12x09 - Riding Mowers/Popcorn/Adjustable Beds/Cultured Diamonds

[bunniefuu]

Narrator:
when it comes to sitting down
on the job,

The riding mower
is just the vehicle.

Animals powered the first ones
in england in the 19th century.

When motorized mowers came along
in the 20th century,

They improved on the concept,

And we were on our way
to greener pastures.

Step behind the controls
of a riding mower,

And you can tame
that unruly lawn

Without even breaking a sweat.

The job can be done speedily

Because a riding mower
moves at quite a clip.

To make one, a robot delivers
a sheet of steel to a die.

The die closes
with 1,000 tons of force

To make a big impression.

It shapes it into the part
that holds the mowing blades --

What's called the mower deck.

They transfer the mower decks
to a series of presses.

They punch holes for the blade
attachments and trim the edges.

Workers stack the decks
for washing.

After a treatment
with a chemical rust inhibitor,

It's time to plunge them
into a primer solution.

The overhead rack delivers
a negative charge to the decks,

While the primer
has a positive charge,

Which draws it onto the decks
in an even coat.

This is called electrostatic
painting.

They assemble three spindles
to mowing blades

And hoist the mower deck
over the blade assemblies.

They bolt the head of each blade
subassembly to the mower deck.

Then they thread rubber belts
around pulleys

To drive the blades.

Assembly continues
with gauge wheels,

A protective belt casing,

And a chute for the cut grass.

Next, they clamp
a set of steel rails

Along with some attachments
to a welding table.

The welding table swings around
to an awaiting crew of robots.

The robots move in and weld
the attachments to the rails.

These rails
will serve as the framework

For the riding mower.

The attachments
are for the front wheels.

Once the rails have been primed,

An overhead conveyor
takes them into a paint booth.

Nozzles spray a powder paint
onto the parts

For an enamel-like finish.

The powder that doesn't stick
is recycled.

They lower the engine
subassembly into position

To build
the vehicle framework around it,

Then bolt the welded
and freshly glossed side rails

To tubing at the front and back.

They attach the footrest
to the frame,

Then install the platform
for the seat.

They assemble
those nifty steering levers,

Which can be moved
into 15 positions.

Then they install metal yokes
on the front wheels.

They slot the yoke's shaft
into the frame rail,

Securing it
with a metal snap ring.

Now comes the front grill,

That's vented to protect
the engine from overheating.

The rear wheels go on next.

They're more substantial
than the front ones

Because this
is a rear-wheel-drive machine.

It's time to mount
the mower deck and blades

Onto the vehicle.

They position it in front
and roll the vehicle over it.

The workers activate a lift
that elevates the worktable

To a height
that makes it easier for them

To secure the mower deck
to the framework.

They attach the belts
on the mower deck to the engine.

Monitoring equipment will
help them see if this mower's

Got what it takes
to mow down the competition.

They put it in gear
and check the wheels

To confirm that they turn
at the correct speed.

They adjust the transmission
if they're not.

They also check
the electrical components,

And if all systems are go,
they complete the assembly.

They bolt a side panel in place,

Followed
by the instrument panel.

And last comes the seat,
complete with armrests.

It takes 72 minutes to assemble
one of these riding mowers,

And it should be good
for at least a decade of mowing.

Good thing, because it's
workload is constantly growing.

Narrator:
we don't know exactly

When popcorn first exploded
onto the snack scene,

But it was likely
thousands of years ago.

Popcorn grains dating back
nearly 5,600 years

Have been discovered in caves
in new mexico.

And down through the ages,

This unique grain
just keeps popping up.

Nothing says it's showtime
like a big bowl of popcorn.

This grain has certainly made it
big in the entertainment biz.

This success story has its roots
on the farm, of course.

Popcorn is one of six
types of corn,

And it's the only kind
that pops.

They even breed
the popcorn plant

To enhance traits like color,
taste, and popability.

By fall,
the crop is ready to harvest.

Peeling back the husks

Reveals kernels
that are smaller and harder

Than those of other corn.

At harvesting, popcorn has
moisture content of 16% to 20%.

That's a bit too high.

So to bring it down to 14%,

They condition the crop
in these giant bins,

Pumping warm air up through it
to accelerate the drying.

It's a critical step.

Popcorn that's too dry
may not pop.

And if it's too wet,
it could spoil when stored.

In the factory,
a series of oscillating screens

Sift chunks of cob
and broken kernels

Out of the popcorn.

Vacuum pipes pull the finer
impurities to a dust collector

And suck the larger impurities
into a chute.

They end up in a waste bin

To be discarded
or used in animal feed.

At this junction, the system
funnels the filtered popcorn

In one direction
and the impurities in another.

It's the perfect opportunity

To see the difference
between the two streams.

The purification process
continues at the gravity table.

Its vibrating action,
along with powerful fans,

Cause the popcorn to rise
and float on air.

In the process, kernels
that are too heavy or too light

Gravitate away from the center
and are shunted aside.

The grains in the middle of
the mass are the optimal size,

But leaving nothing to chance,

They go through
one more screening.

The kernels now head into
a very different kind of sorter.

Inside, the kernels
fly by an electric eye.

It detects remaining debris
or defective grains.

The machine sends a blast of air
to get rid of them.

It's time to test a sample
of the production run.

He pours in a half pound
of kernels along with some oil.

As the pot reaches


The water in the kernel
starts to steam.

As the pressure builds,

Those kernels explode
and turn inside out.

This reveals
the starchy part of the kernel

And creates
a white, fluffy puff.

To pass this test,

The popcorn has to expand


The tester loads
the popped puffs

Into a tube
with measurements on it,

And this bach of popcorn
is right on the mark.

As you can see,
a little bit of popcorn

Can really go a long way,

From a pea-sized kernel
to a puffy, white treat

In a matter of minutes.

And although popcorn kernels
come in a range of colors,

That starchy part that's exposed
by popping is always white.

Now it's all in the packaging.

Maintaining the correct amount
of moisture in each kernel

Is critical.

Heat-sealing the bag
locks in the grains

To keep them from drying out
on a store shelf.

This paper bag destined
for the concession market,

Like movie theaters,
is multilayered.

It includes a vapor barrier
to control moisture loss.

It's taken six months
to grow this popcorn

And a couple of weeks more
to process it.

But it will all be worth it
at snack time,

Because when these grains

Explode
into a mountain of munchies,

There should be enough
for the whole g*ng.

Narrator: some people
enjoy the health benefits

That adjustable beds may give.

Others like
the built-in massage system

That gently rocks them to sleep
each night.

Whatever a person's fancy,

Adjustable beds
can be custom-made

To suit their lifestyle
and total comfort and class.

An adjustable bed helps you
sleep with a push of the button.

This convenient hand control

Easily adjusts
the head and foot positions

To the contours of your body.

It all starts
with a quilting machine.

It sews foam padding,
fire retardant material,

And two layers of backing
together.

Hundreds of thousands
of stitches

Produce a quilted top panel
with comfort and style in mind.

A machine cuts the panel
to a specific bed size.

The four layers that make up
the quilted top panel

Add luxury and security
to the mattress.

Meanwhile, another worker
prepares the coil spring.

He covers it
with protective netting.

This high-density foam pad
comes next.

He staples the pad and netting
to the coil spring.

He puts a bottom cover
on the mattress

And tucks the foam
and coil spring inside.

He turns the mattress over,
covers it with netting,

Then staples it.

He puts another high-density
foam pad on this side

And staples it.

Then he lays down
the quilted top panel.

He holds on to the backing layer

And staples the top panel
onto the spring.

He fills the corners
with packing,

Which gives them
a nice, firm edge.

Then he sews
the mattress together

With the tape-edge machine

That uses binding tape
and fire-retardant thread.

The tape-edge machine

Makes a perfect seam
all the way around

And finishes the mattress.

Next, a length of steel rod
goes into a thread-roll machine.

Its threaded rollers
use hydraulic pressure

To transform the rod
into a worm screw.

They put the worm screw and
gear assembly inside a casing.

The worm and nylon gears
will turn a steel shaft,

Which raises and lowers the bed.

A worker
closes the motor casing.

Another worker
assembles the bed's foundation.

He puts flexible nylon hinges
between platform boards

And staples them in place.

He turns the platform over
and staples them again.

He protects the platform
with a polyester dust cover.

A worker now bolts a steel frame
to the platform.

He fastens a head motor
to one of the metal tubes.

To another metal tube,
he bolts a foot motor.

Finally,
he attaches a massage motor.

Then a worker covers a support
fixture with a cotton bed cover.

He puts down
four-inch high density foam,

Then places the
fully assembled frame on top.

He pulls up the bed cover
and upholsters it to the base.

The bed is ready
for its adjustable bed sheets,

But not before a final testing
for quality control.

Every part must pass a flex test
the operator controls.

The paper-protected foundation,
the steel frame,

And all three motors

Must allow the bed
to rise and descend with gentle,

Uninterrupted precision --

Exactly as it would
in the comfort of your own home.

All you need now
is a bowl of popcorn, a movie,

And perhaps a soothing massage,
and then it's lights-out.

Narrator: diamonds are a flash
of brilliance for mother nature.

Formed in the earth's crust
by intense heat and pressure,

They're prized
for their crystalline beauty.

But now mother nature
has some serious competition,

Because gem-quality diamonds

Are actually being grown
in laboratories.

Diamonds grown in labs
are dazzling even the skeptics.

While lower-grade diamonds

Have long been grown
for industrial use,

They were more grit
than glitter.

But these diamonds
have that gem-quality sparkle.

They start with a robotic laser.

It slices slivers
from a chunk of real diamond

To produce tiny wafers.

They're five millimeters wide
and a quarter millimeter thick.

That's about as thin
as a human hair.

The laser blackens the diamond,

So they place it
on a steel block for polishing.

They rim the wafer with epoxy
to keep it from sliding around.

This epoxy
requires an activator,

So they brush it on next.

The chemical reaction causes
the epoxy to solidify in seconds

To firmly secure the sliver
on the block.

They screw the block
to a threaded rod

That's attached to a metal arm.

They lower the block
and its diamond wafer

Onto a wheel that's swirling
with diamond grit.

They apply weights to press
the diamond wafer into the grit.

And as the wheel spins,

It creates
the necessary friction

To polish away the grime.

A level confirms the wafer
is correctly positioned.

Diamonds
are the hardest of minerals,

And only other diamonds
can effectively polish one.

The difference is impressive.

The diamond wafer has gone
from sooty to crystal clear,

And now it's ready to grow.

A technician
places several wafers

On a special metal pedestal
using a suction tool.

He arranges them
in a uniform pattern,

Giving them room to expand,

Because these slivers of diamond
are destined for bigger things.

He lowers a metal chamber
over them.

Pumps inject hydrogen
and methane gas,

And the machine heats them
to thousands of degrees

At just the right pressure.

The gasses form a plasma,

Which rains onto the diamond
wafers and causes them to grow.

After just two weeks,

The diamond slivers
have grown into stones

At least 10 times
the original size.

It's quite a transformation.

But these diamonds in the rough

Need a lot more work
to really sparkle.

That dab epoxy onto the tip
of a pointed steel rod

Called a dop

And center the lab-grown diamond
on the epoxy-coated tip.

Then it's into the laser booth,

Where the dop
is gripped by a robotic arm.

It turns it so a laser
can trim the lab-grown diamond

From all sides.

The process exposes
the crystal clarity of the gem.

A technician checks the quality
of the lab-grown diamond

With a jeweler's
magnifying glass.

Then she lowers it
into another polishing wheel.

It's similar to the one
that was used to clean it

When it was just a sliver.

But this wheel actually
contours the grown stone

To give it
that classic diamond shape.

The process brings out
all of its glittering facets.

It's taken just a couple
of weeks to grow this diamond.

The process
puts geology on fast-forward,

Because it takes
tens of millions of years

For real forces to push real
diamonds to the earth's surface.

Only very sophisticated testing

Can separate the lab-grown
diamonds from the mined ones.

But since they cost 15% less,

You'll notice the difference
in your pocketbook.

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