]] Narrator: when it comes to
Kitchen accessories, many cooks
Choose to forgo metal, plastic,
And silicone in favor of a more
Classic material, wood.
Wood is not only elegant, it's
Lightweight and very durable.
And its look fits in with
Traditional, contemporary, or
Modern kitchen decor.
Rolling pins, meat mallets,
Cutting boards, trivets are
Some of the many items this
Czech company makes out of
Beech, a hard and durable type
Of wood.
The first step is to dry out the
Logs.
This prevents the wood from
Expanding and contracting with
Humidity changes and eventually
Cracking.
The factory air-dries the logs
Outdoors for about seven months,
Then heat-dries them in a kiln
For three to four weeks.
When the moisture level is down
To between 8% and 10%, the wood
Is ready.
Each log first goes through a
Large automated hacksaw.
It slices vertically, cutting
The log into several pieces of
The specific thickness required
For the kitchen accessory in
Production.
Next, a dimensioning saw cuts
The pieces to the required
Length.
The final saw cuts the pieces to
The required width.
To make a cutting board, they
Run one edge of the cut piece
Through a gluing machine.
Then, they assemble the pieces
Edge-to-edge in a press.
The number of pieces they put
Together depends on the size of
The cutting board they're
Making.
After an hour clamped under
Pressure, the pieces bond into a
Large panel.
Workers then cut the panel into
The smaller pieces, each of
Which will become a cutting
Board.
A computer-guided milling
Machine cuts the shape of the
Cutting board, which, in this
Case, is a model with a recessed
Middle designed to catch crumbs.
They submerge the cutting boards
In vegetable oil, then let them
Air dry for a day.
Oiling nourishes the wood, which
Prevents it from drying out.
The oil also enhances the color
And brings out the beauty of the
Wood grain.
To make rolling pins, workers
Feed the cut wood through a
Planer.
It finalizes the dimensions
To 2.8x2.8 inches wide by
Then they mount several pieces
At a time onto a machine which
Has multiple lathes.
As each lathe spins over the
Course of about 30 seconds,
Successive tools turn the wood
To a cylindrical shape...
And sand the surface.
One cylinder at a time, workers
Drill a half-inch hole right
Through the middle.
Meanwhile, a small lathe turns
Rolling-pin handles.
Workers saw off excess wood at
The outer end of the handle...
And sand the area flat.
The finished handle goes into a
Revolving barrel of varnish for
About an hour.
All the parts are now ready and
Assembly can begin.
After giving the ends a quick
Sanding, they hammer a nylon
Ring into the hole on each side
Of the pin.
The ring diameter is slightly
Larger than that of the hole so
It locks in.
Next, they insert a zinc-coated
Steel rod all the way through,
Position the rolling pin in a
Press, fit a handle on one
Protruding end of the rod, then
A second handle onto the other
End.
They activate the press, which
Forces the handles all the way
Onto the rod.
The pin rolls smoothly thanks to
The nylon rings.
These kitchen accessories
Showcase the natural beauty of
Wood, wood that's fsc certified,
Meaning it comes from a forest
That's managed according to
Standards of environmental
Protection.
]] Narrator: a central vacuum
Doesn't have to be pulled or
Carried from room to room and up
And down stairs.
Its power unit containing the
Motor and dirt receptacle is
Mounted on a wall, usually in
The basement or garage.
This stationary unit connects to
Plastic ducts that run inside
The walls to inlets in different
Parts of the home.
You plug the attachment hose
Into the nearest inlet and the
Central power unit suctions the
Debris through the wall ducts.
Being stationary, weight isn't
An issue.
Therefore, central-vacuum motors
Are larger and more powerful
Than those in portable vacuum
Cleaners.
A factory makes the main body of
The power unit out of a steel
Sheet about 4/10 of an inch
Thick.
A press punches out the openings
Required for the various
Components.
A forming roller rounds the
Sheet into the unit's circular
Shape.
They close the circle by
Tack-welding a few key spots.
Then, they weld the entire
Length.
This continuous seam makes the
Unit air tight for optimal
Suction and to prevent the
Collected dirt from escaping.
They use the same material and
Technique to form the sides of
The power unit's large dirt
Receptacle.
Then a hydraulic press rolls a
Rim at the top, making the
Receptacle safe for the user to
Remove, empty, then put back in
Place.
They make a rim on the bottom
Edge as well, sealing it over
The bottom plate of the dirt
Receptacle.
Then they put the power unit's
Main body on a hydraulic press
And shape a rim that connects to
The dirt receptacle.
Next, they make a support for
The motor and tack-weld a mesh
Basket under it.
The basket supports the vacuum
Cleaner's filter.
The power unit's main body goes
On top of the dirt receptacle.
The motor support and filtration
Basket fit inside.
And a cover goes on top.
Now the unit gets a coat of
High-quality epoxy paint.
The application system is
Electrostatic, meaning it
Charges the unit with a negative
Current and the powder paint
Particles with a positive one.
This magnetically draws the
Particles onto the unit in an
Even layer.
Then 45 minutes in an oven bakes
It on for extra durability.
They seal the connection between
The dirt receptacle and the
Power unit main body.
This must be airtight for two
Reasons -- to prevent air from
Leaking through, which would
Lessen suction power, and to
Prevent collected dust from
Escaping.
Next, they line the main body's
Motor compartment with
Soundproofing foam.
An adhesive backing holds it
Against the compartments walls,
And dabs of liquid adhesive
Secure the corners.
They install a filter on the
Outside to capture carbon dust.
Carbon dust is a fine black dust
Which electrical motors emit.
Now they apply decals bearing
The series name and model
Number.
They use a laser level to
Position them perfectly straight
In just the right spot.
Back to the motor compartment
Now.
The electric motor sits on this
Rubber-foam gasket and
Rubber legs, both of which
Absorb vibration.
They also prevent metal-to-metal
Contact between the motor and
Body, the secret to the vacuum's
Quiet operation.
Whereas portable vacuum cleaners
Have a lightweight motor with a
Single fan, this motor is a
Large, heavy-duty, long-life
Steel motor with three fans.
The electronic components go
Into the neighboring
Compartment.
Then workers use a variety of
Equipment to test suction,
Voltage, and other
Specifications.
They connect an lcd display on
The outside, cap the
Compartments with a
Motor-cooling insulated disk,
Then the unit's cover.
The factory's lab selects a
Certain percentage of units at
Random for quality-control
Testing.
During operation, the lcd
Screens on both the power unit
And hose handle display the
Power level.
They also indicate when the unit
Needs technical maintenance,
When to empty the dirt
Receptacle, and when to remove
And wash the filters.
]] Narrator: they're a bold
Option for people looking to go
A bit wild with their home
Decor.
Large, colorful animals made of
Paper-mache -- inanimate, exotic
Pets that make quite the
Conversation piece.
Sold in galleries or upscale
Design boutiques, each creature
Is a unique work painted by an
Artist.
These large-scale paper-mache
Animals are hand-crafted by
Artisans in tonala, mexico, a
Town renowned for colorful,
Decorative arts.
They cast the animal shape in
Plaster and fiberglass molds.
There's a two-part mold for each
Of the animals' main body parts.
The artisans dampen pieces of
Recycled cardboard...
Then glue them onto the walls of
The mold cavity.
They continue until they've
Fully lined the cavity five
Layers thick, three layers if
It's a small-sized animal.
Then, they close the mold and
Set it aside to dry.
Depending on the size, this
Takes from three to six days.
Then they open the mold and
Extract what is now a hollow
Cardboard shell of the body
Part.
They assemble the animal by
Adhering all the body-part
Shells, reinforcing the joints
With strips of newspaper.
Then they paper over the entire
Surface to even it out.
The paper dries in 3 to 12
Hours, depending on the size of
The animal.
Next, they mix together talc,
Water...
Glue...
And wet cardboard.
This recipe produces a thick
Adhesive paste that they spread
Evenly over the entire animal.
The paste takes about 40 minutes
To dry and harden.
Then they apply a second coat.
When that dries, they water down
The paste to a thin, runny
Consistency and apply a third
Coat.
Once that dries, they send the
Animal to the detailing
Department.
There, using the thick paste,
Artists sculpt and apply raised
Body and facial features.
Once the paste detailing dries,
They sand the entire animal to
Prep for painting.
In the art department, they
First apply a primer coat, white
Or beige.
This seals the surface.
Once the primer is dry, they
Paint the animal's background
Color.
Now the true artistry begins.
Using water colors, artists make
The animals come alive with
Expressive eyes and fanciful
Features.
No stencils or predetermined
Designs.
The artists follow their
Imagination and create a unique
Work of art.
The last step -- four coats of
Transparent lacquer in either a
High-gloss or matte finish.
The lacquer dries hard as a
Rock, forming an impenetrable,
Protective layer over the paint.
The paper-mache surface is now
Durable and moisture-resistant.
These hand-crafted animals are
Sought after by collectors
Around the world, which might
Explain why it's a jungle out
There.
]] Narrator: when the pressure
Is on, that's when a lot of
Machines really perform.
We're talking about the kind of
Pressure that comes from
Hydraulic fluid as it's pumped
Through cylinders.
From crane claws to snowplows to
A lot of manufacturing
Equipment, hydraulic cylinders
Are truly a driving force in the
World.
This is fluid power in action.
Pressurized fluid pumped into
Cylinders does all the heavy
Work, making this forklift
Actually lift.
Production begins with the
Cylinder barrel.
A band saw cuts steel tubing to
The correct length.
Then computerized tools carve a
Solid cylinder to transform it
Into the piston rod.
It's this rod that will be moved
By hydraulic pressure to
Transfer force to a machine like
The forklift.
The tools cut threads in one end
And also carve various
Diameters.
This will have a cushioning
Effect as the machine the
Cylinders powers cycles down.
The other end of the rod will be
Attached to the piston which is
Now taking shape as a special
Tool bores through the center to
Create a threaded hole.
Using a special gauge, a worker
Measures the hole's dimensions
To confirm the piston rod will
Fit into it exactly.
Another computerized cutter then
Carves grooves on the outside
Wall of the piston.
With the piston now complete,
They install a web of sealer
Rings on both it and the
Cylinder head, which has been
Machined in a similar fashion.
These sealers will prevent
Leaking of the pressurized
Fluids as the piston rod moves
Through the center holes of
These parts.
This blue sealer will also act
As a wiper, removing dirt from
The piston rod and keeping
Contaminants out of the
Cylinder.
This "o" ring installed on the
Outside of the cylinder head
Will stop fluid leakage between
It and the cylinder barrel.
With the sealers installed, a
Worker now lubricates the mouth
Of the cylinder head.
This allows for the a smooth
Installation of the part to one
End of the piston rod.
He then slides the piston onto
The other end of the rod and
Secures it with a nut.
He tightens the nut to the rod
Using an impact g*n.
Production now returns to the
Cylinder barrel as a robot welds
A cap onto it.
The opening fitting adjacent to
It was installed earlier to
Attach the hose that delivers
The fluids.
The worker now clamps the
Cylinder barrel in a device to
Stabilize it.
He lubricates the threaded open
End so he can easily slide a
Metal sleeve into it.
This sleeve prevents snags so
Those critical sealer rings
Remain intact as he now inserts
The piston-rod assembly into the
Barrel.
Once the piston is safely in the
Barrel, he removes the sleeve.
He then shoves the rod further
Into the barrel and screws the
Cylinder head to the threaded
Lip.
Using a spanner wrench, he
Tightens the assembly to the
Required torque.
He dabs adhesive onto a screw.
He inserts the screw in the
Cylinder head.
The adhesive dries and expands
To lock the screw tightly in
Place.
They now etch the client name,
Part number and other
Information onto the assembled
Cylinder using a computerized
Engraving tool.
This cylinder is now ready for
Fluid -- hydraulic-grade oil
Specifically formulated to
Operate under pressure.
The technician attaches hoses to
The cylinder to fill it with
Pressurized oil.
As the pressure builds at one
End, the piston rod extends.
He then supplies fluid to the
Other end and the rod retracts.
He runs a finger around the
Fittings and sealers to check
For leaks.
He gives this hydraulic cylinder
The all-clear.
After a good wash, a worker
Spray-paints the hydraulic
Cylinders to protect the metal
Against rust.
Now complete, these hydraulic
Cylinders are ready to leave the
Factory.
They'll soon be under a lot of
Pressure to keep machines and
Mechanisms operating.
But it's the kind of pressure
They've been made for.
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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