25x02 - LED Stage Lights, Apple Cider, Chemical Tank Trailers, Ornate Stone Floors

[bunniefuu]

Narrator:
today, on "how it's made"...

L.e.d. Stage lights...

...apple cider...

...chemical tank trailers...

...and ornate stone floors.

In the world of stage lighting,

Traditional incandescent
or halogen bulb spotlights

Are making way for l.e.d.s.

L.e.d.s are
light-emitting diodes

Controlled by electronics.

They use less energy,
emit less heat,

And can produce a wide array
of colors

Without the use of filters.

Incandescent or halogen stage
lights produce just one color.

The only way to create
more is to shine the light beam

Through colored plastic
called gel filters.

However, this l.e.d. Stage light

Uses seven different
colored l.e.d.s,

Which can be blended into
a variety of different hues.

This computer-guided machine
places all the components

On the stage light's
circuit board,

Which contains 60 l.e.d.s
in 7 different base colors.

Another machine measures

And cuts pieces
of insulated electrical wire.

Then, the machine strips
the insulation off the ends

And crimps on terminals.

The machine processes up
to 26 feet of wire per second.

Workers manually assemble


Into a control harness.

The harness will connect
the light's control board

To the l.e.d. Array.

On the factory floor,

They paint the stage light's
two-part cast-aluminum housing.

The paint process
is electrostatic.

This means the housing
and the black powder paint

Are laced with opposing
electrical charges.

This spreads the paint
evenly over the housing.

Then, the housing
goes through an oven,

Which bakes on the paint.

Back in the assembly area,

Workers install the stage
light's electronic components,

Starting with the lcd screen.

It displays the current settings
and modes

And the menus for changing them.

After covering the screen with
a protective plastic shield,

They install the control panel.

It has an opening
for the screen.

This plastic cover
protects the lcd.

It also directs outside air

Into the housing
to the light's cooling fan,

Which they now secure in place
with this bracket.

The fan dissipates the heat
the l.e.d.s generate.

This block of aluminum,
called the heat sink, absorbs

And quickly dissipates
some of that heat.

They mount the l.e.d. Array

On top of this
twofold cooling system.

Then,
they install the optic assembly.

This plastic component
focuses the individual l.e.d.s.

They construct
the stage light's mixing tube,

Lining its interior

With adhesive-backed
aluminum mirrors.

The mirrors mix
the seven l.e.d. Colors

Into a single color.

The assemblers now join the two
halves of the mixing tube,

Adding a glass lens
on the front.

The lens focuses the light

Produced by the 60 l.e.d.s
into a single beam.

Then, they install the tube
over the optic.

Next,
they mount the control card

To the side of the mixing tube.

The control card is the
stage light's onboard computer.

It processes the commands
the lighting technician enters.

Commands can be entered
from the control panel

Or remotely from a computer.

After installing
the main power supply,

They plug a dmx cable
into the control card.

Dmx is the digital network

Through which the console
or computer

Communicates to the stage light.

They join this completed unit
to the rest of the housing,

Which has the dmx
and power connectors.

This stage light is now finished

And ready for a thorough
quality control check.

They plug it
into a testing machine,

Which powers it up
and verifies several functions.

The machine also
calibrates every color

To ensure consistency in every
stage light they manufacture.

Then, they run the stage light
at full power

For three hours nonstop

To simulate strenuous
operating conditions.

Once the light
passes these tests,

It's ready for its stage debut.

Narrator:
apple cider is also known
as sweet cider or soft cider.

It's darker and cloudier
than conventional apple juice

Because tiny bits of apple
are not filtered out.

These flavorful fragments

Are what makes
this fall beverage unique.

When the apples
on the trees are ripe,

It's time
to produce apple cider.

They process the apples
within days of the harvest

To produce a beverage that
tastes both fresh and sweet.

It starts with the right mix
of apples.

Some varieties are sweet,

And others are tart.

This mix of flavors
will spice things up.

The apples float to the surface
of a water-filled pit

And drift onto a conveyor

That takes them
into the cider mill.

Inside the mill, the apples
spill into a washing station.

Water sprays the apples as they
bounce across rolling brushes.

Next, the apples
take a trip up to a grinder.

Inside, a steel arm pushes
the apples against a grater.

It shreds them, pits
and all, into a pulp.

This pulp is known as pomace.

The pomace lands in a funnel.

From here, a pump moves it
through pipes across the plant,

Where it arrives at a press.

The apple pomace
flows between two porous belts

That wind around rollers.

The rollers apply pressure
to squeeze out the juice.

The juice drips through holes
in the belts.

The process strains
out most of the pulp,

But some remains as the juice
spills from the press

Into large catch pans.

Then, they
pump this chunky apple liquid

Into a holding tank.

From the tank, it
flows through a revolving drum

That filters out more pulp,
pits, and apple stems.

The fluid seeps through
the perforations in the drum

And flows into a large trough.

After one more screening,

Only fine bits
of apple and sediment remain.

This gives it the desired
cider consistency and flavor.

The cider now
flows into channels

Between hot steel plates.

The heat destroys pathogens
and bacteria

That would convert
the natural sugars to alcohol.

This ensures that the cider
is both safe to drink

And nonalcoholic.

It's now ready for bottling.

A worker slides plastic jugs
into position under nozzles.

The nozzles descend and pump
the boiling-hot apple cider

Into the jugs.

They're filled to the brim
so air can't get inside.

Air causes the cider
to deteriorate.

Next, the conveyor

Moves the jugs
forward to a capping station.

Plastic caps funnel toward
the jugs as they approach.

The caps land on the rims
with perfect timing.

Spinning wheels tighten the caps
as the jugs ride by,

Hermetically sealing
the hot apple cider,

Giving it a shelf life
of approximately a year.

The jugs
then head into a tunnel,

Where sprayers
douse them with cold water.

Next, machinery pulls the liner
off of adhesive-backed labels.

An electric eye
detects the approaching jugs,

Queuing rollers
to apply the labels.

The filtered-out pomace

From earlier is cooked
four to five hours.

This caramelizes the sugars
in the apples,

Turning the pomace into
a highly concentrated spread

Known as apple butter.

They bottle it while it's
piping hot to preserve it.

Although not technically butter,

This fruit spread
has a similar consistency.

It takes a full day
of processing

To produce both apple butter
and apple cider.

It's time to raise a glass

And enjoy the sweet bounty
of the harvest.

Narrator:
chemical tank trailers roll down
our highways every day.

They haul liquid chemicals for
manufacturing and other needs.

Chemicals could be hazardous if
released into the environment.

Making a chemical tank trailer
is serious business.

Chemical tank trailers are built

To ensure that a potentially
harmful cargo arrives safely.

Their design
is tightly regulated

Because safety
is in everyone's best interest.

They build the chemical tank
from scratch.

They start with a big sheet
of heavy-duty stainless steel.

Pressurized rollers curl it
into a cylinder

That will become half
of the tank's inner vessel.

Using a crane, they transfer
the 20-foot-long rounded section

To a welding station.

Here, an operator controls
a semi-automatic welder

With a joystick.

The welder joins the two sides
of the sheet

To complete the cylinder.

They bring two cylinders
together

To form
a 40-foot-long inner vessel.

This seam is near the midpoint.

It will be subject
to significant bending stress

In transport.

It's critical
that this weld is perfect.

The team caps the end
with metal discs known as heads.

They tack-weld the heads
to the vessel first

And assure
that the fit is exact.

Then, a semi-automatic welder
does a permanent weld.

Next, they weld three long
half pipes along the bottom,

Again doing tack welds first
and then final welds.

The three pipes
serve as a heating panel,

Keeping the chemical cargo
at a liquid state.

This is important because,
when some chemicals solidify,

Their purity is compromised.

The team slides the first
of many metal rings

Onto the tank and clamps
each ring to the shell.

These rings
stiffen the structure and act

As an exterior skeleton.

A worker does
the initial tack welds.

Then, a semi-automatic welder
makes the full welds.

After attaching a steel
framework to the bottom,

A crane transfers the inner
vessel to the trailer.

A worker tucks insulation
between the vessel

And the trailer.

He secures the tank
to the trailer

With intermittent welds
known as stitch welds.

Another member of the team

Wraps strips of rigid foam
around the steel vessel.

He spaces the foam evenly apart

And pulls them tightly against
the vessel with metal strapping.

This creates compartments
for fiberglass insulation.

He tucks the insulation
into the spaces,

Blanketing the vessels

So the chemical freight
will stay warm and fluid.

The team now
builds the outer shell.

They pull stainless steel sheets

Around the inner vessel
using thick nylon ties.

These sheets are made
of thinner steel

Than the kind used
to construct the inner vessel.

They easily conform
to the cylindrical shape.

A worker welds the sheets
in place,

Completing the outer shell.

Once a manhole
has been installed at the top,

The crew builds a metal platform
around it.

This platform allows a person
to access the manhole

Without slipping or denting
the outer shell of the tank.

A worker attaches
a ladder to the tank.

It will be used
for accessing the manhole.

Another member of the team

Connects l.e.d. Taillights
and inserts them in light boxes

At the back of the trailer.

He secures the lights
to the light box with screws.

It takes about five days to
build a chemical tank trailer.

They last for 30 years or more,

So this trailer should be good
for the long haul.

Narrator: centuries-old churches
and palaces

Have ornate stone floors

That took craftsmen decades
to create

With chisels
and other hand tools.

Today, factories can produce
similar elaborate designs

In a matter of hours thanks
to computer-guided machinery.

These floor designs
are so intricate,

It's hard to believe
that each component

Is an individually cut
piece of marble,

Granite,
or other natural stone.

Whether the design
covers an entire floor,

Or it's a single
decorative insert,

The starting point
is a stone slab.

It's massive
but extremely thin,

So it's actually quite fragile.

Workers use
a pneumatic suction hoist

To position the slab
onto a cutting machine table.

The machine
is entirely computer-guided.

It cuts with a jet of water.

The water contains particles
of garnet,

An extremely hard gemstone.

The jet cuts
by eroding the stone

Rather than by sheer force,
which would crack it.

Workers rinse away the stone
grit and abrasive residue

Once the cutting is finished.

They use suction cups to remove
the cut pieces one at a time.

They've cut squares
for this design.

Some will go
into the floor as-is,

While others go onto
a smaller water jet machine,

Which cuts them
into intricate shapes.

Workers extract
these smaller pieces

With tweezers.

Every component
of the design has a number.

Workers label the back of the
corresponding piece accordingly.

Then, they print out a life-size
version of the numbered design

On a sheet
of durable polyester film.

They tape it to the assembly
table to serve as a template.

Then, they lay one piece
at a time front side

Down onto the template.

Like a puzzle, the design
slowly reveals itself.

Once the design
is fully laid out,

They tack the pieces
together with glue.

This keeps them
from shifting or separating.

They lay fiberglass mesh
over the entire assembly.

Then,
they prepare an epoxy resin

Specially formulated
for stone setting...

...and spread it evenly
over the mesh.

They let it set overnight.

And the next day,
they sand it flat.

The cut stone design is now
bonded together in a solid unit.

Now, they can safely flip
it face-up.

The final step is to fill
the joints with epoxy grout

Then wash off any excess
with a wet sponge.

This ornate cut-stone floor
insert is finally finished.

This is just one
of several components

Of a large, elaborate design.

Workers assemble them together
to do a quality control check.

Then, they take the design apart

And package each component
separately for shipping.

Stone must always ship upright
on its side

Because it can crack
when transported horizontally.

However, the cut-stone floor

Will be sturdy enough
to walk on

Once it's properly installed.

Just be careful
not to bump into anything

While you're admiring
the art beneath your feet.