]] Narrator: a pneumatic impact
Wrench is a power tool that
Tightens and untightens nuts,
Bolts, and other fasteners.
You hook it up to the air hose
Coming off a compressor.
The anvil at the tip turns at
High speed to tighten until
Snug, then switches to a
Hammering action, called
Impacting, to tighten even more.
You've probably seen a pneumatic
Impact wrench in action at your
Local garage.
It's standard equipment for
Removing and installing wheels.
Air pressure runs through the
Tool's motor, spinning a rotor
Within.
That rotates the tool's anvil,
Which turns the wheel nut.
At the manufacturing plant, they
Machine the rotor from a bar of
Steel mounted on a lathe.
It takes about a minute and a
Half for the computer-guided
Precision tools to carve out the
Basic shape.
The next machine carves teeth on
One end of the rotor, creating
What's called a hobbed edge.
Now a computer-guided mill cuts
Eight slots.
This shaping of the steel
Generates a lot of heat, so
Coolant flows throughout all
These machining phases to
Prevent the equipment from
Overheating.
Next, they temper the rotors for
This hardens and strengthens the
Steel, but to fortify it
Further, they pump in carbon
From a propane burner.
The carbon impregnates each
Rotor to a depth of
.7 millimeters.
Once the rotor cools, a
Computer-controlled grinder
Shapes it to the final
Specifications.
Then a machine with nylon
Bristles smoothes the surface.
This completes the
Transformation from steel bar to
Rotor.
Meanwhile, the tool's magnesium
Housing has been getting a
Bright coat of paint.
The housing has two parts -- the
Main section and a back cap.
Both go into an oven where the
Paint bakes for a half-hour at
Almost 400 degrees fahrenheit.
Now assembly begins with the
Trigger and the stem of the main
Section and then, with this
Tool, what's called the tipper
Valve.
When you push the trigger, it
Tips, letting in air.
This spring keeps the tipper
Valve closed when you're not
Pushing the trigger.
And this bushing is where you
Attach the air hose coming from
The compressor.
Next, they install the reversing
Valve.
It slots into the housing just
Above the trigger.
When you press the trigger, the
Anvil rotates clockwise to
Tighten the fastener, but when
You activate the reversing
Valve, it sends the air into
Different chambers, turning
The tool counter-clockwise to
Remove the fastener.
They glue a rubber pad to the
Top of the housing to cushion
Your grip on the tool.
A laser engraves manufacturing
Information on the back cap.
To assemble the motor, they
Start with a back cap and press
In a bearing on which the rotor
Will spin.
Next, a plate to enclose one end
Of the rotor and an alignment
Pin to position the plate for
Enclosing the other end.
And finally, the rotor itself.
Into each of the rotors' slots
Goes a vein made of resin-imbued
Fabric.
These veins work like the blades
On a windmill.
The air entering the tool turns
Them, which spins the rotor.
After slipping a steel cylinder
Over the rotor, they enclose it
With a second plate, then a
Larger plate with a ball
Bearing.
Now some oil to lubricate what
They call the impact mechanism.
This component contains the
Tool's anvil, as well as the
Parts that produce the hammering
Action.
Finally, a press seals the main
Section of the housing to the
Back cap.
Every pneumatic impact wrench
This factory produces goes
Through extensive testing in
Both free speed -- that's when
The tool spins like an ordinary
Drill -- and in impact mode.
So, if you've got a nut or other
Fastener to drive, take one of
These babies for a spin.
]] Narrator: natural marble
Has a modern alternative -- a
Composite material known as
Cultured marble.
It consists of ground marble or
Limestone mixed with liquid
Plastic.
Less expensive than natural
Marble and easier to work with
Than stone, cultured marble is
Often used to create unique
Bathroom and kitchen fixtures.
This vanity top and pedestal
Sink are both made of cultured
Marble, cast in fiberglass
Molds.
To make a vanity top, a worker
Centers a sink-bowl mold on a
Counter mold...
Then places a drainpipe
Attachment over the sink mold's
Exit drain.
He marks with a grease pencil
Where the faucet openings will
Be.
Then, he masks off areas to
Protect and places a bees'-wax
Seal all along the bowl's edge
Where it meets the counter.
He sprays the molds with
Protective gel that will give
The vanity top a shiny
Protective finish.
Finally, he places cardboard
Tubes over the faucet-hole
Marks.
The molds are now ready for
Casting.
A machine equipped with a mixing
Pot automatically measures out
The resin workers pour into
These molds.
Raw pigments like sterling
Silver, sandbar, wild rose,
White titanium, and fawn beige
Gives the resin its color.
A worker sifts them in measured
Amounts into the resin as it's
Mixing.
Next, he adds a catalyst to the
Resin...
Then some granulated limestone
To thicken it.
The catalyst sets off the
Chemical reaction that causes
The resin mix, known as matrix,
To harden.
From this moment on, he needs to
Be swift.
He has only 15 minutes to mix,
Color, and pour this batch of
Matrix into the molds before it
Hardens.
He adds more white pigment to
The base color, using a paddle
To mix it along the surface.
Then he takes the wild rose
Pigment, mixes in some resin,
And again works it into the
Surface to streak it with color,
An effect known as veining,
That mimics the look of marble.
He scoops out some of the
Surface mix and pours it onto
The mold.
As the matrix pulls, the
Rose-colored veining in the
Surface mix is visible.
Now he pours out the rest of the
Matrix.
He casts the sink and counter in
A single piece so there won't
Be any grout lines around the
Bowl.
A pneumatic tool vibrates the
Molds, bringing tiny air bubbles
To the surface -- the vanity's
Underside.
Air trapped in the matrix can
Cause it to break or mar the
Finish.
A worker lays down a temporary
Plastic hat over the bowl.
He weighs it down to hold it in
Place as he pours matrix inside
The hat to cast a bowl that's as
Thick as the base -- about
.8 inches.
He lets the matrix set for
From the bowl.
Next, he drops down the mold's
Backsplash and puts a hole in
The drain.
He shoots in bursts of
Compressed air while a co-worker
Carefully wedges under the
Backsplash to part the mold,
Revealing the vanity's marbled
Surface.
To make sure the vanity lies
Level on its cabinet, a worker
Grinds down the underside, then
The drain area.
Next, he sands down the
Backsplash and the sides,
Working at an angle with a hand
Sander to dull any sharp edges.
He removes the drain mold and
Buffs the surface to a mirror
Finish.
Finally, he knocks out the
Faucet holes.
Here's a finished vanity with a
Variety of integrated sink bowls
On display.
Cultured marble truly is a
Versatile material that offers
Endless possibilities.
]] Narrator: many of us take
Time out to enjoy a tasty snack
Like plantain chips, but we know
We should put limits when
Treating ourselves to a good
Thing.
The trick is to learn as much as
We can about the snacks we're
Eating so we can choose a treat
That's right for us.
Seeing how plantain chips are
Made can help us make an
Informed choice.
This looks like a banana, but
It's actually a plantain --
A staple food in many parts of
The world.
In tropical countries like
Costa rica, it's made into a
Popular snack called plantain
Chips.
The cycle from fruit to snack
Begins here.
A worker cleans off the root of
An offspring from a mature
Plantain tree.
He prepares the root for
Planting as if it were a seed.
In time, this seed will grow
Into a mature plantain tree.
After about nine months, the
Plantain is ready to harvest.
When a worker picks the fruit,
They wrap it in plastic to
Protect it against insects and
Disease.
Each mature tree yields only one
Bushel of fruit its entire
Life.
Once he harvests the mature
Tree, it's the tree's offspring
That yield more fruit and
Continue the life cycle.
The worker then rinses the
Plantain in treated water that
Helps wash off sap and k*ll any
Possible fungus.
Local workers then load the
Cases of plantains onto their
Boat for a full day's trip to
The processing plant.
Their hard work is valued by the
Company which is proud to
Support the local economy.
At the plant, a worker puts the
Plantain into boiling water for
About a minute.
Boiling the fruit changes its
Color, but more importantly, it
Greatly reduces the amount of
Sap the fruit releases, which
Makes handling and peeling the
Otherwise sticky skin possible.
The various lengths and widths
Of plantain prohibit peeling it
By machine.
Workers at this costa rican
Plant cut more than 50,000
Pounds of plantain every day,
All by hand.
Each one is then cut into slices
Of a specific thickness for
Chips.
To do this, workers push the
Fruit one at a time into a
Cutting machine.
The slices of plantain fall
Through the machine into a
Deep-fry oven below.
A rotating grill and conveyor
System helps ensure uniform
Cooking of the slices in natural
Palm oil as they travel on an
Uninterrupted 30-foot journey.
After cooling, the worker
Removes any under- or overcooked
Chips.
The chips then travel into a
Tumbler that adds salt or other
Seasonings or flavors, depending
On the product.
The chips then exit the tumbler
And are ready for packaging.
The packaging machine gently
Funnels the chips into separate
Chutes as it calculates the
Exact amount it needs to fill
Each bag.
Once filled, the packaging
Machine then cuts and seals the
Individual bags, then sends them
For distribution across the
World.
Plantain chips also come in
Strips.
They're trans-fat free and come
In a variety of formats that
Make a handy treat.
]] Narrator: nascar is one of
The most popular spectator
Sports in north america.
The national association for
Stock car auto racing holds a
Series of 36 races a year,
Mostly at oval or d-shaped
Tracks on which the cars make
Only left turns.
They're built from scratch
Following nascar's strict
Technical rules.
Nascar's stock cars are based on
Certain american-made road
Cars.
The frame is made out of steel
Tubing.
The hood, roof, and deck lid --
That's like the regular car's
Trunk cover -- are made out of
Sheet steel.
The workers who assemble the
Body are called body hangers.
They position all the parts
According to a nascar-authorized
Template.
Here they clamp the body panels
Together.
Then, with an aluminum bracket,
To the template for shaping.
To make the wheel openings on
The front fender, they use
Shrinking jaws, a tool that
Curves metal by squeezing it.
Then they switch to a tool
Called an english wheel.
It rolls the curved metal into a
Particular shape.
The car's front suspension is
Essentially the same as that of
A regular car, except for the
Angle of the tires, which they
Manipulate by putting shims on
This upper control arm.
The right front tire tilts
Inward and the left front tire
Tilts outward.
That's because these cars race
On an oval track in one
Direction only, so they're
Making only left turns.
Next, they install a brake
Rotor.
Then, a steel spacing plate
Between the rotor and the wheel.
This sets up the specific
Distance from wheel to wheel
That nascar rules require.
They load a pair of brake pads
Into a brake caliper and slide
The caliper onto the rotor.
The caliper contains
Different-sized pistons so that
It applies the brake pads to the
Rotor evenly.
Now they move onto the car's
Inner workings.
They mount the transmission to
An aluminum housing that covers
The flywheel, clutch, and other
Components.
Then they install the motor.
It's an eight-cylinder, 750-plus
Horsepower engine.
They attach the car's plastic
Windshield with bolted clips.
If air gets into the car, these
Strong clips will keep the
Windshield from blowing out.
The car's seat core is made of
Aluminum, padded for comfort.
Every nascar driver has his car
Seat custom-built to his body
Shape.
After bolting in the seat, they
Install the steering wheel.
It has a safety release that
Lets the driver remove the wheel
With a single pull.
This enables him to get in and
Out of the car easily and to
Remove the wheel quickly if he's
Injured in a crash.
Now, for the finishing touches.
First, a large decal of the
Car's number centered on each
Door.
Every nascar racecar is also
Plastered with decals
Advertising its driver's
Sponsors.
Nascar's stock cars have a few
Key safety features.
Fenders allow side-to-side
Contact between cars without
Their wheels hooking together.
Roof flaps direct air downward,
Keeping the cars close to the
Ground.
This stops a spinning car from
Flipping over.
A nascar stock car weighs in at
More than 3,300 pounds.
It travels to the track in the
Top deck of a trailer.
This keeps the bottom level
Clear as a work space for the
Driver's mechanical crew.
If you have any comments about
The show or if you'd like to
Suggest topics for
Future shows, drop us a line at
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