All language subtitles for How.Its.Made.S30E04.1080p.WEB.x264_Eng_01

Today on "how it's made"...

Witness samples.

pressure washers.

bee hives.

and cast iron cookers.

special coatings applied
to optical glass

change the way
it transmits light,

so that it becomes more
or less reflective

or even electrically conductive.

Testing beforehand on little
glass discs

known as witness samples
bears witness

to the quality of the coatings.

with witness samples,
it's all about the optics.

They must be flawless
on the surface

in order for optical coatings

to be applied
and properly evaluated.

A diamond drill cuts
solid cylinders

out of a block of optical glass.

Each one is an inch in diameter.

A worker glues the cylinders
together to a glass plate.

This keeps them in a tight pack

so that they can be
cut into discs.

The worker suspends the cylinder
pack above a grid of piano wire.

The wire moves back and forth
to grind a silicon carbide

slurry into the glass cylinders,

to cut them at intervals
about a tenth of an inch.

The sliced cylinders then go
into a hot bath for 15 minutes.

This dissolves the glue.

the glass discs separate,

and are released
from the base plate.

the worker rinses each disc
individually to remove

any remaining glue.

She sets the discs
on a cardboard surface to dry.

once loaded into slots,

a robot collects the disc
using suctioning fingers.

The robot inserts a disc
into a suctioning clamp,

and nudges it to further
establish it there.

A diamond cutting wheel meets up
with the disc held in the clamp,

and machines a bevel
into the disc.

A technician places plastic
carriers with disc-size slots

on a pad in a polishing machine.

The carrier's gear-style teeth
intermesh with teeth

on the machine's
hub and outer frame.

She transfers the glass discs
to the slots in the carriers.

The upper polishing pad
descends,

and the carriers rotate

as the pads
buff the discs on both sides.

The glass goes from frosty
to transparent.

She rinses off
the polishing compound.

then, for an intensive cleaning,
an automated rack system

lowers the discs
into a series of tubs.

In the first one,
they undergo another rinse.

in the next tub,
a special cleaning solution

has been added to water --

one that won't leave
a soapy residue.

Sound waves bubble
through this washtub

to gently scrub the disc.

After another rinse,
it's into a dryer.

It blows hot air onto the glass
samples to dry them

without leaving streaks.

a worker tests
one witness sample

from every production run.

Both a camera and a laser scan
the sample,

and a computer analyzes
the information.

The witness samples are now
ready for coating.

The technician loads the sample
into fixtures

in the coating machine.

Using a lift,

he elevates the fixtures to
the top of the coating chamber.

He inserts small crucibles
of coating material

in the base
of the coating machine.

The materials are metal
oxide compounds

that make glass less reflective.

For demonstration purposes,
the chamber remains open,

and he sets the fixtures
in motion.

As they spin, the coating
materials will be heated

to the point of evaporation,

forming a cloud that
will condense on the samples

at a certain thickness.

The technician closes the
chamber, and the process begins.

An intense electron beam heats
the coating materials.

♪

once the coatings have cured
to the glass,

they can be evaluated.

A computerized machine
takes measurements to confirm

that the reflective properties
are correct.

The witness sample
has done its job,

and the coatings are ready
for production.

narrator:
Armed with a pressure washer,

it's easy to get carried away

and go on an outdoor
cleaning spree.

It can be used to wash down
the driveway,

clean the siding on the house,

remove dirt from the deck,
wash the car, and much more.

A pressure washer contains
an electric motor,

which drives a pump
that propels water

at high pressure down a hose,

and out
a trigger-operated nozzle.

The machine's mechanics
and electronics

are hidden from view
by a two-part plastic cover.

the two main parts
of the electric motor

are the rotor and the stator.

To make the stator,
this automated station

winds 1,640 feet
of copper wire --

or, for certain models,
aluminum wire --

then inserts the winding
into the slots

of a steel cylindrical frame.

the rotor is also
a steel cylinder.

It will sit inside the stator,

attached at one end
to the motor shaft.

When the power washer
is turned on,

the a/c current passing
through the stator winding

creates
a rotating magnetic field.

This turns the rotor,
driving the motor shaft,

which drives the pump.

At the next station, a worker

prepares the stator's
electrical connections,

securing them with a cable tie.

She contains and protects
the copper winding with tape.

Then, the stator moves on
to receive the rotor.

On another assembly line,

a worker mates the guide
for the motor's three pistons

with the aluminum cylinder head
and the motor,

now in an oil-filled
aluminum housing.

The motor drives a rubber plate
which moves the pistons,

which move various
internal components

that pressurize the water.

a worker places a new stator
on the carrier

to prepare it
for motor assembly.

Then on the pumpset, he installs
a plastic water inlet pipe.

He places the bottom section
of the motor housing

around the new stator

that's heading
to the motor assembly.

The automated handling system
removes the completed pumpset

and transfers it
to another carrier,

which transports it
to the final assembly line.

A worker installs a rubber tube,

which keeps water
out of the motor.

He pulls the stator electrical
connections through it,

then installs a watertight
plastic box

containing all the electronics
and the power switch.

He plugs the power cord
into the circuit board

inside the box,

then screws down
the stator's ground wire.

A worker connects both
power and water.

Then a test machine
automatically runs the unit

through all the functions.

remember that two-part
plastic cover?

An injection-molding machine
makes the parts

in separate operations --
a yellow top and a black bottom.

The automated handling system
extracts the part

and places them on a carrier
headed to the pad printer.

the printer stamps
the model name in quick-dry ink

on the top cover.

Workers will later attach
the company name

to the front of the machine.

The next station takes the top
to the final assembly line,

where the handling system
turns it upside down

and places the pumpset inside.

at the next stop,
a worker installs a guide

for the machine's water hose,
then positions the bottom cover.

an automated machine screws
the covers together.

another worker installs
a galvanized-steel axle

and two rugged plastic wheels.

he applies a decal
with safety instructions,

plastic wheel covers,

and a 33-foot-long rubber water
hose wound on a plastic reel.

The pressure washer then
goes off to the packaging area,

where it's boxed with
the handle, accessories,

and detergents.

In the product-development
stage,

a sound engineer tests
the prototype at a sound lab

to make sure the noise
the pressure washer emits

isn't too loud and shrill.

He runs the machine
amid nine microphones,

each positioned three feet away
in a different direction.

To pass the test, the noise
must be a low bass-range hum.

to operate the pressure washer,

the user connects a garden hose
to the water-inlet pipe,

connects the handle
to the machine's hose,

turns on the water and power,
then pulls the trigger to spray.

narrator: For centuries,
beekeepers used dome baskets

called skeps as hives.

But to harvest the honey,
the skeps had to be destroyed.

In the mid-19th century,
they came up with a box hive

with removable frames.

Bees built their honeycombs
on the frames,

which beekeepers could remove
without destroying them.

a hive is home
for thousands of bees.

The queen resides
on the bottom level.

Worker bees have the run
of the house

and move around
making honey.

Construction of this beehive

starts with the inner
cover of the hive.

A worker cuts a piece
of pine plywood

to the correct dimensions.

He places the plywood in a jig,
and carves an oblong-shaped hole

into it
using a hand-held router.

This hole will provide
both ventilation

and an upper exit point
for the bees.

for the body of the hive,
he uses cypress wood

because it's resistant
to insect damage and rot.

With a table saw,

the worker trims
one edge of the wall panel,

taking it from rough to smooth.

He cuts a little more off
the other side of the panel

to make it the correct width.

This gives this side
a clean edge, too.

a circular saw automatically
carves a drawer pull

into the panel.

This pull is known
as a handhold.

There will be handholds
on all sides of the hive box

for easy access.

the panel, front-side down now,

rides a conveyer
to the next operation.

Numerous saws cut long grooves
along the bottom

and the sides of the panel.

This creates joints
that will fit the hive panels

tightly together.

a worker stacks the panels
to await

the next stage of assembly.

meanwhile,
at another station,

the next worker notches
pieces of wood

to make a part
called the entrance reducer.

It's the doorway to the hive.

It will allow the bees to enter,

but keep intruders
like mice out.

He makes a wide entranceway
on one side

and a narrower one on the other.

A worker then cuts
tongue-and-groove joints in wood

that will be used for the bottom
and the cover of the beehive.

moving to the beehive stand,
he cuts a 45-degree angle

on both sides
of a piece of wood.

This part will serve
as a landing strip for the bees.

A team slices a sheet
of galvanized steel

to the desired length.

using a press brake,

a worker bends the edges
of the sheet against a die.

This forms a cover that will fit
over the roof of the hive.

at another station,

a worker pipes glue along the
inside groove of the roof frame.

he arranges
the tongue-and-groove boards

in a tight interlock

and inserts them in
the glued groove of the frame.

he applies pressure to further
entrench them,

and drives nails into the wood
frame to secure the boards.

He fits the metal
cladding over the wood roof.

It's been made
to fit like a glove,

so it takes a bit
of maneuvering.

he now joins four of the panels
to make a box.

And thanks to
the grooved joints,

the corners fit together neatly.

He glues them, and then secures
the joints with nails.

This assembly will be
the brood box

that houses the queen bee.

he now builds the frame for the
inner cover of the hive ceiling.

He applies glue to the frame.

he inserts the cover
and pounds it

to drive it further into place.

it's now time
for the final assembly.

They install the floor
on the stand and position

the entranceway piece
at the front.

The brood box is next.

They hang frames with starter
honeycomb beeswax

on the inner ledges.

they place a wire mesh excluder
over the brood box

to keep the queen bee
out of the upper chamber.

The smaller worker bees
will be able to move through it

to deposit honey
on more honeycomb frames.

They stack the inner cover
on top,

followed by the metal-clad roof.

This empty hive will soon be
a-buzz with activity and honey.

[ hisses ]

narrator: Humans have been
cooking over fire

with iron implements
since, well, the iron age.

Today, most outdoor cooking
requires some type of appliance.

And because of iron's
superior ability to retain

and diffuse heat evenly,

a cast-iron cooker is sure
to get everyone fired up.

This cast-iron cooker may look
like an ordinary barbecue,

but it does so much
more than grill.

It also slow-smokes,
caramelizes, sears,

and even bakes.

To produce the cast iron,

the company buys scrap pieces
of new steel from steel mills

and from factories that use
steel to make their products.

Manufacturers heat the steel
in a pre-heat furnace.

This evaporates any
residual moisture

and speeds up melting
in the main furnace.

The main furnace operator
adds a powdered chemical

that solidifies the impurities
so that he can scoop them out.

He also adds carbon, silicon,

and other alloys to transform
the steel into iron.

The molds are made of a sand,
clay, finely ground coal,

and water mix compressed
at high pressure.

The molten iron
causes the moisture

in the mold to evaporate.

The resulting steam escapes
through vent holes at the top.

This machine lowers the top
half of the mold

over the bottom half.

The furnace empties
the molten iron into a ladle,

which contains
additional alloys.

A worker positions the ladle
over an opening

at the top of the mold
and pours in the molten iron.

After about two hours,

he breaks the sand mold
and extracts the casting.

Workers use a sledgehammer
to break off excess metal.

The cast-iron parts are still
encrusted in sand,

so workers load them
into a shot-blasting machine.

Shot blasting is like
sandblasting,

except instead of sand,
the machine pummels

the surface
with tiny steel balls.

The shot-blasting cycle
thoroughly cleans the surface.

the surface is still
quite rough, however.

So workers refine it
with hand tools,

hammering off any remaining
excess metal

and grinding the surface smooth.

the top half of the cooker
has a handle on the front

and half a hinge on the back.

The bottom half has the other
half of the hinge.

A worker drills a hole
through each hinge half

for the shaft
that will connect them.

He drills holes in the fire box

that will let in air
to feed the fire.

Using a template
and laser cutter,

he cuts an opening in the bottom
for the ventilation-draft door.

He drills mounting holes
around the vent,

and installs the draft door.

Its perforated hole cover
lets air in.

Its solid sliding door
shuts it out.

The air intake feeding the fire
regulates cooking temperature.

The cooker sits
in a hand-crafted steel cart.

A welder places the parts
for the cart's frame

in an assembly fixture,
which positions them correctly.

After welding the frame,
he files down the welds

so that they'll be
virtually invisible

once the frame is painted.

this computer-guided
lathe machines

the cart's cast-iron wheels
to the final dimensions.

The sand molds used to cast
the wheels were designed

using century-old
patterns for cast-iron pulleys.

Once workers have mounted
the two wheels,

the cart goes off to be painted.

Then, a worker installs shelves
made of either stainless steel,

hardwood,
or composite decking planks.

Workers bolt the bottom half
of the cooker to the cart.

Then they lower in the fire box,

which holds the fuel
for cooking.

The recommended fuel
is hardwood lump charcoal.

Next, a worker mounts
the cooker's temperature gauge.

Then he installs the top vent.

It consists of two
cast-iron discs

which rotate to let in more air
or less air.

Having adjustable ventilation

at both the top
and bottom of the cooker

enables more precise
temperature control.

They position the top of the
cooker over the bottom,

and mate the two hinge halves
with the steel shaft

and two stainless-steel springs.

Fiber gaskets ensure good seal
when the cooker

is closed
over the cast-iron grates.

Those grates are reversible,

with one side higher
than the other,

providing a choice of cooking
heights above the fire.