Vibrating Mining Screens Whoopie Pies Wood Utility Poles Roller Conveyors
Mines and quarries use crushers to break down raw material. Those raw materials go through a vibrating screen to separate the particles by size. The vibrations cause the smaller pieces to fall through the screen while the larger pieces remain on top. This limestone quarry uses a vibrating screen with three decks. The top deck filters out the largest stones, which will be used to make concrete. The second deck collects half-inch rocks. They'll be used to make asphalt. The final deck gathers the smallest materials to product limestone sand. The screen mesh is made from steel wire. This steel contains carbon, making it more durable than regular steel. A pair of wheel dyes crimp it into a wave pattern. The diameter of the wire and crimp pattern determine the shape and size of the screen mesh openings. Workers can change the dyes to crimp different patterns. The machine cuts the crimped wire to a specific length. Then, workers take the pieces over to a loom. It weaves screens the same way a textile loom weaves cloth. They lay the crimped wires vertically, playing one in between each of the loom's heddles. They line up the crimped wire so that the bottom of one crimp faces the top of the next. Then they weave a straight wire horizontally across the vertically crimped wires. They continue to feed straight wires across. Then use the loom to secure each one in position. The vertical and horizontal wires interlock to form the mesh. Once they've woven a section to the required length, a sheer cuts it off the loom. Another sheet cuts the section to the customer's requested dimensions. This is the final size of the screen mesh section. Next, workers insert one set of the screen into an electromagnetic induction heater. The device evenly generates heat inside the steel. This is critical because heating unevenly can weaken the steel. They inset the heated edge in a steel strip mounted in a press. The press clamps the strip over the edge then vents it into a hook strip. They repeat the process on the opposite site side. The two hook strips attach the mesh section to the vibrating screen. The loom can weave many different types of screen mesh. This one is made of finer wire that's crimped in a different pattern. The openings of the screen mesh are larger and more rectangular. It's designed for a less precise sorting process. For both screens, the weaving and cutting processes are the same. They even use the same technique to attach the hook strips. The only thing that changes is the crimping pattern. Next, they connect the hook strips to the vibrating screen. Installers lay the sections end-to-end on each of the machine's decks. Then they fashion the hook strips to the machine with tension rails and secure those rails with large bolts. When the mine or quarry needs to change the screening parameters, they simply replace these screens with different ones. Whoopie pies are not pies at all. This all-american treat is made of vanilla cream frosting sandwiched between two pieces of round chocolate cake. The whoopie pie was invented in new england. And today, it is the official state treat of maine. This company adds a modern twist to the classic whoopie pie recipe. In addition to traditional chocolate and vanilla, the company makes four other all-natural flavors. The ingredients are certified vegan, non-gmo, gluten-free, kosher and free of many common food allergens. Workers begin by making the chocolate cakes. The first ingredient is water followed by apple cider vinegar. Then, they add either canola or sunflower oil. They mix the liquid ingredients in a large bowl. Then they add the dry ingredients, starting with tapioca starch, bean flour, and sorghum, a gluten-free grain. Next, they mix in cocoa powder, granulated cane sugar, and light brown sugar. They run the mixer at a very high speed to incorporate air in the batter. This will make the cake lighter and fluffier. After about 4 minutes of mixing, the batter is ready. They test a sample using a viscometer, a device that measures the thickness. If the batter is the right consistency, they pump it through a hopper into a multi-head depositer. Each of its five nozzles shoot one ounce of batter onto a moving baking sheet. A finished sheet contains seven rows of batter. Workers load multiple sheets of batter into an oven. The sheets rotate for 15 minutes at 75 degree fahrenheit, evenly baking the cakes. The precise combination of ingredients allows the acids in the apple cider vinegar to react with the cocoa powder. The result is a perfect little chocolate cake that's rich in flavor and moist in texture. The main ingredient for the filling is shortening. It's made from sustainable palm oil. This means the palm tress were responsibly harvested. They mix the shortening well, incorporating enough air to make it light and fluffy. Then they add powdered cane sugar and organic rice milk as a dairy-free substitute. The rice milk makes the frosting creamy. For vanilla frosting, they simply add pure vanilla extract. This is a batch of raspberry frosting, so they add pure raspberry extract and beet juice for color. When they make mint frosting, they use pure mint extract and alfalfa extract for green color. Lemon frosting is made from pure lemon extract and turmeric for color. They check the shade against a color chart to ensure the correct flavor. The multi-head depositer drops frosting on the baking sheets in the same configuration as the batter. Then they assemble the final pie. Workers start by placing a piece of cake on top of the frosting. They press down hard enough to spread the frosting just shy of the cake's edge. They cover the top with a sheet of parchment paper then place a baking sheet on top and flip it over. They remove the top baking sheet and the parchment paper. Then, they carefully place the second cake onto the frosting. Workers roll the trays of whoopie pies into a cooler where the desserts chill for about 15 minutes. This hardens them so they won't get squished during packaging. Workers place the whoopie pies on a conveyer belt that leads to an automated wrapping machine. It wraps double-printed packaging around each pie and seals them underneath. Then the machine cuts the film between each pie. The next machine packages four sealed whoopie pies per retail box. There are zero preservatives in these whoopie pies. They're shipped frozen to the grocery store and sold in the freezer section. When it's time for a treat, simply let them thaw to room temperature and enjoy. Wooden utility poles are a constant presence in our lives. They were originally built in the mid-19th century to suspend telegraph lines. Now, they hold up power and phone lines as well as fiber-optic and coaxial cables for television and computer networking. Builders use many different types of pine or fir trees to make utility poles. In the us, southern yellow pine is the most popular choice. Foresters select trees that are 10 to 20 inches in diameter and at least 30 feet high. They look for a straight, healthy trunk with few limbs. The foresters mark the selected tress with spray paint. Then, the tree harvester saws them down at the base. After the loggers saw off the limbs and cut the trees to a specified length, a log truck delivers the poles to the mill. There, a truck scale weighs the load. Then, workers ticket it with a tracking number. The truck enters the yard and the poles are unloaded into piles. A loader feeds the poles to a debarking machine. The machine's razor-sharp cutters shave of the bark and the layer of tissue beneath the bark called the cambium. Next, a saw trims one inch off the bottom of the log to make it square. At the same time, nozzles spray lines of red food coloring at set intervals along the pole. These mark indicate different lengths. Another worker inspects the quality and measures the circumference. This assessment determines the wood's class. He marks the length and class on the bottom of the pole. The bark and shavings removed from the poles don't go to waste-- a grinding mill reduces them to small fibers. The factory uses those fibers to power the boiler. The fire in the boiler will product heat, which dries the poles. After the poles have been sorted by length and class, loaders stack them on large trams. They place spacer sticks in between each pole to allow air to flow around them. Then, the loaders push the trams into a large kiln. The steam from the boiler flows through the trams, heating the inside of the kiln to 200 degree fahrenheit. Large fans blow the hot air around the poles for 3 days until the wood is dry. When the poles come out of the kiln, workers brand them with product information. Next, they cut a flat surface on one side of the pole. Then, they drill holes to attach a crossarm. After they drill the holes, they stack the poles in another tram. This one takes them to a 125-foot-long treatment cylinder. They lock the door and vacuum all the air out of the cylinder. They fill the cylinder with a liquid that's 98% water and 2% chemical preservative. The preservative is a mixture of chrome, copper and arsenic. Once the cylinder is full, the pumps start running to pressurize the liquid, infusing the wood with the chemical solution. The 2-hour process leaves the wood resistant to rot, fungus and termites. Next, inspectors bore 3-inch holes into each pole to collect a sample. The inspectors check to make sure the preservative saturated the wood to the target depth. Then, they send the samples to the on-site laboratory, where they're dried in a microwave oven and ground up. They also put the sample in an x-ray machine to analyze the chrome, copper and arsenic levels. These quality control steps ensure that every utility pole contains the right amount of chemical preservatives. These finished poles will assist for at least 45 to 60 years. Humans have been using roller conveyors for thousands of years. The ancient egyptians used wood rollers to move the large stones needed to build the pyramids. Today's conveyors are more complex. But the basic concept is still the same. Many factories use roller conveyors to transfer materials from one station to another during assembly. They can move heavy loads up to 65 feet in a minute. To make the conveyer rollers, this factory starts with hollow steel tubes. They deliver to the factory in batches. After they arrive, a band saw cuts the tubes to length. The diameter can vary from batch to batch. So an employee obtains the exact measurements. He inputs the measurements into a computer that controls this laser. The laser etches the company logo onto a sheet of thick steel and cuts out support disks for the roller axles. The support disks fit perfectly into the hollow rollers. An employee feeds a flat sheet of steel to a computerized break press. It bends the sheet into a vertical rail for the conveyer frame. Here's the steel before and after bending. A worker joins two vertical rails with steel supports called crossmembers. He welds them where they meet. This creates the frame for the roller conveyer. Then, they paint the frame. The paint isn't just for decoration. It also protects against rust. Next, they install the chain-driven axle that will spin the roller. An employee measures it and confirms its dimensions. Another worker slides three support disks on to the axle. He welds the disks in place. The disks on the end fit snugly to the roller rims. This is why premeasuring is so important. He welds the disks to the ends of the tubes. He slides roller chain sprockets onto the end of the axle and welds them in place. He uses a dial indicator to measure the circumference of the roller and confirm that it's sufficiently round. Using a forklift, the team lifts the motor and places it in the conveyer frame. They slide the motor's threaded rods into holes drilled in the frame. An employee places metal washers on the threaded rods. Then he screws nuts to them, securing the motor to the frame. He installs a bearing on the end of the roller axle. Next, workers arrange the rollers on the conveyer frame. They place the bearings on the flange of one of the vertical rails. They attach the bearings to the rail with socket screws. One of the workers attaches the welded steel chain to the teeth of sprocket wheels. He joins the sections of the roller chain with links. Then he drops the ends of the chains down to the motor. The worker loops the chains around the motor sprockets... And connects the ends with the joiner plate and retaining clip. Now, they're ready to put this roller conveyer to the test. An employee measures the rotational speed of the rollers with an instrument called a tachometer. He also tests the conveyor's ability to move heavy objects. Once approved, the roller conveyer will be shipped to another factory, where it will be an important part of the manufacturing process.