17x12 - Laminated Wood Beams/Off-road Vehicles/Veggie Burgers/Augers

[bunniefuu]

Narrator:
in architectural design,

Exposed wood beams

Use the structural components
of a building

In an aesthetic way.

These beams are often made
of glued laminated timbers.

They're constructed

By gluing together
several layers of lumber

And forming them
into a particular shape

Such as a curved arch.

These beams look as though
they're a solid piece of wood.

However, they're actually
laminated wood --

Several boards of lumber glued
together to form one piece.

The boards
aren't layered haphazardly.

Rather, the top-grade wood
goes on the top and bottom,

Where the beam
must be the most resistant,

And lower-grade wood
in the middle.

The boards are far shorter
than the finished beam,

Therefore the first step

Is to extend each layer
to the required length

By connecting several boards
end to end.

To do this, a conveyor system

Transports 10 boards at a time
to a mill.

Saw blades trim the edges
to make them perfectly square,

Then revolving knives
cut finger joints on both ends.

When it comes time to connect
the boards horizontally,

The finger joints of one board

Will fit neatly
into those of the next.

The comb-like shape
of the finger joints

Creates a far greater
service area to glue

Compared to leaving
the edges flat.

More glue makes for
a stronger bond between boards.

The glue is high-strength
and waterproof.

It goes on brown
but dries translucent.

Workers line up the glued boards
in a machine called a crowder.

The machine's pressure rollers
slide one board into the other,

Interlocking the finger joints.

Then two plates clamp down
on each joint,

Rendering
the adjoining boards flush

Should one be sitting
slightly higher than the next.

About 15 seconds of heat
cures the glue.

The connection is barely visible

Because the glue
dries translucent.

Now that each layer
is the required length,

It's time to adhere them
vertically to make the beam.

First, a glue applicator
coats one side.

Then workers
turn the layers on their sides

And stack them in a steel frame
called a jig.

Once they've stacked

The required number of layers
for the beam,

They activate high-strength
steel pressure vices.

These apply high pressure
for six to eight hours

Until the glue
between the layers has cured.

To make an arched beam,
it's the same process,

But they stack then clamp
the layers in a curved jig.

Once the glue cures,

This laminated wood beam
is stronger than solid wood.

However, there are still
several more steps to go.

A two-sided planer

Simultaneously finalizes
the dimensions,

Evens out the ends,
and removes excess glue

That oozed out under pressure.

Next, a computer-guided,
multi-tool machine

Cuts, drills,
and notches the beam

According to the customer's

Technical drawing
specifications.

Then each beam gets a tag

Indicating the order number
and part number.

In the final
finishing department,

Workers sand away
any visual defects

And smooth the surface
in preparation for staining.

Finishers apply one coat
of wood stain with a roller,

Then work it by hand

To ensure uniform absorption
throughout.

Once the beam is shipped to the
construction site,

The customer might apply
a flameproof coating,

Which would significantly
slow down

The rate at which
the beam would burn

In the event of a fire.

The customer may also stain it
a deeper shade

To match existing woodwork.

Narrator: the four-wheel drive
utility vehicle

Was originally designed for w*r.

It was world w*r ii,

And the american-made military
jeep quickly earned its stripes,

Plowing through mud and muck
on the road to victory.

Today's s.u.v.s
are modern versions

And proof that the concept
has transitioned nicely

Into civilian life.

When the road ahead is rough
or disappears entirely,

A four-wheel drive
utility vehicle keeps on going.

Production of this custom s.u.v.
Begins with a mandrel bent frame

Made of thick steel rails.

A worker welds brackets to it
for attaching parts --

This one for its
shock absorber's nitrogen tank.

He attaches a link for the
sway bar and suspension arms.

He then welds
super-thick braces for shocks

To the front of the chassis.

He measures
the space between them

To confirm
that there's adequate clearance

And then fits
heavy-duty calipers

Over the brake rotors
installed at the front.

The front brakes
are a six-piston system

For extra stopping power.

He now fits the coil-wrapped
shock absorbers

To the front axle
and bolts them to the braces

We saw welded
to the chassis earlier.

This is a preliminary
installation.

The parts will all be tightened
more precisely later.

It's time to give
this custom s.u.v.

Some supersized wheels.

He positions the rims

On threaded bolts
protruding from the axles

And then secures the
installation with lug nuts.

The tires are eight-ply
with deep tread

For off-road traction.

This s.u.v. Chassis
is ready for power.

The team wheels the chassis

Under the eight-cylinder
drivetrain

And carefully lowers it
into position.

This powerful engine
will generate a lot of heat,

So it needs a large
capacity radiator to keep cool

And prevent damage
to the engine.

Once the steel chassis has been
coated with a protective finish

And the fuel system
has been installed,

Production shifts
to the next stage --

Piecing together
the s.u.v. Body.

This pre-assembly will ensure

All the aluminum parts
fit together flawlessly.

After this, the s.u.v.

Will be completely taken apart
for painting

And then
put back together again.

He hinges the doors to the body
with thick steel pins

That hold up to wear
and make the assembly easy.

He attaches each window frame
to the lower door panel

And checks the fit.

Any gaps could allow the wind
to whistle into the vehicle.

He confirms the parts align
and that the door latch works.

He bolts the steel roll bars
to the s.u.v. Body.

Once he's satisfied
that the framework

Meets all the specifications,
he'll take it apart.

The paint
is a powder-coat finish.

It's ionically charged,
so it gravitates

To the negatively charged parts
as it's sprayed.

Once baked in an oven,

The coating forms a skin that's
tougher than conventional paint.

They also coat the underside
of the lower parts

With a heat-cured finish

To reduce wear
and to muffle vibration.

They now piece together
the lower body of the s.u.v.

And assemble the dashboard

And the instrument panel
to the front.

They bolt the seats
to the floor,

And once other parts
have been welded to it,

They lower the assembly
onto the chassis.

The chassis has, by now,
been completely wired.

The parts mate perfectly.

It takes about 250 person hours

To build
one of these custom s.u.v.s.

We've shown just the highlights.

When it's complete,
they test everything

From the sensor-activated step
to the windshield wipers.

Once they confirm that
all systems are operational,

This s.u.v.
Is ready to hit the back roads.

High off the ground
with four-wheel drive,

It's equipped
for whatever lies ahead,

And there's sure to be
a few bumps along the way.

Narrator: craving a burger
but yearning for a change?

The veggie burger
is a lower-fat alternative

To the beefy favorite.

Just hold the fries.

Developed in the early 1980s
in london, england,

The veggie burger has gone from
fringe food to the mainstream

All in short order.

Just add a bit of oil
to the grill,

And this meatless patty sizzles
with burger appeal.

Chock full of grains,
nuts, and veggies,

It somehow looks kind of beefy,

But it tastes
distinctly different

From an actual meat patty.

This particular burger
is a non-soy version,

But there are many kinds of
veggie burgers available today,

And an increasing number
of people go meat-free

Or reduce the amount of meat
they eat.

They start with finely-minced
frozen veggies.

This recipe calls for carrots,
celery, onions, and mushrooms.

And that's safflower oil
in the dish on the lower left.

The safflower oil simmers
on the bottom

Of this steam-heated mixer

As they gradually
add the ingredients.

Blades stir the mix
as it sautés.

As the vegetables cook,

Their natural sugars
are released.

This causes the veggies
to caramelize.

The flavors deepen
and become more complex.

This technique
is called mirepoix.

It's a french culinary term

For a sautéed mix
of aromatic vegetables.

The mirepoix is very substantial

To add both texture and flavor
to this veggie-burger recipe.

They add the final ingredient,
the mushrooms.

And after
more mixing and cooking,

This veggie-burger mirepoix
is complete.

They transfer the mirepoix

To a big mixing tub
called the gondola.

And now they add the dry
ingredients.

They include walnuts,
cooked bulgur, oats,

Potato flakes,
and pure gluten flour.

The worker adds pails full of
each of these ingredients

To the mirepoix.

Then, using a shovel,

He folds all the dry ingredients
into the mix.

Moistened
by the cooked vegetables,

The gluten flour becomes sticky.

This causes the ingredients
to cling loosely together,

Taking on a consistency
similar to that of cookie dough.

He now loads the sticky mix
into a hopper

That leads to an automatic
patty-making machine.

It's a mold
with a plunger-like mechanism

That presses and shapes the
mixture into perfect patties.

A constant spray of water keeps
things from becoming too sticky,

Allowing the patties to be
cleanly ejected from the molds.

Then it's a short conveyor trip
to the next station,

Where workers retrieve
the veggie patties

And arrange them
on baking trays.

In the process,
they inspect the patties

And confirm that they've
been perfectly formed.

They roll stack trays of burgers

Into a preheated
convection oven.

When the oven door closes,

The burger-ladened trays rotate
inside so they cook evenly.

After baking, they quickly
freeze the veggie burgers

To lock in nutrients
and preserve freshness.

Workers then load the frozen
veggie burgers onto a conveyor

As they head up
into the packaging line.

These burgers can't spend too
much time outside the freezer,

Or they'll start to thaw.

A hot iron
seals the cellophane wrap

Around groups of four burgers

And separates them into packets.

Down the line,

Suctioning devices
open cardboard boxes

And transfer them to a conveyor.

The boxes are now positioned
to receive the burger packets.

As they move forward,
workers just slide them inside.

The boxes of veggie burgers
then head into a narrow lane

To close the pre-glued flaps.

This entire packaging operation
takes less than a minute.

In just one hour, this factory
can wrap and package

More than 9,000 veggie burgers.

At the end of the day,

That's a lot
of meatless burgers,

But it should be enough
to feed a growing trend

Of vegetarianism.

Narrator: used for centuries
to drill holes

For pegs and bolts,

Augurs have played a bit role
in history

And were critical
to the construction

Of everything from tall ships
to manor homes.

Traditionally rotated by hand,

Today's power drills give the
augur bit a more modern twist.

Attached to a power drill,

An augur bit
can chew through wood in seconds

To produce perfect screw holes.

It spits out shavings through
the corkscrew-shaped pathway,

Preventing it from clogging
the freshly-drilled holes.

Operated manually
or by drill bit,

The augur bit
is an efficient gizmo

Responsible for a lot
of projects coming together.

An augur bit starts
as a solid steel rod.

They heat it to a blistering


When the rod is white-hot,
it's supple enough to be shaped.

He moves one end
of the hot steel rod

Under a long, pulsating hammer.

The anvils below allow
the energy of the hammer

To be transferred to the rod
and flatten it.

He angles the flattened end
sideways to shape the edges.

He then tweaks the profile
a bit more

By moving the rod
from anvil to anvil.

The anvils are set
at various heights

For impacts of different force.

When he's done,
the once circular steel rod

Looks like a long putty knife,
but this is just temporary.

Next, it's back into
that super-hot furnace

To reheat the forged end
to a malleable state once again.

He clamps the white-hot rod
in a machine

That twists the flattened end
to a specific configuration.

In this hot and supple state,

The steel is as easy to twist
as a piece of stiff ribbon.

As the steel cools,
it becomes more rigid,

So it's back into the furnace
to make it pliable once again.

He then places it between
the jaws of a toothed vice.

He closes the jaws repeatedly
as he pulls the augur along.

This crimps the augur's spirals
to a precise configuration.

Each spiral ends up
exactly the same.

It's a critical step.

Without it, the augur
wouldn't operate smoothly

And could even get stuck
as it drills through wood.

Now he slams a drop hammer onto
the tip of the augur repeatedly,

Forcing it into a dye.

As the hot steel
fills the dye cavity,

It takes its shape,

Giving it the rudimentary
profile of the drilling head.

It's now tapered like a cone,

But there's a lot of surplus
material surrounding it.

This surplus steel
is a bit of spillover.

He trims off that hardened
spillover with a clip press,

And this further defines
the drilling head.

He presses the augur tip
against a ridged grinding wheel

To carve a screw thread into it.

The screw thread will give
the augur bit extra bite

As it drills through wood.

The focus now turns to the other
end of the augur, the shank.

As it spins in a lathe,

Cutting tools slim the shank

And shorten it
to precise specifications.

Now they toughen up the steel
by first heating it

And then dipping it in cool oil.

The shock caused by
the abrupt temperature change

Makes the steel harder.

Then the augur spins
between two wheels.

One wheel rolls it.

The other grinds
the outer diameter of the twist

To specification.

A worker grinds the valleys
in the augur twist by hand

In order to reach every spot.

This smoothes the surface

So wood shavings
will flow upward

As the augur bores deep
into the wood.

He changes the belt
to a finer abrasive

And preps it with a small stone.

He spins the belt and polishes
the augur until it shines.

And the result
is a glossy sheen.

It looks good
and will further smooth the way

For the extraction of wood
shavings through the twists.

Now with a different
and much smaller grinder,

He carves wings and sharp edges
below the augur's cutting head.

From a simple steel cylinder
to a useful wood-drilling bit,

This has truly been a story
with many twists and turns.

And with the work of the factory
now done,

These augurs are ready
for any job.

They come in a range
of diameters and lengths

For tasks of any size.

With so many options,

All those projects
should come together bit by bit.

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