Battle Factory | Manufacture of an F16, Battle Tank, Jaws of Life & More | FD Engineering

this time on Battle Factory a watch for wartime that lights up in the [Music] night a rescue tool that can Chomp its way through [Music] anything and a battle tank gets a makeover that makes it better than [Music] new battle Factory steps Beyond the front lines into top secret factories where combat gear is built for battle while they look like simple glass tubes they'll soon radiate enough light to tell the time in total darkness they call it the watch that won the war June 6th 1944 D-Day the Allied assault on German held Normandy was the biggest coordinated Land Air and sea invasion of all time over 150,000 troops had to move in perfect sync and to succeed every division on land sea and air had to synchronize their watches to 6:30 a.m. sharp in Vietnam night Maneuvers became standard military strategy soldiers needed to tell time and Pitch block creating the need for the luminescent watch face today the traser H3 watch has all the technology to keep up with the [Music] times the Tracer watch breaks down into the face the traser ring and the capillaries the capillaries are the watch's light source and they begin as a 1 cm glass tu tube they're heated and stretched until they're .5 mm in diameter these tubes or capillaries are cut to 60 cm lengths this military watch doesn't just glow in the dark the trium hands and indicators are charged by a chemical reaction that will glow day and night 24/7 for at least 10 years and it starts with tiny glass tubes next colored phosphorus powder is poured into the tubes and then checked under black light for even distribution different mixes of powder generate different colors green is the most popular because the human eye perceives it as brightest the capillaries now shine under black light but in order to make them glow in the true Darkness the powder is mixed with a minute amount of radi radioactive gas called tridium it's worth $30,000 a gam first the tubes are attached to a device that will distribute the tridium the glass tubes are flash frozen in order to better trap the gas then tridium gas is pumped into the Frozen capillaries and then heated to mix evenly with the phosphorus powder a chemical reaction between the tridium and the phosphorus is what gives the tubes luminescence then the ends are pinched and sealed shut the radioactive trium is now encapsulated in the glass making it completely risk-free for the wearer next the tubes are laser cut into small pieces that will fit easily onto the watch face the tiny light filed capsules are checked under a microscope for size shape and glow Factor a robotic arm then lines up the pieces perfectly onto pallets in preparation for assembly onto the watch face assembling the watch face starts by adding capillaries to what is called a traser ring a ring which displays every hour a robotic arm drops a glowing capillary into the hour indicators next a capillary is added to each of the watch's hands then the watch face and the traser ring are pressed together the watch hands are then carefully attached and the outer case is mounted on top of the face and traser ring finally the back plate is pressed on and squeezed shut the completed watch is then labeled with laser [Music] engraving the traser H3 isn't just a pretty face it's got to be deadly accurate under the most rigorous conditions so the watch is dipped in a solution of salt water that's the same concentration as human sweat it gets punched in the face dropped on the ground blasted with extreme temperatures and shaken up to make sure nothing comes loose if it's rugged enough to survive the test a band is strapped on the watch is tagged and the Tracer is good to go on the battlefield where every second counts keeping time means Staying Alive coming up on battle Factory a First Response tool that cuts out a path to safety and a complete overhaul puts this battle tank back in the [Music] battle [Music] each one of these handcrafted Precision cut pieces will come together to create a First Response tool capable of chewing through metal like a can [Music] opener at the scene of an accident a natural disaster or in the combat zone the jaws of life can cut through just about anything to gain access to a victim and pluck them from the jaws of death prior to the 1970s rescue efforts were performed using crowbars winches and circular saws which had the potential to send sparks flying into gas filled wrecks in addition the all needed power from an external Source today the jaws of life spreaders and Cutters are handheld and battery operated and weigh under 23 kilos the jaws of life cutter breaks down into the cutter the pump Body And the [Music] cylinder the cylinder starts as a length of solid aluminum which is cut down to 45 cm then the ends are ground to smooth out any sharp edges the cylinder is placed inside an automated lath first the end is turned and threaded then the center is boarded out next the cylinder is secured in a computer controlled cutting machine while the metal is showered with jets of anti-f friction liquid sections for the center are milled out and the area where the cutter will attach is carved the same process is repeated to produce the Piston which moves the heavy cutting blades or jaw the Pistons move in and out of the cylinder under hydraulic pressure to open and close the jars the Piston is fitted with O-rings then lubricated so it can slide into the cylinder without damaging the interior on September 12th 2001 one day after the tragic attacks on the Trade Center in New York two marines sifted through the rubble at Ground Zero and they heard cries for help using the jaws of life Rescuers were able to cut through concrete and metal girs and reach two Port Authority cops who were buried 30 ft Under The Concourse and pull them out alive next come the cutter blades which act more like a nutcracker than a pair of scissors in fact the blades only make a small initial cut into the metal then the sheer force of the Jaws actually fracture it like a stone and they have a force that can crack through almost 4 cm of solid steel special heat treated metal is used to ensure that the blades are tough enough to chew through concrete steel and brick next a steel pivot pin secures the blades together and a lock nut fastens them tight finally flexible rubber guards called blade boots keep keep the sharp end of the tool away from the operator's hands so it can be used safely the jaws of life are powered by a hydraulic pump which is housed in the pump body the pump body is fitted with an electric motor and a bladder filled with a liter of hydraulic oil the incredible force of the Cutters is achieved by pumping fluid under very high pressure into the cylinder the fluid forces the Piston up and opens the arms of the cutter the operator can then toggle the switch the other way and cause the Piston to retract which closes the arms the engine runs on a battery which is powerful enough to make 40 Cuts without replacement the pump engine is screwed onto the end of the cylinder which is then covered in a protective plastic case before they can be put put into the field the jaws of life undergo a series of tests the first test measures the Jaws Power by biting down hard on a pressure sensitive gauge if the Jaws don't bite down hard enough it doesn't leave the plant next the hydraulic pump is tested for leaks once it's fed ready final touches are added and it's packed up and shipped out the jaws of life's next assignment could be a car crash a rock slide a smoke filed Humvee or a building toppled by enemy mortar fire and it may have to cut through Twisted Metal or concrete walls but the goal is always the same get Rescuers in and victims out alive coming up on battle Factory an overhaul puts this tank back in fighting shape this tank is in for an overhaul and it's going to take 1,600 man hours several months and $1 million to get this battle tank back into fighting form and it's worth every penny on February 24th 1991 1 at the height of the Gulf War US tanks and armored vehicles raced East from Saudi Arabia into Iraq in a daring flank maneuver later nicknamed the Hail Mary the armored vehicle that would lead the attack was the Coalition forces heavy hitter the M1 Abrams tank the M1 Abrams tank is the US military's Top Gun since it rolled onto the battlefields in 1991 it's been the toughest fastest and smartest fighting machine on the ground after 5 to 10 years of service these $8 million tanks get Battle wary and it's cheaper to refurbish them than to purchase new ones and kitted with current technology and Innovative add-ons these rebuilt m1's will be better than new the M1 Abrams breaks down into the turret the engine and the hull weighing in at 62 tons each tank is shipped in by Rail and lifted off the track by a 40 m high crane it's towed into the factory and deconstruction can begin first the turret is Uncorked from the hall and hoisted onto a transport Dolly it will take 4 months alone to dismantle the tank down to its 12,000 parts some parts will be tossed some will be refurbished and some will be replaced with better quality components the complete overhaul will take 10 months next the 2300 kg tank tracks are removed rolled and carried off on a forklift the wheels and suspension are stripped off leaving the empty 37 ton Hull the hull is armored with a composite of ceramic and spent plutonium that can withstand the enemy's best shot in a tank battle the Abrams can dish it out and it can take it the hull is lifted onto a large Dolly which transports it to a massive Bay called a spinner hanger then the crane moves the hull into a vertical position next it's placed safely behind 10 m High 7 ton doors inside millions of tiny steel pellets are blasted at the rotating tank Hall stripping away old paint and corrosion in 90 minutes the hull surface has been scraped back to its original metal next certain spots in the hull are cut so the tank can be retrofit with upgraded computer and weapon systems next it's primed and painted with a durable military gr paint giving the tank another layer against the elements the M1 Abrams unique engine and transmission are called the power pack it combines a, 1500 horsepower turbojet engine with a six-speed hydrokinetic transmission the tank can accelerate from 0 to 30 kmph in 7 seconds and travel at speeds of up to 70 kmph the Abrams engine is versatile and will run on just about anything that will burn including gasoline jet fuel and even perfume the engine and transmission take 4 weeks to overhaul when they return from Battle they're coated with dirt and riddled with rust sand is the Nemesis of the power pack and in current theaters of operation sand is everywhere in February 1991 in the thick of Desert Storm a squadron of American M1 ABS battle tanks rolled towards Iraq the mission cut off the Iraqi threat to Kuwait and take down the Republican guard divisions near the Iraq Kuwait border the Americans were hoping for a surprise attack but they were spotted a squadron of hundreds of Iraqi tanks manned by the elite Republican guards geared up for what was to be a classic standoff coming up on battle Factory the M1 Abrams turns a blinding storm into a Hail Mary maneuver in the early hours of February 26 1991 American forces were headed for a Faceoff against the tank units of the Iraq Elite Republican guard the outcome of the Skirmish would play a deciding role in the success of the Iraq War the Americans offensive line was led by 36 M1 Abrams they had hoped to have the advantage of surprise but a slow Advance gave away their position then a sandstorm swept through the desert cutting off their air support and reducing visibility to zero they were on their own outgunned and heading into battle after 8 months of the rebuild the M1 Abrams is ready to be put back together it Hull has been stripped it's been repainted outfitted with armor and the engines have been rebuilt all of the Tank's Parts have been either retooled or replaced it's time to reassemble the six 68 ton giant then the tracks are laid out a drag line pulls the tracks over and they're wound onto the sprockets and road wheels then connectors are hammered in to hold the tracks in place the turret fits back onto the hull like a 21t cap into the refurbished ring it's a tough delicate operation lowering the heavyweight turret and a 6 met Cannon until it's perfectly aligned in a blinding Sandstorm US forces found themselves up against an unseen enemy but the M1 Abrams could turn this Desert Storm to their advantage equipped with revolutionary GPS systems they were able to navigate through zero visibility and pull a hail Mar flank move to sweep around the Iraqis who they' ided with thermal imaging and what when the sand cleared the Americans were right on top of the Republican guard they didn't stand a chance before returning to the battlefield the M1 Abrams has to survive the Proving Ground a series of rigorous tests designed to push the tank to its limits and assess every aspect of the rebuild failure here could mean casualties in the combat zone the tank tears through its Paces testing speed Target lock and turret rotation mobility and sharp angle climbs the M1 Abrams is battle ready after 10 months the refurbished tank is better than before maybe even better than when it came off the line the first time around the US Army plans to keep on refurbishing this model until 2040 by then there will be M1 Abrams that have served 50 50 years of active duty that are veterans of the last great tank battle of the 20th century this time on Battle Factory a non-lethal bullet that's targeted for training a ceremonial sword that still leads the charge and a supersonic dog fighter that does it [Music] all battle Factory steps beyond the front lines into top secret factories where combat gear is built for battle this chunk of carbon steel will be honed and hammered into a military icon that's as old as War itself used as the primary weapon in battle for over 5,000 years over time the sword became lighter sharper and even more deadly however by World War I fighting style had changed hand-to-hand combat was replaced by trench warfare and the Machine Gun the sword saw little action but 100 years later it still performs a ceremonial role symbolizing rank courage and honor today every British soldier who achieves the rank of officer has the privilege of wearing a sword this Workshop south of London is one of the last where Cavalry swords are handcrafted individually using techniques that are centuries old designed in 1912 the Cavalry sword breaks down into the handle the guard and the blade [Music] the blade begins as a Billet of raw carbon steel carbon has been used in making swords for over a thousand years it's ground into its basic shape and dipped into oil then a Groove called a fuller is ground into the flat side of the blade also known as a blood Groove the Fuller is designed to make the sword lighter and easier to pull out of the the target the blade is baked in an oven to harden the steel then it's cooled or quenched in oil the hardening process sometimes causes warping so in order to straighten it it is first heated with a blowtorch using a press that looks like it hasn't changed much in centuries the warps are pounded out of the blade then the blad Smith finishes the straightening with a hammer and an experienced [Music] eye the blade is then tested to make sure it's flexible enough to bend without breaking and it's truck against a rounded metal surface to make sure it can take the impact without [Music] cracking finally the blade is polished to a High mirror finish while the Cavalry sword was obsolete by World War II one eccentric Soldier British liutenant Colonel John Churchill maintained that any officer going into battle without his sword was improperly dressed and he became known for charging into battle wielding his sword his nickname became Mad [Music] Jack etching swords is an art that's been practiced without much change since the Middle Ages thick red paint fills the patterns in a steel mold then it's transferred onto paper this Cavalry sword is marked with a decorative pattern and the Royal Cipher the er2 stands for Queen Elizabeth II the paper is gently rubbed onto the blade and peeled off leaving behind the painted pattern the then the blade is dipped into an acid bath for 20 minutes the paint is acid resistant so when the sword is removed and rinsed the paint is scraped off leaving the ornate pattern etched in the blade this technique has been used for hundreds of [Music] years the Cavalry sword has an ornate guard that was originally designed to protect the swordsman's hand its basic shape is traced onto a metal sheet and cut then the pattern is silk screened on with paint and dipped in acid once the pattern has been etched on the guard is pounded into shape on a press then hammered home by hand the traditional wood handle is wrapped tightly in actual stingr gray skin a unique leather that's been used for centuries once it's glued and dried the skin is painted finally silver wire is wound into the handle grooves to give it a good solid grip Mad Jack the last Soldier to carry a sword in World War II was ordered in September of 1943 to capture a strategic German held Post in Salo Italy hopelessly at man Churchill crept through the base swooping in on unsuspecting soldiers and drawing his sword madjack captured 42 Nazi soldiers took the German post and earned himself a distinguished service [Music] order once all the components have been created the blade is locked onto a table Vie and the sword is assembled the guard and grip are slipped onto the blade and bolted on tight then the Pummel an ornate cap completes the sword the sword hasn't been relied upon in combat since the exploits of Mad Jack Churchill but it will forever remain a part of military dress and military history coming up on battle Factory this bullet won't kill you but it will make you stronger and a scrappy little dog fighter that's been Top Gun for 40 years these aluminum rods and plastic pellets will be molded and machined into simulated ammo that fires like the real [Music] thing when it comes to training options this is number one with a [Music] bullet Urban Warfare is a harsh reality of today's military theater adrenaline fueled operations that take the soldier directly into the enemy's house facing attack from behind doors and around corners by late in World War II Allied troops needed to train for urban Warfare in a real world setting so residents of the English Village of IM were asked to leave their homes so US troops could train for D-Day on their streets and in their houses in Clos quarter combat Panic fear and blind aggression are inevitable and the closer the soldier can get to the real thing the more effective the training will be right down to taking a [Music] bullet simulated ammunition is a cross between a bullet and a paintball it fires like real ammo it hurts it leaves a mark and it lets soldiers know with dead certainty if they've hit their target or become one the manm marker simulated ammunition breaks down into the components the cruciform Dome and the [Music] slide made from rods of aluminum the slide will house the component parts of the simulated slug the rods are dropped under a conveyor belt and turned on an automated multi- spindle lace which spits out 50 finish slides per minute every slide passes through a high-speed sensor which analyzes it for quality and measurement if it detects the tiniest Speck of debris or if the size is off by even 0.001% the entire back hatch is rejected then the slides are laser engraved with the production [Music] date the plastic Cru ofform Dome is the outer casing of the bullet first plastic pellets are put into a dryer then they're molded to form the little plastic domes that make up the tip of the simulated ammo this process outputs half a million domes every 24 hours once the components are completed they're conveyed to a robotic assembly line each of the bullet's 10 parts is dropped into individual Hoppers and then fed into the machine the slide is inserted with a projectile charge a firing pin ball and the rear power load then an inertia applicator ball is installed along with the marking compound that leaves its Telltale spot on the target finally the plastic cruciform Dome is capped on top they may be simulated but these bullets are fired from real guns so that soldiers can train on the same weapons they'll be carrying into combat after installing a conversion kit into the rifle's action the magazine loaded with simulated bullets is ready for testing on live targets the training ground is laid out for fishing short form for fighting in someone's house a firefight with simulated ammo gets to Soldier used to being shot at the projectiles break upon impact and leave a mark and there's no mistaking the feedback a red dot on your chest means you've been hit in 2013 the US Army built a 300 acre City to use as a facility for urban Warfare and house-to-house confrontations simulated ammunition plays a critical role in these scenarios and the way a soldier reacts to a simulated firefight could make the difference between walking out of that house and getting carried out coming up on battle Factory whatever the mission this lightweight Sky fighter earns its wings brain power and Firepower transform 8,000 kg of computer controlled Machinery into a legendary dog fighter with the best fight and flight record in the sky the F-16 known as the Fighting Falcon is equally effective in air-to-air combat and air to ground attack and at Mark 2 if you hear the F-16 coming it's already too late during the Vietnam war United States sustained dramatic losses the F4 Phantoms often struggled to take down the supposedly weaker Soviet Mig 21s at close range so a Maverick group of Engineers known as The Fighter Mafia was determined to design a lightweight maneuverable jet that could handle both air to aair and air to ground operations and in 1974 they pulled it off 40 years later the modern version of the fighter jet is still almost identical in shape and size the secret to its agility and speed is a Sleek compact fuselage the F-16 breaks down into the AFT the Center and wings and the [Music] forward the forward fuselage is the nerve center of the airplane and takes over 9 months to build it houses the cockpit gun trough fuel tank and the piloting and navigation systems that were a true Innovation when the F-16 first took to the air the forward fuselage starts as an aluminum shell in the electrical harnessing station over 70 km of wire are strung through the fuselage connecting the cockpit controls to navigational and weapon systems each wire is hung before install to allow it to stretch a wire that shrinks or recoils mid-flight could be catastrophic the F-16 is a fly by wire aircraft which means that the Pilot's commands are relayed electronically instead of employing the Hydraulics this decreases the number of moving Parts making the plane lighter and safer when it was first introduced in 1974 Pilots needed to get used to the feel of what they dubbed the electric jet once the wiring is complete the forward is transferred across the factory to a test Bay where every electronic and computer component will be analyzed to make sure the fly by wire system is functioning perfectly every control panel component is tested from radar display to the targeting and navigational systems they test the heads up display which projects navigational data and weapon status right onto the canopy glass a realworld computer interface that shows the pilot where he is and where to target his missiles then the bubble canopy is attached and tested it's made of high strength polycarbonate that gives the pilot a 360° view finally the forward is hoisted over to the flatbed and put aside for the mating process where it will be joined to the center and half sections of the plane since the 70s the F-16 has always been known as the Fighting Falcon but it Sleek compact forward fuselage earned the plane a new nickname the Viper because of Daring Miss like in May of 2011 involving aggressive diving quick strafing fire and deadly use of missiles the bird became a [Music] snake the center fuselage houses the landing gear the inflight refueling system and the wings the center starts as a barrel shape panels are screwed onto the frame to keep the structure together next bul heads that act like ribbing are built around the barrel these will allow room to house the fueling system the electrical wiring and make space to attach the landing gear a metal skin is attached to the outside of the structure the aluminum skin is made to be subjected to the extreme temperatures and stress caused by flying at supersonic speeds and at altitudes up to 15 km in the air once complete it's set aside to to wait for mating the AFT fuselage houses the exhaust port and the small fins and wings that help to steer and stabilize the [Music] plane once all the pieces of the fuselage are completed they're transported to another hanger to be assembled on a mission in Afghanistan high above the desert floor F-16 pilot Major John calwell spotted a small unit of us and Coalition special forces being ambushed by almost 100 Afghan insurgents he decided to take them on he armed his f-16's Gatling gun and braced himself for the fight of his life coming up on battle Factory the f-16's exploits earn the Fighting Falcon its nickname while on a routine Patrol F-16 pilot Major John Caldwell caught an ambush in progress a small Special Forces team had been attacked by an Insurgent cell and were fighting for their lives calwell swooped in and laid down strafing fire with his aircraft's 20 mm gun to create distance between the insurgents and Special Forces Squad then he pulled his aircraft up came back around and dropped a satellite guided bomb on the attackers neutralizing the ambush Caldwell was awarded a distinguished flying cross the Fighting Falcon lives up to its nickname the [Music] Viper in The Mating station the completed pieces of the aircraft's fuselage are dropped into a fixture to be joined together it's a precise and painstaking operation next the tricycle landing gear and vertical stabilizers are installed the fuselage is hoisted onto a ceiling mounted Crane and the horizontal stabilizers and wings are installed the rayome or nose of the aircraft houses the F-16 state-of-the-art radar system which detects Standard Environmental elements like wind and air [Music] speed the F-16 is powered by a turbofan engine which can accelerate the aircraft to more than twice the speed of sound or over 2200 kmph the f-16's smart modular design means that the engine can be removed serviced and replaced easily in any Airfield in the [Music] world once it's assembled the F16 is transported to an environmentally controlled paint hanger the temperature is kept at exactly 23.9 de C and the air is filtered of debris which can cause millions of dollars worth of engine damage the classified paint formula contains rubber which masks the aircraft's heat signature and reduces radar detection once it's painted the F-16 is ready to hit the runway and take to the air since its initial production in the 1970s over 4,500 f-16s have been produced for 28 different nations for 40 years the skyscrapper has proven to be the best fighter in and Beyond its weight class defending its reputation as the dog fighter that does it all the F-16 is never coming down [Music] w

Channel: Free Documentary - Engineering

Views: 183,153

Keywords: free documentary, free documentary engineering, engineering, engineering documentary, tech, tech documentary, constructions, constructions documentary, technology documentary

Id: NhDzTMhNvpE

Length: 41min 44sec (2504 seconds)

Published: Fri Jan 05 2024