Orthodontic Retainers Orange Juice Retractable Saunas Sawmill Blade Knives
Today, on "how it's made," orthodontic retainers... Orange juice... Retractable saunas... And sawmill blade knives. After spending a fortune on braces to straighten your teeth, you don't want that new beautiful smile to shift back to its original position. So, orthodontists recommend wearing a retainer for several months after the braces come off, to avoid any shifting. Oftentimes, an orthodontist advises their patients to wear a retainer for about a year after their braces are removed. Retainers are custom-made for each person using a model of the patient's mouth. The orthodontist scans the patient's teeth and palate, and sends the 3-d images to a lab. A 3-d printer builds each model by printing approximately 750 layers of material, which takes about 4 1/2 hours. The printer prints resin and a support material. The support material prevents the model from shifting during the printing process, and provides structural support for the resin in complex areas. The support material is water-soluble. Once a model is printed, they soak it in water for 10 minutes, then remove the material with a pressure washer. A technician places the model in a vice. Using preformed clasp made of stainless-steel wire, she fits the wire around the first molar, bending it with pliers to fit snugly around the tooth. Then, she bends the end in a specific shape. This step will help to anchor the wire in the retainer's acrylic palate at a later time. She clips off excess wire, and repeats these steps for the opposite side. Once both clasps are in position, the technician secures them with sticky wax. Next, she assembles the front of the retainer, called the "labial bow". To do so, she bends a piece of wire against a form. Then, she marks where to bend the wire to create an adjustment loop on each side. The labial bow is secured to the model with wax. Using a pulse welder, a technician tacks the labial bow and the clasps together. He applies flux, a chemical that preps an area for soldering. He also applies a heat-shielding product to prevent the wires from overheating. Next, the labial bow is soldered to the clasps with a silver-based solder that's safe to wear. He steams off the wax, removes the finished retainer wire from the model, and polishes the solder joint. The retainer's palate is made of acrylic, and comes in multiple colors. A technician waxes the wire onto the model, then, applies the acrylic to the palate, embedding the ends of the wire. The acrylic is made up of liquid and powder, which react when mixed. She applies about three layers of each the the palate, producing an 1/8-inch thick mold. The excess acrylic is trimmed off with a knife. Then, she the model is placed into a pressure cooker for 10 minutes. The pressure removes air bubbles in the acrylic, while the heat speeds up the curing. When the acrylic is ready, the technician uses a steam gun to melt the wax holding the wire to the model. She removes the fully formed retainer off the model. She trims the acrylic with a grinding wheel to smooth out rough areas and refine the shape. With a hand tool, she smoothes the entire surface, so it won't irritate the patient's mouth. Another technician runs the acrylic palate against a muslin-rag wheel with pumice, a natural abrasive. This makes the surface glossy. He applies a greaseless polishing compound to another muslin-rag wheel, and polishes the acrylic to a high shine. Finally, he drops the retainer into an ultrasonic cleaning machine containing mild acid. The combination of acid and sonic waves removes the pumice and polish residues. Once the retainer has been rinsed with water and dried, it's placed it in a storage case. Now, it's ready to be shipped to the orthodontist. No one knows who came up with the idea of squeezing oranges to make juice. The popularity of orange juice increased dramatically in the middle of the 20th century, as techniques were developed to extend its shelf life. Today, many people start their day with a tall glass of o.j. in its purest form, orange juice fresh-squeezed and made with no preservatives or other additives. The appeal is indisputable. Fresh-squeezed o.j. contains vitamin c, and the flavor is authentic. Orange juice production starts in groves. The trees take several months to bear fruit, and are harvested in early november. Picking oranges a job that's done entirely by hand. An automated picking system could damage both the trees and the fruit. The picker uses a bag made of vinyl composite that's lightweight and heavy-duty. There are multiple types of juicing oranges. This one is called "the hamlin". Hamlin oranges are small and juicy, the trees they grow on are productive and resilient to cold. The picker plucks the fruit from the trees before they turn orange. They may be green on the outside, but they are still sweet on the inside. The fruits' size and condition are indications of maturity and flavor. As the picker empties the bag into a bin, he examines the oranges. Anything with tears or punctures may also have internal degradation, but superficial flaws won't affect the quality of the juice. The oranges are taken to a processing facility, and transferred to a sloped chute. The gradient of the chute prevents damage as the oranges tumble into a wash station. A sprayer rains soapy water onto the oranges as spiraling nylon brushes scrub and clean, while simultaneously moving them forward. After the wash, another sprayer rinses them off as the spiraling brushes continue scrubbing. The oranges transition to a roller conveyor that takes them up and under drying fans. As the oranges exit the dryer, an inspector checks them for any missed damage. The oranges then travel across more revolving brushes. The bristles on these brushes are gentler than on the first group. They buff the skin of the fruit, and remove any residual dirt. Finally, the oranges fall off the conveyor line into a bin. Now cleaned, the oranges can be juiced with no contaminants that could spoil either the product or juicing machinery. As a final precaution, the juicing operator performs one last inspection. If she's completely satisfied with their cleanliness and general condition, she loads the oranges into the extractor. There's no need to slice them beforehand. She feeds them to the juicing machine whole. The system feeds the oranges one at a time to the extractor. The extractor punctures the fruit, and metal teeth peel away the skin. It squeezes out the juice while simultaneously filtering out the seeds and the membrane between the flesh of the orange and the skin. The juice flows into a vat. A screen in the vat filters the pulp to the desired consistency. There are different filters for different amounts of pulp. The juice is bottled in jugs. The plastic jugs will accommodate any expansion of the unpasteurized juice due to fermentation. Instead of pasteurizing this fresh-squeezed juice, it is chilled immediately. The unpasteurized orange juice won't have an extended shelf life, but the trade-off is an unaltered flavor and color. Refrigeration will preserve the juice for a few days-- and after all, fresh-squeezed orange juice is a drink that's best served cold. There's nothing more relaxing than sitting in a hot sauna. Our ancestors figured that out at least 1,000 years ago. Today, saunas are a substantial part of finnish culture, but they also have a long history in other parts of the world, especially in korea. When you live in a city, it's hard to find the space to fit a sauna. Luckily, this retractable indoor sauna solves the problem. The manufacturer uses high-strength laminates from sustainably sourced wood products. Laminate wood is not only strong, it's torsion-resistant, which is an important factor when you're constructing something that will undergo significant shifts in temperature. To cut the laminate, a craftsman uses a chop saw, which contains a computerized system that positions the fenced tolerances within a tenth of a millimeter. At the next station, the craftsman positions the laminate so that a cnc machine can drill end holes before assembling a pair of dowels. Meanwhile, another craftsman preps several wood components for assembly. After placing them on an edge, he fills a set of open holes with high-strength glue. He assembles the laminate by inserting dowels into openings and gently hammering everything into position. This part will form the framework for one of the highly engineered insulated panels. The framework is placed into a press that exerts a calibrated amount of pressure to every side. This steps ensures a solid and durable connection at all points. This is high-performance insulating material. Thanks to specialized engineering, it insulates more effectively than many other sauna materials. This material also allows the manufacturer to maintain the sleek design of the sauna system. With the insulation in place, a craftsman feeds the panels into a precision planer, to ensure the wood contains a uniform thickness. A technician begins a process called "frame-stability construction," this method adds a series of layers to each panel, including exterior sheathing, insulation material, a vapor barrier, and interior plywood paneling. These will add up to a thickness of only 30 millimeters, achieving a high-insulating value while remaining lightweight. A specialized adhesive is applied to attach each layer. Then, a customized press applies heat and pressure to bond all the layers securely together. After a quick inspection check, a technician carries the panels to a cnc milling machine, where they position it for trimming. The cnc machine gauges the dimensions of the panel, and runs a bit around the perimeter, trimming the edges to a uniform width at high speed. Once complete, the panels advance on conveyor belts. An automated machine uses an adhesive to add a veneer to the perimeter then, it applies heat and pressure to secure the bond. The process is known as "zero joints," because it covers up the panel's visible joinery. The machine can apply a range of different veneers, depending on customers' specifications. The control panel allows users to customize the temperature and duration of a sauna session. Customers can also choose from a variety of pre-installed programs. Two drive buttons control the extension and retraction of the sauna. To extend and retract, the manufacturer custom-made this track-wheel system, the system includes durable guides, self-lubricating components, and industrial-strength ball bearings. A craftsman carefully joins the structured wall, ceiling, and floor panels. Thanks to precision machining, they fit together perfectly, making it easy to assemble the parts wherever a customer wants their sauna. Then, the craftsman installs the heart of the sauna. The manufacturer has engineered this compact powerful heater with a specialized finish that makes the usual safety guard unnecessary. Retractable saunas-- for the most efficient sweat possible. After years of carving wood into lumber, sawmill blades eventually lose their cutting edge. So, craftsmen are salvaging the discarded carbon steel, and making them into knives for hunting and outdoor use. When it comes to sustainability, this is a new kind of cutting edge. What was once an old sawmill blade is now a sleek, new brush-cutting knife-- proof that the future doesn't have to be dull for discarded mill blades. A sawmill blade lasts 5 to 10 years. But when it jagged edges wear thin, it can't cut logs anymore. Luckily, the carbon steel can be salvaged. A computerized high-pressure water tool cuts into a stack of three sawmill blades. In doing so, it carves out numerous knife blade blanks. The computerized tool also cuts holes for the handles and a tab for attaching the knife sheath. Next, the blades are transferred to a vibratory tumbler. The tumbler is filled with triangular ceramic stones and a soapy solution. For several hours, the vibrating stones smooth and clean the blades. Once complete, a technician secures the blades in a fixture with screws. The screws hold the blades down flat, and lock them in position for the next step. This tool's spiral bit carves into the steel to shave small amounts from around the edges. This improves the shape of the knife and ensures that the knife handle will fit perfectly on the tang. The trimming also removes the lines left by the water-jet cutting. One of the blades is placed in a fixture that holds the knife with the cutting edge in an upward position. A technician ignites an automated torch. The torch follows the blade, exposing it to intense heat. The torch doesn't touch the blade's spine. This selective heat treatment hardens only the blade. An operator places the blade into a bucket of quenching oil. This rapid cooldown completes the hardening process. Next, the cutting edge is beveled, and the entire blade is coated with a thermoplastic polymer, which provides a hard finish and prevents rust. Then, the knives are transferred to a laser-emblazoning chamber. Another technician closes the chamber doors and activates the laser. The computerized laser etches the company logo, the knives' model number, and other information into the steel. At the next station, a technician moves a blade against and abrasive belt held in by a special fixture along a track. This angles the blade precisely to the abrasive belt to grind the cutting edge and complete the bevel. This brush-cutting blade is now almost razor-sharp. He sharpens the tip of the knife by gentling pressing it against another abrasive belt. Next, he applies an abrasive compound to a buffing wheel. He presses the cutting edge of the knife against the wheel, and the abrasive compound works its magic, honing the edge to its final sharpness. He presses threaded fittings into the tang of the knife. He installs them so that the fittings protrude from both sides of the tang. The fittings in the tang have been spaced to match holes in a handle. This handle is made of composite glass and resin. There are two parts, one for each side of the tang. Due to the precision prep work, the two parts fit together perfectly as one. Screws hold the handle parts together. He dips the tips in a thread-lock solution. When the thread-lock solution cures, it stabilizes the screws. With multiple thread-locked screws, the composite handle now has a solid handgrip. It's taken several hours to transform a blunt sawmill blade into a sharp brush-cutting knife. Through recycling, steel that lost its edge now has a new one.