27x04 - LED Tubes, Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars, Robotic Medication Dispensers

[bunniefuu]

♪♪


Narrator:
l.e.d. Tubes are designed

So they can easily
replace fluorescent tubes

That are inside overhead
commercial light fixtures.

Unlike traditional incandescent
and fluorescent lighting,

A light-emitting diode

Produces light
through a microchip.

It lasts twice as long
and uses half the electricity.

These l.e.d. Tubes come
in a selection of lengths.

They're designed to be a modern,
energy-saving alternative

To fluorescent tube
light fixtures.

The manufacturing process begins
with a printed circuit board.

"Printed" means the board has
a network

Of conductive copper lines
and rectangular paths.

It's designed to
electrically link components.

A technician places
the circuit board on a track,

Which ferries it to

The first computer-guided
machine on the line.

The machine covers the board
with a metal stencil.

The stencil has openings
matching the locations

Where the electronic components
will be mounted to the board.

The machine spreads a layer
of lead-free tin alloy solder

Over the stencil.

This applies solder
to the board

Only where the components go.

The next computer-guided machine
on the line

Mounts the first
of those components,

The light emitting diodes,
or l.e.d.s.

They're composed of a microchip
coated with a chemical phosphor

And come in different sizes,
colors, and light outputs.

The factory programs
the machine's chip sh**ter

To pick the required l.e.d.s
off supply reels

And place them
on the solder-coated locations

On the circuit board.

The chip sh**ter works
at an astonishing speed,

Placing up to


A camera trained on the board
verifies that

Every l.e.d.'S position
is dead-on.

The circuit board moves to
a third computer-guided machine

For the next
electronic component,

The terminals.

They receive
the electric current

To power the l.e.d. Light tube.

The machine picks up
one terminal at a time

And places it
on the circuit board.

The circuit board
moves into the final machine

On this line, a tunnel oven.

The temperature inside peaks
at about 460 degrees fahrenheit.

The heat melts the solder,

Fusing the components
to the board.

Solder is both adhesive
and conductive.

The bond connects the components

To the board's
copper electrical network.

For the high light output tube
they're making in this run,

Each board is comprised
of eight strips.

Each strip has dual rows
of l.e.d.s.

They snap them
into 12-inch strips.

The tube length they're making
requires four strips.

A technician slides
one with a terminal

And three without
into an aluminum track.

He gives them
a visible inspection,

Then solders the strips
to each other.

Once soldered, the strips
are electrically bridged

So the terminal on the first one
can power all of them.

The aluminum track
is called the heat sink.

It's critical
to the tube's performance.

It has deep fins on the bottom
which dissipate heat,

Cooling the l.e.d.s.

This keeps the color
of the light consistent

And extends the tube's life.

Once the technician
connects the strips,

He plugs power into the terminal
to test the l.e.d.s.

Next, he inserts wires
into the terminal

And locks them
in with a compression tool.

The opposite ends
of the wires

Connect to the power supply
in the light fixture.

The technician snaps
a transparent polycarbonate lens

Into grooves on the side
of the heat sink.

He closes the tube
by placing a cap on each end.

He aligns each cap's pins
with slots on the press.

Then the press is activated,

Which forces the caps
onto the tube,

Attaching them permanently.

The end with the terminal

Has slots enabling
the wires to protrude.

The light tube is finished
and ready to be shipped.

To install this energy-efficient
l.e.d. Tube,

Simply click the pins
on the end caps

Into receiving slots
in the light fixture.

Then connect the wires

To the power supply
and the fixture's wiring.

Thanks to those cooling fins
on the heat sink,

This l.e.d. Tube
will last for 100,000 hours

And has a guaranteed


♪♪

Narrator:
as any sweet tooth can attest,

There's no end to the flavors
you can pair with chocolate.

A classic combination
is milk chocolate

And peanut butter.

The saltiness
of the peanut butter

Is the perfect foil

To the sweetness
of milk chocolate.

This bar features a thick layer

Of milk chocolate
around a sweet, salty

And crunchy peanut butter
candy center.

Making that peanut butter candy
center is the tricky part.

To make the candy part of it,

The factory combines
liquid sugar, corn syrup,

Coconut oil, and molasses.

They mix and heat
these ingredients

For about 8 minutes.

The cooked candy is poured into
a large stainless steel bowl.

Next, they add leftovers from
the previous batch of candy.

They call these leftovers
"rework"

Because they rework them
into this new batch.

Once the rework has mixed
with the hot, new candy,

They empty the bowl onto
a cold stainless steel table.

They blend the candy

Until the two merge
into a sweet, gooey mess.

Once the candy has cooled a bit,

Workers fold it up and carry it
over to the pulling station.

There, they make a pocket
in the center

And fill it
with vanilla extract.

They start up
the pulling machine,

Which stretches
the candy nonstop

For about 5 minutes.

This infuses the candy with air

So that its consistency

Resembles taffy
rather than hard candy.

They transfer the candy
to a belt

That carries to it
to the weaving machine.

The machine's rollers
flatten the candy

Into a thin sheet.

Then a pump draws

Piping hot peanut butter
from this tank...

And deposits it
in a generous layer

Onto the candy sheet.

Workers roll up the sheet

Until it reaches
a specific diameter.

At that point, they fold
and place it on a sheet

Without peanut butter,
called a blank sheet.

The next roller presses
the folded roll flat

Onto the blank sheet.

Workers roll up the blank sheet,

Sealing the peanut butter candy
inside.

This complex assembly
is what forms the flaky layers

In the chocolate bar center.

Workers round the sheet
between two rollers

And feed it to the rope sizer.

It stretches
the peanut butter candy

Into a rope
that's the exact diameter

Of the chocolate bar center.

The next machine makes
a pinch mark every 5 inches,

Or the length
of a chocolate bar.

The linked centers
enter a cooling tunnel.

They exit 5 minutes later rigid.

The links separate as they drop
to the next conveyor belt.

They pass through
a second refrigerated tunnel,

Which finishes cooling them.

The centers move into lanes
that feed the enrober,

A machine that coats
the centers with chocolate.

Workers make sure
the centers are single file

And properly spaced.

The enrober is like
a confectionery car wash.

Centers pass through a hot rinse
of milk chocolate first.

Then, an overhead dryer
blows off any excess,

Leaving behind a 3-milliliter
layer of chocolate.

The bars enter a final cooling
tunnel to harden the chocolate.

Workers transfer the finished
chocolate peanut butter bars

To a conveyor belt
for packaging.

As the bars approach
the wrapping machine,

The in-feeder arranges them
in single file.

Rolls of printed
plastic film unwind

Into the machine's forming box.

In the blink of an eye,
the machine folds, wraps,

And heat-seals the film
around each passing bar.

A revolving knife slices
the wrapper between bars.

Then, it's off
to the packaging department,

Where workers pack them


These
chocolate peanut butter bars

Are ready to be devoured
by anyone in the mood

For a crunchy, sweet,
and salty chocolate snack.

♪♪

Narrator: at some pharmacies,
robotic systems

Are lending a helping hand
behind the counter.

These machines can do it all.

They count pills,
dispense them into vials,

Cap the vials and label them.

When it comes to handling
a heavy workload,

These robotic dispensers are
just what the doctor ordered.

Input the prescription data,

And this robotic medication
dispenser goes to work.

It counts bottles
and labels pills

In just 30 to 40 seconds.

Making a robot starts
with a retainer disk

For the vial-capping system.

Computerized tools carve slots
for the capping mechanism.

They measure the slots
with an electronic probe.

Tools sculpt
the rough plastic blank,

Transforming it into a platform
for the pill vial

During capping.

The part takes shape in minutes.

An assembler
installs two computers

In the dispenser frame.

One computer interfaces
with the robotic system.

The other operates
the drug inventory.

She installs a rack

That holds a power strip
above the computers.

She lowers a battery
into place beside the computers

And ties it to the framework.

This battery
provides backup power

In the event of an outage.

Next come the controls
for the robotic arm.

She inserts them in the frame
and plugs them in.

Another member of the team
assembles plastic brackets

To an aluminum manifold.

These brackets hold plastic
cells filled with pills.

The manifold itself sends
dispensing information

To the cells.

It also delivers bursts of air

To move the pills through
the cells

And into prescription vials.

She secures the brackets
to the manifold with screws.

Then, she attaches a long row
of circuit boards

To the manifold.

These circuit boards send data
between the cells

And the dispensing computer.

She connects ribbon cable
to the computer circuit board.

This cable will be linked
to 18 other manifolds

In the dispensing machine.

They're ready
to mount all the manifolds

To a large metal frame.

An employee slides the ends
of each manifold into slots

In the rack.

She stacks up
the cell manifolds,

Creating a bank of 18.

Plastic dividers are attached
to the brackets.

This creates compartments
to hold the actual pill cells.

The dividers strengthen

The entire dispensing machine's
structure.

A technician now
installs a vertical rail

That's equipped
with a robotic arm.

He fits the bottom of the rail

Into the grooves
of a horizontal track

And attaches the top of the rail
to an upper track.

He connects one end
of a long pole,

Called a link shaft,

To the robot and the other end
to the top track.

This shaft moves the robotic arm
horizontally

To collect pills in a vial.

The installer tests the shaft
to confirm it moves the arm

Along the track
with no obstructions.

He programs the robotic arm
to move up, down, need around

In order to collect pills
during dispensing.

He attaches rubber flaps

To the back
of all the pill compartments.

They absorb the sound
of the equipment

To keep the noise level down.

He connects tanks full
of compressed air to the grid.

The compressed air will be
pumped through the manifolds

To move pills through the cells.

A technician now assembles
the exception carousel.

It captures medications

That haven't
been perfectly dispensed.

He inserts the motor assembly
in the center cavity

And snaps the top into place.

He screws a metal framework
to the assembly

And confirms
that it revolves freely

Within the framework.

He scans the serial number
for tracking purposes.

Stay tuned for more

As they prepare
this medication dispenser

For the workplace.

♪♪

Narrator:
a technological revolution

Is happening
behind the pharmacy counter.

Robotic systems
are proving to be

Fast and accurate pill counters.

These robotic dispensers bottle
and label the medications.

In a busy pharmacy,

These machines
are a prescription for change.

The carousel that captures
any prescriptions

That are improperly dispensed
is now complete.

A technician mounts it
to the center of the machine.

He attaches
touch screen controls

Above the carousel.

It's time to assemble
the labeling system

For the pill vials.

The first component
is the device

That spins the vials
as the labels are applied.

She wires it to a motor,
then places it in the housing.

She connects a sensor

That will detect
the presence of a vial.

She attaches the printer
to a computer circuit board,

Then tucks the printer
into the housing.

It's time for a test.

She loads a vial.

Then, the labeler
takes it for a spin.

The system unwinds paper

And prints
the prescribing information.

Little arms
wrap the sticky label

Around the spinning vial.

She inspects the label
for accuracy and clarity.

If it meets standards,

They install the labeler
in the medication dispenser.

It's attached to the bottom
of the robot's frame.

The technician
mounts two vial storage units

Above the labeler.

One is for smaller vials,

And the other
is for larger ones.

Mechanical levers
inside each unit

Hold vials until they're
ready for labeling.

Vials travel down
these plastic chutes

To the printer.

Beside the vial storage
and delivery system,

He installs the capper

That twists the tops
onto the vials.

Next up are drop-off bins
for the completed prescriptions.

Another technician
encases the control screen

And carousel below it
with plastic framing.

He fits an emergency stop button

To the switch
above the control screen.

To protect
the sensitive electronics,

They attach plastic cabinetry
to the front.

A technician now calibrates
the cells that hold the pills.

He connects them one at a time
to a computer,

Which communicates
with the cell network.

He programs the number of pills
to be counted

And the amount
of air pressure needed

To move them
through the throat of the cell.

After a pill cell is programmed,
a technician

Places the cell in its slot
at the back of the dispenser.

There are up to 228
uniquely programmed cells.

They'll hold the pharmacy's most
commonly dispensed medications.

He now scans the bar codes
on each cell

To log the pill inventory.

The bar code is
the serial number for the cell.

This robotic
medication dispenser

Is ready to be put to the test.

He loads pill vials

Into the storage compartments
at the front.

Caps are deposited

In the compartment
beside the vials.

Then, he stocks
some of the cells with pills.

For the purpose of this test,
the pills are plastic copies.

Sensors in the cells
count the pills that are loaded.

The technician
inputs the test prescription.

A vial drops,
and the printer labels it.

The robotic arm takes the vial
to the correct cell.

The robotic arm rotates
and slides sideways,

Delivering the vial
to the capping operation.

A second robotic arm
then presses

And twists the cap
onto the vial.

The prescription is now filled.

From labeling
to dispensing to capping,

The process has taken
mere seconds.

In the pharmacy, this robotic
medication dispenser

Should prove to be
indispensable.

♪♪