24x13 - Wood Garage Doors, Sand and Salt Spreaders, Animatronic Dinosaurs

[bunniefuu]

Narrator: a garage door is more
than just a functional component

Of a house.

It's part of the curb appeal,

Especially when the garage
is prominently located

At the front of the home.

Garage doors are made
from a variety of materials,

Wood being the high-end option.

A wood garage door
is pricier than standard steel,

Aluminum, or vinyl panel doors.

But they offer
the most design flexibility.

Wood can be customized
to any style

And painted or stained
any color.

Western red cedar, mahogany,
and hemlock are popular choices

Because they hold up
particularly well outdoors.

Garage doors start
with the core structure.

For the core surface,
they use exterior-grade plywood

So that the indoor-facing side
of the core can be stained

To match the decorative wood
on the outdoor side.

They build
the core's internal structure

Out of finger-jointed
yellow pine.

Finger-jointed means each piece

Is made of several
short, connected pieces.

It is structurally stronger

And less prone
to twisting and bowing

Than a solid piece of wood.

They build a core for
each section of the garage door.

The core structures
can be designed

To accommodate windows
or other unique features.

They insulate
every core structure

With pieces of polystyrene.

This helps keep the garage
warmer in the winter

And cooler in the summer.

Now they run two sheets
of exterior-grade plywood

Through a machine that coats
the top and bottom with glue.

They lay the sheets
onto a core structure

And place a second core
structure on top of the first.

They repeat this process

Until they've stacked up
enough core structures

Required for the door
they are making.

They put the stack
into a press for a half-hour.

The press applies 130,000 pounds
while the glue cures.

Then they load each section
onto a machine,

Which cuts it
to the width required.

The machine also makes a lip

To direct rain
away from the door

So that water doesn't run
back into the garage.

When a core section has windows,

They cut the openings for them
with a router.

Using a template as a guide,

They drill holes through
the front of the core.

With a countersink tool,

They cut a wide opening
around each hole.

They insert "t" nuts
into the holes.

This enables hardware
to be mounted on the inside

Of the garage door.

At this point,
the connected core sections

Can function as a structurally
sound garage door.

However, there's still
aesthetic work left to do.

The plywood on the front of the
door serves as a blank canvas.

They glue decorative wood trim
to the front door

To produce the design specified
in the customer's order.

For this door,
they're using african mahogany.

They've already cut pieces
to the required dimensions,

With tongue-and-groove edges
that enable adjoining pieces

To connect.

Once the glue dries,

They cut off the excess wood
with a router.

Then they sand the surface
and prepare the wood

To be stained or painted.

They line up the remaining
core section

And glue on
the corresponding wood trim.

They secure the wood trim
to the core with nails.

After cutting off
the last pieces of excess wood,

They install the glass
for the windows.

The dealer will install
the hardware upon delivery.

Prior to installation,

Either the dealer
or the customer

Will stain or paint the wood
the desired color.

Narrator:
sand-and-salt spreaders

Were developed
in the united states

In the middle
of the 20th century.

Before that,
crews kept winter roads safe

By shoveling sand and salt
from trucks.

Things got easier
when mechanical spreaders

Took over the heavy lifting.

Winter storm brewing?

Sand-and-salt spreaders
have it covered.

They distribute salt to melt
the ice and sand for traction.

They start with two big sheets
of stainless steel.

Computer-driven plasma torches
carve the steel

Into the four panels that will
be used to build the hopper.

Next, the operator
transfers the panels

To another computerized machine.

This one has
numerous punch tools.

They cut holes for nuts, bolts,
bearings, and other components.

Then it's over
to a hydraulic press brake.

It bends the bottom
of the hopper panel

To create a wide rim.

This wide rim adds rigidity
to the part.

The team flips
the hopper panel around

So the press brake
can bend the top.

Computerized stops control
the location of each bend.

A worker clamps the hopper panel
in a fixture to prop it up

While he welds ribbed supports
to the outside.

He adds two or three ribs
to each side panel,

Depending on the size
of the spreader.

Once all the ribs
have been welded,

A team joins
the four hopper panels together.

They clamp a bar across one end
to square up the structure.

Once it's aligned, they weld the
spreader hopper at the seams.

These tight seams
create a rugged structure

That will hold up
under the burden

Of heavy road salt or sand.

Now a worker builds
the steel chute

That the sand or salt
will flow through.

He attaches several brackets
to the inside and outside

Of the chute.

These brackets are for
the adjustable steel flaps

That direct the flow of salt
onto the highway.

Here he installs the adjuster
bar for one of the flaps.

He swings the flap
to confirm it moves freely.

A pin is inserted
in the adjuster bar

To set the flap
at the desired spacing.

He attaches a bearing
to each side of the chute.

He slides a long steel shaft
through the bearings

Until it protrudes
from the bottom.

He secures the shaft
to the bearings...

...and mounts a flexible plastic
spinner to the protruding shaft.

This spinner will spread
the road salt or sand evenly

Across the road.

Customers on tighter budgets
sometimes choose salt spreaders

Made of mild steel
instead of stainless.

They spray a dry powder coat
onto these units.

Then they roll the part
into an oven to bake it on.

This durable finish will protect
the hoppers from corrosion

And general wear.

Now back to
the stainless-steel spreader.

The team fastens a gearbox
to the side of the hopper.

It will drive the conveyer
that delivers salt or sand

To the chute.

A worker temporarily powers
the gearbox with a drill

To assist in the installation
of the conveyer.

He pushes the conveyor forward
until the gearbox takes over.

He installs a feed gate
at the opening

And screws the lever
to the side of the hopper.

They stockpile hoppers, chutes,
and motors separately

Until an order is placed.

This allows the customer
to choose individual components

Before the final assembly.

For example, the customer
way want a specific gas motor,

Or they may choose
a hydraulic one.

Once they've bolted
the chute to the hopper,

This sand-and-salt spreader
is ready for an icy highway.

It can spread material
thick or thin,

Depending on
the road conditions.

Narrator: dinosaurs
have long been extinct.

But animatronics make models

Look, sound, and move
like the real thing.

Developed by walt disney
in the 1960s,

This technique is a combination
of art and technology.

The slit eyes,
rows of sharp fangs,

And a long, purposeful snout
all look stunningly real.

With his razor-sharp claws,

This velociraptor figure looks
ready to leap right at you.

First, a designer
uses 3-d sculpting software

To create a detailed
digital model of the raptor.

Key features, such as the size,
shape, and number of the teeth

Are thoroughly documented.

The art director approves
a small-scale 3-d printed model

Of the figure

Before an industrial robotic arm
sculpts the full-size figure

In four-pound foam.

The density of the foam
allows for very precise styling.

An artist adds details by hand.

He uses
precision sculpting tools

To draw wrinkles and lines.

He brushes melted clay
on top of the foam

To bring out details and give
more realism to the sculpture.

The clay needs to solidify

Before the sculpture
can be molded.

A figure finisher
prepares a mixture

Of monomer and polymer
that is commonly used

To make acrylic teeth.

He pours the mixture into a mold

Shaped like the jaw
of the raptor.

He places the mold
in a vacuum chamber.

He seals the vacuum-chamber lid
and starts the vacuum pump.

The vacuum pump will lower
the pressure inside,

Forcing air bubbles out
from the acrylic mixture.

This process makes for
an even and consistent casting.

These are sharp and strong
velociraptor fangs.

The figure finisher
separates the teeth by hand,

Then takes a dremel tool to file
down the excess around the base.

The acrylic teeth
accurately reproduce the shape

Of the predator's fangs.

The figure finisher places
the teeth back in the jaw mold.

Massive teeth up to an inch long

Fill the reptile's
ferocious mouth.

The figure finisher
covers the teeth

With flesh-colored
dental acrylic

To form the gums
and palate of the creature.

Once the mold
is filled with acrylic,

He puts it in a vacuum chamber,
where the gums and palate cure.

During the vacuuming process,

The gums and teeth bond together

To form a complete
velociraptor denture.

To make the reptile's eyeballs,

He places a transparent sheet in
a vacuum thermoforming system.

The vacuformer heats the plastic
to make it malleable.

The figure finisher pushes the
sheet down on an eyeball shape

And activates a vacuum pump.

Thermoformed eyeballs come in
various shapes and sizes.

Now a plastics technician
prepares the fiberglass mold.

He uses a chopper g*n to cover
the inside of the plastic mold

With flexible
fiberglass strands.

The technician bonds
the strands together with resin.

Once the resin has cured,

The hard fiberglass shell
takes the shape

Of the initial foam sculpture.

Using a jigsaw,

A worker cuts the shell
at various articulation points.

This will allow the figure
to move seamlessly

Once it's assembled on its
animated mechanical structure.

The technician applies
a primer coat with a spray g*n.

This shell will house
the mechanical components,

Animating the dinosaur's
long tail,

Its strong upper body and neck,

The birdlike head,

The handlike front limb,
and its powerful hind legs.

Narrator: an encounter with
a life-size animated dinosaur

Is quite an experience.

An elaborate range of advanced
special-effects techniques

And animatronic technology
brings them to life.

A technician covers
the fiberglass inner shell

With a ripstop fabric lining.

It will support and reinforce
the silicone skin.

She installs zippers
on the liner to easily take off

Or put on the skin.

The liner fits tightly
over the fiberglass

And takes the shape
of the inner shell.

Technicians use
liquid-silicone rubber

To make the figure's skin.

One technician connects a tube

To the shell's
mold-injection port

While the other technician

Operates
a high-pressure injector.

The machine pumps silicone
into the mold.

The silicone cures inside
the mold for a few hours.

Then a technician
unfastens the bolts

That are holding the shell
tightly closed.

Technicians take
the silicone skin

Out of the injection shell mold.

They inspect the skin to
make sure there are no defects

And that it mimics the features
of the initial foam sculpture.

They take the skin off the inner
shell for manual touch-ups.

A technician cleans up
the edges of the skin

By trimming off small silicone
strips called flashing.

With small precision scissors,

She meticulously trims off
all the flashing

To make clean, seamless joints.

A figure finisher inserts
the molded acrylic denture

To check its fit
in the lower jaw skin.

He checks the fit
of the thermoformed eyeball

Between the skin and the shell.

A character painter
uses an airbrush

To paint the skin
with silicone paint.

He adds multiple layers
of paint,

Giving the finish
much more detail and realism.

A machinist mills a mechanical
part for the metal frame.

Thousands of stainless-steel and
aluminum pieces need machining.

He bores out holes for bearings
inside each shaft.

Each piece can be customized
to suit virtually any design

And assembly requirement.

An electronics engineer
tests a control card.

Each animated component
of the figure is controlled

By a card like this one.

The electronics engineer
connects the card

To an oscillator tester

To verify that the cylinder
responds accurately

To the electronic-input signal.

A program on the card
allows precise control

Over the motion of the cylinder.

The cylinders create motion,

While the aluminum frame
functions as the skeleton

Supporting the movement.

An animator assembles
various parts

Into the mechanical assembly.

He connects a cylinder
to the metal frame.

Each cylinder is dedicated
to a specific function

In the mechanical assembly.

This cylinder activates
a finger in the hand assembly,

Allowing it to curl up
in a smooth, seamless motion.

The animator attaches
the hand assembly to the arm,

Bolts it on at the elbow,

And screws claws on the tip
of each finger.

The full frame of the figure
is assembled on a test bench.

A hydraulics-and-plumbing
engineer

Opens the compressed-air valve,

Which powers
the pneumatic cylinders.

The show controller
runs random programs

To test the response
of the animatronic dinosaur.

They check
air-pressure variations

In the hydraulic-cylinder tubes,

As well as electronic direction
and amplitude commands.

A creative director finally
puts his seal of approval

On the figure.

A lot of effort goes into making
such a complex machine

Look like a living creature.

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