♪♪
Narrator:
WHEN YOU'RE SITTING OUTDOORS
AND IT STARTS GETTING CHILLY,
YOU CAN SHIVER, PUT ON MORE
LAYERS OF CLOTHING,
OR PRESS A BUTTON
TO LET THE FURNITURE
YOU'RE SITTING ON
WARM YOU UP.
DESIGNED FOR USE
IN THE OUTDOORS,
AND IN COLDER INDOOR SPACES,
HEATED FURNITURE
IS A HOT NEW TREND.
THIS HEATED LOUNGE
IS HIP AND PRACTICAL.
DISCREET DRAIN HOLES PREVENT
RAIN WATER FROM PUDDLING,
AND THE EASY-TO-REACH
HEAT CONTROL KNOB
IS LOCATED UNDERNEATH THE SEAT.
BENCHES, MULTI-SEAT LOUNGES,
AND SINGLE CHAIRS
CAN ALL BE MADE INTO
HEATED FURNITURE.
THE FIRST STEP
IS TO COAT A FIBERGLASS MOLD
WITH A RELEASE AGENT.
ONCE A RUBBER INSERT IS GLUED
INTO THE DRAIN HOLE,
A TECHNICIAN MIXES
THE INGREDIENTS
FOR THE CASTING MATERIAL
TOGETHER.
INGREDIENTS INCLUDE PIGMENT
CONTAINING METAL OXIDES,
WHICH PREVENT COLOR FADING;
A CONCRETE MIX,
CONTAINING A BLEND OF FIBERS FOR
EXTRA STRENGTH AND RESISTANCE;
AND WATER CONTAINING
PROPRIETARY ADDITIVES.
THE INGREDIENTS ARE MIXED
TOGETHER FOR ABOUT 3 MINUTES
UNTIL THE CONCRETE IS THE
CONSISTENCY OF CAKE BATTER.
A THIN LAYERS IS SPRAYED ONTO
THE FIBERGLASS MOLD,
AND ANY RAISED AREAS ARE
FLATTENED TO REMOVE AIR BUBBLES.
THE CHAIR'S COLOR WILL NEVER RUB
OFF FOR PEEL,
BECAUSE THE PIGMENT IS MIXED
RIGHT INTO THE CONCRETE.
NEXT, TECHNICIANS ADD THE
HEATING ELEMENT --
A CABLE THAT IS WRAPPED AROUND
THE PIECE OF FURNITURE.
THE CABLE IS TACKED IN PLACE
WITH A SEPARATE MIX OF CONCRETE
THAT HAS A HIGHER FIBER CONTENT.
THE ENTIRE HEATING ELEMENT IS
EMBEDDED IN A FULL COAT
OF THE HIGH-FIBER CONCRETE.
THEN A FINISHING COAT OF THE
FIRST MIX IS APPLIED.
AND THE STRUCTURE
IS LEFT TO CURE
AT ROOM TEMPERATURE
FOR 24 HOURS.
NOW CURED,
THIS WHITE CHAIR
IS READY TO BE EXTRACTED.
A TECHNICIAN
PUMPS COMPRESSED AIR
THROUGH THE DRAIN-HOLE INSERT.
DUE TO THE RELEASE AGENT
APPLICATION,
THE CAST CHAIR EASILY
POPS OFF THE MOLD.
THE ROUGH EDGES ARE SMOOTHED
WITH A DIAMOND FILE.
THEN THE DRAIN-HOLE PLUG
IS REMOVED.
♪♪
AT ANOTHER STATION,
A TECHNICIAN COATS
THE ENTIRE SURFACE OF ANOTHER
CHAIR WITH A SEALANT
THAT BLOCKS MOISTURE.
MOISTURE PENETRATION
WEAKENS CONCRETE,
AND DRAWS OUT THE NATURAL SALT,
WHICH LEAVES WHITE STAINS.
MEANWHILE, A WELDER CONSTRUCTS
THE CHAIR'S FRAME,
WITH PARTS MADE OUT OF STAINLESS
STEEL TUBES AND PLATES.
THE CHAIR HAS THREE LEGS
PLUS CROSS MEMBERS
THAT ACT AS CONDUITS FOR
ELECTRICAL WIRES.
THE CROSS MEMBERS CONNECT TO A
STAINLESS STEEL BOX,
WHICH WILL HOUSE THE
TEMPERATURE-CONTROL UNIT.
♪♪
A TECHNICIAN
FILLS A CHANNEL
WITH ADHESIVE
ALONG THE PERIMETER.
HE PLACES THE FRAME
INTO THE CHANNEL.
THE ADHESIVE
WILL TAKE A DAY TO CURE.
NEXT, THE ELECTRICAL WIRING
IS ASSEMBLED.
THE TECHNICIAN FISHES TWO
ELECTRICAL WIRES
THROUGH THE FRAME,
ONE WIRE CONNECTS
THE POWER-CORD PLUG
TO THE TEMPERATURE CONTROL UNIT,
THE OTHER RUNS FROM THE
TEMPERATURE-CONTROL UNIT
TO THE
TEMPERATURE-CONTROL SWITCH.
HE GLUES THE SWITCH INTO A HOLE
IN THE RIGHT FRONT LEG.
ALL THE WIRES
ARE EMBEDDED IN RUBBER,
MAKING THEM WATERPROOF.
THE TEMPERATURE-CONTROL UNIT
IS INSTALLED IN THE BOX
AT THE CENTER OF THE FRAME.
THEN A TEMPERATURE SENSOR IS
INSTALLED UNDERNEATH THE SEAT.
THE TECHNICIAN HAMMERS PLASTIC
AND STAINLESS STEEL FEET
INTO THE BOTTOM OF THE LEGS.
THIS PREVENTS THE LEGS FROM
SCRATCHING THE FLOOR
AND LEVELS THE FURNITURE ON AN
UNEVEN SURFACE.
LASTLY, A BRONZE DRAIN IS
INSERTED INTO THE DRAIN HOLE.
A QUALITY-CONTROLLED HEAT TEST
MEASURES THE SURFACE TEMPERATURE
WITH AN INFRARED THERMOMETER.
IF ALL IS OPERATING CORRECTLY,
THE SENSOR UNDER THE SEAT
TELLS THE THERMOSTAT
AND THE TEMPERATURE-CONTROL UNIT
WHEN TO TURN THE HEAT ON OR OFF.
