Bacon Snowblowers Luxury Cars
Today on "how it's made"... Bacon... Snowblowers... And a special 2-part report on the making of the rolls-royce. When it comes to breakfast, bacon is one of our favorite side orders. Its popularity actually goes back centuries to the days when people cured and smoked meats in their own homes. But, today, a quick trip to the store, and anyone can bring home the bacon. Bacon is now processed and even precooked in factories. It all starts with a load of pork bellies. They're tossed into a big tumbler. The action softens them, so it will be easier to remove the skins. Each pork belly goes skin-side down on a conveyor belt. This conveyor takes the pork bellies to a long, automated blade that slices the skin away from the meat. The skins drop onto another conveyor belt to be processed into pork rinds. Meanwhile, the meat pieces head toward a flipping device that turns them backside up, so workers down the line can trim off any remaining pieces of skin. Next, they mix up a brine solution which will cure the pork. Salt is funneled into a tank of water. It's mixed thoroughly until the salt dissolves. Then, liquid smoke and other flavorings are added. The pork bellies now pass under an injector head. Its needles repeatedly inject a curing solution into each pork belly. A metal hanger, called a comb, is pressed into each of the pork bellies so they can be hung on a rack. Then, it's into the drench cabinet for a shower of liquid smoke. As liquid smoke bombards the meat, it adds flavor and color to the surface. The pork bellies are transferred to a big oven. They'll cook for five hours at a low temperature. That allows the flavoring to permeate the meat. Now it's into a blast freezer for a quick chilldown, then into another cooler for a couple of days. The cooling firms the meat, which makes it easier to slice. The pork bellies head to a sizing station, where their sides get a quick trim. They also pass under a metal detector to confirm that no piece of the metal hanger has gotten lodged in the meat. After that, the pork bellies are stacked and wrapped, then stored in the freezer until they're ready to be sliced into bacon. This is called the slice line. Here, workers load the meat slabs into chutes. The chutes sway back and forth over a blade, which slices the meat into bacon-sized pieces. The bacon falls neatly onto a conveyor belt. Another conveyor belt rolls over the bacon slices to secure them for cooking in a browning microwave. As the fat cooks off the bacon, it drain into a trough. These drippings will be used to make gravy and pet foods. The cooked bacon now exits the microwave oven and comes under the watchful eye of an inspector. She discards slices that are broken or not up to par. These wheels then roll the brown bacon slices onto parchment paper. A tiny electronic eye keeps track of the number of slices. Finally, the bacon is stacked for packaging. Now, that's a job well done. Time to put the coffee on and scramble up some eggs. When we return, making the machine that makes snow shoveling obsolete. Snowblowers first came on the market in the 1950s, and before long, this alternative to shoveling really took off. Today's machines come in a range of sizes, from smaller models with 26cc engines to 50cc machines 3 feet wide for plowing through even the deepest snow. At the heart of a snowblower are rotating blades called augers. The left and right augers spiral in opposite directions in order to move snow toward the middle. There, a fan called an impeller swallows the snow and blows it out a chute. Each auger starts out as a blank-- a partially formed steel disk a little less than 1/8 inch thick. This press finalizes the shape with about 200 tons of pressure. The bigger the snowblower, the bigger its augers. The press forms the left and right augers at the same time. Then, a blast of air ejects them onto separate conveyor belts. Next step, workers take a steel tube, called a hub, and mount it upright on an assembly jig. Then, they take an auger and center it on the hub. The hub and auger then travel down a conveyor belt to a robotic welder. The robot fuses the two pieces into a single unit. Elsewhere in the factory, workers construct the steel housing that will encase the augers. This housing consists of four parts-- a cup to hold the impeller, a backpiece with a hole for the cup, and two side plates. This bar aligns the pieces in a holder. First, everything turns upside down so the robot can access the back and weld the cup to the backpiece. Then, it flips right-side up again, and the robot welds on the side plates. Total construction time-- 55 seconds. The housings now undergo an electrostatic paint process. Powder paint laced with a positive electrical charge is drawn like a magnet to the housings, which have been negatively charged. Workers inspect the coat of paint and do any necessary touch-ups. Then, the housings spend 15 minutes in an oven which bakes on the paint. In another part of the factory, workers have bolted a gas-powered engine to a painted steel frame. Inside this frame, they assemble the transmission-- the gear system that transfers power from the engine to the snowblower's wheels and augers. After bolting on the impeller, that black component in the back, they attach a large, steel axle to the transmission-driven sprocket. Then, they slide the now-painted auger and hub units onto this axle. Now the housing arrives. Workers bolt the auger assembly into it. The impeller slides into the cup that's centered at the back of the housing. Then, they screw the housing to the transmission frame. The last component is the snowblower's handle, where the control panel is mounted. There's a lever for selecting different speeds and clutch levers that can be locked down to direct the wheels and augers. There's also a headlight so that you'll be visible to oncoming cars while clearing snow at night or on a snowy day. And, of course, there's a lever that lets you choose the direction you want to blow the snow. Coming up, behind the scenes at one of the most luxurious production lines in the world. If you have one of these cars, you may also have a chauffeur and a pretty big bank account. This rolls-royce costs more than an average house in some cities. But a house is just a place to live, and you can really live it up if you have a car like this. Since the company's inception in 1906, rolls-royce has been going the extra mile when it comes to perks and performance. For many people, the car they drive is a measure of their personal success, and you don't get much more successful than this. Each rolls-royce starts with a hand-welded aluminum body shelf that's rigid yet lightweight. Then, workers handcraft the components for a lavish interior. This gadget stitches together sheets of wooden veneer. The veneers have been cut from the same piece of wood. Workers match the grain so each side is a mirror image of the other. The technique is called book-matching, and the look is seamless luxury. There are 40 or more solid, wooden parts in the interior of this rolls. These are for the dashboard. Each of these parts is hand-finished. Workers meticulously polish the wood with a special paste that enhances the grain. A lacquer job puts a shine on the woodwork. Inspectors scrutinize the leather for any natural defects and mark them in white. They'll work around those blemishes so no imperfections will be visible on the car's upholstery. It will take as many as 18 hides to make all the seats, panels, and consoles. Leather pieces are carefully stretched onto various components. The fit is set with a dryer. Ensuring the sewn leather parts conform to all the curves and crevices on the door panels can be tricky. But these workers, some of them former saddlemakers, are experts at the job. They mount the upholstered leather parts to the car's interior and secure them tightly with screws. They fit handles and control panels into the tailored slots. Next, they attach switches, wiring, and other controls to the instrument panel. This framework has been crafted from a single piece of magnesium so there aren't any squeaky joints. The impressive radiator grille has a purpose besides bringing in cool air. It houses the rolls' signature hood ornament and its automated platform. Workers test the platform to confirm that it rises and retracts smoothly. Then, they mount it under an opening at the top of the grille. They check the spacing around the opening's cover to make sure there's enough room for things to run smoothly. The rolls-royce mascot is called the spirit of ecstasy. With the mascot now locked in proud position, workers are ready to assemble the car's mechanics. So stay tuned. This rolls-royce is looking good. The body shell has the long lines of luxury. It's been equipped with flawless leather upholstery and elegant wooden paneling. Plush and posh, this car is now ready for some serious engine power. It's bumper-to-bumper opulence at this factory as these cars are lined up to receive their engine components. Workers install soundproofing material on the floor of the car to muffle engine noise. Then, they run the wiring loom along the length of the vehicle. This is the car's nervous system. It transmits huge amounts of information that help run the engine, transmission, even the car's entertainment system. Next, the engine and transmission system are hoisted onto a metal platform. This v-12 engine has 400-plus horsepower. Workers complete the assembly and make some final adjustments. Then, it's time for the engine and car body to become one. They call this the marriage. The platform rolls the engine down an aisle to be joined with the awaiting car body. Then, it lifts the engine into the cavity of the car. It's secured with bolts. Then, the platform moves away to get the next engine for the next car. Workers double-check the installation and mark parts with yellow to confirm that they've been fitted. The engine is now installed, but there are still a number of steps before the car is complete. The instrument control panel is mounted to the dashboard and gets an upholstered leather cushion. Veneer paneling is fitted around the dashboard controls. And the headlining, made of cashmere and wool, goes into place. Workers check the hydraulic cup holders in the rear of the car. Then, they install two batteries-- one for the engine, the other for the cabin controls. A rocker cover is fastened to the engine to stifle any noise. They hook up a large air-intake system because optimum engine function requires a lot of airflow. There will be no fingerprints on this windshield. After it's wiped clean, workers use a pulley system with suction cups to lower it onto the car. It's taped into place to allow the adhesive to set, then it's measured to ensure a perfect fit. Next, the wheel-arch liners are installed. These hefty guards will protect the car body from mud, gravel, and debris. Finally, the wheels are mounted, and this rolls-royce is ready to roll. It takes several weeks to assemble a rolls-royce, compared to the day or two it takes to manufacture an ordinary vehicle. That's part of the reason why one of these will set you back a princely sum. But if you win the lottery, this could be one way to splurge.