to remove iron oxide
and ash that floats to the top.

This keeps the freshly
galvanized surface clean

as the poles are hoisted out of
the tank and set aside to cool.

Because they're galvanized
rather than painted,

these poles are able to support
traffic lights, signs,

and street lamps
for 40 years or more.

Narrator: In 1908,
a German housewife

came up with a solution to get
rid of bitter-tasting sediment

in her coffee.

She punched nail holes in a pot

and covered them
with blotting paper.

Then she placed ground coffee
on the paper

and filled the pot
with hot water.

It worked so well

that she started selling
her coffee filters worldwide.

These coffee filters
are made of 100% cellulose fiber

harvested from slow-growing pine
and spruce trees

in the forests of
Southern Scandinavia.

The raw material produces paper

that lets about 3 ounces
of water pass through it

in approximately 40 seconds.

That's the optimal saturation
rate for producing good coffee.


cellulose content

is left over from
earlier production.

The other 70%
is raw cellulose fiber.

The materials go into a machine
called a pulper,

which works
like a giant food processor.

It blends the raw materials
with hot water,

making a fiber soup called pulp.

A paper-making machine
spreads a one-inch layer of pulp

across a wire-mesh belt.

Water jets cut a straight edge
on both sides.

As moisture drains down
through the belt,

the pulp forms
a soggy sheet of paper.

It has a water content of 80%.

All this happens
at an astounding pace.

The machine lays down


At the next station,
heavy compression rollers

squeeze almost half the water
out of the paper.

A tool applies a crepe texture.

This increases
the surface area of the paper

and improves filtration speed.

Next, they use 38
steam-heated rollers

to dry the paper completely.

The rollers'
surface temperatures

are around 250 degrees.

As the finished paper
exits the machine,

a camera
registers the location of holes,

dirt, or other defects
that have to be cut out.

It takes the machine 45 minutes

to produce an 11-mile-long sheet
of coffee-filter paper.

The roll is transferred
to a cutting machine.

The paper is sliced
into two-foot rolls

so it can fit
in the filter-making machine.

Sensors
in the filter-making machine

make sure the paper
is aligned correctly.

At the machine's first station,

tiny needles
Pierce holes in the paper

to enhance the quality
of filtration.

At the next station,

a stamp imprints
the company logo in the paper.

A knife
slices the paper in half,

creating two
side-by-side production lines

from this point forward.

Each line
enters a folding station,

where guides fold the flat sheet
in half.

A roller embosses a seam

connecting the two layers of
paper along the bottom and side.

Then a second roller cuts
the conical shape of the filter.

The machine produces


The next station
cuts the filters apart

and collects the leftover paper,

which will be recycled
into pulp.

The filters are sent
to an automatic counting machine

that divides them
into stacks of 80.

The machine feeds the stacks
to the packaging line.

An automated packaging machine

aligns each stack
with a flattened box.

Then it opens the box with a
vacuum and inserts the filters.

If the machine's sensor
detects a problem,

like filters in the wrong
position or missing filters,

it ejects that box
from the line.

This factory produces a few
different types of filters.

How the cellulose
is processed in the pulper

determines how the filter
will perform.

For example, the factory
processes cellulose finely

to make filters designed
to brew strong coffee.

Fine cellulose produces paper
that drains slowly,

keeping the water and
coffee beans together longer,

resulting in a stronger flavor.

Narrator: Chainsaw
mining machines

are among the largest

and heaviest chainsaws
in the world.

They're used in rock quarries
to cut and extract

some of the toughest materials
on earth.

The machine's massive blade

can make both vertical
and horizontal cuts,

slicing through hard stone
as if it were butter.

Hundreds of feet underground,
this monster chainsaw

is carving through
geological deposits of marble.

The chainsaw arm can rotate
to make both horizontal

and vertical cuts as needed.

It cuts uniform
blocks of marble.

Then a loader extracts
the blocks from the rock face.

They're the exact size
the customer requested,

thanks to the precision
and power

of the chainsaw mining machine.

It takes several steel tubes
of various dimensions

to make
a chainsaw mining machine.

They use an automated saw to cut
the tubes to the correct length.

This one will be used
for the chassis.

They assemble the tubes
in the correct configuration.

Then a worker joins them
with welds.

They lower the completed chassis

onto
the chainsaw machine tracks.

The chassis is bolted
to the fifth-wheel coupling.

This allows the machine
to rotate 360 degrees.

They bring in the framework
that will house the motors,

oil tank,
and electrical components.

They bolt the framework
to the chassis.

The next part is a rail system

for raising and lowering
the chainsaw blade.

A worker
attaches the rail system

to the chassis
using a thick pin.

This pin acts as a hinge,

allowing the vertical structure
to be folded down when needed.

After verifying that
the machine's basic framework

fits together well,
they take it apart for painting.

They also paint the gear motors.

This one will power the carriage

that moves the blade back
and forth.

Once all the parts
have been painted,

they reassemble the framework.

Next, they mount the carriage
to the front of the machine.

It rotates
within the vertical rail

to position the blade
for cutting.

Workers then install
the gear motor

that powers the horizontal
movement of the chainsaw blade.

They secure it
with several bolts.

Two more gear motors
will drive the cutting chain

and rotate the blade.

The team mounts them
to the front of the carriage,

to the right
of the other gear motor.

At the back of the carriage,

a worker assembles a gear
known as a pinion.

The pinion engages
with a track called the rack.

This rack-and-pinion system

allows the carriage
to slide back and forth.

A worker folds hydraulic hoses
in a long metal cage

and bolts the cage
to the front of the machine.

Then he connects
the cutting-chain hoses

to the motor,

protecting the connections
with metal half-flanges.

They make all
the electrical connections...

...then screw fireproof
and waterproof covers

onto the electronics boxes.

They program the chainsaw
machine's operator screen.

Stay tuned, because the big
chainsaw blade is next.

Narrator:
Few things are as fierce

as the blade of a stonecutting
chainsaw machine.

It's 10 feet long,
weighs over 1,300 pounds,

and has big teeth

that make cutting through
solid rock look easy.

It's no surprise that making one of
these giant blades is a huge job.

A computer-driven plasma flame
cuts a large blade

from a sheet
of high-carbon steel.

Using a crane
with a powerful magnet,

they transfer the chainsaw blade
to a milling station.

Here, computerized tools
smooth out the steel.

They also bring the blade
to the correct width

and carve channels
for lubrication tubes.

They drill holes
for metal plates

that will align
the cutting chain.

The team paints the saw
and adds an attachment bar,

then mounts it to the front
of the chainsaw machine.

They slide the bar into
the blade support on the front.

It's a critical connection
because it bears the weight

of the heavy blade
as it saws through stone.

They secure it
to the blade support

with a thick pin and a nut.

Next, they make
the cutting-chain sprocket.

A computer-guided tool
carves toothlike projections

around the rim of a steel disk.

These teeth are designed to grab
the links of the cutting chain.

The sprocket
is ready to be mounted

to the chainsaw machine.

An employee slides the sprocket
onto a shaft

protruding from
the cutting-chain gear motor.

He bolts the disk
to the surrounding hub.

Next,
they assemble the cutting chain.

A two-part fastener system
holds the links together.

It starts with this hollow pin.

A worker drives the hollow pin
into a hole in the links

using a hydraulic press.

He inserts an l-shaped pin
into the hollow pin.

The tongue of the l-shaped pin
fits into a groove

adjacent to the hollow pin.

The press forces the
l-shaped pin into the groove.

He alternates outer links
and inner ones

to build a 30-foot chain
that will fit to the saw body.

Then another worker
loops it around the saw blade

and sprocket.

The chain fits perfectly
to the saw.

He joins the ends of the chain
with a hollow pin

and an l-shaped pin
to complete the loop.

He flattens them
with a hammer instead of a press

because it's easier
to use a hammer at this angle.

The chain is in place,

but it doesn't have the teeth
it needs to cut stone yet.

These parts, a carrier and
a tungsten carbide cutting bit,

give the blade its cutting edge.

He places a set on each
of the chain's outer links...

...then screws them in.

Studded with tough, sharp teeth,

this mega chainsaw is now ready
for rock-cutting action.

It cuts through stone cleanly
and efficiently.

Its size and power

make it a force
to be reckoned with underground.

Despite its bulky frame,

this chainsaw mining machine
has a wide range of motion.

Here, the front carriage
rotates the blade

to demonstrate how it can be
repositioned between cuts.

No matter how you slice it...
That's pretty impressive.

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