Microphones Hot Tubs Artificial Turf Beer Steins
People have been doing mike checks since 1876, when the microphone was invented as part of the telephone. Microphones convert sound to a signal that can be transmitted through televisions, radios, and many other things. If you have something to say, you'll need a microphone to broadcast it. From the glory days of radio to stage and screen and the digital age, the microphone has been at the center of it all. To make a broadcast-quality microphone, they start with the support piece for it. Automated tools carve a brass cylinder to the desired dimensions. They also make a retainer ring for the microphone grille that will anchor the grille's metal mesh. They layer three sheets of mesh and align them. Then they solder the three sheets together. A punch press forms the soldered mesh into a concave shape. They lower a blade to slice the shaped mesh in half. The two pieces will be used to make one microphone grille. An assembler squeezes solder paste into a groove in the brass ring. Then he presses the grille halves, which have been joined by a bracket into the solder-coated ring. On a carousel, a torch heats the rings, and the solder paste melts to bond the grilles to the rings. A drill punctures a brass disk up to 90 times to make ventilation holes. Another tool levels the surface and shaves off unwanted bits. This disk will be the backplate for one of the microphone's capsules. An assembler brushes away any remaining shavings and then fixes the backplate in a holding device. This plastic membrane has been coated with real gold to conduct electricity. She places the membrane and a plastic ring on the backplate and then attaches an electrical lead. She screws the plastic ring down to secure the assembly... And then trims away the excess plastic membrane. This microphone capsule is now complete. Next, she'll join two capsules to create the unit that's the heart of the microphone. It converts sound into an electrical signal. An aluminum spacer goes between the capsules, which face back-to-back. Two capsules instead of one means this microphone can be switched to pick up audio from various directions. A plastic bracket reinforces assembly. A technician then wires the brass support piece that we saw being made earlier to the electronic system, and then he secures it with screws. After installing switches, he inserts the microphone capsules in the grille. He screws the capsule assembly to the grille and joins it to the electronics. He slides the metal casing over the electronics and secures the microphone with a big screw cap. He checks the switch that changes the directionality of the mike. And now it's ready for a sound check. The mike goes into a special anechoic chamber. A computer measures its response to various audio frequencies and directions. Once a microphone has passed this test and some other checks, it's time to pack it up with great care, because this mike is delicate and worth several thousand dollars. Treated properly, this microphone should last several decades. In showbiz, that's longevity. Like natural hot springs that are heated by the earth's crust, a hot tub can give your aching muscles that healing feeling. In fact, the hot tub is a high-tech version of the hot-springs phenomenon, and its invention in the middle of the 20th century made the backyard steam part of the suburban dream. There are up to a hundred jets in a modern hot tub. Each churns up the water, making waves that have a calming effect on tense and tired muscles. To make a hot tub, they start with a sheet of rigid acrylic. They rest it briefly over a mold of a hot tub. Then a framelike clamp grips it along the edges and transfers it to an oven. The oven has heating elements on the top and bottom. They bake the acrylic sheet until it's so soft, it sags. They transfer the sagging sheet back to the mold. And now they turn on a vacuum system underneath. It sucks the acrylic sheet into the crevices of the mold so that it takes its shape. Then fans cool the molded acrylic, and it hardens in just a couple of minutes. Operators then stack the tub shell. They mold swim spa shelves using the same technique. Swim spas are longer and deeper than hot tubs. They're for working out, not unwinding, so there aren't many ledges for sitting around. Back in the hot-tub department, it's time for a base coat. They spray resin on the shell and then unwind fiberglass twine into a special spray gun. It chops up the twine and mixes it with more resin to give the shelf a fiberglass coating that reinforces the acrylic. They press out any air pockets in the fiberglass. Now they aim another spray gun at the underside of the tub. This one contains insulating foam. Then they trim the lip of the tub with a circular saw, so it will sit properly in the frame later. They sand the edges and then drill holes for the numerous jets. Working from inside of the tub, an assembler tucks plastic jets into the holes, while a worker on the other side pulls the jets through. They apply silicone sealant around each jet, then equip it with a plastic ring for aligning the jet to the hot-tub frame. Using a special tool, the assembler drives a nut into the assembly to secure it. Next, they dip pvc tubing in adhesive and attach it to the jets, weaving an elaborate web of hoses. The narrower tubing will pipe air to the jets, while the wider hoses will supply water. To prevent leaks, they equip them with self-tensioning clamps. They connect the intake pipe to the pump, which will force water into the tubing. A suction system will return the water to this pump. They wire the tub to provide mood lighting, then test all the wiring and plumbing. They spray more insulating foam on the outside of the tub. It expands drastically in closing the labyrinth of pipes and hoses. And for some extra insulation, they wrap foil-backed plastic around the tub. The foil will reflect any escaping heat back onto the tub. They mount the exterior paneling and drill through the insulation to vent the pumps. Corner molding gives the paneling a nice finish. This hot tub is now ready to make waves in the neighborhood. Some versions even come with tvs, so you can watch "how it's made" without leaving the hot tub. It takes about 20 person-hours to make a hot tub or one of these swim spas. And after that, it's time to take a break and relax. The invention of artificial turf in the 1960s led to a whole new field-- one that never needs mowing, watering, or weeding. Faux grass was developed by the carpet industry and made possible by technological advances, and the concept has really taken root. Synthetic turf has changed the landscape of professional sports. You see it in stadiums, arenas, and training fields around the world. It all starts with bags of white plastic pellets. This is the base material for the turf. They add green pellets for color, along with chemical stabilizers and additives. Equipment melts and extrudes the plastic through a steel plate with holes in it. This creates strands of green. The strands exit through a trough of water, which cools and solidifies them. Machinery pulls the strands through an enormous comb to keep them separated as they head to the next station. Here, rollers stretch the strands until they become as thin as real grass. The stretching also strengthens them. Spools now roll up the synthetic strands. Once a spool is full, they remove it. Next, they unwind several spools at a time. The strands come together to form a multi-ply synthetic yarn. The yarn travels over guides. This keeps it from slackening as a big spool winds it up. Further down the production line, mesh fabric merges with synthetic sheeting, while the multi-ply synthetic yarn travels through tubing to a tufting machine. The tufting machine is a giant sewing machine. It has up to 250 needles. These needles hook the yarn through the mesh synthetic sheeting. They make hundreds of rows of stitches per minute. Underneath, small knives cut the looped yarn, so it looks like spikes of grass. As you can see, this process is a whole lot faster than waiting for grass to grow. An inspector examines the turf to make sure the yarns are even. Then machinery moves it forward to a coating roller. The roller picks up adhesive from a trough below and applies it to the backing of the turf as it moves across. This binds the looped web of artificial grass to the backing. The adhesive is a bit gooey at this point and needs to be dried. The dryer is partly open-air and partly enclosed. The enclosed section is about 55 yards low. The temperature is carefully controlled. Too hot, and the synthetic grass might melt. As it exits, hot pins burn holes into the turf to make it water-permeable. Now they check to make sure this grass looks good on the surface. They pull out loose bits and measure the fibers. Then it's over to a device that simulates the effect of football cleats to confirm this turf is tough. To install artificial turf, they lay a rubber base and add the turf. They distribute sand throughout spikes of grass to give the turf weight. Then they spread rubber granules for a softening effect. But some turf is more carpetlike-- no fillers needed. You're more likely to see that in floor-hockey arenas. It's time to wrap up this turf job and toss a few balls around. And when it comes to looking like the real thing, artificial turf is definitely in the ballpark. A stein is a beer mug with a hinged lid you open and close. According to some historians, it's a product of the bubonic plague. After the plague swept europe in the 1300s, municipalities enacted sanitation laws. In germany, one law required food and beverage containers to have covers in order to keep out insects. These traditional german beer steins, with their ornate ceramic bodies and pewter lids are functional works of art. The word "stein" is short for a german word meaning "stoneware jug". Production begins in the casting department with a plaster mold-- its cavity the shape and design of the stein's body. They pour in liquid clay, wait about two hours until it thickens, then pour out whatever liquid remains. After testing the consistency of what's still inside, they gingerly disassemble the mold, revealing the stein's body. The mold has transferred all the intricate detail to the clay's surface. For certain stein shapes, they get better results using solid clay. They cut off the amount they need, then drop it inside a plaster mold. A machine pushes the clay into every crevice of the mold cavity. A worker trims away any excess that oozes out. Then the mold goes into a drying machine for 20 minutes. When it comes out, they disassemble the sections to extract the casting. Whether made from liquid or solid clay, each stein body goes on a potter's wheel for some refining. The potter removes seams that formed where the mold sections met. He also trims and smoothes out the rim. Then, using some wet clay as an adhesive, he attaches an ornate handle. It, too, is made entirely of clay. The factory shapes it either in a mold or with a dye in a press. Finally, they stamp the bottom with two marks-- "made in germany" and the company brand. Now the coloring process begins. They coat the stein body with special paint for ceramics-- first, a watery coat of the background color all over, then a thicker coat around the reliefs to highlight them. They rub most of the paint off the reliefs to accentuate the contrast. Next, workers spray a milky glaze over the stein body inside and out. This glaze is made mainly of sodium and silicon, minerals that turn into transparent glass under high heat. This will strengthen and waterproof the stoneware beneath it. Workers load dozens of stein bodies into an oven, where they bake at more than 2,000 degrees fahrenheit for 12 hours. This hardens the clay, turns the colors vibrant, and transforms the glaze into a protective glass coating. After a 12-hour cooling period, the true artistry begins. A skilled painter embellishes the design with colorful enamel paints. A second firing, this time for just 5 to 6 hours, bakes the paint onto the glass surface. Now, to top it all off, the stein's ornate lid. It's made of pewter cast in a mold. The thumb lift pivots the lid on a hinge. To attach the lid to the stein body, they position the thumb lift on the handle, then assemble a small mounting tool over it. They pour in molten pewter... Then, after a minute or so, remove the device. The pewter has hardened into a ring attaching the thumb lift to the handle. They clip off the excess, then buff the metal to a shine. With their traditional scenes or more contemporary themes, these beer steins are the toast of the town.