12x08 - Metal Detectors/Rum/Tiffany Reproductions/Aircraft Engines

[bunniefuu]

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

Metal detectors...

Rum...

Tiffany reproductions...

And aircraft engines.

Airports use
handheld metal detectors

To safeguard flights.

Treasure hunters use
hobby metal detectors

To find buried loot.

Vastly different purposes.

Yet the technology behind them
is identical --

A principle called
magnetic induction.

It all hinges
on tiny electrical currents

Creating magnetic fields.

A tiny electrical current

Runs through a wire coil
inside the detector,

Creating a magnetic field.

When the detector passes over
a metal object,

The field is disturbed,

Producing
a small voltage variation

That triggers the alarm.

To make the coil,
they use copper wire

That's coated
with nylon insulation.

They wind it around the two ends
of a plastic bobbin

A specific number of times.

Polyester tape
keeps it from unraveling.

Security metal detectors
need pure iron

Glued into the bobbin

To increase the magnetic-field
strength the coil produces.

Without it, the coil would have
to be several times larger

And wouldn't fit inside
a handheld wand.

The next step is to solder the
coil leads to a circuit board,

Then solder a vibrator motor to
enable the detector to vibrate

As well as beep
when it finds metal.

The board contains
a microprocessor,

The detector's alarm,
and other components

That react to the signals
coming from the coil.

The coil and circuit board

Now go into the wand's
plastic housing.

A retaining clip holds
the vibrator motor in place.

They temporarily hook up
power to the battery compartment

And push a button
on the circuit board.

This calibrates the board
to the coil.

They install a sliding cap
on the detector's on-off switch.

Now they can close her up

And stick on
the manufacturer's label.

The last step is to install
the 9-volt battery.

No metal detector
leaves the factory

Before undergoing extensive
quality-control testing.

Metal detectors for treasure
hunting have larger coils

So they don't need iron inserts
to boost the magnetic field.

In fact, hobby detectors
have two coils --

One to transmit
and one to receive.

This configuration
lets you set the device

To detect only the types
of metal you want to find.

Like before,

Polyester tape prevents
the wound wire from unraveling.

The leads go into a device
called a stripper,

Which bares the copper wire
inside.

A testing machine

Ensures the coil meet
the engineering specifications.

Next, they place a circuit board
in the coil housing.

A cable runs from this housing
to the detector head,

Where components interpret
the coil's signals.

After installing the coils,

They solder the coil leads
to the board.

They immobilize everything
with hot glue,

Then seal the components inside
the housing with epoxy.

Next, they install
a circuit board

Inside the metal detector's
control pad.

They plug the cable coming
from the coils into the board

And power up.

This calibrates the coils
to the circuit board.

Now they test the calibration

With three different types
of material

The metal detector might find
in the ground --

Iron, silver, and nickel.

If everything works perfectly,
assembly continues.

They install a small speaker
for the alarm.

Then they attach the control pad
to the head

And apply the decals.

They attach a handle and
arm support, then a long stem.

The cable from the coil
winds upward around the stem

And plugs
into the detector head.

Signals from the coil

Travel up the cable
to the electronics in the head.

A small computer analyzes
these signals

To determine whether
the detector has found metal.

If it has, the computer
activates a circuit

To set off the alarm
and display a message.

But the ground's
by no means the limit.

There are even metal detectors
designed for scuba diving

That are completely submersible.

Narrator:
rum comes from by-products
of the sugar industry,

Like molasses.

The caribbean and latin america
produce much of the world's rum.

Light rums are the base for
c*ck like the minty mojito.

Amber rums are medium-bodied
and aged for flavor.

They're often drunk straight,

As is dark rum,
the strongest-tasting of all.

This fine amber rum

Is the product
of a long and complex process

That begins with the harvest
of mature sugarcane plants.

The cut cane goes to
a sugar mill where they wash it

Then crush it
to extract its sweet juice.

They boil it down.

This produces a kind of molasses

That then goes on
to a centrifuge machine

That draws out excess moisture.

Rum making really beings here
in these distillation towers.

This is where ferment made from
molasses distills into raw rum.

To make ferment, molasses
mixed with water and yeast

Heats in open tanks
for about 30 hours.

This converts sugar
into alcohol.

Here's a sample straight
from one of these tanks.

Notice that foamy top layer?
That's fermentation in action.

Before distilling the contents
of the tank,

Technicians first test a sample.

In this glass still,
steam heats the ferment

And releases alcohol vapors

That condense
at the top of the column.

As they travel down
the still's spiral,

The vapors cool
and condense even more.

The liquid that collects
in the beaker is 80% alcohol.

It's the same process
inside the distillation towers

On a much larger scale.

The ferment must reach


To distill into raw rum.

Then it's stored in these


Until they test it for quality.

These gas-powered boilers

Provide the steam heat
for the distillation towers.

Workers monitor the distilling
towers day and night.

This facility can produce

More than 10,000 gallons
of raw rum a day,

All stored
in these gigantic silos.

From there, the raw rum
goes into charred oak barrels.

It's mixed with water

And left to age
anywhere from 1 to 12 years.

The charred wood produces asters

That give the rum
color, flavor, and aroma.

The longer it ages,
the more intense the flavor.

Technicians perform tests

On a sample
at the distillery's laboratory,

Closely monitoring
the aging process.

First, using a hydrometer,

They measure the amount
of alcohol in the samples

To make sure
it's in the standard 50% range.

Next, they smell each sample

To make sure
the aromas are in balance.

They keep a journal
of all their observations.

Quality control

Is the key to producing
a consistent, flavorful product.

Once it has aged,
the rum is bottled.

It's a fully automated process.

First, they sterilize
new bottles

In a sodium-carbonate solution.

Then a conveyer moves them
to a filling station

That can process 150 bottles
a minute.

Rotating wheels deliver
the bottles to a lever system

That raises them up to
the nozzles on pneumatic pumps.

They fill up with rum -- more
than 72,000 of them each day.

Next, aluminum bottle caps
come down a chute

Right onto the bottle tops.

A piston valve pushes down
on the caps

And tightly seals each bottle.

Next stop -- labeling.

First, a spinning roller
applies glue

To panels
set on a rotating wheel.

The panels pass a dispenser,
and a label glues onto them.

Another rotating wheel grabs
the labels from the panel

And transfers them
onto the bottles.

Sponges press them
neatly into place.

As the bottles convey
out of the labeling station,

Brushes smooth out each label.

Finally, the bottles lower
into boxes 12 at a time

To ship to customers
all over the world.

Narrator: tiffany lamps
were invented and produced

By designer
louis comfort tiffany

Starting
in the late 19th century.

They were renowned for their
elaborate stained-glass shades,

Crafted entirely by hand.

The term tiffany has come
to be used as a generic term

For any lamp
or hanging light fixture

With a stained-glass shade.

This lighting company produces
original stained-glass lamps,

As well as reproductions
of renown tiffany designs.

There's nothing
machine-made here.

Each and every creation
is meticulously handcrafted.

The lamp designer first draws
a pencil sketch of the shade,

Then prepares a color rendition.

He produces a pattern
in the lamp's actual size

And assigns a number
to each pattern piece,

Then records by code number

The specific glass they'll use
for each piece.

Next, they cut out
the numbered pattern pieces,

Lay them
on the corresponding glass,

And trace them with a marker.

Using a glass cutter, they score
the trace lines and snap them.

When a piece is too small
to get enough snapping leverage,

They grip the glass with special
pliers called groziers.

Next, they sand-smooth the rough
edges of the cut pieces

So they won't puncture

The adhesive copper foil
that goes on next.

After wrapping each piece,
they crimp the foil tightly,

First with their fingers,
then with a flat object.

This design, like many,
incorporates glass jewels.

These come from glass suppliers
ready-made.

The next step
is to coat the foil with flux,

A chemical
that enables solder to stick.

Now with a soldering iron,

They melt tin and lead solder
onto the copper foil.

Initially, they just tack
all the pieces together,

Completing one section
of the shade at a time.

Then they lay the sections
side by side

In a curved plaster mold.

This bends them
to the correct shape.

More flux.

Then with a soldering iron, they
tack the sections to each other,

Then solder the whole interior.

Once that's done, they remove
the shape from the mold

And solder the whole exterior.

Now they top the shade with
a brass cap and solder that on.

This lampshade design

Features dragonflies
with brass filigree wings.

After soldering the wings
in place,

It's time for what's called
the final beading --

A final soldering
over the existing solder lines

To make them even and rounded.

Now they wash the shade
in an antiquing solution,

Which dulls the shine of both
the solder and the brass cap,

Giving the lampshade
an aged look.

In another department,

They install what's called
the light cluster,

A rod with light sockets
and a pull chain,

Into a lamp base.

They fish the power cord
up the base and out the top,

Then connect the cord to the
wires coming from the sockets.

They tuck in the wiring...

Apply thread-locking solution...

Then screw the base closed.

For the time being,

They attach the finial
that goes on top of the shade.

And now a light-bulb moment.

If everything works perfectly,

The tags go on
and the base gets its shade.

The bases of the original
tiffanies were made of bronze.

These, both for tabletop lamps
and hanging fixtures,

Are cast from zinc -- the same
look at a fraction of the price.

Narrator:
for safety reasons,

Aircraft engines have
built-in redundancy features,

Like dual spark plugs
and dual ignition systems

So that vital components
have a backup.

Rising gas prices
and eco awareness

Are compelling manufacturers
to build aircraft engines

That are more efficient
and less polluting.

Aircraft engines are remarkable
pieces of engineering.

To build a four-cylinder engine,
a worker wraps abrasive tape

Around what's called a bearing
journal on a crankshaft.

Using a polishing jack,

He polishes the journal
to the correct diameter,

Which he verifies
with a digital snap gage.

An operator
then oils the journal

And attaches a connecting rod.

These link the pistons
to the crankshaft,

Which turns to generate power.

Then he applies gasket sealant
on the edge of the crankcase

And silk thread
that acts like a gasket

So when the two halves
of the crankcase are joined,

The engine won't leak oil.

He places a camshaft
into one side of the crankcase

And measures the clearance
to make sure it's a tight fit.

Then he oils it
to ensure there is no friction.

They place the crankshaft and
rod assembly into the crankcase,

Then join the two halves
together.

To prevent the connecting rods

From hitting the sides
of the housing,

They put on what are called
torque plates.

He adds a little sealant
to hold a gasket in place

Then attaches
an accessory housing,

Which holds all the gears
and hoses

That are mounted
on the back of the engine.

He installs the sump
that holds the oil supply,

Then attaches a piston
to each connecting rod.

Now he mounts a cylinder
onto a piston

And connects the parts
to the engine.

He'll mount and secure
all four cylinders this way.

He inserts hydraulic tappets
and then shroud tubes.

He attaches them to the cylinder
using a retainer.

He inserts a pushrod
into each tube

And fits a rocker arm
onto each rod, completing

The cylinder-and-valve-action
assembly.

He steam-cleans the engine.

Then he paints it
with rustproofing enamel paint.

Next come the spark plugs --

One on the top and one
on the bottom of each cylinder.

He grounds and then installs
two magnetos.

These devices generate the
electricity for the spark plugs,

Which ignite the fuel
in the cylinder.

He attaches the spark-plug wires

From the magneto
to the spark plugs,

Then verifies the engine timing.

Next come the heat shields...

The intake pipes...

All the spark-plug connections
and drain tubes,

And finally, a fuel injector.

An operator then attaches
a testing propeller

To the engine to keep it cool
during testing.

He runs the engine using
controls like a pilot would use

And certifies everything from
engine speed and temperature

To fuel pressure and airflow.

Hours later,
he checks the oil filter

For signs of foreign material
or contamination.

And this engine passes the test.

A worker then puts preservative
oil into the cylinders.

This special oil safeguards the
engine en route to the customer,

Whether they be
general aviation manufacturers

Or individual owners.

Once installed in the airplane

And after the standard
preflight checks are done,

The four-cylinder engine
allows the pilot

To take to the clear-blue skies
in total confidence.

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