17x11 - Underwater Robots/Lasagne/Band Saws/Ski Trekking Poles

[bunniefuu]

]] Narrator: robots perform many

Underwater tasks, which are

Impossible or too risky for

Divers to carry out, like

Collecting samples from the

Ocean floor for scientific

Research, exploring shipwrecks,

Inspecting underwater pipelines,

Searching for planted

expl*sives, or recovering

Bodies.

This particular underwater

Robot is designed to find

Unconscious drowning victims.

Recent incidents have shown that

A person recovered within 90

Minutes can survive without

Brain damage when rescuers

Follow a specific resuscitation

Protocol.

The robot uses a protruding,

Interlocking jaw to grab the

Victim by a limb and haul him or

Her to the surface.

Its onboard camera gives

Operators at the surface an

Underwater view.

When the water's too murky to

See anything, video-enhancing

Technology and imaging sonar

Detect the outline of objects.

Several thrusters propel the

Robot through the water.

For each one, technicians

Grease, then position a pair of

O-rings onto end caps that they

Install on each end of the

Thruster housing.

The o-rings seal the end caps,

Keeping water out of the motor

Located inside the housing.

The motor shaft protrudes

Through propeller the end cap.

A mechanical bale secures both

Thruster end caps to the

Housing.

They fill the thruster with

Oil.

This prevents the thruster from

Imploding under pressure as the

Robot descends deeper and

Deeper.

After filling, they draw a

Vacuum to remove any air bubbles

And draw the oil into every nook

And cranny.

Then then install a reservoir,

Which they also fill with oil.

When the underwater pressure

Builds, this backup oil supply

Fills any remaining miniscule

Air gap the vacuum might have

Missed.

They close the reservoir with

A sealing screw to prevent any

Oil from leaking out.

Now they turn their attention to

The thruster's main component,

A two-blade propeller made of

Durable nylon.

It goes on the back end of the

Thrusters.

They install the camera chassis

Onto the robot.

This chassis also carries the

Majority of the robot's

Electronics, such as the

Computer, communications

Equipment, and lighting.

Here they're hooking up the belt

For the tiny motor, which tilts

The camera to look up and down.

They cover the camera chassis

With a transparent, acrylic dome

Called the viewing port.

A cap with an o-ring seal keeps

Water out.

They install the robot's power

Supply at the opposite end of

The robot, then encase it in a

Metal tube, sealed on both sides

With an end cap and an o-ring.

For the thrusters to work at

Maximum efficiency, the robot

Must be neutrally buoyant,

Meaning neither too light nor

Too heavy.

So once the robot is fitted with

All its thrusters and

Electronics, technicians install

The main float.

Certain models have additional

Floats.

They cap each propeller with a

Vented cover called a kort

Nozzle.

This isolates the water flow,

Maximizing the propeller's

Efficiency.

These bumper frames act like

Bumpers on a car.

They absorb the force of impact,

Protecting the robot from

Damage when it encounters

Underwater objects.

The bumper frames also serve as

A structure to attach lights and

Other components, as well as

Specialized tools, such as that

Quick-release jaw, which grabs

The victim by a limb.

They install the jaw at an angle

So that it doesn't block the

Camera's view.

Now the sonar unit.

It also mounts to the bumper

Frames.

The sonar projects a 130-degree

Left-to-right 3-d image onto a

Monitor at the surface, showing

The outline of objects around

The robot.

Finally, at the top, they

Install a strobe light -- a

Flashing beacon that tells

Rescuers on the surface exactly

Where the robot is.

Every underwater robot goes out

For a test drive.

They submerge it in a tank,

Which is essentially an aquarium

Inhabited by fish of the

Stick-on variety.

These inanimate creatures adhere

To the glass, provide colorful

Images on which testers can

Focus and unfocus the camera.

From there on in, the first

Mission in open water awaits.

]] Narrator: there are many ways

To make lasagna, but no matter

How it stacks up, people seem to

Never get enough of this classic

Italian dish.

Popular in italy for centuries,

Its appeals transcends

Boundaries and cultures.

Who anywhere can resist all

Those layers of flavor?

Ruffled, flat noodles define

Lasagna.

They give it structure.

In between the layers, the

Possibilities are endless.

Ingredients vary, depending on

The recipe.

For a veggie lasagna, things

Start off with sautéed onions,

Seasoned with pepper and salt.

They add pureed tomatoes to the

Pungent mix.

Blades stir the ingredients as

They simmer in this steam-heated

Mixer, and in no time, they have

A full-body tomato sauce.

They pump the tomato sauce into

Lasagna tubs.

This saucy base is the first

Layer of flavor, but it also

Serves a practical purpose,

Preventing the noodles from

Sticking to the bottom of the

Tray during baking.

Workers arrange the broad and

Crinkled lasagna noodles over

The sauce.

These noodles have been made

From a blend of whole grain and

Semolina flours for a texture

That's firm, yet tender.

Now for the filling ingredients.

This factory lasagna will be

Made of roasted, organic

Vegetables.

They include chunks of broccoli

And uniformly mixed peppers,

Onions, carrots, zucchini, and

Mushrooms.

They load the sliced and diced

Veggies into the next

Steam-heated mixer.

The blades swing into action to

Stir the ingredients as they

Brown in oil.

This causes the natural sugars

To break down and the vegetables

To become sweeter.

Creamy mozzarella cheese will

Offset the sugary taste of the

Veggies.

They add the caramelized

Veggies, the shredded

Mozzarella, and more pasta

Noodles, building the layers of

Flavor.

And there's a lot more to come.

Over in another steam-heated

Mixer, a combination of milk,

Oil, and rice flour is on a low

Boil.

Paddles distribute the

Ingredients, and the sauce

Begins to thicken.

Shredded monterey jack and

Parmesan cheeses will enhance

The creaminess and add another

Dimension of flavor.

Next, a serious dash of nutmeg

And another one of salt spices

It up.

And after more stirring action,

The white sauce is velvety

Smooth and substantially

Thicker.

Meanwhile, a worker shovels

Crust into a grinder.

The crusts are broken pieces

From a pizza production line,

And they have been dried to a

Specific consistency, so they

Should grind up nicely.

A spiraling blade turns the

Crusts into uniform crumbs -- a

Classic lasagna topping --

Adding a bit of crunch to the

Recipe.

With these final ingredients,

They're ready to pile it on

Thick.

As the layering process

Continues, this meal really

Comes together.

The cream sauce and bread

Crumbs are the finishing

Touches.

With numerous sous chefs

Involved, things happen a whole

Lot faster here than on the home

Front.

They assemble 48 single-serving

Lasagna dishes per minute at

This factory...

Then place them on trays and

Transfer them to a specialized

Freezer.

This is a blast freezer, which

Is also known as a shock

Freezer.

It brings down the temperature

Of foods very rapidly,

Preserving the flavor.

On the next shift, they remove

The lasagnas from the freezer.

It's time to wrap up this meal.

The lasagnas ride a conveyer

Through a curtain of cellophane.

An automated system heat-seals

The wrap around the trays.

Things move swiftly to prevent

Thawing.

They package 75 lasagnas per

Minute on this line, and then

It's back in the freezer to

Await shipping.

Once something only mama made,

Now workers and machines team up

To mass-produce this traditional

Comfort food.

So at mealtime, one only has to

Pop the frozen lasagna in the

Oven, and then mangia.

]] Narrator: from the home

Workshop to the factory floor,

The band saw is one of the most

Popular power tools around.

It's called a band saw because

The blade is a metal band with

Teeth that moves continuously in

A loop around two or three

Rotating wheels.

It can make straight, curved,

And angled cuts.

This is an industrial band saw,

Designed to cut wood, aluminum,

And composite materials, such as

Plexiglass.

It can cut pieces up to 12

Inches thick and can divide a

Board up to 40 inches wide into

Two equal sections.

The tabletop tilts to a maximum



It's made of sturdy cast iron.

The band-saw manufacturer

Purchases it from a nearby

Foundry, then uses a rotary

Grinder to make the surface, as

We can see on the right, smooth

And shiny.

One of the saw's key components

Is this lower bearing case.

It links the motor to the lower

Of two cast-iron wheels, which

Turn the saw blade.

Workers will later mount that

Lower wheel on one end of the

Bearing case shaft.

Now, on the opposite end of the

Shaft, they mount the drive

Pulley.

The motor will rotate the drive

Pulley, turning the shaft and

Consequently the lower wheel on

The opposite end, which moves

The saw blade looped around the

Lower and upper wheels.

Those cast-iron wheels,

Meanwhile, need a rubber edge to

Ensure the blade moves smoothly

And without slipping.

Workers position a guide over

The first wheel, then slip a

Rubber band onto the guide.

Next, they coat both the edge of

The wheel and the rubber band on

The guide with contact cement

Adhesive.

Then they carefully pull the

Rubber band off the guide, flip

It over, and press the glued

Side against the glued surface

Of the wheel.

The first wheel now has a

Rubberized edge.

They repeat the same procedures

For the second wheel.

In the meantime, another

Department has welded the band

Saw's steel steal cabinet.

After the cabinet gets a paint

Job, workers begin installing

The various components, among

Them the support assembly for

The upper wheel.

Behind the wall on which they

Mount the upper wheel, down at

The bottom and protruding

Forward through the hole in the

Wall, they install the support

For the lower wheel.

This support is the shaft of the

Lower bearing case, the side

Opposite the drive pulley.

After mounting the lower wheel,

They move behind the wall,

Install an electric motor right

Below the lower bearing case,

And link the two with a pair of

Belts.

So now when the motor runs, the

Pulley rotates, and the lower

Wheel turns.

Next, they bolt in the

Tabletop.

It tilts on trunnions -- pairs

Of mating, cast-iron supports --

One attached to the table's

Underside, the other to the

Cabinet's table frame.

Now for the most critical part

Of the assembly process.

Workers use this jig as a

Precision guide to align the

Wheels.

The wheels must be perfectly

Balanced to keep the saw blades

Stable while it's cutting.

Once the alignment's complete,

Workers remove the jig and loop

The steel saw blade around the

Two wheels.

They adjust the blade to the

Correct tautness by simply

Setting the tension gauge to the

Width of the blade.

And finally, the last step.

Above the tabletop, they mount

Bearings which guide the blade.

Without these, the blade would

Wobble or drift offline due to

The force of cutting through the

Wood or other hard material.

Now just a final check to ensure

Everything runs smoothly and

Make absolutely sure this band

Saw is up to speed when it comes

To cutting construction

Materials.

]] Narrator: whether skiing down

A snowy slope or hiking up a

Rocky one, pointed metal poles

Can provide much needed support.

They add balance and rhythm to

Both experiences.

Aluminum poles were first

Developed for skiing.

In recent years, the concept has

Been modified for trekking

Poles.

Ski poles and trekking poles

Look alike, but there are

Important differences.

Ski poles are one set length,

While trekking poles can be

Extended as needed.

Ski poles begin with hollow

Shafts made of aircraft-grade

Aluminum.

They bake them for up to 12

Hours to stiffen the metal.

Next, the poles travel between

Rollers, which apply pressure to

Straighten them.

The stiffening of the metal

Beforehand is key here.

It ensures that the aluminum

Doesn't snap during this

Critical straightening.

They insert one end of the

Ski-pole shaft into a device

That squeezes it down to

Precisely tapered dimensions.

It's a shape that will better

Resist breakage and will also

Make the pole easier to swing.

An automated cutting tool

Spirals into the shaft to even

The jagged edge.

Another cutter spins around the

Outside of the wider end of the

Pole to trim it.

Next, a machine punches a little

Hole in that wider end.

The hole will serve as a guide

During the stenciling of the

Trade name and artwork onto the

Exterior.

With the ski poles tapered and

Trimmed, they head into an

Inspection station.

A supervisor scrutinizes each

One.

Once he gives them the thumbs

Up, they're ready for sanding.

The ski poles spin between two

Sanding belts to remove dusty

Residue and rough up the surface

So that the paint will adhere.

The poles now twirl on an

Overhead rail as a spray g*n

Applies the paint.

An automated tool then squeegees

Paint through stencils to

Transfer designs and lettering

Onto the poles.

Each pass of the squeegee-like

Tool applies a different color,

And this layering effect builds

Up the designs.

The poles now head towards an

Acid bath.

An electrical current ripples

Through the acid solution.

This causes the poles to oxidize

For a scratch-resistant finish

Called anodizing.

Meanwhile, on the trekking

Poles' production line,

Machinery inserts long-wired,

Bristled brushes into the

Various shaft.

This roughs up the inner

Surface.

It's a step that will enable an

Expander device to grip it to

Extend the poles.

Next, a spray g*n coats some

Unfinished poles with clear

Lacquer.

The owner of the factory now

Surveys a lineup of ski poles.

He's on the lookout for smudges

Or other flaws.

They meet his approval, and so

It's on to the next step.

A carriage moves each ski pole

Forward towards a carbide tip

And presses the tip into the

Tapered end.

With this tough tip in place,

The ski pole is now equipped to

Pierce any hard snow pack.

Next, a worker slides rubber

Grips onto the handle end of the

Poles.

Like a big automated fist, a

Hydraulic mechanism shoves the

Grip more tightly onto the pole.

There are many different kinds

Of grips, each with a different

Look and feel depending on the

Type of pole being made.

Some ski-pole grips even have

Clips for attaching gloves.

Trekking-pole shafts now roll

Down the production line.

An automated arm slides plastic

Sleeves with carbide points onto

The lower shaft section.

A spinning tool drives part of

An expander mechanism into the

Trekking pole's middle shaft.

This expander will allow the

Pole to be lengthened or

Shortened to the user's

Preference.

Machinery then inserts the other

Part of the expander mechanism

Into the lower shaft.

Finally, a worker assembles the

Parts, sliding one section of

The expander mechanism on the

Other.

Finally, she sharpens the tips.

And these poles are now ready

For action.