13x02 - Carbon Fiber Bicycles/Blood Products/Forged Chandeliers/Ballpoint Pens

[bunniefuu]

Narrator:
carbon fibers are minute hairs

Of almost pure carbon.

They may be tiny,

But they're three times stronger

And four times lighter
than steel.

Weaving them together and
bonding them with plastic resin,

Then molding this material
into a bike frame

Creates one lean, mean
peddling machine.

This company builds custom-made
carbon fiber bicycles

For professional athletes
and serious amateurs.

The first step is to take
detailed measurements --

Height, weight, and limb length,

As well as shoulder width
for handlebar spacing,

Inseam for the seat placement,

And even shoe size
for the positioning the pedals,

Relative to the front wheel.

Computer software
translates these data

Into a geometric diagram
of a customized bike frame.

A cutting machine slices out
carbon fiber shapes

That will become
the frame components.

The bicycle frame
is made up of nine parts.

They make each one
with an aluminum mold

And a latex balloon
called a bladder.

They wrap the bladder
with a layer of carbon fiber.

The fibers in the material
all run in one direction.

So to add strength,
they apply several layers

In a specific
crisscross pattern.

After coating the mold cavity
with a release agent

To prevent sticking,

They place
the wrapped bladder inside,

Then install an inflation cap.

They place the mold
in a specialized heat press,

Hook up pressurized gas,

Then insert a temperature
and pressure monitor.

The inflated bladder
forces the carbon fiber

To take the shape
of the mold cavity.

After about 20 minutes,
they extract the molded part,

Then begin the refining process.

First, they sand off

Any release-agent residue.

Then they machine the part
to exact specifications

For a precision fit
with its connecting parts.

Following the geometric diagram,

They assemble the bicycle frame
like a puzzle.

Once they're sure everything
fits together properly,

They disassemble the pieces,

Then coat the connectors

With superstrong
aerospace adhesive.

They reassemble the parts,

Then cure the glue in an oven
for about a half-hour.

The bicycle frame now goes
onto an inspection table.

A technician
uses digital measuring equipment

To ensure the alignment
is perfect.

The next step
is to install test wheels

And check that they rotate
perfectly straight.

Back to the frame.

They remove any excess glue
that oozed out

When they slid the part together

And give the frame
an overall sanding.

The surface must be perfectly
smooth before they can paint it.

They do all the painting by hand
with spray g*ns.

First, they coat the frame
in a primer and sealer.

Then they use a series
of adhesive stencils

To apply the paint colors
one at a time.

They spray on a coat
of clear automotive lacquer.

This protects the paint
against u.v. Light and chipping.

Next, using this tap,

They remove paint
that dried inside the threads

And the base of the frame,

Where the gear mechanisms
screw on.

They repeat this procedure
at the head of the frame,

Where the handlebars attach.

Now it's just a matter

Of installing
the specific components

That the customer ordered.

The carbon fiber frame delivers
maximum strength and stiffness

With minimal weight.

It's the key to the bicycle's
high-end performance.

Narrator: the average person
has 5 1/3 quarts of blood

Running through their veins.

Out of this blood come three
products that can save lives --

Red blood cells
that carry oxygen,

Platelets
that help stop bleeding,

And plasma,
a protein-rich liquid

That helps us fight infection.

Hospitals need all blood types

To help them save lives.

One day, your life could
depend on donated blood.

In this setup,

An automated machine
collects the donor's blood

And separates it

According to which blood product
they need.

The collection machine draws
whole blood from a donor's arm

And separates out
the mixed plasma and platelets,

Which is the color of straw.

In every setup,

Some blood is diverted
into a pouch for testing.

In this method,
they're collecting whole blood

That will be separated
at the lab.

A worker then draws blood
from the pouch

For testing at the lab.

Meanwhile, the machine
mixes the whole blood

With an anticoagulant

So it won't clot in the bag.

The donors' blood samples
then go to the lab,

Where they determine
the blood type

And test
for infectious diseases.

This high-volume, high-quality
blood-testing machine

Is unique
to the blood-banking world.

Fully automated, it helps ensure
the safety of the blood supply

By testing donor samples

For things like hepatitis b, c,
and h.i.v.

In eight hours, it runs
five different blood tests

On 1,000 donations
without human intervention.

Between each of these tests,

It sterilizes every single probe
in a wash solution.

Another machine
determines the blood type,

Of which there are eight.

They scan
the donor's collection bag

And document what products they
will produce from the blood.

Then they weigh it.

Overnight,
gravity causes the blood

To separate
into its three components,

So a worker re-mixes it,

Preparing it
for machine separation.

She then packs the blood
in the bags

For the other components
into what's called a liner.

She makes sure the liners
are balanced

And will put a rubber weight
inside when she needs to.

Balancing the liners
keeps the centrifuge machine

Spinning properly at 4,000 rpm,

As it separates the blood
into layers.

She then hooks up the unit
of separated blood

To an automated extractor

And, once again,
matches the unit with the donor.

The extractor fills a bag
with just red blood cells.

As the machine fills the bag,

It leaves behind a mixture
of blood and platelets

In the original container.

As it extracts
these red blood cells

And leaves behind a portion
of blood and platelets,

It also fills another container
with pure plasma.

An incubator keeps the processed
platelets well-mixed.

They only have five days
to use these platelets.

However, they freeze plasma

And can use it for 12 months.

Finally, they filter out

The white blood cells
from the red blood cells,

Using what's called
a leukoreduction filter.

They also introduce
an additive solution

Into the red blood cells

And mix it all together.

The additive helps the red
blood cells survive for 42 days,

Both inside a fridge

And during transportation
to the hospitals.

Narrator:
today most forged chandeliers

Are wired for electricity.

We've replaced the candles
used in earlier times

With decorative bulbs
and lampshades.

But a forged chandelier

Still relies on traditional
blacksmithing techniques

And the hand assembly
of components

Used in modern
lighting fixtures.

To build
this two-tiered chandelier,

The artisan begins by making
the twist-basket shape.

First, he cuts
lengths of steel bar

With this shearing machine.

He arranges six of those bars
in a bundle,

Held firmly together
by this welding fixture.

He welds the bars together,
leaving a hole in the center,

Through which the wires
will pass.

A worker puts the bundle
into a forge

That softens the steel at more
than 1,800 degrees fahrenheit.

She then mounts the softened
bundle in a twisting machine,

Securing it tightly in place.

She turns the wheel,
spiraling the bars together.

She then reverses the wheel,

Causing the center of the bundle
to pop out,

Creating
the twist-basket design.

She makes sure the shape
is symmetrical.

Then she verifies its length
in a gauge.

Next, they clean the basket
with tiny steel beads

In a process
called bead blasting.

Here, they make
the j-shaped arms

Used for the upper tier
of the chandelier

From metal tubing,

Which they shape in this
rotary bending machine.

With the same machine,
they also make the s-shaped arms

Used for the lower tier
of the chandelier.

All the arms are hollow,

Which will allow wires
to pass through them.

A vibrating ceramic medium
then polishes all the components

That make up the chandelier

To give them a smooth finish.

Using a mounting fixture,

A worker places
the polished upper arms

In what's called a distributor.

He welds the arms
to the distributor,

Which both supports them

And gives them
the proper alignment.

He welds the lower arms
to another distributor.

Next, he welds metal tubing

Onto each end
of the twist basket.

This tubing makes it possible

To connect
all the decorative components.

A worker then attaches
those decorative components,

Which includes a loop
to hang the chandelier

And an end cap that attaches
to the distributor.

She completes what is called
the center core

By tightening everything
in place.

Then they spray
the upper and the lower arms,

As well as the center cores,
with powder coating,

A finely ground plastic

About the consistency
of talcum powder.

The center cores and arms
then go into an oven,

Where heat cures and bonds
the powder coating,

Giving the parts a hard finish.

A worker then connects
the upper and lower tiers

By fitting
the distributors together.

This hides
the wiring connections.

He secures the center core
to the distributors

Using a decorative finial ball.

He then puts candle sleeves on

To hide the light-bulb sockets
and wires.

The twist-basket chandelier

Is now ready
to brighten your day.

Forged chandeliers help
establish the mood of a room.

They come in various styles,
from classic to ultramodern,

And their designs are limited

Only by an artist's imagination.

Narrator:
in a world where inexpensive,

Disposable ballpoint pens
are the norm,

There are still
discriminating people

Who prefer using
a deluxe writing instrument.

A fancy, high-quality
ballpoint pen

Is as stylish
as it is functional.

It's often paired
with a matching pencil

In an elegant gift set.

Silver plated,
alligator leather,

Chain mail,
rose gold with crystals --

Pen casing designs are endless.

This model is decorated
with lacquer

Made from the resin
of a particular tree

That grows only in china.

They apply it
using a special brush

Made of human hair.

Coating the recessed areas
of a brass pen casing

Creates the effect
of black stripes

Running the length of the pen.

Once the resin dries,

They wash the pen several times.

Then, with a cotton wheel
and some polishing compound,

They buff the lacquer
to a high-gloss shine.

Here's another model
with an etched design.

A computer-guided machine

Engraves the fine,
intricate pattern

With a diamond chisel.

The casing is brass,

But they'll plate it
in a precious metal

Such as gold, platinum,
or rhodium.

Every pen, regardless of design,

Has a brass or sheet-steel clip

That coordinates
with the rest of the pen.

They position the clip
on a press,

And it applies
just enough pressure

To push tiny pegs
into holes in the cap.

The factory tests every clip
for tension resistance.

It has to stretch
to a certain extent,

Then return
to its original shape.

The pen's tip is made of brass

Plated in silver, gold,
or rhodium.

This machine drills the hole

Through which the retractable
ballpoint will protrude.

This machine injects ink
inside the pen cartridges,

Which are made of brass.

It then caps the writing end
with the tip

Containing a tiny
stainless-steel ball.

As the pen writes,

The ball transfers ink
to the paper.

The machine
then flips the cartridge

In the opposite direction

And shoots some grease
through the other end.

This seals the ink inside.

Now the filled cartridges

Go for a ride
on a centrifuge machine,

Which pushes the ink
down toward the ballpoint.

This machine runs random samples

Through a quality-control test
for ink flow,

Ensuring each cartridge

Outputs 8 kilometers
of quality writing.

A twist mechanism at the top

Extends and retracts
the cartridge writing tip

Through the pen tip.

The factory tests the mechanism

On each and every model
thousands of times.

Now onto another model --

This one decorated
in chain mail.

Workers cut the material
to pen length,

Then fasten it
around the brass pen casing.

After several washes in water
and solvent-free detergent,

Followed by several rinses,

They precision-glue the tip
and cap to the casing.

Then they insert the cartridge,

Along with a spring
to provide resistance

When the ballpoint
presses against the paper.

Finally, they cap the top

With either a push-button
mechanism like this one

Or a twist mechanism
as we saw before.

Before packaging,

Every single pen undergoes one
last quality-control check

Under magnification
to be absolutely certain

That even if your spelling
is poor,

Your writing will be great.



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