12x07 - Police Badges/Muffins/Car Washes/Pressure Gauges

[bunniefuu]

Narrator: ever since the days
of the american wild west,

Badges have been a way to tell
the good guys from the bad.

Sheriffs don't raise posses to
maintain law and order anymore,

But a badge continues to be
a powerful symbol,

And simply flashing one
can still stop a suspect cold.

The badge
comes with the uniform.

It identifies
the officer's rank and unit.

So it's an accessory
that makes a statement.

Each one is custom-made.

The client spells out the
specifications on an order form,

Right down to the metal finish
and the color of the lettering.

This machine delivers
a powerful punch

To cut sheriff star shapes
from a coiled sheet of brass.

They place a star shape
in the steel mold of a press.

It applies about 170,000 pounds
per square centimeter

To make an impression
on the badge.

A punch press trims the ragged
edges to make it look neater.

A mechanical stamper
then inscribes the company name

On the back of the badge.

This computerized engraver

Then marks the rank and other
information on the front.

They apply a couple of dabs
of silver solder

To the back of the badge.

It's the substance

That will hold the catch
and pin joint in place.

They blast the back of the badge
with a torch,

And it reaches a temperature of
over 1,400 degrees fahrenheit.

This causes the solder to melt,
fusing the parts to the badge.

They then position the badge
under a hydraulic press.

Like a steel fist,

It punches the badge to give it
the correct curvature.

Here they spray a mix of water
and tiny glass beads

Onto the back.

This is called wet blasting,

And it makes the finish cleaner
and more textured.

A technician now hooks the pin
in the joint

That was soldered
onto the badge.

He slides the assembly
onto a rivet

Automatically served up
by this machine.

The machine applies pressure

To expand the rivet
and lock everything in place.

The pin now fits in the catch,

Which will enable the badge

To be fastened onto
the police officer's uniform.

Next, they brush enamel
into the engraved lettering.

The enamel is a mix
of glass and water,

Which comes from an ancient
metalworking technique

Called cloisonné.

They fire the badge in a kiln,

And the glass enamel
melts into the lettering.

After it hardens,

They grind the enameled sections
against a stone

To expose the inscriptions.

They then polish the badge
to a mirror finish.

This automated rack

Immerses the badges
in a electroplating solution

To give the brass
a protective layer of nickel.

They plate some badges
with 24-karat gold.

Now they apply a strong adhesive
to the back of a medallion...

Then attach it to the center
of the badge.

The medallion
has an official emblem.

It's specific to
the police force's jurisdiction.

They adjust the catch
and its hardware

To ensure it moves freely
and is in good working order.

After all, no officer
wants to lose his or her badge.

They give it a shine and check
for surface imperfections.

And now it's ready
to report for duty.

It takes three weeks to make
one of these police badges,

And they should be good
for a lifetime of service.

Narrator:
the word "muffin"

Appeared in britain
around the 11th century.

In victorian times,

Muffins were bought in
the street from the muffin man,

Made famous in the popular
children's nursery rhyme.

In america,
cooks began to experiment

With english muffin recipes,
and the modern muffin was born.

These muffins
are a lot like homemade,

Except to make this many,

You need
some pretty big equipment

And a heap of ingredients.

At this commercial bakery,

They make them with flour,

Then add salt, baking powder,

And a prepared mixture
of dry ingredients.

Finally, they add vanilla flavor
and start up the barrel mixer.

It's a big one --

Large enough to hold
a ton of batter at least.

Next, they add oil and water,
then vegetable shortening.

Now here come the blueberries.

They go into the mix
once they're thawed.

Berries are delicate,

So workers take care
to pour them out slowly,

Weighing each bucket
to add just the right amount.

Down below, workers pour out
close to a ton of batter

From the mixer.

That's a whole lot of batter.

Just one batch
makes about 7,000 muffins.

They cover the trough
to protect the batter

Until it goes on
to fill baking pans like these

That can hold 54 muffins,
each with its own paper liner.

A conveyor advances the pans

Towards a machine
called a batter depositor.

Prepared batter
pumps in from the trough

And into the pans
as they pass below it.

The depositor fills the pans
one row at a time,

Measuring out the batter
by weight.

At the next station,

Blueberries
pass through a funnel

Equipped with a turning gear

And drop
right onto the muffin tops.

A bar placed across the conveyor
blows filtered air

To remove any stray berries
from the pans

As they advance to the gas oven.

A metal arm pushes them right in
to bake for about 30 minutes.

The oven, open on both sides,
has dampers to keep in the heat.

The muffins come out of the oven
baked a golden brown.

The pans cool for a few minutes
and then continue on

To a custom-designed machine
that's pretty handy.

It removes the muffins
from the pan

And packages them
all automatically.

Suction cups seize
cardboard flats two at a time

And push them
onto a tray former.

The forming head pushes down
on the preglued cardboard

And voilà --
out comes a perfectly square box

That falls
right onto the conveyor belt.

Pans full of baked muffins

Follow alongside
on another conveyor.

At the next stop,

Suction cups lift the muffins
out of their pans.

With military precision,

They set them down
into neat rows

In the cardboard boxes
that wait on the back conveyor.

The conveyor
carries the filled boxes

To a station
where they're covered,

Top and bottom,
with a sheet of clear plastic.

Heated blades cut and seal
the plastic at both ends.

Then the boxes
pass through a heat tunnel

That shrinks the plastic
snugly over the trays.

They're now ready for shipping

To customers
in the food-service industry.

On another line,
preprinted plastic film

Wraps the individual muffins
as they flow along the conveyor.

Rotating brushes
keep them moving forward

While blades come down
to separate the continuous roll

Into individually wrapped
muffins ready for retail sale.

Blueberry, bran,
pecan strudel, lemon poppy.

With so many flavors to choose
from, why not try some of each?

Narrator: the best car washes
tackle everything

From road grime and dead bugs
to bird droppings

That eat away at the paint
and metal of your vehicle.

Car washes help you
preserve your investment

And increase its resale value.

They save you time

And help you feel proud about
the vehicle you're driving.

A state-of-the-art car wash can
be an eye-opening experience.

Assorted soaps and waxes
clean and pamper

Every part of the vehicle
like never before.

This effective, yet gentle,
cleaning power

Is made possible using the
latest car-cleaning technology.

It starts with welding together
the steel frame

That travels inside the bay
of the car wash,

Then adding the steel
and fiberglass walls.

Using a milling machine,

The worker then makes the wheels
on which the frame travels.

The machine first prepares the
center hole where the axle goes,

Then makes a groove in the wheel
so it can ride on a track.

Before long, a steel blank
becomes a finished drive wheel.

He then welds the wheel
onto a drive shaft.

He places the wheel assembly
in the bottom of the steel frame

And bolts it in place.

He then connects
a hydraulic motor

To the end of the wheel assembly

And makes sure
it couples together perfectly.

Here a worker puts together
the brush assembly

That cleans the sides
of the vehicle.

The brushes are made of material
called poly-flex.

It comes cut to various lengths

So that it gets
into those hard-to-clean places.

Poly-flex won't trap in
dirt particles.

It's smooth and very gentle
on the vehicle.

The finished side-brush assembly

Consists of seven alternating
columns of poly-flex.

A worker puts together the
pneumatic regulators and gauges

That control many aspects
of the car wash,

Including the brush assemblies

And the distribution
of soaps and waxes.

He then bolts the hydraulic pump
to the frame.

He screws on the system's
hydraulic filter...

Then connects
the hydraulic pressure line

And makes certain it's secure.

The hydraulic power system

Moves the car-wash frame
and rotates the brushes,

But a computer
controls everything.

He hooks up the system wires
that connect to the computer.

The computer makes it possible

For the car wash to run
without an operator.

Workers then install the rack

That supports
an overhead curtain.

A worker attaches a shaft
to the rack...

Then a heavy-duty bearing.

When the bearing assembly
is in place,

He secures the rack
to the frame.

He tests the rack
to make sure

Its computer-controlled
pneumatic cylinders

Manipulate the overhead curtain
correctly.

He tests the oscillating
high-pressure nozzles.

Then he makes sure the wheels
move the frame properly.

He turns on
all the brush assemblies

That clean and polish the car

And makes sure they spin and
oscillate in perfect harmony.

The definitive test, of course,
is an actual car wash

That proves the system
works flawlessly

And that every part
of the vehicle

Gets the best washing
and waxing possible.

After a quick drying,

This vehicle drives out
of the car wash sparkling clean.

Narrator: life without pressure
gauges would be pretty rough.

Figuring out everyday things

Like oil pressure, air pressure,
and blood pressure

Would be almost impossible.

Without pressure gauges,

We'd even have trouble
taking a proper shower

Because getting the correct
water pressure in our homes

Would be a hit-and-miss affair.

For a pressure gauge
to be trustworthy,

Whether it's measuring gases
or liquids,

It must be exceptionally
well-made and accurate.

To start, a worker loads
an aluminum faceplate

Into a printing press.

It applies a colored scale

Used for measuring pressure
in pounds per square inch.

The type of scale it prints

Depends on the measuring unit
being used.

Then a worker puts a copper tube

Into a bending machine

That bends, cuts, and flattens
sections of the tube.

The amount of Fl*ttening
and bending

Determines the pressure range
the gauge can measure.

Each piece becomes
a pressure-sensing tube

Known as a bourdon tube.

Then a worker
cuts lengths of brass

That he machines
into connectors.

They will link the bourdon tube
to an inlet pipe.

He melts zinc solder
in the connector's receptacle,

And he mounts the bourdon tube
in the correct position.

He fills the gap
between the connector

And the bourdon tube
with solder.

Then he flushes the heated piece
with water to cool it down,

Sealing the tube in place.

He puts the cooled piece
on a mounting fixture

And solders the other end
of the bourdon tube

To the gauge's
internal mechanism.

He seals the gap
and cools it down.

Then he puts
the finished pieces,

Or pressure-system assemblies,
as they're now called,

Into a cleaning machine.

Its hot, soapy water
washes away any dirt

And loose solder particles.

The pressure-system assemblies

Then go on
to a leak-testing machine

That pushes air into the tubes.

A stable pressure reading
indicates there is no leakage.

Another worker
takes a gear mechanism,

Which controls the mechanical
movement inside the gauge,

And places it on the connector.

A machine screws
the gear mechanism in place.

He then takes
the gear's connecting link

And rivets it
to the pressure-system assembly.

He fits
the pressure-system assembly

Inside a protective
stainless-steel housing.

A machine
screws it all together.

Next, a worker
calibrates the assembly.

She loosens up
the connecting link slightly

To prevent friction,

Puts on the indicator needle,
and runs a test.

After a bit more adjusting,

She puts the faceplate and
the indicator needle back on.

She ensures the gauge
reads accurately

At three key positions

And then screws the faceplate
onto the gauge.

A final test confirms
it is calibrated properly.

Then she puts a glass cover
over the faceplate

And adds a steel ring
to hold it in place.

A crimping machine
evenly folds the ring's edge

Until it makes a perfect seal.

Now she fills the gauge
with glycerin.

Glycerin lubricates
the internal mechanical parts

And increases the lifetime
of the gauge.

Glycerin also absorbs
vibration well,

Which helps the indicator needle
remain stable during operation.

A worker completes
the pressure gauge

By sealing off the fill hole
with a rubber plug.

But, of course, not all gauges
are built the same way.

As accurate and dependable
as a swiss watch,

A trustworthy pressure gauge
also has a pretty face.

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