LED Stage Lights Apple Cider Chemical Tank Trailers Ornate Stone Floors
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 10 wires and two connectors 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. 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. 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. 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.