27x07 - Wooden Matches, Tillage Machines, Telescopic Gangways and Mabe Pearls

[bunniefuu]

[ Beeping ]

Narrator: being eaten alive
by mosquitos is no picnic...

Well, except to the mosquitos.

Not only are the bugs annoying,

But just one bite
from an infected mosquito

Can transmit
potentially debilitating

Or fatal diseases

Such as the west nile virus,
malaria, and dengue fever.

One way to ward off mosquitos
is to light a coil

That releases
mosquito-repelling vapors.

These coils,
manufactured in thailand,

Contain three
natural ingredients

Traditionally used
in this country

To keep those biting bugs
at bay --

Eucalyptus, citronella,
and turmeric.

The first step
is to mix them

With certain nonactive
natural ingredients

Which form the coil --

Coconut shell powder, sawdust,

Tapioca starch,
and joss powder,

An adhesive made
from the bark and leaves

Of the litsea glutinosa tree.

After blending
all these powdered ingredients

For 10 to 15 minutes,

Workers bag the mix
in an empty ingredient sack,

Then empty the contents
in a kneading tank.

They add fragrance and dye.

The coil comes
in four varieties.

This batch of coils will be pink
and cherry blossom scented.

Then, they add the coil's
only chemical active ingredient,

Metofluthrin.

Its vapors are toxic
to mosquitos' nervous systems,

Yet harmless
to humans in low doses.

Metofluthrin makes up less than


After about 10 to 15 minutes
of kneading, the mix

Exits the tank
as a formable paste.

A conveyer belt
transports it to an extruder,

Which squeezes the paste
through a slot-shaped die,

Producing sheets approximately


A stamping machine then punches
out seven coils per sheet.

The leftover paste
travels back to the extruder

To be reformed into fresh sheets
ready for stamping

While the stamping machine

Ejects the paste coils
onto a mesh tray.

Workers conduct
a visual inspection

And remove any coils
which are misshapen.

Then they stack the trays
onto trolleys.

They roll the trolleys
into the drying chamber,

Which they heat to a temperature
of 131 degrees fahrenheit.

After 5 1/2 hours, the coils

Come out of the drying chamber
hard and sturdy.

After conducting another visual
inspection, workers

Transfer the dried coil
to the automated packing line.

The machine's
first station stacks

The coils in piles of five.

Workers place a metal coil stand

On each stack.

Then, the machine's next station

Packages each stack
in clear plastic film.

The package holds the five coils
tightly together

So they don't rattle
against each other

And get damaged.

It also prevents the scent
from dissipating before use.

At the next station,
a high-speed robotic arm grabs

And opens the retail boxes,

Aligning them opposite
the arriving packages of coils.

The machine inserts a package
of coils into each box...

Then closes the box.

Before packaging
the mosquito coils,

The company lab tests

Randomly selected samples
from the batch.

The chemist lights a piece
of coils and places

It in the center
of a sealed test chamber.

Five minutes after the coil
has completely burned,

She releases mosquitos
into the chamber

And clocks how much time elapses
until they're debilitated.

The lab also conducts
a burn performance test.

This verifies that the coils
take between 7 and 8 hours

To burn completely.

These mosquito coils
also come in lavender, rosemary,

And herbal blend scents.

Provided they're kept sealed
in their plastic package

And stored away from moisture,

The active ingredients remain
effective for at least 10 years.

Narrator: the solar-assist
tricycle takes urban commuting

In a whole new direction.

It's part tricycle
and part motorized vehicle.

The motor runs
on a lithium-ion battery

That gets its juice from
the solar panel on the roof.

And it can also be plugged
into an electrical outlet

For a charge.

The solar-assist tricycle
is a vehicle for change.

Propelled by both pedal power
and solar energy,

It's an alternative way
to get around town.

Making a solar-assist
tricycle starts

With the side panels
for the cab.

They've been thermoformed
from rugged plastic.

An employee cuts open doorways
in the panels using a router.

A fender was molded
into the cutout

To minimize waste.

He cuts a hole in the panel
to assemble that fender.

Another employee then peels off
the plastic film

That has protected the panel
during the cutting process.

She attaches led signal lights

And headlights
to the tricycle body.

She connects the lights
to the wiring harness.

The molded fender completes
the tricycle side panel.

She hangs it on a rack

To await the next stage
of production

And writes the order
number on it

In order to keep track of it.

They build the frame

From tempered aircraft-grade
aluminum.

An employee mounts crank arms
and chain rings to the front

And then attaches pedals.

The crankset transmits
human pedal power

To the drivetrain.

Next up is the antlers,

An assembly of metal tubes

That includes
the suspension mechanisms

And steering linkage.

They install steering arms
at the ends of the antlers,

Then mount
an aluminum dashboard support

To the antlers.

He inserts the steer tube
for the handlebars into the slot

In the dashboard support.

He connects the steering linkage
to the antlers

Using swiveling joints
for precise handling.

He inserts the handlebar
into the steer tube.

The team then secures
two rugged bicycle wheels

To the axle using cap bolts.

They position the 1-horsepower
motor and transmission

Between the tricycle's
parallel spines

And attach them
with brackets and bolts.

They loop a roller chain
from the crank

To the transmission

And another one
from the transmission

To the rear drive wheel.

They also link the motor
to the rear wheel

With a roller chain.

They equip all three wheels
with disc brakes.

They install aluminum casing
over part of the rear wheel

And driveline.

This protects these components

And also provides
structural support.

A computerized tool now carves
into corrugated polypropylene

To create a box
for the vehicle battery.

An assembler then
rivets the battery box

To the front
of the solar-assist tricycle.

The team attaches metal struts

To serve as supports
for the vehicle body.

They're now ready to assemble
the body parts to the chassis.

They align each panel
to the frame

And bolt it in nine locations.

The fenders frame the wheels
to keep road spray down.

They fasten side mirrors
to the vehicle,

Drilling the bolts
through the body

To the dashboard support.

The employee then applies decals
that identify the product.

He protects the motor
and transmission

With a rugged plastic bonnet.

And he screws
the adjustable seat

To the tricycle's
aluminum spine.

The team curves the flexible
solar panel to the top.

They attach the windshield
to the front

Using high-strength
double-sided tape.

The windshield is made
of polycarbonate

That's optically clear
and shatterproof.

After the installation, he peels
off the protective liner.

The next worker inserts
the battery in its compartment.

He clips it shut,

And the solar-assist tricycle
is ready for the road.

With its egg-shaped cab,
it's certainly unusual-looking.

And that's fitting
because this hybrid vehicle

Is something entirely different.

Narrator:
most people use palm oil daily

And don't realize it
because it just blends in.

It's a component of half
of packaged food products.

And it's also used
in cosmetics, detergents,

And even biofuels.

It has a smooth texture,
a natural taste.

And it's a natural preservative.

Brought to southeast asia
from africa a century ago,

Oil palms have thrived here.

Today, this region generates 85%

Of the world's palm oil supply.

At the heart
of this palm oil boom

Are breeding programs
that ensure high yields.

Technicians start by dissecting
the fruit bunches.

They analyze the quality
of the fruit fibers,

Kernels, and nuts.

They also assess their oil
content.

This identifies the most
productive palms,

As well as the trees

Best suited to particular
growing environments.

Next, the research team
climbs the selected mother palms

And pollinates
the female flowers with pollen

From high-quality male palms.

They cover the flowers
with thick fabric

That allow light in

But shields them
from accidental pollination

By insects
and from other flowers.

This ensures that hybrid seed
will be the product

Of the selected parents only.

It takes 6 months
for the new hybrid seeds

To be produced.

Then it's into a heat chamber
for 3 months

To break the seeds' dormancy.

They soak the awakened seeds
in water.

Along with the heat treatment,
this rehydrating

Accelerates germination --

A process that takes
many years in nature.

They place the seeds in drawers

And regularly mist
them with water.

After a few days,
the seeds begin to sprout.

Skilled staff sort
through the sprouted seeds.

They reject any that haven't
germinated completely

Or that have crooked shoots.

The seed on the left
is the ideal specimen.

They plant the selected seeds
in small bags of soil outside.

They shade them during
this initial period of growth,

Protecting them
from harsh sunlight.

After 3 months, the seedlings
develop roots and leaves.

They transfer them
to larger bags of soil,

And 6 to 9 months later,

They're 3 feet tall and ready
for planting in farmers' fields.

After 3 years of growth,
the young palms bear fruit.

The time is now ripe to tap into
the oil-generating potential

Of these huge fruit bunches.

The farmer loads
the oil palm fruit

Onto a tractor cart.

And it's on its way
to the palm oil factory.

Here, fruit from many farms

Accumulates
in the receiving area.

When the factory is ready
to process the next batch,

They open a gate.

The fruit spills
onto a conveyer.

And it delivers it
to giant pressure cookers.

Cooking the fruit sterilizes it.

It stops enzyme activity
that would degrade the quality

Of the oil
that's to be extracted.

It also loosens the fruit
from the st*lks,

And some break away.

A spiraling blade moves them
onto a grid screen

That sorts the fruit
from the st*lks.

The loose fruit drops
into a bin below.

And the st*lks with remaining
fruit go for further separating.

Next, presses crush the fruit

To squeeze out
the crude palm oil.

The oil flows into a vat.

Impurities will now be spun out
in a centrifuge

And also filtered out.

Meanwhile, the fibers
and palm nuts toss in a drum.

This knocks off fibers
that are stuck to the nuts.

A fan sucks
up the lighter fibers,

Which will be used
as factory fuel.

They crack the nuts,

And then a vibrating system

Separates the shells
from the actual kernels.

The shells will also
be used as factory fuel.

And the kernels will be crushed
into palm kernel oil.

In the lab,
they now test samples

To determine
the oil extraction rate

And confirm
that the yield is good.

They also analyze the oil's
purity

And the amount
of free fatty acids.

They confirm that the batch
is of good quality.

This crude palm oil has gone

Through many stages
of purification.

And although tests confirm it,

The difference
is also plain to see.

Narrator: today, everything from
boats to outdoor furniture

To shower stalls
are molded

Out of fiberglass-reinforced
plastic resin.

This wouldn't be possible

Without a tool
called a chopper g*n.

It shreds the fiberglass
into thin, loose fibers

And impregnates them with resin

While sh**ting them
into the mold.

A fiberglass chopper g*n
has a chopper that shreds

And shoots the fibers, a nozzle
that sprays those fibers

With resin, and a catalyst
to harden it, an air cylinder

That drives the entire system,

And separate pumps
for the resin and catalyst.

The make the resin pump,

They first cut
a stainless steel tube

To a length of about 10 inches.

All the pump's key components
are made of stainless steel,

Which is very durable
and doesn't rust.

This tube will become
the cylinder for the resin pump.

They turn it
on a computer-guided lathe.

The first machining tool
reduces the tube

To the required diameter.

The second machining tool
cuts a groove

In the cylinder
for an assembly pin.

They manually file the edges
of the cylinder smooth,

Then polish the entire surface
with sandpaper

To remove marks left
by the machining.

Once all the components
are ready,

They begin assembling
the resin pump.

It has a ball valve at the top
and another at the bottom,

Which open with suction
and close with pressure

To enable or block
the flow of resin.

Workers fit a rubber o-ring seal
around the seat

For the bottom ball,

Then insert the seat
into the bottom of the pump.

This retaining clip
holds the seat in position.

They fit another o-ring seal
on top,

Then place the ball,

About 10 inches in diameter,

In the seat.

This spring retainer limits
how high the ball can rise

When it's lifting
to open the valve.

Next, they attach
the pump cylinder.

They take a preassembled
upper ball valve,

Attach a thermoplastic piston
seal, then a retainer

That holds the seal in position

As the pump's piston,

Which they now screw on,

Moves up and down
with the pumping action.

They insert the piston
into the cylinder.

The tight fit creates a vacuum
when the piston moves upward,

Drawing resin
into the pump and pressure

When the piston moves downward,
pushing the resin out.

Next, they add the top
of the pump,

Then assemble the top seal,

Which contains a guide held
in place by a retaining clip

That aligns
the vertical movement

Of the piston.

They screw the top seal
to the pump top.

They secure the top

By inserting a pin
into the cylinder groove.

The chopper's main components
are the cutting head,

The anvil sleeve,
and a hard rubber roller,

Which the chopper's
air-driven motor spins,

Rotating the cutting head
at 4,000 revolutions per minute.

This bearing pulls the woven
fiberglass yarn, called roving,

Into the cutting head,
which has slots

For up to eight supersharp
stainless steel blades.

The more blades you use,
the shorter the chopped fibers.

This safety cover
prevents fingers

From accidentally getting
chopped in the process.

They mount the chopper
to this spray g*n.

The lines from the resin

And catalyst pumps
connect to the back of the g*n.

At the front of the g*n,
dual nozzles

Simultaneously spray
these chemicals onto the fibers

Right after they exit
the chopper.

Workers mount the resin pump
on a stand along with a filter

That prevents the nozzle
from clogging.

They install the air cylinder,
then mount the catalyst pump

And hook up lines
from both pumps

To the spray g*n.

To operate the machine,

You hook up an air compressor
to the machine's air input,

Connect the pumps to the resin
and catalyst reservoirs,

And set how much catalyst
to deliver.

Then you insert a strand
of fiberglass roving

Into the chopper
and let her rip.

No resin and catalyst
in this demonstration,

But normally,
they hit the fibers

About 4 inches in front
of the chopper g*n,

Which shoots a stream

Of fiberglass-reinforced resin
into your mold.