Chapters from this episode
Now Playing
Now Playing
Clip Transcript For:
Pella Window Factory Tour
computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate
" The extrusion will arrive here by a truckload, and the 1st thing we have to do is drain it, which is being done here."
" Okay."
" Just load it on to the [unk] conveyor where it's painted and then with primer and the top coat as they've done to a hard trimming."
" Okay. So that when it comes out with this end over here, it's all ready to go into the manufacturing process."
" That's right. It's ready to go."
" Now, are they all white?"
" No. This is what it's being painted right now, but we offer any colors that an architect might try they would like to have."
" Good. Well, I'd like to see how you make a circle head."
" Okay. Okay."
" In the circle head assembly process begins right back here, Bob. This is where the wood and the metal come together. 1st, we use adhesive, what we call a Rubber Wood."
" Rubber Wood?"
" Yeah."
" It looks like [unk] to me."
" Well, what it is, is a piece of veneer that has small blocks screwed onto the back of it so that we can bend it into any shape that we want."
" That's why you make sure of the circle."
" That's how we do it. Then along with this, we'll free some extrusion right here, which becomes the exterior surface."
" That's aluminum that's been extruded into that shape, right?"
" That's correct. Our aluminum [unk]. That is put on there and then bend under the proper-sized unit."
" This port comes in any color you want, right?"
" Any color that you want."
" How do you bend the aluminum and the wood together?"
" Oh, Jim is doing that right over here. Let's take a look."
" Alright. You're making big circular ones, right?"
" That's correct."
" Oh, look at that. Now what's the white stuff there we're looking at?"
" Well, what that is for is just to protect that [unk] while it's being bent."
" Okay."
" So it doesn't become [unk] to form at all during this process."
" Yeah. And so what really keeps the bend is the metal extrusion, right?"
" That's right. The wood is flexible on our fit. It will perform whatever shape the metal is holding."
" Sure. And there you go. He's bend the circle head."
" That's right."
" That's impressive. What's the next step?"
" Well, the next thing that we have to do is cut it to length. Now this is where we cut our heads to length. We measure our length, then we cut the wood and the [unk] at the same side."
" The [unk] is gonna get through the aluminum and the wood at once."
" That's correct. We cut them on a miter jaw. It's actually about a 4312-degree angle."
" That's extreme. It's got [unk] all the way through with 1 step. Next operation is where we actually assemble the head sill so it becomes a unit."
" Alright."
" You just cut all the sill as well, right?-That's correct. We will cut this sill over on the saw at the same time that you set up on the head."
" Yeah."
" We'll take 3 screws and put 3 to wood, and then 1 that goes through the [unk]."
" into the corner."
" Yup."
" The glass is laid in. after the glass is laid in then we put the anterior [unk], which is down over here. As you can see, we used segmented stops."
" These are not laminated. These are cooly set out of it."
" That is correct. So is our square pieces of [unk]."
" And you can just trim them down."
" It's random down. Each unit is."
" Oh, you just take them down on a belt fender."
" Yeah. Yeah."
" Stops and every unit are fit through that unit so as to ensure a good tight screw."
" Good and tight. And then where do you get---- Do you nail them down or glue them down or what?"
" No. The next step is over here and we pull those stops in. That's done from the exterior. We drill a hole."
" Yeah."
" And then drill them for the screw in so that the anterior purpose is they will stop to be clear on marked surface."
" You won't see any kind of nail passing through them."
" No screw heads. No nail heads or anything."
" Beautiful. Now, how can you ensure that the weather is not gonna get through this unit?"
" Well, we do a lot of testing to our units."
" Can we view the testing [unk]."
" Certainly. No problem."
" What have we got here?"
" Well, this is our air and water infiltration test wall. We can simulate rain conditions that are up to 24 inches an hour of rain and winds are up to 200 miles an hour."
" That's a hurricane and a typhoon all put together, right?"
" No. They're certainly strong storm conditions."
" Unbelievable."