23x11 - Slate Tiles, Hot Dog Carts, Garage Door Openers, Bicycle Seats

[bunniefuu]

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

History suggests slate
may have first been mined

In the roman era,

Although the earliest confirmed
records date back to

The early 1700s.

Slate tiles were used for
general building construction

And are still used today

For practical and aesthetic
purposes.

These pieces of floor slate
appear to be right

From the quarry,

But they're part
of an 18-piece
puzzle

That's cut the same way
every time.

These pieces of wall slate

Are much thinner
and are used for paneling.

Uncut sheets of slate
in a variety of thicknesses

Come straight from the quarry.

After the slate sheets
are stacked on a forklift,

A worker carefully
drives them

To another part
of the storage yard.

He sets them down gently.

Another worker splits the sheets
of slate

Using a pneumatic zip g*n.

It's a delicate process.

Once he splits the slate sheets,

The worker inspects the lines
in the pieces of slate

And looks for cracks.

Then, he carries the sheet
to a gauging machine.

He checks the thickness
of the sheet

To make sure it won't cause jams
on the cutting table.

This multiblade cutting table
slices a sheet of slate

Into a series of strips.

It's covered
with recycled water.

This lubricates
the cutting process,

Cools the slate
and cutting blades,

And removes unwanted dust
and particles.

A conveyor slowly moves
the slate sheet forward.

A total of 18 diamond blades

Slice the sheet of slate
into strips.

These strips of slate
will be used for wall paneling.

This cutting table
can cut several sheets of slate

At the same time.

Once the cutting process
is complete,

A worker inspects the strips
of slate and sorts

Them according to thickness
and width.

Next, he piles some of them
in preparation for splitting.

He cracks thicker strips
of slate using a stone splitter

With a hardened steel blade.

He makes sure
they're thin enough

To be used for wall paneling.

Once the pieces of slate
reach their final thickness,

A worker places them in boxes,
ready for installation.

A worker inspects a sheet
of slate

That will be used for flooring.

The thickness of slate flooring
must be constant.

He places a sheet on a conveyor.

It takes the slate
through a gauging machine,

Where its surface
will be made perfectly even.

Using two diamond grinding
wheels, the gauging machine

Shaves off any pieces of stone
that exceed a preset thickness.

After several minutes
of shaving,

The slate sheet emerges
from the gauging machine.

An employee checks the sheet
to make sure it's smooth.

First, he checks the underside
of the eventual floor tiles.

Then, he checks the top side,

The stone face
that will be displayed.

The worker places the smooth,
flat piece of slate

On a cutting frame.

The computerized cutting machine

Cuts 18 pieces of slate
according to a preset pattern.

A high-velocity water jet
cuts the stone at three times

The speed of sound.

The water is pure,
filtered several times.

The first time the slabs
move through the machine,

It cuts pieces 1 to 9,

And the second time through,

It cuts pieces 10 to 18.

The worker snaps off excess trim
and stacks

The cut pieces of slate
according to their numbers.

All the number ones
are identical to each other,

As are each of the other numbers
in the 18-piece pattern.

Repeated on a floor,

The 18-piece pattern
appears natural.

This nonporous slate comes in
different textures and colors,

And can also be used
in bathrooms or roofing.

Narrator:
the first hot dog carts

Were rolled out in new york city
in the mid-19th century.

They were simple push carts
with small charcoal stoves

And served sausages on buns.

Those sandwiches became known
as hot dogs.

A modern hot dog cart
is a kitchen on wheels.

Equipped with a water tank
and sink,

A steamer and grill,

And a cooler,
it's made to serve the public.

And they're sometimes designed
to stand out in a crowd.

To make this hot dog cart,

They start with molds
for the hot dog-shaped body.

A worker brushes a nonstick
coating into the first mold.

It will allow the completed part
to be easily removed.

He places fiberglass one sheet
at time in the mold.

He brushes a generous amount
of epoxy resin onto each piece.

The fiberglass starts
to solidify very quickly,

But he leaves it to set
overnight for a complete cure.

They assemble the two halves
of the hot dog-shaped body

And apply bonding to the seams.

A colorful paint job
completes the look.

Next, computerized tools

Cut holes in a sheet
of food-grade steel.

These holes will accommodate
the sink, faucets,

And other parts.

Then, the cooler door
takes shape.

Using a press,

The worker bends up the edge
of a piece of steel

That's been cut to size.

He transfers the part
to another break press.

This one is computerized.

It folds back the bend to give
the door a strong, smooth edge.

He repeats this process
on two other sides.

He then clamps a continuous
hinge to the only unfolded edge,

And he welds
and rivets the hinge to it.

Work now begins on the chassis
of the hot dog cart.

A worker welds heavy wall steel

Tubing to create
a rugged framework.

After painting it,

He bolts the wheel axle
to brackets on the sides.

He tightens the bolts

To an exact torque
using a pneumatic wrench.

He screws taillights
to the bumper.

The lights are surrounded by
metal brackets to protect them

From being damaged
by customers waiting in line.

The brackets also
serve as a mounting plate.

The team now transfers
the fiberglass cart body

To the chassis.

They drill large holes

To vent gas fumes
and smaller screw holes

To secure the body
to the chassis.

They line the cart with a molded
fiberglass and styrofoam unit.

It has compartments for
the water tank and food cooler,

And it also serves
as an insulating layer.

They install the steel food
preparation surface,

Which has been equipped
with a sink and faucets.

A member of the team tightens
a crimp ring around the hoses

To supply water
to the sink faucets.

He runs a gas line
to the steamer's burners

And lowers the steamer
into place on the cart.

He assembles a barbecue
to the other side of the cart,

And this gives customers
a grilled option

For their hot dogs.

They hinge the cooler door
to the front of the cart.

Once closed, the door
seals the insulated chamber

To keep hot dogs, sausages,
and sodas on ice.

The team presses bold graphics

To the fiberglass shell
and peels off the paper liner.

And with that, this hot dog cart
is ready to hit the street,

Just in time for lunch.

Narrator: decades ago, people
had to get out of the car

When arriving home in order
to open the garage door.

Today, it's routine to open
and close your garage door

At the push of a button,

Either on a wall-mounted pad
or on a remote control.

A garage door opener's motor
drives either a belt, a chain,

Or a screw rod,
like these models.

In turn, they move a carriage
connected to the garage door.

At this factory,

The production line starts
and ends at the same place.

They take one completed garage
door opener off the line,

Then start a new one

By attaching a power cord
to the unit's steel chassis.

Then, they place the chassis

Onto a traveling assembly
fixture

And plug in the power cord

To prep the unit
for testing later.

They place the unit's plastic
housing next to the chassis,

Then snap
in the plastic safety cover.

This goes over the direct
current motor,

The equivalent
of 1 1/4 horsepower.

They attach an optical encoder
to the motor.

The encoder is a sensor
which reads the door's position

So that the motor knows when
to stop moving the carriage.

They place the motor
against the safety cover,

Then screw it in place.

In the housing,
they install the motion sensor.

It turns on the opener's light

As soon
as you walk into the garage

Or when the garage door opens.

Next are the switches for
programming the remote control

And for setting
the travel limits.

These are the points to which

The opener must move the door
to fully open and close it.

They then install the circuit
board, routing the antenna

For the remote control receiver
to the outside.

They plug in the motion
sensor cable,

Then wire and plug in the
connector for the light bulbs

And fasten the board in place
with screws.

They attach the electrical
ground wire to the chassis,

Connect the power cable,

And then, the optical encoder
to the circuit board.

With all the internal components
installed now,

They affix the housing
to the chassis.

This completes the brain
of the garage door opener,

Called the operator unit.

An automated testing machine
now checks all the functions,

Simulating the load
of the garage door.

It also checks the light bulb
sockets and the connection ports

On the circuit board
for the safety beams.

The beams stop
and reverse the closing door

If they detect any object
in its path.

Once the operator unit
passes inspect,

It comes full circle to the end,
which is also the start,

Of the production line.

A plastic lens
to enclose the light bulbs,

And the unit comes off the line.

The carriage rail
is milled from galvanized steel.

It has slots
for locking in plastic liners

Which hold the screw rod.

To produce the screw rod,

The factory machines
a solid bar of steel

To the required dimensions
and profile.

Then, with high-pressure
rollers, it forms threads in it.

Workers insert the screw rod
into the liners in the rail.

For the retail market,

Rather than produce
one long rail and screw rod,

The factory
makes three shorter connecting

Sections that fit
into a smaller package.

This machine lubricates
the screw rod with grease.

It helps it rotate smoothly
in the rail liner

When the opener's motor
is running.

When the screw rod turns,

Teeth on the base
of the carriage interlock

With the threads,

Moving the carriage
along the rail.

Workers first install the
carriage base at the factory.

Then, they pack

All the garage door opener
components for shipping,

Starting with the rail sections
and the operator unit.

Last to go in are
the wall-mounted control pad,

The remote controls,
and the safety beams,

Which you install on each side
of the garage door opening.

When you install
the garage door opener,

You insert the screw rod
into the motor's drive shaft.

Then, you assemble the rest
of the carriage,

Connecting it to an arm

Which attaches
to the garage door.

Motor runs,
screw rod turns, carriage moves,

And your garage door
opens or closes.

Narrator: the bicycle

Is the most efficient mode
of transport ever invented.

Ninety-nine percent
of the effort

Put into turning a pedal
is transferred to movement,

So the lighter the bike,
the better.

Using cutting-edge materials,

A high-performance seat can
weigh as little as five ounces.

This company made a special seat

For a past tour de france
winner.

In fact, half the cyclists on
the prestigious pro tour racing

Circuit use their seats.

The design process begins with
the simplest tools --

Pencils and paper.

Designers sketch
out a few basic ideas.

Specialists then transform
the sketched ideas

Into 3-d digital images.

The manufacturers machine-model
those images into a prototype.

After testing, they
begin the manufacturing process.

A worker places a base,

Or shell,
on the upper segment of a mold.

This company makes their shells

From a variety
of carbon fiber materials.

Polyurethane pours into
the other section of the mold.

This is the part of the mold

That will give the seat
its shape.

When the mold closes,

It cooks at a mere 104 degrees
fahrenheit.

A chemical reaction takes place
inside the mold,

Which causes the polyurethane
to expand.

Five minutes later,

An operator removes the seats
from the molds.

Here, we see what the shells
look like before and after.

A worker removes excess
polyurethane from the edges

With a knife.

While the polyurethane cures,

Workers
prepare the cover material.

The material is
a proprietary microfiber

Specially made for this company.

Not only does this material need
to be flexible, waterproof,

And comfortable,

It has to be incredibly durable.

Once they've cut the material
into strips,

The workers
stack them on a stamping press.

A die has been custom made
to match the design of the seat.

The stamping press
descends with enough force

To cut through multiple layers.

It's now time to join
the three panels of material

That make up the seat cover.

This facility
has two different methods

For attaching the pieces
to each other.

In this case,

A skilled worker carefully
stitches the material together.

A different method
of joining the panels

Involves a process
called thermal welding.

An operator skives, or thins,

The edges by shaving them
so that there won't be a bump

Where they overlap.

Double-sided tape
will hold the material together.

A special tape dispenser applies
the tape to the skived edges.

A worker positions the panels,
carefully overlapping the edges.

A vacuum system removes air

From between the top and bottom
sections of the press,

Holding the panels in position

And ensuring there will be
no bubbles at the seams.

The press then
heats the material

Up to 280 degrees fahrenheit,

Ensuring that the adhesive bonds
the panels together.

The design
of the shell for this seat

Has several slots in it

To help create
the right combination

Of flexibility and rigidity.

A laser machine

Cuts stripes in the cover fabric
to create a graphic element

That reflects this design
feature.

Workers glue silver material
under the stripes

To highlight them,

Then brush glue all over
the underside of the cover.

Mounting the cover on the seat
requires two operators.

They place the cover glue side
down on the seat,

Ensuring
that it's positioned perfectly

And that there are no
air pockets.

They work the cover
into a small recess

That runs around the perimeter
of the base.

They will then trim off
the excess material

With a utility knife.

The amount
of skilled manual craftsmanship

Required to build these seats

Is a key feature
of their quality,

But the company also relies
on state-of-the-art technology.

Bicycle seats sit on a framework
called a rail.

This facility makes rails
from both carbon fiber

And metal alloys,

And it tests each one
with a dynamometer.

Workers put glue

In the attachment points
on the bottom of the seat

To ensure that it
passes a stringent safety test.

A customized machine bends
the seat to fit into the rail.

The seat will then be bent back
in the other direction

To return it
to its original shape.

The seat is now finished.

Fusing
state-of-the-art technology

With skilled craftsmanship,

This company
makes 520,000 bicycle seats

Every year.