A turbocharger harnesses a vehicle's exhaust gases to compress fresh air, forcing the pressurized air into the engine's combustion chamber for a turbocharged performance.

With it, a small engine can be as powerful as a larger one, using energy that would otherwise disappear out the tailpipe.

The exhaust gas turbocharger is an invention that dates back over a century, but in recent years the concept has literally been picking up speed.

Design tweaks and the use of lighter materials mean a bigger boost to engine output so a small engine can be as powerful as a larger one without guzzling extra fuel.

Production begins at the foundry, an overhead sprayer blows sand into the shaped cavity of this box.

The spraying action activates a binder applied to the sand.

This causes a chemical reaction that solidifies the particles.

The worker extracts the hardened sand shape from the box.

The shape is called a core.

It will be used to mold the inside of the turbocharger's housing.

He files down any little bumps and rough edges.

He then pipes adhesive around the border of a second sand mold and glues the first part to it to build up the core.

He applies a putty-like compound to the seam to plug any gaps.

Meanwhile, another worker uses a different technique to make smaller cores.

He rocks the box, and this causes sand to flow into a shaped cavity.

The sand has been mixed with heat-sensitive chemicals.

He aims a flame at an opening in the box as burners warm it from the sides.

This triggers a reaction that hardens the sand inside so it takes the shape of the cavity.

The result is another smaller turbocharger core.

These snail-shaped sand cones are now ready for casting.

He places the cores in a mold which is also made of hardened sand.

Machinery lifts the bottom half of the mold to the top half, essentially closing the mold.

He pours molten aluminum into it, and it flows into the spaces between the cores and outer mold.

The aluminum solidifies in a minute, and the molds tumble onto to a conveyor, revealing the cast turbocharger parts.

They are connected by hardened flow lines.

After separating the parts, they ship them to the turbocharger factory.

Here, computerized tools carve and contour the aluminum part to specifications so precise, they are measured in thousandths of an inch.

This is the turbocharger housing before the work was done...

And after.

Using a computerized probe, a technician looks for irregularities.

Even miniscule ones will need to be fixed.

It's now time to assemble all the parts.

The worker inserts a bearing into one end of the iron center housing.

He lubricates a second bearing and slots it into the other end.

These bearings will ultimately support a shaft with a turbine on one end and a compressor on the other.

He adds a metal collar and a third bearing to the assembly.

He caps the bearing parts with a metal plate.

It will keep lubricant from spilling out when the turbocharger spins.

He flips the center housing around and installs a metal heat shield on the bottom.

He inserts the shaft and turbine wheel assembly.

He installs the compressor wheel on the other end of the shaft.

He heats the wheel briefly, causing it to expand, which allows it to be pushed further down the shaft.

Once cold, it shrinks to the shaft for a tight fit.

Next, a machine called a vibration sort rig spins the compressor at a high speed as a computer analyzes it for vibrations.

Even the slightest tremor indicates an imbalance.

The computer also detects the source of the problem so it can be fixed.

He grinds the compressor nose ever so slightly to balance the part.

He now nestles the compressor into the curled aluminum housing.

It's a shape that's designed to funnel air into the engine.

He secures the compressor to the housing with a metal ring.

He fits the turbine end into its housing.

It, too, has the distinctive curl to pipe the exhaust gases in the right direction.

A blast of air now simulates the effect of those exhaust gases, spinning the turbine to power the compressor.

It takes about 15 minutes to build one of these turbos.

Once installed in an engine, it's full speed ahead.

"enchilada" means dipped in chili in spanish.

And true to its name, these stuffed corn tortillas are typically smothered in sweet and mildly spicy chili sauce.

First cooked up by native mexicans centuries ago, enchiladas are an ancient food, but they are definitely not passé.

In modern times, the enchilada has become a metaphor for having it all.

"the whole enchilada" means there's no holding back.

There are numerous enchilada recipes today.

This black bean and veggie version starts with a filling sauce.

It's a chili-flavored tomato puree.

They add organic corn, a firm variety that's mildly sweet.

That means the flavor won't clash with the chili spice.

Spiraling blades fold the corn into the filling sauce.

The mixing action is gentle to keep the kernels intact.

The next ingredient is tofu, diced into cubes.

Like the corn, it's a firm type for a more substantial texture.

The firm tofu is also quite porous, so it readily absorbs the flavors of the enchilada filling sauce.

They green up the sauce with chunks of organic zucchini, uniformly diced with the skins on.

Black beans are next, already cooked with the juices drained.

This completes the enchilada filling sauce.

They cool it to preserve its thick consistency and overall freshness.

And now they are ready to wrap.

They pump measured amounts of the black bean and vegetable mixture onto each tortilla.

And here the chilling of the filling pays off.

A warmer, runnier sauce would spill out and make a mess, but this cool, thick sauce stays where they put it, in the middle of the tortilla.

Workers now roll the tortillas around the black bean and veggie mix.

There is a trick to this.

If the tortilla is rolled too tightly, there could be leakage.

Too loose, and the enchiladas could come undone.

A perfectly rolled enchilada fits neatly into the trays.

They place the enchiladas seam-side down in the container.

Elsewhere in the factory, they sauté various chili powders in flour and oil.

They liquefy this flavorful mix with vegetable broth.

Mixing blades blend the simmering ingredients, and the flavors intensify.

It thickens to a gravy-like consistency.

And as one would do with gravy, they strain out any lumps or impurities.

What exits the sieve is pure enchilada chili sauce.

Next, it flows into a dispenser.

The nozzle head is the exact same length as the enchiladas, ensuring complete coverage as the sauce is pumped onto them.

The enchiladas are now swimming in chili sauce, imbuing the dish with mild spice.

The chili sauce also serves to keep the tortillas moist during cooking.

They sprinkle on freeze-dried chives.

This herb adds an onion-y nuance to the dish.

Every few minutes, they pull a tray off the production line and weigh it to confirm that the portion size is right.

They churn out 53 enchilada entrees a minute at this factory.

Next, it's into the freezer to preserve the enchiladas at arctic-like temperatures.

It's a new day and a new shift of workers.

They place the enchiladas on a conveyor en route to the packaging line.

It takes just one minute to wrap and box 75 frozen enchilada entrees.

Technology and humans team up to get the job done fast.

Enchiladas have come a long way over the centuries-- from a simple meal first whipped up by the mayans of mexico to a mass-produced frozen meal.

Today, they are consumed in countries around the world.

And with these frozen versions, mealtime is no trouble at all.

Just heat and eat.

The mechanism inside a wristwatch that measures time and moves the hands accordingly is called the movement.

High-end watches typically use traditional, very intricate mechanical movements.

Such premium watches are made up of a multitude of components, requiring hundreds of manufacturing and assembly operations.

Luxury wristwatches are made of top-quality materials, often precious metals.

They are crafted with painstaking precision, partly by traditional watchmakers, partly by high-tech machines.

The main section of the watch case starts out as a block of metal-- stainless steel for this model.

A press stamps the preliminary shape, which a computer-guided milling machine then finalizes.

Another computer-guided machine drills a hole on the side for the stem and crown, the manual watch-winding mechanism.

This tool refines the edges.

Next, using an abrasive tool, they manually etch the surface to give it a brushed metal finish.

Then they apply some polishing compound to a felt buffing wheel and polish the entire surface.

Certain models undergo a second polishing performed by a robot.

The two other parts of the watch case, the back and the ring around the watch face, called the bezel, are made the same way as this main section.

To produce the movement, they cut a square brass plate and stamp it into a preliminary shape.

This computer-guided mill then refines it to the correct thickness.

The next computer-guided machine makes several slots and holes.

This part, called the main plate, is the base upon which all the movement's components will be assembled.

The milling process leaves behind traces of metal dust and oil on the surface, so the main plate undergoes a thorough washing with water and solvent.

Once dry, a computerized inspection device examines the plate from three dimensions, verifying that every last detail is precisely as it should be.

Then the last machine cuts the final circular shape.

The main plate is now technically perfect.

Only finishing steps remain.

First, to remove tool marks, they sand-blast the surface to give it an even matte finish.

Here's what the plate looks like before sand-blasting and after.

Another computer-guided tool etches tiny circles onto the main plate surface to produce a pearl-like effect.

This next component, called the bridge, covers most of the parts assembled onto the main plate, and itself holds a number of parts.

After a laser engraves the company name, they fill the lettering with varnish.

They put the bridge into an automated machine that etches a brush finish and wipes off the varnish.

Some varnish residue remains inside the letters, making them more visible.

Next, a robot sets a jewel into each hole in the main plate.

Jewels are tiny, cup-shaped synthetic rubies.

Each jewel will hold one of the movement's moving parts in a drop of lubricating oil.

After installing two barrels containing a spring each, the watchmaker positions four wheels.

These form the gear train that moves the hands of the watch.

Next, he mounts the auxiliary main plate on top.

This sandwiches the barrels and gear train, holding them in place.

Then the escapement, the regulating mechanism.

Winding the watch fully coils the springs inside the barrels.

The escapement paces the springs as they slowly unwind and turn the gear train.

Now a robot takes over, squirting a drop of oil in each jewel.

Meanwhile, a laser engraves the watch brand name and logo into the oscillating weight.

This component is a heavy metal disk first stamped in a press, then refined by high-precision computer-guided tools.

The oscillating weight is an automatic winding mechanism.

This weight, located on the back side of the movement, automatically winds the watch as it's on your wrist.

Therefore, the more often you wear the watch, the less often you have to wind it manually by turning the crown.

The watchmaker connects the oscillating weight to the springs which move the gear train so that the weight will shift backwards and forwards with any wrist movement, automatically coiling the springs.

On the front side of the movement, he screws in the date indicator and the dial.

The dial is comprised of two brass plates, the top one coated in oxidized copper with cutouts to show the bottom one, which is painted with this company's secret formula of glow-in-the-dark pigments.

Next, a machine mounts the brass hour and minute hands.

This operation is automated because applying even slightly too much pressure could damage the tiny, delicate hands.

Now for the watch case.

After twisting an arched ring called the bezel onto the front of the main case, he slides a plastic gasket into it...

Then positions the main case onto to a press...

Cleans the crystal...

Then presses it forcefully into the bezel.

The gasket seals the minute gap between the crystal and the bezel so that water can't seep inside the case.

Next, the stem and crown.

Then on the back of the case, the casing circle, a ring that comes between the movement and the case.

Here, too, a gasket seals the gap to make the case water-resistant.

He installs the ring in crystal that form the back of the case.

He applies grease so that it twists on smoothly.

He closes it tightly with a tool.

Then the fully assembled case goes off to be tested for water-resistance.

If it passes, it comes back to the watchmaker to receive the movement.

He removes the crown and the case back, cleans the movement, then places it in the case.

Next, he squirts grease in the crown hole and reinstalls the crown.

This time, because the movement is in place, the crown stem connects to the two springs so that turning the crown now winds them.

The watchmaker affixes the movement in the case with several tiny clamps and screws.

Then he closes up the back for the last time.

After checking that the movement works properly, he has just one last component to assemble to the watch head.

This particular watch company has developed a unique protective device that goes over the crown.

A computer-guided mill shapes it out of the same type of metal as the case so that, aesthetically, it blends seamlessly.

The watchmaker screws the device to the case so that it bridges the crown.

The device has a lever, the tension of which the watchmaker carefully adjusts with the help of this gauge.

The lever closes the device tightly over the crown, immobilizing the crown so that it can't be turned accidentally.

Finally, they mount the watch head on an automated machine which closes the back tightly.

This is critical for water-resistance.

Every single watch head this factory manufactures must pass several quality-control tests to ensure time-keeping accuracy and water-resistance.

For water-resistance, they first test using air pressure.

Then actual water tests.

First a low-pressure test in 4 inches of water.

Then a high-pressure test in 410 yards of water, which far exceeds the 328-yard depth to which the watch is guaranteed to be water-resistant.

Finally it's time to assemble and attach the watch strap, either a link bracelet in matching metal or a strap made of fine leather, a fitting finale to this luxury wristwatch, the elegant product of precision technology and time-honored tradition.


Pipes
Rock Climbing Gear
Leather Bike Saddles
Luxury Sports Cars

When christopher columbus discovered the americas, he also discovered the tobacco pipe.

The pipe was an important part of native culture to be shared during times of negotiation and celebration.

Columbus and other explorers brought the concept home, and the rest is history.

Since the 19th century, pipes have been made from briar, a hard, fire-resistant wood from the root of a mediterranean heather shrub.

After the briar has cured for several months, the pipe-maker saws it into a rough pipe shape.

Using a lathe and chisel, he rounds the larger block to approximate the shape of the pipe bowl.

He bores through the center to carve out the tobacco chamber.

Then he slims down the stem, marking the center for drilling later.

The pipe-maker finalizes the shape by hand.

He now sands both the inside of the tobacco chamber...

And the outside of the pipe bowl.

Next, the pipe's mouthpiece takes shape.

The pipe-maker pierces a piece of hardened rubber called vulcanite to establish the center and then drills a channel through it.

Using a grindstone, he sculpts one end, taking it from round to oval, a shape that fits more comfortably between the lips.

He checks his work with a sizing template...

Then shaves the exterior of the mouthpiece, reducing it considerably.

He shapes the other end to form the tenon, which fits into the pipe stem.

He polishes the tenon with a special compound.

The smoother surface makes this part easier to join to the pipe stem.

Using a series of sanding disks with progressively finer grit, he gives the exterior of the mouthpiece a sleek finish.

Then he steadies it in a clamp and widens the hole in the center of the mouthpiece to broaden it into a funnel-shaped cavity.

Attention now turns to the seam between the rubber and wood parts.

He sands it to make them perfectly flush.

Hand-filing removes blemishes and adjusts the thickness for a more comfortable bite.

The thickness can be customized for individual preferences.

He drills a tiny hole into the top of the mouthpiece...

Then dips a thin plastic rod in glue and inserts it in the hole.

He sands it down, leaving a white spot, a marker that indicates the mouthpiece is right-side-up.

For bent or curved pipes, the mouthpieces are heated in an oven at 320 degrees fahrenheit.

This makes the vulcanite flexible enough to be shaped by hand.

The pipe-maker bends the mouthpiece to the desired shape, and a quick cool-down in water re-hardens the vulcanite, fixing its curve.

Next, he buffs the wooden part of the pipe.

This removes fine scratches and brings out the wood grain.

It also gives the wood a glossy finish.

But for a different finish, a craftsman sand-blasts the briar wood, giving it a ripple texture.

He stains it darker with an alcohol-based dye, working the stain into every crevice.

And now for a neat trick.

He sets it on fire, and the alcohol burns off to set the stain.

The pipe doesn't go up in flames, proving it's truly fire-resistant.

He burns up to 10 layers of stain into the pipe, depending on the effect he's trying to achieve.

Finally, he stamps the company name and other information into the pipe.

After a final quality inspection, this handcrafted briar pipe is on its way to making a statement at the country club.

Rock-climbing is no pastime for the faint-hearted.

Scaling natural rock formations or manmade rock walls requires a certain fearlessness, along with good physical conditioning, balance, agility, and you must be well-trained in climbing techniques and use specialized equipment.

Climbers usually work in pairs, using a system of ropes and other devices to catch them if they fall.

A key piece of gear is the spring-loaded camming device.

The climber pulls the trigger to contract the cams and position it in a crack then releases the trigger to expand the cams, which securely grip the rock on either side, then attaches a rope through a device called a carabiner.

Climbers typically carry several types and sizes of cams, carabiners, and other devices.

The equipment must be as lightweight as possible, yet, at the same time, strong enough to save a falling climber.

Which is why this manufacturer uses aircraft-grade aluminum.

To make carabiners, automated saws cut aluminum bars into pieces the required length.

Then a bending machine forces each piece around a form in the basic shape of the carabiner.

Carabiners come in various sizes and shapes.

Workers simply mount the appropriate form on the machine.

Next, they place the roughly formed carabiner onto a hot die.

Another die slams down on it with up to 800 tons of force, forging the final shape.

Then the most critical part of the manufacturing process-- a multi-phase heat treatment to harden and strengthen the aluminum.

Next, they use a clipping press to slice off excess metal along the perimeter.

This leaves rough edges, which they now smooth out using an abrasion process.

The carabiners go into a vibrating tub, where they rub against porcelain chips for the next 20 hours.

Next, workers drill holes for the rivets on which the spring-loaded opening mechanism will hinge.

That mechanism, called the gate, has channels which align with these holes.

Assemblers slide a spring and spring-pusher into the gate, then insert the rivets through the aligned holes and channels.

A riveting machine locks each rivet in place by rounding and widening the head.

Then they adjust the carabiner's frame until the alignment is perfect.

After a thorough inspection, a laser etching machine inscribes product information and a unique serial number.

Random samples undergo strength and other quality-control tests.

Elsewhere in the factory, camming device production is under way.

Computer-guided equipment machines the same aluminum alloy to a preliminary shape, saws off slices, then machines each slice to the final shape of a cam.

An assembler attaches a wire to each cam...

Then takes four cams and joins their wires to the trigger wires with a metal crimp.

The cams, by this point, are different colors.

That's because they've undergone chemical treatment to make them corrosion-resistant.

This process can, in fact, produce various colors.

So, at the same time, the company can color-code the different models.

As assembly continues, they thread the cams onto an axle-like component called the spindle, positioning a spring in between each cam.

The springs provide the resistance required to expand and retract the device.

A cone-shaped washer on each end of the spindle holds everything together.

This time, the riveting machine locks in the components by flattening and widening the end of the spindle to fill the hole in the washer.

With that, the camming device is finished.

This is how camming devices, carabiners, and other climbing gear all work together to catch climbers who lose their foothold.

Not only do they keep the climber safe, they also protect nature, because they attach to the rock face without damaging it in any way.

Leather bike saddles feature a leather top suspended on a metal frame.

With time and use, the leather molds itself to perfectly suit the rider's anatomy and their cycling style.

And just like a pair of leather shoes, the saddle becomes very comfortable.

Leather bike saddles look almost the same as they did 100 years ago.

They are still made by hand and by some machinery that is sometimes over 60 years old.

Saddles are made exclusively of metal and leather, traditional materials that retain the style and quality of the early days.

The first step is making the steel wire springs for saddles that have a suspension.

The machine coils and cuts the wire to the proper length.

Liquid lubricant keeps everything running smoothly.

Depending on the saddle's model, some springs are then chromed.

This machine folds and curls steel or titanium wire to form brackets.

It's adjustable, so it can make brackets of different sizes and shapes, depending on the model being produced.

A technician assembles the springs and brackets to form the saddle's frame.

He attaches the clamp so that the saddle can be attached to the bicycle's seat post.

Saddles come in different sizes and shapes, with or without suspension springs to accommodate various riding styles-- racing, mountain biking, or city commuting.

Now for the saddle's leather top.

Using a hydraulic clicking press, the worker cuts the leather with a sharp blade.

The blade cuts ventilation holes at the same time.

Tanneries provide leather in any color required by the factory.

After the tops are cut, they soak in tepid water for 20 minutes to an hour, until the leather is completely saturated.

The wet leather top then goes to a press, which applies 2,000 pounds of pressure per square inch.

Using a leather cushion, the technician pads the leather piece to help reinforce the shape, especially in the narrow front end.

Because the top is wet, it retains the shape and does not bounce back.

They carefully sand the leather to get a smooth edge.

The tops now go into the oven for three hours at a maximum temperature of 130 degrees fahrenheit.

Now they're ready for the finishing process.

A worker rivets a name plate to the rear of the saddle...

Then stamps a trademark on each side.

Each saddle model has its own trademark.

They attach the nose to the front of the saddle using solid copper rivets.

They hammer each one down carefully to follow the contours of the leather without scratching it.

This machine now rivets the frame to the back of the saddle.

They insert a tension pin between the frame and the nose.

This pin will allow the rider to adjust his saddle if the leather starts sagging after a few years.

It takes about three days to make a leather bike saddle.

And with careful care, it can be used for years to come.

Luxury sports cars are coveted by people around the world, and with good reason.

The extraordinary skills and materials that go into making them were developed from a long racing heritage.

Each one of these automobiles is born from expert craftsmanship and a passion for racing.

Underneath the beautiful exterior of these cars lie a chassis and power train capable of delivering remarkable performance.

The aluminum frame is engineered to be lightweight, yet rigid, and provide crumple zones that can evenly distribute force in the event of an impact.

It takes highly skilled technicians to perform these complex welds.

On the factory floor, robots transport the body panels that will later be fitted onto the chassis.

Once the frame is completed, technicians use a pneumatic hoist to position and attach exterior panels and doors.

Door panel cutouts reduce the car's weight while retaining a high degree of structural integrity.

The elongated cutouts on this model will house its stylized headlights.

Next, they coat the car in a compound which fluoresces under a special lighting system.

This helps technicians detect any minute imperfections.

These imperfections are then filed down by hand.

Here, a robot fully immerses and rotates the chassis in a galvanizing solution that prevents corrosion.

Once the body has been primed, it passes through a device that dusts off the entire body with ostrich-feather brushes.

Next stop, the paint room, where robots spray the car body with a smooth, even coat of paint.

Once the paint dries and cures, the robots apply several coats of varnish.

The final step in body prep is a meticulous waxing by hand to remove any remaining blemishes.

Moving on to the chassis, a technician uses a hoist to position and fasten the engine and gearbox in place.

Here, robots transport the completed power train to the assembly area...

Where an automatic crane gently lowers the car body onto the chassis, which includes the fully assembled suspension, gearbox, and engine.

This step is known as the marriage.

Next, a worker installs the wheels with some help from a hydraulic lifting system.

At the next station, technicians test all the dashboard components.

This vehicle features a combination of analog and digital displays.

A master computer runs the electronics and information systems.

Again with the help of the crane, technicians install the finished dashboard.

The next step is the steering wheel.

Assisted by a special assembly jig, a technician positions and tightens it onto the steering column.

Workers lower the trunk cover and convertible hardtop into position, which is particular to this model of car.

A worker double-checks the installation of the hydraulic mechanism.

This beautiful road machine is the culmination of years of racing history, modern engineering, and dedicated craftsmanship.

Now watch this.

This is one of the few cars that features a fully automated convertible hardtop.

This beauty is now ready for the sun, wind, and the open road.


Racing Shells
Stainless Steel Sinks
Leather
Pedal Steel Guitar

Today on "how it's made"...

Racing shells...

Stainless-steel sinks...

Leather...

And pedal steel guitars.

The racing shell is a high-tech rowboat that's built for speed.

Long and exceptionally narrow, it's designed to cut through wave drag and leave the competition in its wake.

Racing shells are made for single rowers, called scullers, for pairs, or entire crews.

They're custom-made to precise specifications.

Racers need to travel light to maintain speed, so these boats are made from reinforced carbon fiber, which weighs a lot less than wood.

First, several of these carbon-fiber sheets are layered in a mold and trimmed along the edge.

Textured thermoplastic called honeycomb gets a spray of glue and is then pressed onto the carbon-fiber plies.

Sandwiched between layers of carbon fiber, the honeycomb will serve as the shell's core, lending some lightweight reinforcement to the delicate hull.

Next, the entire boat is wrapped in breather cloth and a plastic bag so that the air can be vacuumed from between the layers.

The breather cloth is a permeable layer that prevents the plastic from sticking to the mold and creating air pockets.

Next, the shell goes into a long oven, which melts the glue that's been impregnated in the carbon material, fusing the layers together.

The shell bakes at 210 degrees for 8 hours.

Then the plastic and breather cloth are pulled away.

And the boat is pried out of the mold using plastic wedges.

The hull comes out in one solid piece, and a primer paint sprayed into the mold earlier has adhered to the shell's surface.

Workers check the weight, which has to be exactly what the customer ordered.

Next, they reinforce the boat's cockpit with several carbon-fiber bulkheads.

Foam is glued on the inside rim of the racing shell, using a piece of wood as a guide.

Glue is applied around the bulkheads.

Then the cockpit panel is lowered so that it adheres to the glued areas and rests on top of the foam that's been installed along the edges.

Next, a computerized tool drills holes for the hardware and riggers and workers trim the rim from stern to bow.

They smooth the holes' finish with a grinding tool.

And now it's over to the paint station for some sanding and priming.

Any flaws are marked for repair because the slightest imperfection could affect the boat's ability to speed through the water.

Once the boat is perfectly smooth, it gets a high-gloss urethane coating.

Next, a fin is installed for a little stability.

A laser guide helps align it into perfect position.

A rudder goes into the bottom of the boat.

The system of ropes that's attached next will allow the rowers to steer.

This boat comes with special shoes and sliding seats that allow rowers to put a lot of leg power into their strokes.

Finally, the rigging equipment for the oars goes in.

Now this sleek racing shell is ready to hit the water.

When we return, turning stainless steel into a sparkling new sink.

The stainless-steel sink is an invention born of patriotism.

It evolved during world war ii when sinks were often made from copper-nickel material called monel.

When that material was needed for the war effort, stainless steel was drafted for use on the home front, and it's still on kitchen duty to this day.

Stainless steel is lightweight and heavy-duty, which makes it great for sinks.

The process begins with a large sheet of stainless steel, uncoiled and sliced into pieces called blanks.

Each blank goes under a 1,000-ton press.

As the press descends, a punch rises from below, stretching the steel into a rough sink shape.

This process also transforms the steel on a molecular level, hardening it.

Workers brush lubricant in and around the sink bowl to make it easier to stretch it again.

The bowl goes under the same punch press a second time for more precise shaping.

This second working of the steel hardens it even more.

Now the sink goes under a different punch device that cuts out a drain hole and forms a lip around it.

As coolant flushes the sink, an abrasive belt grinds the surface to give it a brushed look.

Next, a sink bowl slides into a welding machine.

A second sink bowl is lined up against the first one.

Inside, an electrode welds the two sinks together.

Using enormous force, a roller moves across the seam to flatten it.

A grinding belt behind the roller sands it down.

Now that the seam joining the two sinks is level and smooth...

It's time to give the sink's rim some shape.

This die forms recesses along the sink's perimeter.

These recesses give the sink a sleek look and collect water runoff.

Another press trims the rim and gives it a bevel finish, which softens those rough edges.

Now, using a punch cutter, workers pierce the back rim of the sink to make holes for faucets and a soap dispenser.

Then they grind and buff the sink to a fine finish.

It's a very intensive process that takes about 25 minutes.

The company's trademark is embossed on the sink.

Then the sink's drains are plugged and a substance similar to latex paint is sprayed onto the outside.

The finish will muffle the sound of clattering dishes and protect the outside of the sink from condensation.

It takes about 2 1/2 hours to make a stainless-steel sink-- a functional and stylish addition to any kitchen.

Coming up, turning hairy cowhides into buttery-smooth leather.

Leather production dates back to primitive times when humans rubbed fats into animal skins to preserve them.

Times have changed, but leather endures.

From footwear to furniture, this tough material remains an integral part of our lives.

This leather comes from the hides of cows killed for meat.

Without tanning, these cowhides would go to waste.

Converting them to leather is a kind of recycling.

The first step is to cut each hide in half.

The hides are draped over a sawhorse, stamped with an identification code...

And sliced down the center.

Two smaller pieces will be easier to handle and process than one large hide.

Hundreds of these hide halves are loaded into a modified cement mixer for some serious hair removal.

As the mixer fills with water, a worker dumps in a combination of sodium sulfydrate and lime.

A chemical reaction strips the hair from the hides.

The hairless hides now get an acid bath to prepare them for the tanning process.

The tanning itself happens inside big wooden drums with prongs to keep the skins from getting tangled.

Chrome salts turn the hides a robin's-egg blue as they bind to the collagen fibers of the skins.

The hides have now been preserved into leather.

Next, the pieces are fed grain-side up into a machine that slices the leather to an even thickness.

The cutoffs won't be wasted.

They'll be recycled into suede.

Workers check each piece of leather with a gauge to confirm that the thickness is uniform.

Now it's back into the wooden drums for a second tanning, this time using a solution of vegetable extract, tree bark, and water.

Dye is added along with a chemical that will make the leather water-resistant.

The solution binds to the leather, giving it a brownish tone.

It's a gentler process than the first tanning, and it softens the leather.

Now a mixture of starch and water is brushed onto the tanned hides.

This paste-like solution allows the hides to be pressed onto big glass frames, which also have been moistened with the same starchy mixture.

This process allows the leather to dry flat...

Prevents it from shrinking...

And stops the edges from curling up.

After four hours in a dryer, it's time to remove the leather.

It easily peels away from the glass.

A revolving paint-gun system dyes the leather.

And now it's time for the finishing touches.

A glazing jack pulls a glass cylinder over the leather, and the abrasive action polishes it.

This glass is very strong, so it can do this vigorous work without shattering.

Finally, huge heated rollers smooth out any wrinkles.

It's the end of the production line for this big pile of leather but just the beginning for so many other products.

Fashionable and tough, it's no wonder this ancient material continues to be one of our favorite products today.

Up next, an instrument that's almost as tricky to build as it is to play.

Playing the pedal steel guitar takes quite a lot of skill.

You slide a steel bar up and down the strings as you pluck them, all the while operating a system of pedals and knee levers below.

This means using both hands, both feet, and both knees.

But a pedal steel guitar's unique sound and impressive range are worth all the effort.

to make one, a guitar maker first carves the neck of the instrument from hardwood.

He beads glue around the edges of the neck and applies strips of intricate wooden inlay.

Once the fretboard design is silk-screened onto the top, the guitar neck is complete.

The guitar maker then outlines a design onto aircraft-grade aluminum and cuts it out to make an end plate for the guitar frame.

He pops the end plate out of the holding device.

Then he welds it to the rest of the framework and polishes everything to a mirror finish.

Next, the part of the guitar called the steps is machined.

The holes in the steps will be used to attach tuning pegs.

There's one for every string.

The steps are attached to the neck just above the fretboard.

This is the pickup plate.

It will hold the device that transfers sound to the amplifier as well as a series of metal fingers.

The fingers are made from several aluminum pieces that are machined and assembled together.

The fingers pivot to raise and lower the pitch of the strings.

All of the fingers are fitted into the pickup plate and secured with screws.

The guitar maker double-checks the fingers' movement, then he hooks springs to the end of each one to maintain the proper tension.

A little grease ensures that this next step goes smoothly-- the production of the guitar's cross-shafts.

Then it's on to the guitar's undercarriage and the system of foot pedals and knee levers that will move the fingers.

The guitar maker screws several cross-shafts, one for each pedal, into the undercarriage.

He attaches bell cranks to the cross-shafts...

Then connects thin steel rods from the fingers to the bell cranks.

This system will allow the performer to tighten or relax strings while playing, which gives the instrument its characteristic sound.

The guitar maker tests the knee lever.

Here he's winding copper-coated wire around a cartridge thousands of times to make the guitar's pickup, which transfers sound from the guitar to the amplifier.

He takes two of the wire-bound cartridges and places a magnet between them to complete the pickup.

Then he fits it into the other slot in the pickup plate just above the fingers.

Now, using a gauge and a level, he adjusts the pickup.

It has to sit low enough in the slot that it won't interfere with the strings.

There's no room for error here.

The positioning must be exact or the guitar won't sound right.

10 to 12 strings are attached to the guitar neck.

Some instruments have two necks to add even more dimension to the sound.


Western Revolver Replicas
Arc Trainers
Used

In the american wild west, the gun ruled, and that gun was usually a six-shooter revolver.

Today, replicas of those revolvers can take you back to dodge city, and they do at cowboy shooting competitions.

It's a chance to engage in a little old-fashion gunslinging for old time's sake.

With its six-shot cylinder and innovative cocking mechanism, the 1873 colt was carried by the likes of jesse james.

They start these automatic replicas by shaping and machining the gun's frame.

A computerized blade carves the cylinder.

It cuts slots for the ammunition and notches for rotating the cylinder after a shot is fired.

A technician files down rough edges so the parts will fit together perfectly.

He then screws the curved grip and the trigger guard to the frame.

He assembles the wooden grip casing to the metal back strap and attaches them to the grip.

Once he confirms it's a good fit, he removes the casing the writes the gun's serial number inside.

He stamps a matching number onto the grip and polishes it and the gun's frame to a glossy finish.

He now rolls the model number and other identifying information onto the gun's barrel.

To add a bit of flourish, an artist engraves designs copying the artwork on an original colt.

Another worker now dips the parts in hot salts, then in cold water.

A reaction occurs that both hardens the parts a bit and tints them.

In this case, they turn a bronze color.

This is called color case hardening.

The grip and trigger guard have been removed from the gun frame for color casing.

This makes it easier for the technician to install the cartridge loading gate on the frame.

He files down the mechanism for rotating the cylinder to make the dimensions perfect.

He then inserts a bushing and a pin in the cylinder's center.

He uses that pin to install the cylinder in the gun frame.

The pin will also serve as the axis for the cylinder to revolve on.

He slides a couple of test slugs into the chambers to confirm the gap between the cylinder and gun frame is spot on.

He then fits the gun barrel to the frame.

And, using a special measuring rod, he checks the alignment of the cylinder and barrel.

He tightens the barrel to the gun frame, using a stick as a lever.

The technician aims the assembled gun and eyeballs the alignment of the barrel to the frame.

Once he's certain the configuration is right on target, he installs the gun's hammer and trigger.

He pops the cylinder back into the gun frame and inserts the rod for ejecting spent ammunition.

He screws a spring into the side of the hammer and cocks it in its three different positions to verify that it's in working order.

He then reattaches the grip and trigger guard.

He assembles a flat spring to the curved grip.

This is the main spring.

It transfers energy from the trigger to the hammer to cause the revolver to fire.

Then it's over to a government testing facility called the proof house.

Behind bulletproof glass, special equipment fires ammunition at three times the usual operating pressure.

If the gun can handle this, it's deemed safe to operate.

After a few more parts have been color cased, this revolver replica is ready for its target market.

And that would be history buffs who are interested in a real blast from the past.

Arc trainers can give you a full-body workout.

They provide a number of exercise programs to choose from, like strength training, weight loss, and cardio.

They monitor such things as heart rate and calories burned.

Like any piece of exercise equipment, using one properly is the key to a safe and healthy workout.

Arc trainers are made to give you a wide range of incline and resistance levels to let you train as easy or as hard as you like.

To start, a tube laser machine-cuts and profiles the steel tubing that will make the arc trainer's side frame.

A worker cleans the steel tubes, then runs them through a computer-controlled roll-forming machine.

This machine shapes all the steel used to build the arc trainer's frame.

They use a robot to weld all the parts together because robotic welding is more consistent and accurate than hand-welding.

The completed frames then get a surface preparation, giving the steel a uniform finish that is now ready for powder painting.

Workers then paint the frames using an electrostatic paint process.

These guns spray electrically charged paint particles that are drawn to the grounded frames in a smooth and even coat.

The frames then bake in an oven for 40 minutes to cure the paint.

Next come the handlebars.

A worker then makes them by lubricating a rubber tube and sliding it onto an assembly frame.

He then locks a preformed metal tube in place and lubricates it, as well.

He turns a handwheel, which brings the two tubes together, forming the handgrip.

He completes the assembly by screwing on an end cap.

Meanwhile, a worker assembles the control panel by putting on the overlays for the user interface.

She then hooks up the printed circuit board that controls the unit.

She closes the housing but leaves the connectors exposed for connection to the mainframe later.

A worker then attaches a steel support fixture onto the frame.

Next comes this drive-wheel assembly, which he bolts onto the support fixture.

He puts a drive belt around a pulley that provides various resistance levels for the user and rolls the belt onto the drive wheel.

He then uses a pneumatic tool to tighten down the pulley, which stretches the drive belt and sets it to the appropriate tension.

Next, he attaches the computer board that controls the various fitness programs.

A worker then installs the leg bars onto the arc trainer's frame and attaches a foot pedal onto each leg bar.

He installs linkage bars onto the drive-wheel assembly.

Then he aligns the drive wheel and puts on the molded front housing...

Followed by the protective side covers.

He connects a linkage bar that extends from each leg bar to the drive wheel, then connects one linkage bar to each arm handle.

He makes sure all the linkage bars are working properly.

Finally, he tests the free-floating foot pedals and the dual-action arms, as well as all the other functions and features.

These arc trainers are high-tech exercise machines.

Some models even come with a tv.

Used-oil furnaces generate heat by burning used oil without having to refine it.

These furnaces are found in automobile shops, maintenance facilities, and construction sites.

Transport fleets and trucking companies also use them to turn the used oil they produce into heat for their facilities.

It takes a special furnace to burn used oil.

Used oil is thick and dirty compared to residential fuel oil and must be turned into a fine mist to burn properly.

It all starts with a computer-controlled laser making what's called the front and rear flue plates out of steel.

The plates for this hot-air furnace are made of stainless or hot-rolled steel depending on the size of the unit.

A worker then makes what's known as the heat exchanger by joining the flue plates together with steel tubes called flue tubes.

This device is called a swagger machine.

It expands just the ends of the flue tubes, binding them in place with the flue plate.

Next, he assembles the section in which hot gases collect after passing through the flue tubes on their way out of the furnace.

He then sets a combustion chamber on the top of the heat exchanger and welds them together.

He completes the heat-exchanger assembly by welding on a base equipped with two air-deflector plates.

These square plates help direct the ambient air as it enters the furnace and circulates around the combustion chamber.

Meanwhile, an electrostatic powder-coating machine paints the outside covers for the furnace.

Next, they put on inner air deflectors, then assemble the cabinet.

They bolt everything in place, then put on an insulated door.

Now he hooks up a blower control box.

This electrical box regulates when hot air is sent into a room.

A worker then connects a tester box to the temperature controls that measure the temperature inside the furnace.

He runs a number of tests to confirm that both the blower and the burner will turn on or off when they're supposed to.

He verifies the operation of the door that allows for cleaning out ash residue.

A technician installs a 100-watt pencil heater inside a brass nozzle adaptor, then threads a thermostat into it.

This nozzle adaptor heats the oil and turns it into a fine mist so it burns properly.

She then attaches assembly fittings to the adaptor so she can later mount it inside a burner housing.

She checks these fittings with a leveling tool to ensure the adaptor will go on straight inside the housing.

She also installs an assembly that controls oil flow, temperature, and air pressure.

Then she mounts the nozzle adaptor and covers it with a retention head that shapes the flame for optimal heat, completing the burner assembly.

A worker then hooks up the used-oil and compressed-air lines to begin testing the burner.

He turns on the oil, ignites the burner, and looks through an observation port to verify the burner is working properly.

A closer look shows the flame is at the right intensity for optimal heat with minimal emissions.

The furnace is now ready to turn used oil into useful heat.

Top-of-the-line pizza cutters and vegetable peelers can be a pleasure to use.

They make preparing and serving your favorite foods quicker and easier and are ergonomically designed for style and comfort.

They are also easy to clean and guaranteed for life.

Vegetable peelers and pizza cutters work like a charm, making straight cuts without damaging your pans or your fingers.

Quality pizza cutters start with cutlery-grade, high-carbon stainless steel from which a stamping press punches the cutter blades.

The blades go through a three-step heat-treating process.

First, they enter a high-temperature furnace.

Then it's into a deep freezer to maximize hardness and corrosion resistance.

Finally, they go into a tempering oven, which increases the durability of the metal.

A polishing machine with two buffing heads then polishes both sides of the blade, giving it a protective and cosmetic finish.

A worker than loads the blade onto a bevel-grinding machine that thins out the edge of the blade.

It grinds a beveled edge that is thin enough to cut pizza but not sharp enough to cut your finger or damage a cutting surface.

A worker puts a steel-bar insert into an injection molding machine that makes the soft-polymer handle.

He then cools it down in water.

He puts the handles on an extraction fixture which removes the inserts, making the handles ready for assembly along with all the other molded parts.

He then attaches what's called a swing arm to the blade holder, and he secures it in place with a screw.

He dips the tip of the blade holder into lubricant and uses a pneumatic-assembly fixture to insert the blade holder into the handle permanently.

Using the swing arm, he snap-fits the blade onto the blade holder and hides the swing-arm screw with a cover cap.

Finally, he ensures the blade rolls properly and safely so it will cut through pizza with ease.

The finest vegetable peelers also do their job quickly and effectively.

They also start with cutlery-grade stainless-steel blades that undergo tempering to ensure the metal is durable and corrosion-resistant.

After cleaning and polishing, the blades are dried in a vibrating medium of ground corncob, then removed from the tub by a magnet.

The blades are now ready for sharpening.

A worker mounts the peeler blades on a computer-controlled edge-grinding machine.

The grinder sharpens one edge of each blade at a time.

Once both sides of the peeler blades are fully sharpened, they're ready for assembly.

Meanwhile, an injection molding machine makes the blade holders.

A worker dips each blade holder into lubricant and inserts it into the molded soft-polymer handle, joining them together permanently.

Finally, he attaches the blade by deflecting the holder just enough to insert the tip of the blade into a tiny hole.

These top-quality vegetable peelers are sold individually or in combination with other kitchen utensils like pizza cutters, and they sure are handy in the kitchen, even if you're not.


Today on "how it's made"...

Pre-inked stamps...

Cranberries...

Cotton yarn...

And road signs.

"paid," "rush," "approved" are some of the terms routinely stamped onto documents.

Professionals, such as engineers, have their official stamps, too.

For years, you had to dab the stamp on an ink pad for each impression.

Nowadays you can get stamps with the ink built right in.

The process begins with a design that either the stamp company or its customer creates with standard graphics software.

They print the stamp design onto paper using a high-quality laser printer, then place the printout under an imaging camera.

They feed in a blank sheet of negative film...

Then photograph the printout.

30 seconds later, out comes the negative.

The design is light, the background dark.

Now they can begin making the mold for the stamp.

They apply the negative to a plate of light-sensitive polymer-- a plastic-like material.

Then they vacuum out the air to prevent defects in the mold.

Then they expose the polymer plate to ultraviolet light for approximately three minutes.

The u.v. penetrates through the light part of the negative-- the stamp design-- and hardens the polymer underneath.

The rest of the polymer is shielded by the dark portions of the negative, so it doesn't change.

A wash cycle then scrubs away this unhardened polymer, leaving behind a perfect mold in the shape of the stamp.

Now they cover the mold with a sheet of synthetic resin called bakelite and put it into a machine called a vulcanizer.

The machine heats the bakelite to just over 309 degrees fahrenheit, then forces it into the mold using 2 to 3 tons of pressure.

After four minutes, the bakelite stamp is ready.

To be more productive, the factory actually molds several stamps at a time.

Next comes the built-in ink.

They screw the bakelite stamp into what's called the pre-ink mold, then pour in a mixture of ink and gel.

They cover the mold and vacuum out the air, a process that takes 12 minutes.

The mold then goes into a heat press for 17 minutes.

The press applies 2 tons of pressure to expel excess ink and heats the ink gel to about 260 degrees fahrenheit, transforming it to roughly the consistency of a marshmallow.

So it won't overcook, the mold goes onto a special cooling table for 12 minutes.

Next, it's set out to cool for another 45 minutes, this time on newspapers, which soak up more excess ink.

Finally, they wrap the mold in paper towels and newspapers and vacuum out the last drops of excess ink.

Then they quickly seal the back of the stamp to lock the ink in.

Now they can cut apart the individual stamps.

They glue the stamps by hand onto the base of the stamp handles.

Before they're shipped out to the customer, all stamps undergo a quality-control check to make sure they'll leave a lasting impression.

Cranberries are one of just a handful of fruits that are native to north america.

Before the europeans arrived, the indians used them for food and medicine.

The cranberry vine is well-suited to a harsher climate.

It thrives in low temperatures and loves acidic soil that's scarce in nutrients.

Cranberries are ripe for the picking in late september.

At harvesttime, farmers flood their fields to make the cranberries float to the surface.

Then they use a machine called a beater.

It generates underwater turbulence, pulling the berries off the vines.

The beater is suspended from a mobile bridge that's computer-guided to systematically work its way through the entire field.

The beater cuts a swath about 23 feet wide with each sweep.

Workers move the floating cranberries to one corner of the field...

Where a pump transfers them to a waiting truck.

Along the way, the berries get a preliminary rinsing to remove branches and leaves.

At the factory, the truck unloads its cargo.

The cranberries travel along the water canal and onto a conveyor belt, then through a cleaning station, where workers use brushes and water jets to get rid of any remaining leaves and branches.

Then they dump the cranberries into large bins to be frozen for up to several months.

To produce cranberry juice, they defrost the frozen berries in hot water, then mash them--  skins, seeds, and all-- into a puree.

They add special enzymes to break up the pectin molecules, making the puree less viscous and therefore easier to press.

The press processes almost 9 tons of puree at a time.

That's the weight of 1 1/2 elephants.

It takes three to four pressing cycles to extract all the juice.

The juice then goes through a sophisticated filtration system.

The 216 filters remove any plant particles or bacteria larger than one micron.

A micron is about 25,000 times smaller than an inch.

Then they evaporate the water until the juice is 10 times more concentrated.

Cranberries not destined for juice go through a grading process.

Undersized berries drop down through the holes of a giant sifter.

The bigger cranberries move on to the grading table, where workers remove any that are substandard.

An electronic sorter then scans the remaining cranberries for color, signaling an air gun to blow any reject berries off the production line.

The rest move on to the packaging department or continue down the line to be dried.

Cranberries destined for drying are automatically seeded, cut in half, and pressed, then soaked in a sugar-and-water solution to make them sweeter.

The side-to-side motion of the conveyor belt spreads the berries thinly so that they'll dry evenly.

The hot-air dryer subjects them to temperatures varying from 86 to 176 degrees fahrenheit.

After about three hours, the cranberries come out looking like this.

As you sip your cranberry tea, ponder this-- cranberries are a source of potassium and vitamins "a" and "c," and drinking cranberry juice can prevent and treat urinary tract infections.

Twisting plant or animal fibers into yarn dates back to ancient times, when people fashioned primitive spindles out of sticks.

Around 500 b.c., the spinning wheel was born in india.

Today's factories have fully automated spinning machines that work on the same principle as the spinning wheel.

This is a 2-ply commercial yarn, the kind factories use to weave fabric for making jeans and tops.

It's made from large bales of raw cotton.

Cotton comes from a plant, so, naturally, some leaves and stems are mixed in with the cotton fibers.

To remove them, the first machine passes over the bales and removes a layer of cotton .

2 of an inch wide...

Then sends it through a duct system to the blending and cleaning machine.

The machine processes half a ton of cotton per hour.

The cotton comes out evenly blended and cleaner, but still not clean enough, so it goes into a second cleaning machine, which finishes the job.

Now the cotton goes through what's called a carding machine.

It has huge rollers with wire teeth.

They comb out the tangled fibers and line them up in parallel rows.

The machine also discards any fibers that are too short to process.

Next stop-- the coiler.

This device takes the rows of fibers and forms them into a thick and loose first-stage yarn called sliver.

The slivers move on to the drawing machine.

It lines them up six at a time and draws them out, stretching them to form a second-stage yarn.

Then a machine called a roving frame stretches this second-stage yarn, strengthening it by thinning it out...

Until it looks like this.

This third-stage yarn is called roving.

Depending on the type of yarn they're making, it's anywhere from 3 1/2 to 16 times thinner than sliver.

They now stretch the roving up to 30 times thinner, which strengthens it even more.

The yarn is finally finished.

Now they have to transfer the yarn from all these small spools onto huge, industrial-size cones-- 20 spools to a cone.

One transfer method uses the winding machine.

It winds the yarn from the first spool onto the cone.

Then it automatically takes the back end of that yarn and attaches it with a knot to the front end of the yarn from the next spool.

It winds it onto the cone, then attaches the back end to the front end from the next spool and so on.

As each spool empties, the machine automatically discards it.

And while all that winding is going on, the machine's optical sensor-- that white object you see crossing the screen-- does a quality-control check.

If a portion of yarn doesn't meet specifications, the winding stops, the machine cuts off the offending portion, then reconnects the ends and resumes winding.

This is air-jet spinning, another method of making yarn from slivers and winding it onto giant spools known as tubes.

A suction tube grabs the front end of one spool and connects it to the back end of the previous one, again with a tiny knot.

Before fully automated machines like this were invented 50 years ago, all that knotting had to be done by hand.

The thin, finished yarn is 200 times lighter than the thick, first-stage yarn that came out of the carding machine.

From start to finish, spinning this yarn has taken 48 hours.

You might not have noticed, but road signs have undergone a subtle change in recent years thanks to advances in technology.

Today's signs are more reflective than ever.

You can actually read them in the dead of night, even when the only source of illumination is your car's headlights.

The earliest road signs were crude-- a stick in the ground or a heap of stones to mark a route.

In the roman empire, stone posts were erected along roadsides at regular intervals, indicating the distance to rome.

Centuries later, stone-marker systems gave way to wooden cross signs pointing in several directions at once.

The international system of road signs we know today came out of the first international road congress, held in 1908.

The process of manufacturing a road sign starts with a computer.

The government strictly regulates the specifics of the design and requires a certain degree of reflectivity.

The computer's specialized software guides a machine to cut the design on a sheet of film.

Once the design is cut, workers carefully peel off and discard the pieces.

What's left is a film stencil of the sign-- in this case, a french stop sign.

They inspect it for defects, then prepare a screen of polyester fabric that they'll later use to print the sign.

They start by coating it with a thin layer of light-sensitive emulsion.

Once the emulsion is dry, they adhere the film stencil using vacuum pressure to flatten it and get rid of any creases or air bubbles.

Then they expose the screen to an intense, 6,000-watt light for seven minutes.

This activates the emulsion on the lettering and area outside the octagon-- what's not shielded from the light by the film stencil.

This exposed emulsion hardens, plugging the minute holes between the screen's fibers.

After rinsing, you see the result.

Elsewhere in the factory, workers cut the aluminum panels on which the signs will be printed.

Using a punch press, they round out the edges.

They make holes for the bolts that will later attach the sign to the post.

They stamp on the company name and the year of manufacture for warranty purposes.

They immerse the panels in a chemical bath to remove grease and other residues.

Then they rinse off the panels and dip them in an acid solution that seals the metal to make it better withstand harsh weather.

Next, they laminate the aluminum panels with a film containing miniscule glass particles.

This film will make the sign reflect in the dark when light hits it.

Then they cut the panel to the final shape.

Now they can finally print the sign.

The process they use is called silk-screening, although the fabric screen, as you saw earlier, isn't actually silk.

It's polyester.

The machine forces the ink down through the screen onto the panel.

The ink penetrates through the open fiber holes of the octagon, printing the red background on the stop sign.

But it can't penetrate through the blocked fiber holes of the lettering and the area outside the octagon, so those remain white.

The freshly printed signs pass through a dryer at about 150 degrees fahrenheit for 5 minutes.

To produce street signs, workers first laminate aluminum panels with reflective film for the background color...

Then either silk-screen the street name or apply self-adhesive reflective lettering.

But it's back to the silk-screening process for printing multicolored signs.

Workers print them one color at a time with a drying cycle between colors.

All the film stencils are carefully stored for future use.

The printed signs go into an oven for a final curing at 349 degrees fahrenheit-- an hour for a one-color sign, a half-hour per color for a multicolored sign.

The ink is transparent enough not to block the reflective film underneath.

Therefore, the entire sign, not just the lettering, is highly reflective.

That maximizes the sign's visibility, thereby minimizing the excuses drivers can come up with for not heeding it.


Tasers
Canned Soup
Jaw Harps & Mouth Bows
Diving Boards

A taser device fires bursts of electricity to deliver a high-voltage, low-amp shock that temporarily disables the subject.

Invented in 1969 by an american aerospace scientist, the taser has become a weapon of choice for police forces around the world.

Today, when an officer reaches for his or her gun, it's often one without bullets.

From a cartridge on the front, the taser fires electrified darts, which, on impact, cause muscle contractions in the target's subject.

The subject is immobilized but usually recovers in a few minutes.

This metal capsule contains the propellant, pressurized gas.

A robotic arm inserts the capsule in a plastic chamber.

The next robot places a part, called the primer disc, on the capsule.

It contains chemicals to generate a mini explosion that will drive pins into the capsule, releasing the gas.

Another robot adds a protective screen.

That's the primer disc on the left and the screen on the right.

They punch out a round piece of foam, and the robot thrusts it into the chamber and tamps it down.

After welding it in place with ultrasonic vibrations, a robot flips the unit up and into a second plastic chamber.

The placement leaves just enough space between the inner and outer chambers for wire bundles to be inserted later.

A robot then tucks the assembly into the plastic cartridge.

It has slots for other components, like insulated copper-wire bundles.

A machine winds the wire in a tight figure-eight formation.

This wire will electrify the darts as they're deployed, and the figure-eight winding reduces the possibility of tangling.

A worker places two bundles in the designated spaces in the cartridge.

He tops each bundle with a piece of strong polyester film.

It keeps the wire pack from spring apart as he slides it off the fork and presses it into the cartridge.

He's now ready for the barbed taser darts.

He threads the end of each wire bundle through one and knots it.

He installs the darts in the cartridge, using a special tool to seat them correctly.

He selects plastic wedges--  one for each wire-- and wraps the other end of the wires around it.

He attaches electrodes to facilitate the flow of electricity to the cartridge.

The next part is called the blast door.

It will blast apart and break in two as the taser darts are deployed.

The robot snaps it in place on top of the cartridge.

The door is color-coded to signify the range of the dart probes.

Yellow indicates five yards.

With the compressed-air cartridge complete, they now focus on the taser's deployment mechanisms.

A technician installs a laser system and two l.e.d. lights in the plastic casing.

The laser is an aide for aiming the electrified darts, and the lights will illuminate the target.

He adjusts the laser's aim to sync it with one of the darts, using a bull's-eye target as an alignment aide.

Next, they immerse the high-voltage board in epoxy resin and pump more directly into it.

This board is in the part of the taser gun that generates electrical pulses when the gun is in stun mode.

Once cured, the epoxy encapsulates this unit to insulate the components.

The technician inserts the high-voltage board in the gun casing.

Along with the controller board-- the brains of the taser-- he also installs an information display board and makes the necessary connections.

He plugs the assembly into a power source and tests the laser and l.e.d. lights.

He snaps on the trigger and confirms that it makes contact with the plunger on the control board.

He joins the other half of the taser casing to the one with all the working parts.

Then, an ultrasonic welder fuses the casing parts at the tongue and groove seams.

Protecting the outer casing with a sheet of plastic, the technician welds a safety switch to the trigger.

This critical part will prevent accidental deployment.

In a test chamber now, they activate the taser without the air cartridge.

Without the cartridge and its projectile darts, the taser works as a handheld stun gun to zap the target directly.

Once it meets the tester's approval, this taser is ready for the police beat.

A consumer model is also approved for use in some jurisdictions.

Like the police version, it should deliver a shocking performance.

Soup is a liquid food that is as old as cooking itself.

Its appeal is quite literally biblical because in the old testament, a son trades his inheritance for a pot of lentil soup.

Of course, today, one doesn't have to sacrifice it all for soup because it's usually readily available in cans.

With the invention of canning in the early 19th century, soup soon became available on demand.

On the home front, this caused quite a stir.

No need for a long simmer.

Just open the can, reheat, and soup's on.

To manufacture lentil soup, they make a hearty soup base.

They load measured amounts into a heated mixer, beginning with purée garlic.

The mixer's walls are steam-jacketed so the mix will cook evenly with no scorching on the bottom.

The next ingredient is olive oil.

They activate the steam heat, and the garlic begins to sizzle.

They add chopped onion.

The mixing blades gently toss the ingredients as they sauté.

They blend in diced celery and cook until translucent.

The next round of ingredients takes the flavor up a notch.

They include chopped carrots, sea salt, and fragrant spices.

Balsamic vinegar adds a sweet tartness to this lentil-soup base.

They're now ready to liquify the ingredients.

They open the tap, and filtered water spills in.

As the soup begins to simmer, they add crushed and diced tomatoes.

The final ingredient for this robust lentil-soup base is spinach.

Mixing it makes for a colorful swirl, and, as the ingredients cook, they become increasingly aromatic.

Meanwhile, raw, peeled potatoes ride a steep and slatted conveyor upward.

The slats keep the potatoes from rolling back as they make the climb up to a hopper.

From the hopper, the potatoes slide down a chute and into a revolving drum with cross-cutting blades.

The blades cut the spuds into small cubes and spit them out.

After a trip past a metal detector, the potato cubes land in a bin.

In small-cube form, they'll cook faster later.

Next, lentils, hard and dried, surge in a steady stream onto a revolving round table.

The table has openings that lead to little chutes with doors.

They open to funnel the lentils into cans moving on a conveyor below.

This ensures that a specific amount is fed into the cans.

Partially cooked green beans and the raw potato cubes now flow onto a second revolving table.

The cans with the lentils have now moved into position below.

The veggies fall through the holes and into the cans.

The cans, with mostly uncooked ingredients, now head towards the piston filler.

It pipes the steaming hot vegetable-soup base directly from the kettle mixer into the cans, filling them to the brim.

Immersed in the hot liquid, the lentils, potatoes, and green beans at the base of the can cook a little and soften up.

Sensors detect the approach of the cans and cue the lids.

The lids drop one by one onto the cans below.

A device then interlocks the rims of the cans and the lids for a hermetic seal.

The cans move into another lane and travel past an x-ray machine.

It scans the soup inside for metal contaminants like stray bolts or screws.

If the images are clear, the cans of soup move on to a giant pressure cooker.

Here, the contents cook under pressure for about a half hour.

Pressure-cooking simulates the effect of a long simmer in a fraction of the time.

The soup then cools for 10 minutes.

It is now thoroughly cooked and preserved.

Now on their sides with glue applied, the cans of lentil soup roll over labels, and the labels adhere.

They produce more than 15,000 cans of lentil soup an hour at this factory.

That's 105,000 cans in one shift.

It's enough to feed a small city.

The jaw harp and the mouth bow are among the earliest musical instruments.

A chinese drawing from the 4th century b.c. is believed to be the first record of a musician playing a jaw harp, and cave paintings in southern france from 15,000 b.c. depict someone playing a mouth bow.

The mouth bow is a stick of wood with a single string the musician plucks or strums, while altering the vibration-generated sound by mouth.

The jaw harp is a metal instrument.

The musician plucks its flexible tongue to produce a twanging sound, which he then modulates with mouth positions and breathing.

This craftsman makes the jaw harp's frame out of 1/10 of an inch thick square steel rod.

He measures and marks the required length and bend points.

He cuts the length with a standard hacksaw...

Clamps the rod in a vice...

Then slips metal pipes over the ends to prevent them from twisting as he bends them to form the arms of the frame.

He aligns the arms, leaving just enough space between them to allow the tongue to vibrate without obstruction.

For the instrument to produce quality sound, the arms must be perfectly parallel to each other-- their edges in mirror image.

He marks the tongue's position in between the arms and files down the metal within the markings.

This creates a notch in which the tongue will sit.

The tongue is made of spring steel-- a type of steel, which when bent, resumes its original shape.

Before attaching it, he saws a tiny undercut in each side of the notch.

Then he inserts the tongue and hammers the undercut sides to compress them over the tongue and lock it into position.

He heats the tip of the tongue with a propane torch.

Once the metal softens enough to bend, he angles the tip to form what's called the trigger.

Then he heats the end of the trigger and bends it into a loop.

This is what the musician's finger strikes to make the tongue vibrate.

Finally, he files the tongue's edges sharp-- a last detail to improve the instrument's sound quality.

To make a mouth bow, his first step is to find a stick that's between roughly 1 1/2 to 6 1/2 feet long, not too heavy, and ideally with a "t" shape at the end.

In his workshop, he clamps it in a vice, trims it to the required length, and, using a rasp, files the knots flat.

He files the top end until it's about 2/10 of an inch thick.

This forms the mouthpiece, which you hold gently to your lips while plucking the string.

The string vibrates the mouthpiece, producing sounds that you alter by changing the shape of your mouth.

He drills a hole toward the base of the mouthpiece for the string, then, just below that, files a notch for the bridge that supports the string.

Just below the notch, he hammers in a steel nail called the pin.

He drills a 2/10 of an inch hole at the "t"-shaped end of the stick.

This is where he'll insert the tuning peg, which he constructs out of a wood knob and dow.

He makes the string from a length of piano wire.

He forms a loop at one end by twisting it with pliers around an awl.

He feeds this end through the hole at the base of the mouthpiece...

And hooks the loop onto the pin.

Then he threads the other end of the string through a hole in the shaft at the tuning peg at the bottom of the stick.

He turns the peg to tighten the string.

Just as on a violin or a guitar, the tauter the string, the higher the note it produces.

the final step is to position the bridge-- a hardwood dow-- in its notch, under the tense string.

By elevating the top of the string, the bridge prevents it from cutting into the stick.

The mouth bow and the jaw harp are played alone or alongside other instruments in the folk music of numerous cultures around the world.

The earliest known reference to a diving board appears in a hieroglyphic from 480 b.c. it depicts a man plunging headfirst into a pool of water from a platform.

Today, diving boards are standard equipment at neighborhood and backyard swimming pools.

One end of the diving board is fixed to give the other end the bounce required for a big-splash cannonball or a graceful swan dive.

To make the diving-board shell, workers load a sheet of acrylic into a clamping machine that transports it into an oven.

The oven heats the sheet for about 30 seconds to soften it.

Then, a forming machine applies suction to draw the softened acrylic tightly over a mold in the shape of two diving boards.

Fans blow cool air, hardening the acrylic to this shape within seconds.

They extract the molded acrylic, then saw it in half to separate the two diving-board shells.

They coat the shell surface in a resin and fiberglass mixture.

This tool is called a chopper gun because it chops and shreds the fiberglass string, then shoots it out drenched in resin.

They roll it to compress the fibers and push out air pockets.

Any trapped air would create a weak spot in the diving board.

After letting the resin dry and harden for 30 minutes, they begin filling the shell cavity with 2/10 of an inch thick fiberglass mat.

They drench the mat in resin, rolling it over to ensure every fraction of an inch gets well-saturated.

Then they lay down another fiberglass mat, this one a bit thinner and saturated with the existing resin.

The diving board's core is made of laminated wood, which is several thin layers of wood glued together.

Laminated wood is actually stronger than a solid piece of wood.

After rounding the top edge, they lay two wood-laminate cores over the resin-saturated fiberglass mats.

They position clamps to hold the cores in place.

But before tightening, they insert metal spacers to ensure the cores are correctly positioned within the shell.

Once the positioning is perfect, they tighten the clamps, then let the resin cure at room temperature for a half hour or so.

Then the clamps come off, and workers cover the cores with an even thicker fiberglass mat impregnated with resin.

This is the bottom of the diving board.

They make sure the mat is centered...

Then manually form it to the shape of the board, pushing out the air pockets as they go.

They spray on some decorative paint, then put the board in an oven for 24 hours to cure.

When it comes out, they use a diamond blade to saw off the excess fiberglass around the edge.

Then they do a final trimming to make the edge neat and smooth.

They mask the sides with tape, leaving only the top exposed.

This is where they'll now apply a rough texture-- a safe, non-slip surface.

First, they roll on a thin coat of resin.

Onto that, they sprinkle a layer of silica sand, making sure to cover the surface thoroughly and evenly.

The sand sticks to the resin, which sets and cures in about 15 minutes.

After sweeping off the excess sand that didn't adhere, they roll on a coat of laminating resin, which bonds to the sand, giving the surface a clean, finished look.

They pull off the tape and apply the manufacture's decal to the side.

The diving board is now all set to be installed on a stand at the edge of the deep end to await anyone ready to take the plunge.


Riding Mowers
Popcorn
Adjustable Beds
Cultured Diamonds

When it comes to sitting down on the job, the riding mower is just the vehicle.

Animals powered the first ones in england in the 19th century.

When motorized mowers came along in the 20th century, they improved on the concept, and we were on our way to greener pastures.

Step behind the controls of a riding mower, and you can tame that unruly lawn without even breaking a sweat.

The job can be done speedily because a riding mower moves at quite a clip.

To make one, a robot delivers a sheet of steel to a die.

The die closes with 1,000 tons of force to make a big impression.

It shapes it into the part that holds the mowing blades-- what's called the mower deck.

They transfer the mower decks to a series of presses.

They punch holes for the blade attachments and trim the edges.

Workers stack the decks for washing.

After a treatment with a chemical rust inhibitor, it's time to plunge them into a primer solution.

The overhead rack delivers a negative charge to the decks, while the primer has a positive charge, which draws it onto the decks in an even coat.

This is called electrostatic painting.

They assemble three spindles to mowing blades and hoist the mower deck over the blade assemblies.

They bolt the head of each blade subassembly to the mower deck.

Then they thread rubber belts around pulleys to drive the blades.

Assembly continues with gauge wheels, a protective belt casing, and a chute for the cut grass.

Next, they clamp a set of steel rails along with some attachments to a welding table.

The welding table swings around to an awaiting crew of robots.

The robots move in and weld the attachments to the rails.

These rails will serve as the framework for the riding mower.

The attachments are for the front wheels.

Once the rails have been primed, an overhead conveyor takes them into a paint booth.

Nozzles spray a powder paint onto the parts for an enamel-like finish.

The powder that doesn't stick is recycled.

They lower the engine subassembly into position to build the vehicle framework around it, then bolt the welded and freshly glossed side rails to tubing at the front and back.

They attach the footrest to the frame, then install the platform for the seat.

They assemble those nifty steering levers, which can be moved into 15 positions.

Then they install metal yokes on the front wheels.

They slot the yoke's shaft into the frame rail, securing it with a metal snap ring.

Now comes the front grill, that's vented to protect the engine from overheating.

The rear wheels go on next.

They're more substantial than the front ones because this is a rear-wheel-drive machine.

It's time to mount the mower deck and blades onto the vehicle.

They position it in front and roll the vehicle over it.

The workers activate a lift that elevates the worktable to a height that makes it easier for them to secure the mower deck to the framework.

They attach the belts on the mower deck to the engine.

Monitoring equipment will help them see if this mower's got what it takes to mow down the competition.

They put it in gear and check the wheels to confirm that they turn at the correct speed.

They adjust the transmission if they're not.

They also check the electrical components, and if all systems are go, they complete the assembly.

They bolt a side panel in place, followed by the instrument panel.

And last comes the seat, complete with armrests.

It takes 72 minutes to assemble one of these riding mowers, and it should be good for at least a decade of mowing.

Good thing, because it's workload is constantly growing.

We don't know exactly when popcorn first exploded onto the snack scene, but it was likely thousands of years ago.

Popcorn grains dating back nearly 5,600 years have been discovered in caves in new mexico.

And down through the ages, this unique grain just keeps popping up.

Nothing says it's showtime like a big bowl of popcorn.

This grain has certainly made it big in the entertainment biz.

This success story has its roots on the farm, of course.

Popcorn is one of six types of corn, and it's the only kind that pops.

They even breed the popcorn plant to enhance traits like color, taste, and popability.

By fall, the crop is ready to harvest.

Peeling back the husks reveals kernels that are smaller and harder than those of other corn.

At harvesting, popcorn has moisture content of 16% to 20%.

That's a bit too high.

So to bring it down to 14%, they condition the crop in these giant bins, pumping warm air up through it to accelerate the drying.

It's a critical step.

Popcorn that's too dry may not pop.

And if it's too wet, it could spoil when stored.

In the factory, a series of oscillating screens sift chunks of cob and broken kernels out of the popcorn.

Vacuum pipes pull the finer impurities to a dust collector and suck the larger impurities into a chute.

They end up in a waste bin to be discarded or used in animal feed.

At this junction, the system funnels the filtered popcorn in one direction and the impurities in another.

It's the perfect opportunity to see the difference between the two streams.

The purification process continues at the gravity table.

Its vibrating action, along with powerful fans, cause the popcorn to rise and float on air.

In the process, kernels that are too heavy or too light gravitate away from the center and are shunted aside.

The grains in the middle of the mass are the optimal size, but leaving nothing to chance, they go through one more screening.

The kernels now head into a very different kind of sorter.

Inside, the kernels fly by an electric eye.

It detects remaining debris or defective grains.

The machine sends a blast of air to get rid of them.

It's time to test a sample of the production run.

He pours in a half pound of kernels along with some oil.

As the pot reaches 446 degrees fahrenheit, the water in the kernel starts to steam.

As the pressure builds, those kernels explode and turn inside out.

This reveals the starchy part of the kernel and creates a white, fluffy puff.

To pass this test, the popcorn has to expand 44.5 times the original volume.

The tester loads the popped puffs into a tube with measurements on it, and this bach of popcorn is right on the mark.

As you can see, a little bit of popcorn can really go a long way, from a pea-sized kernel to a puffy, white treat in a matter of minutes.

And although popcorn kernels come in a range of colors, that starchy part that's exposed by popping is always white.

Now it's all in the packaging.

Maintaining the correct amount of moisture in each kernel is critical.

Heat-sealing the bag locks in the grains to keep them from drying out on a store shelf.

This paper bag destined for the concession market, like movie theaters, is multilayered.

It includes a vapor barrier to control moisture loss.

It's taken six months to grow this popcorn and a couple of weeks more to process it.

But it will all be worth it at snack time, because when these grains explode into a mountain of munchies, there should be enough for the whole gang.

Some people enjoy the health benefits that adjustable beds may give.

Others like the built-in massage system that gently rocks them to sleep each night.

Whatever a person's fancy, adjustable beds can be custom-made to suit their lifestyle and total comfort and class.

An adjustable bed helps you sleep with a push of the button.

This convenient hand control easily adjusts the head and foot positions to the contours of your body.

It all starts with a quilting machine.

It sews foam padding, fire retardant material, and two layers of backing together.

Hundreds of thousands of stitches produce a quilted top panel with comfort and style in mind.

A machine cuts the panel to a specific bed size.

The four layers that make up the quilted top panel add luxury and security to the mattress.

Meanwhile, another worker prepares the coil spring.

He covers it with protective netting.

This high-density foam pad comes next.

He staples the pad and netting to the coil spring.

He puts a bottom cover on the mattress and tucks the foam and coil spring inside.

He turns the mattress over, covers it with netting, then staples it.

He puts another high-density foam pad on this side and staples it.

Then he lays down the quilted top panel.

He holds on to the backing layer and staples the top panel onto the spring.

He fills the corners with packing, which gives them a nice, firm edge.

Then he sews the mattress together with the tape-edge machine that uses binding tape and fire-retardant thread.

The tape-edge machine makes a perfect seam all the way around and finishes the mattress.

Next, a length of steel rod goes into a thread-roll machine.

Its threaded rollers use hydraulic pressure to transform the rod into a worm screw.

They put the worm screw and gear assembly inside a casing.

The worm and nylon gears will turn a steel shaft, which raises and lowers the bed.

A worker closes the motor casing.

Another worker assembles the bed's foundation.

He puts flexible nylon hinges between platform boards and staples them in place.

He turns the platform over and staples them again.

He protects the platform with a polyester dust cover.

A worker now bolts a steel frame to the platform.

He fastens a head motor to one of the metal tubes.

To another metal tube, he bolts a foot motor.

Finally, he attaches a massage motor.

Then a worker covers a support fixture with a cotton bed cover.

He puts down four-inch high density foam, then places the fully assembled frame on top.

He pulls up the bed cover and upholsters it to the base.

The bed is ready for its adjustable bed sheets, but not before a final testing for quality control.

Every part must pass a flex test the operator controls.

The paper-protected foundation, the steel frame, and all three motors must allow the bed to rise and descend with gentle, uninterrupted precision-- exactly as it would in the comfort of your own home.

All you need now is a bowl of popcorn, a movie, and perhaps a soothing massage, and then it's lights-out.

Diamonds are a flash of brilliance for mother nature.

Formed in the earth's crust by intense heat and pressure, they're prized for their crystalline beauty.

But now mother nature has some serious competition, because gem-quality diamonds are actually being grown in laboratories.

Diamonds grown in labs are dazzling even the skeptics.

While lower-grade diamonds have long been grown for industrial use, they were more grit than glitter.

But these diamonds have that gem-quality sparkle.

They start with a robotic laser.

It slices slivers from a chunk of real diamond to produce tiny wafers.

They're five millimeters wide and a quarter millimeter thick.

That's about as thin as a human hair.

The laser blackens the diamond, so they place it on a steel block for polishing.

They rim the wafer with epoxy to keep it from sliding around.

This epoxy requires an activator, so they brush it on next.

The chemical reaction causes the epoxy to solidify in seconds to firmly secure the sliver on the block.

They screw the block to a threaded rod that's attached to a metal arm.

They lower the block and its diamond wafer onto a wheel that's swirling with diamond grit.

They apply weights to press the diamond wafer into the grit.

And as the wheel spins, it creates the necessary friction to polish away the grime.

A level confirms the wafer is correctly positioned.

Diamonds are the hardest of minerals, and only other diamonds can effectively polish one.

The difference is impressive.

The diamond wafer has gone from sooty to crystal clear, and now it's ready to grow.

A technician places several wafers on a special metal pedestal using a suction tool.

He arranges them in a uniform pattern, giving them room to expand, because these slivers of diamond are destined for bigger things.

He lowers a metal chamber over them.

Pumps inject hydrogen and methane gas, and the machine heats them to thousands of degrees at just the right pressure.

The gasses form a plasma, which rains onto the diamond wafers and causes them to grow.

After just two weeks, the diamond slivers have grown into stones at least 10 times the original size.

It's quite a transformation.

But these diamonds in the rough need a lot more work to really sparkle.

That dab epoxy onto the tip of a pointed steel rod called a dop and center the lab-grown diamond on the epoxy-coated tip.

Then it's into the laser booth, where the dop is gripped by a robotic arm.

It turns it so a laser can trim the lab-grown diamond from all sides.

The process exposes the crystal clarity of the gem.

A technician checks the quality of the lab-grown diamond with a jeweler's magnifying glass.

Then she lowers it into another polishing wheel.

It's similar to the one that was used to clean it when it was just a sliver.

But this wheel actually contours the grown stone to give it that classic diamond shape.

The process brings out all of its glittering facets.

It's taken just a couple of weeks to grow this diamond.

The process puts geology on fast-forward, because it takes tens of millions of years for real forces to push real diamonds to the earth's surface.

Only very sophisticated testing can separate the lab-grown diamonds from the mined ones.

But since they cost 15% less, you'll notice the difference in your pocketbook.