"[narrator] A new breed of super machines is evolving." "Bigger, faster, smarter, built to tackle near-impossible feats." "Among them: a mighty mega digger." "It'samazinghowtough these machines are." "[narrator] It literally moves mountains to unearth precious copper and do what no normal digger can..." "Welosetime,welose money." "[narrator]...hit a quota" "$18 million every month." "We'll blow this beast apart to discover technological secrets that overcome the impossible, from precision gears that swing 560 tons of metal to a toughened cab strong enough to deflect deadly boulders." "We'll reveal how this extraordinary mega digger evolved to rise above all other machines." "North of Washington State, in the Canadian wilderness, lies Copper Mountain Mine." "Here, crews work around the clock..." "Attention,allmine personnel, we have a blast in progress." "[narrator]...to free around" "$16 billion worth of copper trapped in some of North" "America's hardest granite." "Radiosilencemustbe maintained during the blast." "[narrator] Global demand for copper is booming." "It's used in everything, from our computers to vehicles and power networks." "Copper Mountain must supply factories in Japan with" "$18 million worth of copper every month." "To hit this target, the mine must run 24/7 in all conditions." "It's a relentless and daunting task." "A challenge this big..." "OK." "Goodmorning,guys." "[narrator]...needs an elite crew of tough miners." "We'llgoahead and get started." "[narrator] In charge is 14-year mining veteran and shift supervisor Matt Wells." "Wemighttouchonsome  high-grade later on today." "If that does happen we'll make sure that gets to the stockpile across from the crusher." "[narrator] To meet the delivery target, Matt's shift must scoop" "80,000 tons of copper ore in four days." "Shovel1 ,12,14 ,16 , 19, 20 and 21... [narrator] They must make the deadline to secure this month's profits and keep the mine running." "Havea safeday and I'll see you out there." "[narrator] Digging the huge volume of ore needed to hit the copper delivery needs huge machines." "So Copper Mountain" "Mine has two supersized hydraulic shovels for scooping rock." "30-foot tall, 830-ton mega diggers." "(honking)" "Built from almost 40,000 components, their hydraulic arms are as long as a school bus and can lift 83 tons of rock in one go." "Hardened steel tracks let these monsters glide over treacherous terrain." "Motors each the size of a car burn up the electricity of a whole town." "These titanic machines are the kings of earthmovers." "The operators running Copper" "Mountain's two mega diggers must be the best of the best." "Pete Hartinger was born into a family of miners." "He's worked at the mine for over 3 years and earned a reputation as a star digger operator." "There'sribbingthatgoes on in any workplace." "These guys are going to be calling me" "Hollywood." "Just don't even start, Chris!" "You'reHollywood,man!" "WhatdidItellyou?" "What did I tell you?" "I'mjustgonnacallhim" "Hollywood." "Thisiswherethe money is to be made." "[narrator] Pete needs to live up to his nickname this shift." "Alright!" "Let'sgetgoing." "[narrator] He's got just four days to shovel his 27,000-ton quota of copper ore into a fleet of waiting dump trucks." "Itistimetogetdigging." "Time to do what we came here to do." "We are up here, literally moving an entire mountain." "Dig it out of the face, dump it into a truck." "[narrator] The dump trucks continually feed the ore into a mighty crusher." "A conveyor shuttles the smashed rock to the mill, which turns it into copper." "The metal is hauled to the port of Vancouver, where it's loaded onto a ship bound for Japan." "The critical ore is buried under thousands of tons of waste rock." "Oh!" "[narrator] Pete's first challenge: scoop the junk out of the way." "Aboutfiveloadsof everything we move would be waste rock for one load of ore, which is the pay dirt, and that's what makes the money." "[narrator] It would take a regular excavator upwards of" "30 minutes to fill just one of the mine's massive dump trucks, but the mega digger's bucket is specially designed to scoop huge volumes of rock in record time." "Made from hardened steel, it's big enough to hold a Hummer and can rip out 83 tons of rock in a single sweep." "A brutally effective design borrowed from Nature's mightiest digger: the mole." "Evolution dealt it an amazing hand: a wrist bone has transformed into an extra claw, giving the paws supreme digging power." "With such formidable tools, the mole can tunnel 300 times its body length in a single night." "The mega digger supersizes the mole's paw." "It also has six claws, only 250 times bigger." "Harder than tank armour, this bucket fills a monster mine truck in just three loads." "Thebattlebetweenthe bucket and the rock is a relentless struggle." "Done correctly, the bucket wins every time." "[narrator] Pete's now halfway through his first 12-hour shift." "His mega digger is still track-deep in waste." "Pete must clear it and uncover the valuable copper ore by the end of the day." "24hoursaday ,7days  a week, 365 days a year, this machine has to be on its A game." "We're digging in the crust of the earth here." "This entire mountain is one solid piece of granite." "[narrator] In one shift, Pete will smash his bucket through the rock up to 1,500 times." "Anddrivingit intothe bank with 250,000 pounds of force puts a lot of torque and stress and strain on that bucket." "[narrator] If the bucket breaks, the mega digger will have to shutdown for repairs and waste critical digging time." "So the machine comes with extra protection to withstand the punishment... hundreds of steel strips called "wear pads" that provide a thick layer of armour." "They form deep ridges that trap tumbling rocks and literally save the shovel's skin." "It'samazinghowoutright tough these machines are, the torture they can stand up to." "[narrator] Pete clears away the last of the worthless waste rock." "But as the clock continues to tick, a new challenge now stands in the way." "The mine's other mega digger must drive through thick mud..." "We'llberightthere,Jordy." "[narrator]...to escape a mine blast." "Wedon'tallowany personto be within that exclusion zone." "Because even being hit by a small rock can be dangerous, but a large rock can be fatal." "[narrator] A slip up here..." "We'regoingto havetostart going to your left a little bit." "[narrator]...could critically damage the massive machine and put the deadline out of reach.r," "Canada." "Mega digger operator" "Pete has just three days to scoop 27,000 tons of ore to feed the mine's mill... so it can produce $18 million worth of copper for export to Japan." "Rightnow,theonlything that matters is filling that ship." "It always matters, but right now, it's quite critical." "[narrator] Shift supervisor Matt must move the ore as fast as possible." "The mine's profits and the jobs of its 360 workers depend on it." "There'sa lotof setbacks in this business." "Unfortunately, in operations of these sizes, it costs an astronomical amount of money." "[narrator] If Copper Mountain doesn't make its monthly deliveries, everyone knows history could repeat itself." "In 1996, the mine shutdown after the previous owners failed to turn a profit." "250 miners lost their jobs." "It reopened in 2011, after a $438 million investment." "Today, the mine is under constant pressure to deliver returns." "Wehaveto workasa team and get these deadlines met because yeah, failure is not an option." "We must meet these deadlines in order to make money." "Go ahead, this is Matt." "[narrator] But making the deadline is a huge challenge." "Matt must continually find and uncover fresh deposits of copper ore for the operation to stay on schedule." "He calls in blasting supervisor Doug Johnston." "I'vealwayshadafascination a little bit with things that go bang, such as firecrackers and stuff." "But I didn't realize that I would end up having a full-time career in it." "[narrator] Doug's team opens up new copper deposits by blowing the rock apart with almost" "110 tons of explosives." "But before the blast, all machines and personnel must move outside a 500-yard exclusion zone." "Wedon'tallowany personnel other than the blasting crew that's specifically there to detonate the blast to be within that exclusion zone." "Because being hit even by a small rock can be dangerous, but a large rock can be fatal." "[narrator] Copper Mountain runs two mega diggers." "The one inside the exclusion zone is driven by" "Tanya Syrota." "She's been digging at the mine for more than 3 years, and is one of its best operators." "Alright,herewe go !" "[narrator] Her challenge is moving her machine from the exclusion zone to safe area on the other side of the pit." "It'sa largemachinesoit's  not really meant to be walking a long distance." "It's sort of meant to be in one spot digging for a long time." "So you kind of stay in one spot, dig, and then, when you have to move, you move." "OK." "We'regoingtohave  to start going to your left a little bit." "[narrator] The ground is very uneven." "If Tanya's mega digger bogs down, Matt will have to haul it free with bulldozers, eating up critical digging time." "Shovel2 Tanya?" "Hello,Matt." "OK,walkahead." "OK,willdo ,Matt." "[narrator] But this mega digger has secret weapons to tackle the soft ground." "Two gigantic tracks spread the digger's weight so its pressure on the ground is half that of a pushbike." "Each one is made up of 50 steel pads." "Together, they help the mega digger glide over rough terrain." "They work just like the ankle of a natural acrobat." "The clouded leopard has amazing paws." "Their flexible pads adapt their shape to give ultimate grip." "The ankle can also rotate backwards to make impossible climbing possible." "The digger's feet are just as flexible." "Their articulated joints let them rock side to side." "They should adapt to soft terrain and get 830 tons of digger away from the blast zone - safely." "It'sgoinggood." "It'sgoing fairly smooth." "We've got our ground guys working hard here." "We should be there in just a few minutes." "[narrator] Tanya's mega digger is 50 yards from safety." "But up ahead lies another big obstacle: potholes hidden in the uneven ground." "Waita minute,youguys!" "Woah, woah, woah!" "We'llberightthere,Jordy." "[narrator] If the mega digger slides into a hole, there's a danger its tracks will be damaged." "Theycouldpotentiallybreak or snap, or you could lose a track pad." "Or the shaft breaking in half, drive motor seizing up." "You'd pretty much be stuck right where you sit until they come and fix it." "[narrator] Matt would have no option but to delay the blast until the machine is repaired." "Tanya must put her faith in an ingenious system that keeps the mega digger's tracks firmly attached." "Hidden in the undercarriage is a track-saving device." "Two hydraulic pistons push against each idler wheel with almost twice the pressure of a car crusher." "They keep the tracks firmly braced against the chassis and stop them from slipping off." "Alright." "Wherewouldyou like me to park?" "Justpulloffthe facethere and we'll just set the bucket down, and that'll be good." "OK,willdo ,Matt." "[narrator] Tanya and her mega digger make it to the safe zone in one piece." "Doug makes final checks to the explosives." "SoI thinknow,whatweneed to do is just move back to a safe location." "We'll view the blast." "It's a fun thing to do." "I expect a good show." "Attention,allmine personnel." "We have a blast in progress." "Radio silence must be maintained during the blast." "[narrator] 470,000 tons of ore and rock is about to be blown sky high." "5,4 ,3 ,2 ,1 ..." "Preparing to fire the blast." "[narrator] The miners at Copper" "Mountain, Canada, are racing the clock." "They have just three days left to deliver a shipment of copper to Vancouver." "Attention,allmine personnel." "We have a blast in progress." "[narrator] Turning a profit and keeping the mine open rests on blowing apart new deposits of ore." "Radiosilencemustbe maintained during the blast." "5, 4, 3, 2, 1..." "Preparing to fire the blast." "(explosion)" "There it goes." "[narrator] The blast frees-up 470,000 tons of copper-rich rock." "Time is now critical." "Shift supervisor Matt must get the ore out of the pit and to the mill to stand a chance of making the shipment deadline." "Weneedto meetthose deadlines and we're not quite there." "The pressure's definitely on." "[narrator] Mega digger operator" "Pete gets to work." "His challenge: shovel up 25,000 tons of the highest-grade ore." "And he's got just 72 hours to do it." "Ourprimarycrusheris a hungry bear." "And it's constantly needing feed." "[narrator] Pete must rely on his mega digger's muscles to lift this huge weight of rock." "Under the hood are two 2,000-HP electric motors." "They drive pumps that move the boom and bucket using the power of liquid." "An idea that was at the heart of London's Tower Bridge." "Deep in its bowels, two huge steam engines slowly pushed two gigantic weights 17 feet into the air." "When dropped, they forced water at pressure through a pipe that drove a gear system which could raise the bridge's 1,300-ton decks in only 60 seconds." "Pound for pound, the mega digger is even more powerful." "Its electric motors drive eight pumps spinning at 1,400 rpm." "They force fluid through the mega digger's arteries, at a pressure 2,000 times greater than the human bloodstream." "The high-pressure fluid moves huge pistons to push and pull the massive arm and bucket with ease." "Thehydraulicsystemis really the heart and soul of this machine." "I can pick up in one cycle four times what a crew of miners could do in one day a 100 years ago." "It's a remarkable feat of technology to be able to do that." "[narrator] Pete and his mega digger are halfway through their second day on shift." "They still have 22,000 tons of ore to shovel and their task has just got twice as tough." "Lightly-coloured seams of worthless rock crisscross the mine." "Pete must only scoop the darker rock, containing ore, and avoid the lighter rock." "Wewantthebestquality of ore going to the crusher." "And that's our main objective:" "is to make sure that crusher's fed and make some money at the end of the day." "[narrator] Completing this challenge now rests on Pete, precisely controlling the mega digger's bucket to separate ore from worthless waste." "Right in the heart of the machine... is a group of 16 valves." "They control the flow of hydraulic fluid with extreme accuracy to move the 16-foot pistons on the arm with inch-perfect precision." "This way, Pete can put 77 tons of bucket exactly where he wants it." "Iusethebuckettoreach  out and grab onto something or scoop something up, the same way" "I would use my hand at home to reach out and grab onto something." "So in that sense, it is just like an extension of myself." "[narrator] Two days into their shift, Pete and his mega digger must still shovel 20,000 tons of ore to meet the mine's shipment target." "But dangers lie ahead." "I'vegotmorebig boulders in front of me here." "[narrator] Killer rocks threaten to fall at any minute." "If they hit the mega digger, they could damage the machine." "Thatisgoingtofall down ." "And if I don't get it, it's going to hurt something." "[narrator] At Copper Mountain" "Mine, Canada, Pete and his mega digger have 48 hours to scoop" "20,000 tons of ore to make enough copper to ship to Japan." "Thedeadlinesgetalittle more pressurized as the week goes on." "This week, we're behind, so there's a little more pressure." "[narrator] This job brings constant danger." "Pete sits directly under an unstable rock face." "WheneverI 'mworkingnear a high wall there's always a potential for material to come down on me or near me." "Rocks tend to slide down the bank and bang into each other." "They shatter and go flying off, making airborne projectiles that go everywhere." "Showers of fast-moving rock smashing through the cab's glass risks injury, even death." "Pete's first layer of defence is at the front of his cab:" "a sheet of glass 3/4 of an inch thick." "It's bomb proof, thanks to lessons learned in the trenches." "In World War I, gas masks saved lives." "But glass eyepieces made them vulnerable." "That was until an American engineer inserted eyepieces with two layers of glass and plastic in-between that survived the heat of battle." "A hundred years later, this glass sandwich still shields Pete from shrapnel." "Three sheets of hardened glass take the impact... and two layers of plastic stop it from breaking into lethal shards, even when Pete is under attack." "I'vebeenhitbyobjects maybe a little larger than my hard hat, that type of thing." "They haven't entered the cab." "The windscreens have always stopped them." "[narrator] Super tough glass protects Pete from small, fast moving rocks." "But now, a bigger threat looms right above his head: a huge boulder balanced on top of the rock face." "I'vegotmorebig bouldersup in front of me here." "I have to be careful, because I got hit by one." "It knocks the hell out of you and it damages the machine." "As fast as they want me to load things, they'll be really upset if I break something." "That is going to fall down." "And if I don't get it, we'll have our back to it, with the bucket out there, and it's going to hurt something." "[narrator] The rock could smash into the mega digger's cab and threaten Pete's life." "Fortunately, Pete's cab is almost indestructible." "Nearly 2,000 pounds of steel plate over a cage of strengthened tubes." "They create a wall of steel that can take a hit from a 500-pound boulder." "Sorry,I 'mjustwatchingthat boulder because I think it wants to move when I'm not there to catch it." "There it goes." "That's why they give me a big bucket." "It's like a big goaltender sometimes, you know." "[narrator] Pete's winning the battle against the rock." "He and his mega digger have one day left to shovel the remaining" "11,000 tons of ore needed to make the shipment target." "But there's trouble at the mill:" "the copper ore it's receiving is low quality." "Metallurgist Mike Westendorf needs higher-grade ore to stand any chance of making the shipment deadline." "Sorightnow,wehave about 80% of the concentrate produced which we need for the boat." "To get that last 20%, we'll be talking with the pit to rearrange their equipment to get us some higher-grade ore coming through the mill." "Hello,pitshifterMatt?" "Yeah,goahead,Mike." "Yeah,we'reseeingour head grade start to drop a little bit here." "Is there anything you guys can do on your side to help us out?" "Yeah,that'sno problem," "Mike." "We'll check it out for you and get back to you." "Thanksa lot." "[narrator] Shift supervisor Matt needs Pete and his mega digger to scoop the highest-grade ore they've got." "Shovel1 Pete?" "Goahead,Matt." "Yeah,Pete,canIgetyou to just step over to your left and we'll get into a straight run of ore." "And I'll send you another truck." "Yeah,I 'llmoveoverright away." "Can you make it 2 trucks?" "Yeah,we'llseewhatwecan do." "We're under some pressure here." "Alright,copy." "[narrator] Now into the last 12 hours of his shift, Pete must pull out all the stops." "But mechanical problems threaten to put his mega digger out of action..." "Withouttheswingsystem, we don't go nowhere." "[narrator]...and destroy the team's hopes of making the shipment deadline." "[narrator] At Copper Mountain" "Mine, Canada, Pete and his mega digger have one shift left to shovel 11,000 tons of ore and make the copper shipment leaving Vancouver." "AndI 'mactuallyfeeling the pressure from that right now because I can tell it's not moving anywhere near fast enough." "[narrator] The mega digger's next challenge is: swing back and forth between the rock face and dump trucks nonstop for the next 12 hours." "But 560 tons of metal in constant motion puts a huge strain on the machine." "Wehavean undercarriage underneath of us and a super structure that sits on top, rotating back and forth, rubbing and grinding on the undercarriage that is sitting still." "A lot of moving parts." "There's a lot of friction." "[narrator] Pete relies on the mega digger's ingenious design to prevent breakdowns." "Where the superstructure meets the machine's undercarriage is the ultimate wear-prevention device." "A 45-foot slew ring filled with steel rollers." "Its origins lie in an invention that revolutionized timekeeping." "An 18th-century British clockmaker invented a cage filled with tiny metal rollers." "It cut friction in the swing mechanism to almost zero and made his clocks some of the most accurate in the world." "The mega digger supersizes this idea." "Its upper body turns on the slew ring's 500 manganese chromite steel rollers." "Each one can bear 2 tons of weight, reducing friction to keep the mega digger swinging all shift long." "Theswingsystemisa  critical component of the machine." "Without swinging, we don't go nowhere." "[narrator] The super-tough swing system was born almost 5,000 miles away at the mega digger factory in Dusseldorf, Germany." "Here, engineers fit giant slew rings to mega digger superstructures in a delicate operation." "Soit'squiteacomplicated piece of equipment." "[narrator] The team must ensure both parts join perfectly to guarantee the system will work." "Ithasto be aligned very precisely, because during the production process, very heavy loads will bear on the slew ring." "During regular working operation, it has to carry" "570 tonnes of weight." "That's about two jumbo jets stacked on top of the slew ring." "[narrator] It takes dozens of skilled engineers nine months to build just one brand new mega digger." "Accuracy is critical." "One mistake in construction risks a breakdown while digging." "We'vepre-drilled154holes in the slew ring and 154 holes in the superstructure, so now we can see if we did work correctly." "Yeah, bolt sticks, perfect." "Our crane operators did a good job." "And then, just 153 more to go." "[narrator] The engineers' precision is now helping Pete's mega digger inch closer to the shipment target." "The deadline is just six hours away." "Their final task: shovel the last 5,500 tons of ore the mill needs as fast as possible." "It'salwaysimportant to work fast and efficiently, whether the bosses are watching or the bosses aren't watching." "I don't wanna be the one to drop the ball." "[narrator] The mega digger must cycle between rock face and dump truck in under 30 seconds." "Beating the deadline now rests on raw speed." "Between the superstructure and undercarriage are three hydraulic motors, each the weight of an SUV." "Inside them, hydraulic fluid moves seven pistons, pushing with a combined power greater than a sports car." "Each one locks into the slew ring." "They spin the 560-ton superstructure through a full turn in 22 seconds and stop it on a dime." "It'sremarkable." "Usinglittle more than fingertip controls puts the machine in motion and stops the machine from being in motion as readily and easily as you switch channels on a television set." "[narrator] Thanks to the mega digger's speed, Pete stands a fighting chance of making the delivery deadline." "But shift supervisor Matt has bad news." "Shovel1 Pete." "Yeah." "Goahead,Matt." "Ijustgotwordfrom the office." "They're going to have to take the shovel down for about an hour for some maintenance." "Copythat." "[narrator] The teeth of the mega digger's bucket are badly worn." "Theteetharewornouthere." "It's time to get rid of the old and put on some new ones." "A little dental work as we call it here in the mining industry." "[narrator] The maintenance crew has just 10 minutes to get the job done." "At the same time, electricians must extend the mega digger's power cable so it has enough slack for the machine to reach fresh ore." "Howarewe makingout ?" "Almostdone." "Justaboutdone?" "Yeah." "Excellent!" "Fantasticjob, gentlemen." "[narrator] The crew finishes the tooth replacement." "But something's wrong." "The mega digger has no power." "Anelectricalcrewwas adding an extension to the power cable." "And they've hit a bit of a snag, so we're a little bit behind now." "Nearly half an hour behind." "[narrator] No power cable means no digging." "The mill is still short of the ore it needs to make the $18 million shipment." "Making the deadline now rests on getting the mega digger back up and running." "Fast!" "Everyminutecounts." "We need to be on top of it and do the best we can to eliminate this downtime, because it's costing us for sure." "[narrator] Digging has ground to a halt at Copper Mountain Mine," "Canada." "There's just two hours left to shovel the ore needed to make the shipment of copper leaving Vancouver." "Operator Pete has been waiting 30 minutes for electricians to reconnect his mega digger to its power supply." "Halfanhourdoesn'tsound like a lot of time, but it translates into 10 or 12 truckloads." "And we normally only get about 10 hours operating time in a day, so half an hour is about 5% of our operating time gone." "[narrator] Fully-laden trucks are already leaving the mine bound for the coast." "The clock is ticking." "The mega digger must get back up and running to stand any chance of making the" "$18 million copper delivery." "Shift supervisor Matt is feeling the pressure." "Rightnow,we 'rewaiting." "We're well past our allotted time now, so a little frustrated." "Because if our equipment isn't running, we're not making money." "[narrator] 45 minutes late, electricians finally hook-up the mega digger." "Mypower'son ." "We 'refinally going to get going here." "Happy now." "For now." "[narrator] Pete dashes for the finish line." "OK." "I 'moperatingaway." "Doing my thing." "[narrator] A steady stream of trucks continues to leave the mill." "Pete loads the last of his ore." "The mill processes it into copper." "And the last truck bound for" "Vancouver leaves fully laden." "Matt's team has done all it can." "Shovel1 Pete." "Yeah,goahead,Matt." "Pete,goodefforttoday." "I think we're going to make the quota." "Good job!" "[narrator] The last trucks arrive at the port of Vancouver." "They dump the copper onto conveyors that load it aboard the waiting ship ready to set sail for Japan." "Copper Mountain has made the deadline!" "The mine's mega diggers beat some of North America's toughest granite and a gruelling schedule to deliver $18 million of copper and keep the mine running for another month." "Veryhappy." "Alwayshappywhen  we're making money." "We had some problems." "It was a tough week." "A lot of equipment downtime, a couple of incidents." "I go home for four days, put my feet up, relax, play with my kids, and we'll be back for another four." "[narrator] Copper Mountain's star digger operator heads for some much needed RR." "Drivesafe,Matt." "Have a good weekend." "Thanks,Pete!" "Youtoo ." "I'm coming back in four days' time." "This time, it'll be night shifts." "We'll do it all again." "The same pressures, the same targets, the same challenges." "I'll be back at it." "This mine runs 24/7, 365." "It doesn't take a day off ever." "[narrator] There's no rest for Pete's mega digger." "It's still working, shovelling ore with the next shift." "In one year, it'll scoop up almost 14 million tons of precious copper ore." "It's all thanks to an almost frictionless swing system, hydraulics with more horsepower than two monster trucks, unstoppable hardened steel tracks, a near-indestructible steel cab... and a bucket tougher than tank armour." "It's these technological secrets that have helped this mega digger evolve to rise above all other machines." "Subtitles:" "Epilogue Technical Services Inc."