Grammy Awards Bicycle Lights Above
Today, on "how it's made"... In the music industry, winning a grammy is the ultimate accolade. The national academy of recording arts and sciences has been awarding grammys for recording since 1958. Every year, the winners are honored with a golden gramophone trophy. The grammys are to the music industry what the oscars are to movies. The coveted trophy is made of gold-plated grammium. But don't look for that metal on the periodic table. It's a proprietary zinc alloy specially formulated and trademarked by the artisan who makes the grammys. To make the base of the trophy, they heat the grammium to 644 degrees and pour it into a bronze mold. They immediately pour out the excess molten metal. What remains quickly solidifies in a thin layer against the walls of the cavity, creating a hollow cast. They also cast the gramophone's cabinet and tone arm in grammium. They remove mold seams, excess metal, and smooth out the surface of each cast component with a belt sander. Then, they file by hand the areas the belt can't reach. Finally, they polish the metal with an abrasive compound on a buffing wheel. They make sure there are no surface imperfections. Now, they work on the gramophone's iconic horn. Using a metal shear, they cut a disc of malleable bronze. They mount the disc on a lathe. As the lathe spins, they use a series of tools to transform the flat disc into a horn. Then, they spin the horn on a different lathe, pressing an abrasive cloth against the surface to remove any tool marks. Before they connect the tone arm to the cabinet, they brush on some flux, a chemical that makes the stationary solder flow into the tiny gap between components. Now, they bolt the tone arm to the cabinet, then solder. They submerge this part of the trophy in a degreasing solution for a few minutes, then in water. Gold doesn't adhere to zinc, so they plate it with copper. They run a positive electric charge through the trophy and a negative charge through a piece of copper also suspended in the plating tank. This process dissolves the copper, then draws the particles through the water and onto the trophy. They repeat the electroplating process in a different tank, this time with nickel. Nickel creates a sufficiently hard base to support the gold plating. It also makes gold appear brighter. After another rinse, it's back into a tank for the final plating with 24-karat gold. To prepare the trophy's base for painting, they smooth the surface with a belt sander, then fine-sand by hand. They spray on an epoxy primer, let it dry for a day then wet sand it with fine sandpaper. They repeat these steps with a black primer, then paint the base with high-gloss, chip-resistant black paint. Once it dries, they can finish assembling the trophy. They bolt the polished gold-plated cabinet and tone arm to the painted base. Then, they take the horn, which has been gold-plated and polished, and screw it into the tone arm. After 15 hours of craftsmanship, this grammy is ready to be awarded. But this trophy won't be handed out during the award show. The grammys handed out on stage are actually props that are used year after year. The winners receive a personalized trophy a few weeks after the show. The base has a brass plate engraved with their name and musical category. The first bicycle lights were modified kerosene lamps fixed to the handlebars. The concept was truly trailblazing and made it possible to cycle at night. A century later, the technology has changed, but the concept remains the same. Bicycle lights are still showing us the way. These bicycle lights are battery-powered with energy-efficient l.e.d. lights. Mounted to handlebars or a helmet, they make it possible for a cyclist to see and be seen at night. A bicycle light starts with a design for the canister. In this case, it's for a handlebar-mounted trail light. Following that plan, computerized tools carve blocks of aluminum into a two-part mold for the bicycle light reflector. They secure the mold in an injection molding machine. Then, they load white acrylic pellets into the machine's hopper. The machine grinds and melts the acrylic pellets into a thick liquid. Then, it pushes the liquid into the crevices of the mold. The acrylic quickly solidifies into the shape of a reflector. An aluminum finish makes the acrylic shiny and reflective. Then, it's over to a different injection-molding machine. This one uses molten rubber to form four on/off buttons. A worker sets an l.e.d.-studded circuit board on a switch cradled in a fixture. She trims wires from the switch that protrudes through the board. She solders those wires to copper pads on the board, securing the switch and making an electrical connection. She removes the assembly from the fixture and threads the battery cord through the board. She attaches the board to a vented heat sink, which will draw heat away from the lights, allowing them to run more efficiently. She installs the reflector over the tiny l.e.d. lights. The reflector will focus the light forward, creating narrow beams. Another member of the team places a tray of reflector covers in a laser etcher. He closes the lid and activates the laser. It etches through tape that's been applied to the metal. The tape has a blackening agent on it. The laser transfers that blackening agent to the etched number, making it stand out. The number indicates the lumen power of the light. Lumen is a measure of the total amount of visible light emitted by a source. Back on the assembly line, a worker snaps the cover onto the bike light. Then, she attaches an open guard to the heat sink to protect the cyclist from the heat generated by the l.e.d.s. This bicycle light is ready to be put to the test. A technician turns it on and inserts it in a device called a lumen sphere. A computer analyzes the light and finds that it meets standards. Next, an employee builds a smaller bike light for a cyclist helmet. She inserts the l.e.d. assembly in a canister, then attaches the on/off button. She attaches the light to a circuit board with three l.e.d.s. She tucks the circuit board into the housing and inserts a rechargeable lithium battery. She puts the assembly aside and attaches a red reflective panel to an aluminized reflector. She snaps the assembly into a clear plastic case, completing the rear light lens. She returns for the front helmet light and installs the reflector over the light. She screws on a glass cover that's framed by a metal bezel. She joins the rear lens and the l.e.d. assembly, encasing the electronics of this bike light. She switches on both lights to confirm that they're fully operational. These bicycle lights are ready to illuminate a rider's path, whether it's a shadowy mountain trail or a dark city street. Installing a pool above ground costs much less than installing one in ground. This is because there's no excavation required. You can build an elevated deck around the top to give it an in-ground appearance, or you can simply climb up a ladder and jump right in. No hole to dig, no underground pipes to install. Just a day or so of on-site prep and assembly, and you can take to your above-ground pool like a duck to water. At the factory, a computer-guided machine cuts vinyl panels for the pool's water-retaining inside surface. The vinyl comes in a wide choice of printed designs. It's tear-resistant, u.v.-resistant, and is treated with an antifungal coating. The wall panel is rectangular, and the floor panels are curved to fit the pool's perimeter. The wall panels go through a welder that fuses a bead to the top edge. A bead is a flexible, "u'-shaped, thermoplastic strip that is used to attach the pool wall to the liner. A hot welding tool slightly melts both the bead and the liner edge, so when they cool and solidify, they're bonded. The liner is ready to be assembled. Workers use a manual welding machine that generates heat with radio frequencies. They overlap the edges of adjoining panels, then fuse them together. After connecting the floor panels to each other, workers complete the liner by joining the wall to the floor. A quality-control inspector checks every soldered seam to make sure they're solid. Meanwhile, workers manufacture the pool's structural components. They feed a continuous strip of painted, galvanized steel through a roll former. The strip is shaped to a specific profile. A punch press cuts the components to the required length and shape. Four different structural components are made this way-- the pieces that form the top and bottom tracks of the pool, the vertical posts that support the pool wall, and the ledges running along the top of the wall. The wall is also made of painted galvanized steel. A roller impresses a corrugated pattern to give the wall more vertical strength. Then, a press punches out openings for the pool's water inlet and filter. After folding each end of the wall over itself to form a strong edge, they punch holes for the bolts that will join the edges. A stamping die progressively shapes strips of galvanized steel into connectors. The connectors join the vertical posts to the structure's bottom track and top rail. An injection molder makes the plastic covers that will hide those connectors. Workers then box the liner and structural components for transport to the installation site. On-site, they lay crushed stone around the perimeter to support the bottom track under the weight of the water. Next, they unroll the pool wall and place it in the bottom track. They place a vertical post over each bottom connector and secure it with screws. Inside the pool wall, they lay down a base of sand and compact it. Then, they lay down landscaping fabric. They cut a hole for a central bottom drain. Then, they begin spreading out the liner. They hook the bead over the top edge of the wall, then lock it in place with the top rail. Once the liner is fully attached, they suction out the air to draw it tight against the wall. They seal the liner to the bottom drain. They hide the top rail under the ledge and the connections under plastic caps. They run pipes to connect the filtration system and skimmer. Then, with an ordinary garden hose, they fill the pool with water. Foldable solar panels were invented in the 1990s for american soldiers in the field. They use them to recharge electronic devices. The panels have environmental and tactical advantages, conserving both electricity and physical energy. Today, foldable solar panels are not just for the military. These lightweight panels can be folded up and tucked into a backpack, allowing anyone to escape to the wilderness but stay plugged in. Production starts with a roll of thin plastic film. It's the same material used to make flat-screen tvs. A worker loads it into machines that distribute thin layers of aluminum and silicon onto it. The aluminum acts as an electrical contact. The silicon produces electricity when exposed to the sun's rays. Next, lasers carve vertical and horizontal lines into the film. These lines define the solar cells. An automated squeegee applies black ink through a screen and into the lines. The ink will act as an electrical insulator. It also makes it possible to cut through the film without damaging it. Uv light cures the insulator ink. An employee pours a generous amount of metallic silver ink onto a pattern. A squeegee forces the ink through to the solar film. This creates a conductive grid on the film. A camera magnifies the grid for inspection. The solar film travels through a chamber where heat cures the silver ink. A laser now connects the solar cells, linking the bottom aluminum layer of one cell to the top silicon layer of the next. The laser ties them together similar to how a soldering tool would. This establishes electrical connections and increases the voltage significantly. A different camera magnifies the connections to check the alignment. Now, a worker loads the solar film into a machine. It deposits a transparent oxide onto the film that will increase conductivity. These solar cells are now fully functional. The next machine tests each one. It also applies a conductive foil tape at certain points. Another machine rolls a clear sheet of plastic onto the solar cells. The plastic adheres to the cells, waterproofing and encapsulating them. A die press cuts out solar panels along the black insulator lines. The press uses computerized cameras for accurate cuts. A robot transfers each panel to the next station using suctioning heads. A computerized camera scrutinizes the panels for defects. After more testing, they deposit the panels on a piece of fabric. A laser cuts the fabric around the panels. Heated rollers bond the plastic panels to the fabric. Now, an employee burns through clear plastic film to reach the conductive foil. He solders wire to the foil at these points to connect the positive and negative leads. The wire is flexible and will bend with the fabric when it's folded. A seamstress now stitches strips of fabric over the wires, enclosing them in a protective pocket. Another member of the team solders a connector to a circuit board that's been attached to protruding wires. He squeezes silicone into a plastic cover and places it on the assembly. The silicone solidifies around the components to protect them from water damage. Finally, he rivets the cover to the fabric. This foldable solar charger is ready to be bundled up and placed in a backpack. It can power a laptop or a smartphone, keeping the user connected anywhere in the world.