]] Narrator: fog and blinding
Snow can obscure the view from
The top of a ski mountain, but a
Good pair of ski goggles can add
Some clarity to the situation.
They shield the eyes from the
Elements, and certain lenses add
Contrast in low light to allow
The skier to see the bumps and
Dips ahead.
Goggle lenses come in different
Tints to adjust for specific
Weather scenarios.
They start with this injection
Molding machine.
The operator sprays a nonstick
Substance into the mold and
Closes the door.
The machine sucks up urethane
Pellets, then melts them into a
Thick liquid to mold into goggle
Frames.
It takes just seconds for the
Shape to harden.
A worker clips away unwanted
Bits, and then he's ready to
Give these goggles a more
Graphic look.
He immerses the cellophane-like
Material, printed side down, in
A mix of water and solvent.
A chemical reaction lifts the
Graphic design off the film and
Suspends it in the liquid.
He sprays solvent on the other
Side to both activate a bonding
Agent and dissolve the film.
He then immerses a rack of
Goggle frames in the floating
Graphic.
The surface tension of the water
Causes the graphic pattern to
Wrap around the frames, and the
Bonding agent makes it stick.
This technique is called
Hydrographics, and it's a good
Way to transfer a pattern onto a
Three-dimensional surface.
He washes away any paint or dirt
From the surface of the frames.
A clear lacquer is the finishing
Touch.
For an understated look, there's
Always monochromatic white.
A worker applies glue around the
Vents of a pair, then presses
Foam onto them.
The foam will keep snow out of
The goggles but allow air to be
Vented to prevent fogging.
She applies thicker foam around
The perimeter for a
Weather-tight fit on the skier's
Face.
Once the straps are installed,
The goggles are ready for the
Latest innovation, a
Microelectronic fan.
It will pull warm, humid air out
Of the goggles to further
Of the goggles to further
prevent fogging.
Prevent fogging.
He screws the mini fan to the
Frames and listens to it spin to
Confirm its operating correctly.
Next, a machine cuts shapes out
Of polycarbonate to make lenses.
Then, this special press applies
Heat to bend the lens.
This shape will make it easier
To secure the lens to the frame,
And it also reduces optical
And it also reduces optical
distortion.
Distortion.
Production now moves to this
Liner-backed foam with precut
Lens patterns.
The worker peels off a strip to
Expose a goggle-shaped strip of
Foam.
She then presses a colored lens
Onto the strip.
High-strength adhesive on the
Foam bonds to the lens.
She pulls away the rest of the
Material, leaving that narrow
Ribbon of foam.
It will serve as spacer between
The outer-colored lens and an
Inner clear one.
The space between the two lenses
Is a buffer zone to prevent
Condensation buildup and
Fogging.
Now they sh**t a steel pellet at
A randomly-selected pair of
Goggles.
It doesn't shatter, which means
It will effectively shield the
Skier's eyes from sharp objects
Like tree branches and ski
Poles.
It's time to snap the dual-layer
Lens to the frame's molded
Groove.
A u.v. Mirror coating has also
Been applied to protect the eyes
From the sun's rays and reduce
Glare.
These goggles have everything
Covered, leaving the skier free
To focus on the thrill of the
To focus on the thrill of the
ride.
Ride.
]] Narrator: a tower crane moves
Building materials up to
Construction crews working above
The ground.
The operator's cabin is near the
Top.
Just above that is the jib,
Which hoists the load and
Trolleys it back and forth.
The jib and cabin rotate on a
Turntable called a slueing
Platform.
A crane's tower is modular,
Meaning the more tower sections
Installation crews add, the
Taller the crane.
At the crane factory, workers
Construct the slueing platform
By welding together huge steel
Plates and square tubes.
Welders also fuse sections of
Ladder to sections of safety
Cage.
Then they weld each ladder and
Cage unit to a tower section.
Throughout the assembly process,
Robots perform the simpler
Welds.
Once all the crane's structural
Components are welded, they go
To the paint shop for an
Anticorrosion primer, then a top
Coat of paint.
After each application, the part
Dries in an oven for about an
Hour at 175 degrees.
The slueing platform sits on a
Turning mechanism that consists
Of two concentric rings with
Ball bearings in between.
Computer-guided machines grind
Teeth on the outside and grooves
On the inside in which the
Bearings will ride.
After lubricating the grooves,
Workers install the outer ring
Around the inner one.
Then they fill the groove with
Steel ba*ls and high-strength
Plastic spacers.
This allows the outer rim to
Revolve smoothly around the
Stationary inner ring.
The operator cabin is made of
Steel panels.
It's integrated into the slueing
Platform.
The cabin's large windows enable
The operator to view how the jib
Is maneuvering the load.
The crane's controls are built
Right into the cabin seat.
The seat itself is designed to
Be as comfortable as possible
Because you can't step out of
Because you can't step out of
the cab to stretch your legs.
The cab to stretch your legs.
A motorized gear rotates the
Slueing ring which rotates the
Slueing platform, supporting the
Crane's cabin and jib.
The factory's computer-guided
Machining equipment makes all
The parts for this gear as well
As for the gears which enable
The jib to hoist and trolley the
Load.
Workers assemble the slueing
Gear and mount the motor that
Drives it.
Then they connect the slueing
Gear to the slueing ring and
Mount the ring on the slueing
Platform into which they've
Platform into which they've
installed the cabin.
Installed the cabin.
An automatic greasing system
Keeps the ring's teeth
Lubricated as it rotates the
Platform.
After an extensive test, they
Install the tower head on top of
The cabin.
Now this entire slueing unit
Goes off to the construction
Site.
After anchoring the crane's
Base, the installers use a
Mobile crane to mount the
Slueing unit on the tower and
The jib onto the slueing unit.
Then they add tower sections to
Build the crane to the required
Height.
An elevating device lifts the
Slueing unit, clearing enough
Space underneath to insert an
Additional tower section.
They connect the tower sections
With giant high-strength bolts.
Then, repeat this procedure
Until the crane is as high as it
Needs to be.
Once the crane is fully erected,
The operator climbs the tower
Ladder up to the cabin.
As he works, he observes what
He's doing through the windows.
He also watches a computer
Monitor which displays how the
Jib is hoisting, trolleying, and
Depositing the load.
He can communicate with the
Ground via phone or
Walkie-talkie so things are
Walkie-talkie so things are
never left up in the air.
Never left up in the air.
]] Narrator: europe is renowned
For producing magnificent
Porcelain figurines even though
It was the chinese who first
Invented the art.
In 1718, the first european
Factories began making ornate
Porcelain objects, which quickly
Became a status symbol among the
Nobility.
This viennese palace is home to
Europe's second oldest
Manufacturer of handmade
Porcelain.
Following photos of a subject, a
Modeler sculpts a
Three-dimensional figure out of
Clay.
Not only must he include all the
Intricate details, he also has
To make the model 14% larger
Than the final size because
Porcelain shrinks during the
Firing process.
He uses the model to cast a
Master mold out of plaster.
From the master mold, he casts a
Plastic mold and from that,
Plaster production molds with
Which to cast the figurines.
In its raw form, porcelain is a
Paste which contains water, the
Minerals feldspar and quartz,
And white kaolin, a type of
Clay.
They water down the paste into a
Liquid called slip, then pour it
Into the plaster production
Molds.
The plaster immediately begins
Drawing out the water, causing a
Firm layer of slip to form
Against the mold cavity.
They pour out the remaining
Liquid.
When the slip layer is finally
Thick enough, they open the mold
And carefully extract what is by
Now a figurine with fine
Details.
More complex figurines are cast
In parts, each in its own mold.
The modeler carefully touches up
Each casting, scraping off seams
And fine-tuning the details.
Then, he assembles the parts,
Using a slip to stick them
Using a slip to stick them
together.
Together.
It's critical to keep the
Figurine hydrated because if it
Dries out even slightly, it will
Crack during firing.
The figurine goes through two
Main firings.
The first time at over 1,700
Degrees -- hot enough to harden
The porcelain but also keep the
Surface porous so the glaze will
Adhere.
They inspect and dust the fired
Figurine then stamp it with
Coat of arms in cobalt-blue
Enamel.
The mark as described this brand
Of austrian porcelain since
Then they dip the figurine in
Glaze -- a mixture of water and
Several materials, including
Quartz, feldspar, kaolin and
Ground-up porcelain.
Then, into the kiln again, this
Time over 2,500 degrees.
This bakes the glaze to a glassy
Finish and further hardens the
Porcelain.
The figurine exits this firing
About 14% smaller as the
Remaining moisture has
Evaporated.
Once it cools, they begin
Decorating the figurine.
Using a variety of fine-tipped
Pens and brushes, an artist
Paints enamel onto the glazed
Paints enamel onto the glazed
surface.
Surface.
Between paint applications,
Depending on the number of
Colors and intricacy of color
Blending, the figurine undergoes
As many as six minor firings at
This melts the vitreous
Ingredient in the enamel fusing
It with the glaze.
The end result is rich,
Permanent color that never
Fades.
Despite its delicate appearance,
Porcelain is nearly as strong as
Steel when under compression,
But it's not nearly as resistant
To impacts, so when handling
These magnificent works of
Ceramic art, a good grip is
Ceramic art, a good grip is
highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
]] Narrator: drivers looking for
Greener cars, but with more
Powerful acceleration than
Hybrids deliver, can opt for a
Vehicle that runs on diesel.
Today's diesel fuel burns as
Cleanly as gasoline, yet
Diesel-powered cars are 30% more
Fuel efficient than gas-powered
Cars, meaning they consume less
Fuel and, therefore, pollute
Less.
The secret behind this car's
Powerful diesel engine is a
Turbocharger.
It compresses the air entering
The engine's combustion chambers
Filling them with a greater
Quantity of air.
The more air, the better the
Fuel burns, generating extra
Power.
The engine assembly begins with
A v-shaped block with two sets
Of three cylindrical holes
Called cylinders.
Robots first mount a retaining
Frame to support the crankshaft.
Each cylinder will contain a
Piston that moves up and down
With the combustion cycle.
This piston motion will turn the
Crankshaft which, in turn, will
Move the whole vehicle.
But first, a laser-beam device
Hones the cylinders.
The laser's heat melts the
Surface of the inner walls,
Smoothing them.
This ensures the pistons will
Move with minimal friction.
Meanwhile, a robot oils up the
Crankshaft's main bearings.
Then, once the cylinder honing
Is done, workers install the
Crankshaft at the bottom of the
Engine block, locking it in
Position with a retaining frame.
Now they flip the engine block
Right side up to install the
Pistons, which are already
Attached to connecting rods.
Once all six pistons are in,
They turn the engine block
Upside down again and fasten
Each connecting rod around the
Crankshaft.
Next, they connect the chain
Drive to one end of the
Crankshaft.
The chain drive operates
Camshafts that open and close
The valves on top of the
Cylinders.
Those valves are located in
These cylinder heads, four
Valves per cylinder -- two
Through which air enters the
Combustion chamber and two
Through which exhaust exits
Following each combustion cycle.
Workers flip the heads upside
Down and insert long bolts.
Then they position the heads
Over the cylinders, aligning the
Bolts with holes in the engine
Block.
Robots drive in the bolts to a
Specific tightness.
This caps each cylinder, closing
Its combustion chamber.
Next, workers install a fuel
Injector into special shafts in
Each cylinder head.
Injectors sh**t a specific
Amount of fuel into the
Combustion chambers at precisely
The right time.
These cutting-edge piezo
Injectors do that multiple times
Per cycle rather than just once,
Making the combustion process
Much smoother.
The engine, therefore, is
Quieter and pollutes less.
The next component is the
Air-intake manifold.
It goes on top of the engine.
Air enters on the left and, as
This animation shows, runs to
The intake valves on top of the
Cylinders.
It's time to install this
Engine's secret weapon, the
Turbocharger.
It contains two turbine wheels
That spin at nearly 200,000 rpm.
One turbine compresses air
Entering the air-intake
Manifold.
The other draws out the hot
Exhaust and sends it out the
Car's exhaust pipe.
The turbocharger sits at the
Rear of the engine block in the
"V" between the cylinders.
Over at the testing department,
Technicians analyze the engine's
Performance, in particular, its
Torque, which determines how
Much power the engine can
Produce.
Next, the engine goes into a
Test vehicle which runs through
Specific driving cycles that
Simulate both highway and city
Conditions, all the while
Collecting the emissions exiting
Out the exhaust pipe.
This test insures that the
Engine meets or exceeds all the
Engine meets or exceeds all the
emission standards.
Emission standards.
Not only does the turbocharger
Give the car better
Acceleration, it also solves a
Common problem in high-altitude
Regions, where decreased
Atmospheric pressure slows down
Nonturbo engines.
Because turbocharging compresses
The air going into the engine,
Even at high altitudes, the car
Even at high altitudes, the car
drives at full power.
Drives at full power.
If you have any comments about
The show, or if you'd like to
Suggest topics for future shows,
Suggest topics for future shows,
drop us a line at...
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