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Barber’s Friction Casting

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Film Identifier: F.2004-02-0083
Run Time
0h 11m 32s
Format
16mm
Color
Color
Sound
Optical
Date Produced
1981
Abstract
Film about how castings are made for the suspension system of train trucks in order to provide a smoother ride through friction. The off-screen narrator walks the viewer through the manufacturing process of this specific casting, highlighting the numerous tests that are done to ensure that the product works properly.
Log
00:11 - Var. shots of freight trains passing in MS. Narrator talks about railroads and their utilization of equipment,then narrows topic to individual trucks and their suspension system. Title fades in over view of train, reading “Barber’s Friction Casting”. ZOOM IN to a CU of the undercarriage and suspension on a moving train. 00:51 - Man in MS wearing a hard hat. ZOOM IN on a casting as narrator explains the role that the casting plays and where it is located on the truck. CU of models of a suspension system without a casting and with, illustrating how a truck moves more smoothly when the casting creates friction. Var. CU of the casting in movement. 01:52 - SanCast factory in LS and MS. 02:00 - CU of a casting rotating with a black background. Narrator explains that it may seem simple but the casting needs a specific microstructure in order to control friction and wear. 2:15 - Var. LS, MS and CU of manufacturing process. Narrator explains that they are measuring the elements that will go into creating the casting. A man weighs metal in a scale, a large magnet moves scraps of metal into other bins as music plays. 03:00 - The bins of metal begin to be transferred to a furnace as part of the next step. Camera follows the arm of the machine that transfers the metal. Sparks fly as the metal is put into the furnace in MS and LS. Music plays. 03:33 - In a different part of the manufacturing floor, cores for the internal shape of the casting are made in var. CU and MS. Many views of the machines at work, and a nice view of various men working amongst the machines on their individual jobs. The narrator explains that the cores must be constantly monitored. 04:31 - Cut to a man in MLS using var. small testing machines in a separate room. It is completely quiet. 04:43 - Back on the floor, the molds are ready and so is the melted metal. LS of the machines that prepared both steps of the process. CU of sparking furnace, and var. CU and MS of a man removing samples of molten metal and pouring them into molds. Narrator explains that they must now test the composition of the iron. 05:28 - MS PAN of a lab room with an emission spectrometer. Narrator explains the tests they perform as a man uses the equipment. 05:48 - Var. views of the process of taking the melted metal from the furnace and pouring it into the large molds that contain the prepared cores. Music plays. Includes a CU of molten metal pouring and MS of molds moving along a conveyor belt. 07:12 - The narrator explains how the rate of cooling is important. MS PAN to a row of molds cooling, steam rising off of them. Var. CU, MS and MLS of the molds cooling. MS of the castings being removed from their molds and dumped onto a conveyor belt which takes them through a trommel. CU into the trommel as castings are shaken. Cut to a MS of them pouring out into a large bin. 08:10 - LS and MS of machine moving the completed castings onto another conveyor belt. Narrator explains that the job doesn’t end here and every casting is inpected by hand. Var. CU and MS of workers inspecting and grinding the castings. 09:18 - MCU of an individual casting, with var. ECU on markings that identify part numbers, dates and times which are used to identify lot numbers in case of a defect. 09:33 - Narrator explains how they take one casting of each lot for further testing. MS of man at microscope. CU of microscopic detail. Other tests include a drop test and wear test, both seen in MS and CU as people demonstrate them. 10:06-10:19 - Narrator begins to wrap up, speaking about when a product leaves the facilities. Var. shots of springs, machines and people at work. The film cuts off at this point in the middle of a sentence.
Main Credit
SanCast (corporate name)
Standard Car Truck Company (corporate name)
Behrend, Jack (is director)
Additional Credits
Behrend, Jack (is cinematographer)
Related Place
Coshocton (production location of)