Many banks and businesses have time-delay locks on their safes to keep their valuables and documents secure.

This helps deter theft because robbers may not want to wait around for the safe to open.

If they do, the time delay may keep them around long enough for police to make an arrest.

This lock lets you select delays ranging from 1 to 30 minutes.

The timer starts after you insert the key.

Most of the lock's components are made of zinc.

This semi-automated casting machine heats zinc bars to about 800 degrees.

The molten metal is then fed into an injection system, which shoots the zinc into a part-shaped mold.

The machine automatically refills the zinc bars as the metal is used.

As soon as the machine injects molten zinc into the mold, surrounding tubes spray cold water to quickly cool and solidify the metal.

Then the mold opens and ejects the part.

The parts have rough edges, so they go into a vibrating tub.

Inside, they run against ceramic stones and an abrasive compound to smooth the edges and polish the surface.

The parts are cleaned and painted on one side.

Then they go into an oven to bake on the paint.

The lock's main cam sets the time delay and the open window-- the amount of time before the safe automatically relocks.

Here, they're drilling holes for screws, which will regulate the lengths of the time delay and the open window.

Once the lock's components are prepared, assembly begins.

Workers insert the lock cylinder into its shell and remove the key.

Then they screw on a steel cylinder cam.

When you turn the key in the cylinder, a cam winds and starts the timer.

After the set time delay, the cam pulls a lever that releases the lock's latch.

To build the lock's timing assembly, they first attach a spring to the timer plate.

They hold the spring in place with a plastic retainer.

Then they install a brass timer cam.

The spring holds it in the locked position.

A pin on the cylinder cam's lever sits on the timer cam.

When the time delay is over, the pin releases the timer spring, and the timer cam moves to the unlocked position.

This allows the cylinder cam to retract the latch and open the lock.

They screw the plate with the spring and timer cam to the timer, which is gear-driven like a mechanical clock.

They let the timer run down all the way.

Then they turn the spring four times.

They mount the main cam, which sets the time delay and open window on top of the timer cam.

Now they begin calibrating the timer.

First they install an aluminum weight assembly that controls the timer speed.

They run the timer on a testing machine, comparing it to the delay set on the main cam.

If the timer runs too fast, they take some tension off the timer spring.

If the timer runs too slowly, they trim down the weight assembly until they get the right speed.

Once the timer is accurate, they screw it into the timer cover.

The lock body contains the lever that retracts the lock's latch.

It also has a brass electrical plug to connect a time-delay indicator light.

After securing the latch and lever in position with a cover plate, they install the timer assembly.

The visible side is painted black, just like the visible side of the cover plate.

Then they insert the cylinder assembly.

They mount the lock on the door of the safe and hook up the indicator lights, which run on double-"a" batteries.

To open the safe, you insert, turn, then remove the key.

The red light indicates the timer is counting down.

When the time delay is over, the green light comes on.

Then you reinsert the key, and the safe opens.

Chocolate brownies are irresistible.

Their origins are uncertain, but they were definitely developed in the united states over a century ago.

One story is that a homemaker from bangor, maine, made the first brownies accidentally while trying to make a cake.

Another story states that they were deliberately invented by the chef at a chicago hotel.

Neither cake nor cookie, a brownie is something in between, a moist, dense, and chewy square.

There's no doubt it brings something special to the table.

To mass-produce brownies, this factory starts with canola oil.

They add xanthan gum, a natural preservative that increases moisture retention during baking.

They blend these two ingredients in an industrial mixer.

Then they add sugar, cocoa, and canola and palm oil shortening.

They reactivate the mixer, and it blends the ingredients into a chocolate batter.

The next ingredients are whole eggs...

And corn syrup.

The massive mixing arm descends back into the bowl and whips these ingredients into the batter.

A worker wheels the bowl to a hopper, which releases a precise amount of flour.

The flour thickens the mix.

It will give the baked brownies structure.

After 25 minutes of mixing, the batter is complete.

There's enough batter here to make 6,000 brownies.

They transfer the smooth chocolaty mixture to a machine called a depositor.

A sprayer mists the pans with oil to keep the brownies from sticking to them during baking.

Then the pans arrive at the depositor.

This computerized machine releases the batter into each pan.

It has perfect aim every time.

Next, the pans enter an 11-1/2-foot oven.

The brownies rotate through 13 tiers to bake them evenly.

After about 20 minutes, the brownies are cooked.

They exit the oven and head into a cooling chamber.

Like the oven, it's multi-tiered.

The pans move through it as fans cool the brownies.

The cooling helps solidify the brownies.

Then a robot arm with needle-like claws lifts them out of the pans and transfers them to the next conveyer.

The robots are gentle, so the cool brownies stay intact during the process.

The brownies round a corner and transfer to another conveyer.

At the end of the line, a worker places the brownies in a narrow conveyer system that takes them to the wrapping station.

A computer sensor detects their approach and alerts the plastic wrapping system ahead.

The plastic unwinds into the wrapping machine as the brownies enter it.

Metal wheels with grooves pull the wrapper under the brownies, and then heated wheels melt the seam to close it.

A hot jaw then seals and severs the plastic film between the brownies, creating individual packets.

A robot opens a box and sets it on a conveyer next to the brownie line.

An employee then places eight packets of brownies in each carton.

They ride by a rotary device, which automatically folds the ends of the cartons.

Then the boxes are glued shut.

Finally, they travel through a metal detector.

It uses a high-frequency electromagnetic signal to detect any metal fragments in the brownies.

It takes about an hour to make and package brownies at this factory, but only a fraction of that time to enjoy them.

Pallets are used to easily move large quantities of goods.

They were invented in the early 20th century and have been a warehouse staple ever since.

Multiple unused pallets can cause clutter and even be a safety hazard.

That's where pallet dispensers come in.

Before pallet dispensers, pallets were kept in loose stacks.

Retrieving one was potentially dangerous.

The pallet dispenser solves this problem.

It helps keep the workplace safe and organized.

A high-speed cnc machine cuts out the steel parts of the pallet dispenser.

An employee uses a press brake to bend the components to the required shapes.

A preset backstop ensures that the metal piece goes into the precise depth.

Next, a worker uses a mig welder to quickly bond the new parts together.

The parts hang from chains, which are charged with a negative current.

Painters then spray positively charged paint on them.

The parts are baked in an oven for 20 minutes to dry the paint.

The traveler frame moves up and down with the pallets inside the dispenser.

A worker installs 12 cam followers.

A team positions the linear track assembly.

Its vertical bars guide the cam followers, keeping the traveler frame on track.

Once this sub-assembly is complete, workers install it inside the main side frames.

Together, these components form the main base assembly.

The dispenser's self-contained hydraulic system doesn't require power to control the traveler frame.

This is one of two hydraulic cylinders.

They're designed to easily hold a heavy stack of pallets.

The worker installs four brake arms.

They hold a set of spring-loaded latches in place to keep the pallets suspended in position.

Next, he positions the sprockets.

The pallet dispenser requires four sprockets to support two chains.

These chains connect the traveler frame to a massive steel counterweight.

As it gets fuller, the traveler frame lowers to the ground.

After the pallets touch the floor, the counterweight lifts the frame.

The pallets are stored in a tall column called a pallet magazine.

Two employees work together to install it.

The magazines come in two standard heights-- 4 feet and 8 feet.

Not all pallet magazines are red.

Customers can select from a wide variety of colors.

The interior panels protect the dispenser's mechanism from being damaged.

They're also the access panels to the product's precision engineering.

A trained professional should always handle the machine's maintenance and repair.

Making the panels relatively inaccessible decreases the chances of tampering, injury, or accidents by an amateur.

Next, a worker runs a quality-control test.

He uses a walkie rider to raise a stack of pallets and remove the bottom one.

When he's done, the hydraulic system lowers the stack back into position.

Here, one worker uses a forklift to raise the top section of the pallet magazine into position while the other worker guides the magazine into place.

Graphics and decals have already been added, so all that's left is for the worker to securely bolt the two sections together.

With about 2 billion pallets in the u.s. alone, things can really start to pile up.

Pallet stackers make life easier for manufacturers and shippers all over the world.

Some refer to these devices as giant pez dispensers.

In a way, that's exactly what they are, and they're just as safe.

Once reserved for palaces and castles, today's chandeliers can be found in even the most modest homes.

They function as more than just a light source.

Chandeliers can be the illuminating centerpieces of traditional rooms or give modern rooms an eclectic twists.

Either way, a crystal chandelier is always elegant and timeless.

This chandelier is quite a showstopper.

It stretches more than 3 feet high and wide with 24 elegant arms.

It's decorated with clear and red crystal and a gilded hurricane shade over each light.

To make the crystal, they melt silica sand in a furnace, along with lead, hot ash, and several other ingredients.

The materials combine to make crystal heavier and more sparkling than glass.

To make each chandelier arm, a crystal blower gathers some molten crystal on the end of his blowpipe, then shapes the arm with a series of blocks and molds.

He makes a channel down the middle for the arm's electrical wiring.

Next, two master crystal blowers work together to pull and twist the crystal into the arm's rope-like design.

This maneuver requires tremendous expertise.

To achieve the correct diameter, these craftsmen must stretch the crystal exactly right.

Next, they put it in a chandelier arm mold and snip off the excess on both ends.

They blow cold air to solidify the crystal.

Another craftsman inspects the chandelier arm, checking the shape, measurements, and channel for the electrical wiring.

Next, a pair of craftsmen make the bowl-shaped bottom of the chandelier.

Using traditional techniques, they place molten crystal in a mold, then place the mold in a press.

The crystal chandelier parts are cooled down in an oven.

The gradual decrease in temperature slowly releases tension in the crystal.

This prevents cracking.

Straight out of the furnace, the crystal is 2,280 degrees.

It continues to be pliable until it reaches about 1,202 degrees.

It cools rapidly, so as the craftsmen work, they must regularly reheat the crystal in a smaller furnace.

The freshly molded crystal tends to have a rough surface, so they use heat from a blowtorch to smooth it out.

These holders support the hurricane shades on the arms.

This company produces its signature shade of red crystal by adding 24-karat gold powder to the raw materials in the furnace.

The color emerges after the molded piece is reheated in an oven to just over 1,000 degrees.

A crystal blower makes the hurricane shades.

First, he rolls a starting shape at the end of his blowpipe.

Then, with pliers, he narrows and stretches one end to form a neck.

By now, the crystal has cooled, so he reheats it before continuing.

Next, he inserts the crystal into a foot-pedal-operated mold installed in the floor.

He then turns the pipe and blows through it to expand the crystal to the mold shape.

Once the hurricane shade has cooled, artisans apply an elaborate 24-karat gold decal.

With a paintbrush, they also apply raised gilding and 24-karat gold paste.

They heat the shade to fuse the gold to the crystal, then polish the gold with an agate stone.

Every part of the crystal chandelier is handmade, and the entire chandelier is manually assembled.

However, some of the crystal parts require prep work before assembly.

The arms have a light socket at one end wired to a connector at the other.

All 24 arms mount to a round tray.

Beneath it, the connectors link to the main wires running down the center of the chandelier.

The chandelier's ornate bottom hides it all.

The electrical sockets that hold the light bulbs are hidden inside metal sleeves painted white to look like candles.

The gilded hurricane shades go over the candles and sit snugly in the holders.

This stunning crystal chandelier casts sparkling light, easily making it the focal point of the room.

Weighing in at over 150 pounds, this grand chandelier makes a big, bold design statement.


Inflatable Watercraft
Couscous
Modelling Dough
Wicker Products

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

Inflatable watercraft...

Couscous...

Modeling dough...

And wicker products.

Today's inflatable watercraft range from rafts and dinghies to canoes and kayaks.

They're less expensive than conventional boats and easier to store and transport.

You don't need a trailer-- just throw your boat in the trunk, then unfold and inflate it when you get to your aquatic destination.

Whether it's a raft shooting the rapids or a motorized boat gliding across a calm lake, an inflatable watercraft begins with sturdy, waterproof material.

This company uses pvc fabric .

04 of an inch thick that has a nylon or polyester fiber core.

After workers trace and cut out the pieces that will form the boat, they connect them with a strip of the same material, fusing them together using a machine with a propane flame.

The intense heat melts the surface of the pvc until the pieces bond.

Here's that bonding action in slow motion.

Next, they fuse a strip of pure pvc to the underside of the joint.

This assures that air won't leak out of the boat where the pieces connect.

Inflating the boat will pull on the material surrounding the air valve, so they reinforce that area with a round piece of pvc called a doubler.

This high-frequency welding machine applies 280 pounds of pressure and heat-generating f.m. waves to fuse the doubler in place.

Then they cut a hole in the middle of the doubler for the air valve.

Next come the cones.

Cones support the weight of the motor and enable the boat to plane, to rise above the water when traveling at high speed.

Using the propane-flame machine, workers seal together the ends of the boat...

Then insert the inside cone piece just before they close it up completely.

They finish off the seal using the high-frequency welding machine, then pull the cone piece through.

They inflate the boat until the pressure forces the cone piece into place.

They seal all around it with heavy-duty caulking...

Stick on the outside cone piece...

Then screw it securely in place.

They fully inflate the boat to perfect the seal and expel the excess caulking.

Now they install what's called the transom, a plank of wood that supports the motor at the rear of the boat.

They cover it in boat fabric, using a plastic resin-based glue that's resistant to the fiery heat of the sun.

They apply the same glue to the piece of material that will become the underside of the boat, then position it in place.

After gluing on a bumper made of hard pvc, they coat the boat's underside in a liquid plastic resin.

This protects the bottom when the boat runs aground over rocks and sand.

They test-inflate the keel, a stabilizer that runs the length of the boat.

Then they deflate it and begin installing the floor.

The floor is made up of five connected pieces, three made of aluminum and two made of fiberglass, plastic, or wood.

The hole in the floor is for the keel's air valve.

After inflating the boat...

They inflate the keel.

Now they take measurements to determine where to position the oars.

First, they glue on the oarlocks, the pieces that hold the oars in place.

The oars are made of aluminum, so they're lightweight and they won't rust.

The motor is 6 horsepower to 50 horsepower, depending on the size of the boat.

Couscous is a traditional staple of north african cuisine.

It looks like a grain, but it's actually pasta.

These days, few people make couscous from scratch.

Even in north africa, they usually buy their couscous ready-made and just steam-cook it.

Couscous is the product of culinary simplicity.

It's made from one ingredient and one ingredient alone-- wheat, most often, the durum species of wheat.

When you remove the grains, grind them, and sift out the finer flour, you're left with a coarser wheat flour called "semolina".

That's the flour from which they make couscous.

The first step is known as "hydration".

An automated food processor measures about 1/3 water to 2/3 semolina, then mixes them for 3 minutes.

The flour particles absorb the liquid and bloat into a raw dough.

The dough particles then go into a rotating drum, where they spin for seven minutes.

This rounds them into balls of varying sizes.

A screen inside the drum sifts out the big clumps.

The raw doughballs go into a giant steam-cooker for 15 minutes.

The intense heat, over 210 degrees fahrenheit, cooks the dough by gelatinizing the starch in the wheat.

As the couscous balls exit the steam-cooker stuck together, giant revolving blades break them up.

The soggy couscous now enters a rotating dryer, where it spins for 18 minutes.

This removes 22% of the water.

The remaining moisture is necessary to prevent the couscous from drying out in the package.

Now the couscous pours out of the dryer and onto the conveyor belt that funnels it to the next station.

You can see that the balls are much drier and relatively uniform in size, but they're still steaming hot, so they go off to a refrigeration chamber for two minutes to cool.

As the couscous exits the chamber, it runs through a screening machine that separates the balls, called "grains," by size.

Medium and fine couscous go off to their respective storage silos, while grains that are too big or too small go back to be reprocessed.

The couscous-making process, from wheat semolina to the finished product, has taken just 45 minutes.

As we've seen, most of the cooking's been done by the factory, so all the consumer will have to do is steam this ready-made couscous for five minutes on the stove or in the microwave.

This factory packages its couscous in bulk quantities, as well as in smaller, meal-sized portions.

Today, ready-made couscous comes in many different flavors.

And depending on the dish you're making or your personal preference, you can choose medium grain...

Or fine grain.

Plain or flavored couscous is becoming an increasingly popular side dish, an alternative to rice, potatoes, or noodles.

You can even buy main-course couscous kits that come with a can of vegetables and a packet of sauce.

There's nothing little kids love more than digging their hands into a mound of squishy modeling dough, then rolling and shaping it.

It's a hands-on experience in creativity, made all the more fun by modeling doughs that come in bright colors and yummy scents.

Just in case little billy decides to snack on his artistic creation, this scented modeling dough is made entirely of food ingredients-- flavorings and colorings, salt, flour, hot water, and some secret ingredients the company won't divulge.

The key to achieving just the right consistency is meticulous measurement.

They use electronic scales to precision-weigh each ingredient.

Bit by bit, they pour the dry ingredients and flavorings into the mixer.

The amount of hot water they add varies according to the color and scent they're producing.

The proportions are about 30% water to 70% dry ingredients.

The last ingredient is food coloring-- in this case, cherry red.

For the modeling dough to come out just right, the mixing time has to be precisely 3 minutes and 20 seconds.

When the dough comes out, it's roughly the consistency of pie dough.

It's quite hot from all that churning, almost 160 degrees fahrenheit, but there's no need to cool it before packaging.

It goes right into a machine called the stuffer, which cuts it in container-sized portions.

The finished product is soft and malleable, enough for endless hours of playing.

Besides smelling delightful, this modeling dough doesn't crumble, doesn't stick to things, and won't stain clothes or upholstery.

A machine called the container distributor lines up the plastic containers.

Then the stuffer drops a wad of hot dough into each one.

As the containers move down the line, on goes a cover stamped with the production date.

A compression roller then runs over the cover to create an airtight seal.

Last but not least, a colorful sticker to boldly identify the scent.

The containers pass through a metal detector, a precautionary measure in case some metal shards wore off the machinery and landed unnoticed in the dough.

The company lab is continually developing new scents.

This brand comes in 36 different scents so far...

From a variety of fruits...

To kid-friendly foods.

The lab is also constantly experimenting with new colors, though some, such as purples, are quite difficult to produce.

Children, of course, can make their own colors simply by combining existing ones.

If you leave the modeling dough out of the sealed container for too long, it'll dry out.

But because this brand is water-based, not oil-based like some others, you can revive it.

All you have to do is add a few drops of water, knead it a bit, then put it back in the sealed container.

After a few hours, your scented modeling dough will be as good as new.

Wicker is thin branches or vines flexible enough to be woven.

Many plants can be used for wicker, such as willow and rattan.

Quality wicker is very durable.

You can find antique wicker furniture that's as sturdy today as it was in its heyday.

The oldest piece of wicker on record dates back to 1400 b.c. archeologists discovered it in egypt, where, in ancient times, people used wicker chairs.

Handwoven wicker furniture was the rage in europe and north america in the 1800s.

To meet this demand, trade schools churned out master wicker weavers.

But by the 1930s, manufacturers developed a paper fiber to mimic the look of wicker and large mechanized looms to do the weaving.

Today's genuine wicker items are usually made of rattan core, rattan palm-tree branches stripped of their bark then processed into different diameters and profiles.

At this workshop, they use a manual loom to weave wicker hampers.

Taking what's known as "flat oval rattan core"-- flat on one side, rounded on the other-- they run horizontal strands through vertical strands in an under-and-over pattern, working between the hamper's wooden frame and its fiberboard lining.

They keep the vertical strands taut by tying them to weighted ropes.

It's important to keep moistening the rattan with hot water to keep it supple enough to manipulate.

They weave one thin round strand after every 5-inch-high section of flat oval.

There's no structural reason for this pattern-- it's purely aesthetic.

A wicker wastebasket begins with a base that dictates the shape.

They insert vertical stakes of round rattan core along its perimeter, then below the base, bend each stake over the next, then under the one after that.

This forms what's called the foot border, a bottom rim that holds the base securely in place.

Now they insert a wooden form and begin weaving.

First, a small section of round rows, then a large section of flat oval ones.

Slowly and patiently, they work their way to the top, never resorting to glue or staples to hold the strands together, only a hook to compress the rows for a neat and tight weave.

Every so often, they use pliers to tear off a stray fiber.

Now for the finishing touch.

They braid what's left of the vertical stakes into a decorative top rim.

This particular braiding technique is very complex, requiring all 10 fingers and a special tool to pry stubborn strands apart.

They snip off the excess with a cutter.

When they're finished, they remove the modular wooden form.

Its components are numbered, so they'll know how to reassemble them for the next basket.

Another more decorative way to finish the top of the basket is this arch technique.

They trim each vertical stake, bend it into an arch, then tuck it into the basket three stakes over.

This measuring tool ensures the arches are of equal height, while this metal device creates a space into which to tuck each stake.

Wicker weavers create magnificent designs by combining various shapes and sizes of rattan.

A strand can be as thick as a pencil or as thin as a needle.

While this doesn't quite fall under the category of wicker, it's not uncommon to see wicker workshops use other natural materials.

Here, they're weaving a chair seat out of cord made from sea grass.

There's also wicker seating material.

This prewoven sheet is called "cane seating," or "rattan peel".

It's made from the bark stripped off the rattan branch.

First, they force it into a groove in the chair's wooden frame, then they glue in what's called "spline," a strip of rattan core with a pointed edge.

They wedge that edge into the groove and bring it down to the hold the rattan peel in place.

Then they trim off the excess.

Because wicker is wood, it can be stained or painted or left its natural color.

Whatever the finish, they give it two or three coats of varnish for protection.


Customized Knee Replacements
Leaf Springs
Lavender
Rivets and Rivet Tools

The typical candidate for a knee replacement has osteoarthritis, where the cartilage in the knee has worn away.

Knee replacement surgery restores the worn areas with an implant.

To help place the implant properly, the surgeon can use an instrument custom-designed for the patient's damaged anatomy.

A successful knee replacement depends on its alignment with the femur and tibia, the upper and lower leg bones that connect at the knee.

That's a challenge because knee implants are standard, while every patient's bones are unique.

So starting with an mri scan of the patient's knee, this medical device company produces custom-made surgical templates, plastic devices the surgeon uses to sculpt the surface the patient's bones to align the knee implant accurately.

The surgeon no longer has to visually calculate the bone cuts on the spot in the operating room, which takes more time and is more invasive.

An engineer uses the mri scan to create 3-d models of the patient's femur and tibia.

The patient's cartilage has worn out in between these bones, causing painful rubbing that erodes the bone surface.

The implant effectively replaces the damaged bone and cartilage.

Once each bone model is ready, another engineer applies a 3-d model of the correct-size implant, then, following directions the surgeon has provided, performs virtual surgery on the bone model.

This will properly align the implant to the patient's specific anatomy and fit it to the angle at which that particular knee moves.

During the surgery simulation, the computer records every bone cut.

The surgeon reviews and approves this surgical plan only once before manufacturing begins.

The computer, which recorded the bone cuts, guides a 3-d printer to produce plastic templates for both the femur and tibia.

The surgeon will use these to repeat the same exact cuts in real life.

The 3-d printer applies a layer of powdered plastic, then following the computer model, solidifies select areas with a laser.

This process keeps repeating, building up the shape of these surgical templates layer by layer.

One printer run produces personalized templates for up to 50 patients at a time, so the laser inscribes the patient's name and identification code on each part.

Once the printing's done, it's just a matter of breaking up the unsolidified powdered plastic...

And fishing out the templates.

They brush off the bulk of the remaining powder.

The posts on the bottom are the points at which pins affix the template to the bone during surgery.

Next, the templates go into a tumbler containing plastic balls and air jets.

As the drum rotates for 20 minutes, the balls knock off and the air jets blows off most of the remaining powder.

The templates exit the tumbler 90% clean.

They go through two wash cycles to remove the last remnants of powder.

Before packaging, they'll be sterilized.

But first, every template must pass a quality-control inspection.

Using a laser, a technician scans it to make sure the manufacturing process produced an exact match to the patient's bone.

This model shows how the femur and tibia form the knee joint and how the surgeon secures the customized template onto each of these bones.

Thanks to these devices, the surgeon doesn't have to figure out the bone cuts on the fly in the operating room.

They're all pre-calculated by the computer model.

This method eliminates several steps required in standard surgery.

The operation takes less time and requires half as many instruments to set up and clean up.

And because the surgeon no longer has to drill a hole in the bone to check the knee implant's alignment, the patient experiences less pain and bleeding and a smaller chance of developing complications.

The earliest version of leaf springs were likely flexible wooden poles used in carriages in ancient rome.

In the early 19th century, metal leaf springs were developed.

Today the journey continues, and it's fairly smooth thanks to these suspension springs.

A leaf spring is a stack of curved plates or leaves, or sometimes even just one.

This spring has the flex to absorb bumps and dips in the road, but it's strong enough to provide serious support.

Today these super-strong suspension springs are generally used for trucks and other heavy vehicles more than cars.

Production starts with spring steel.

It's an alloy that has elasticity.

Big shears cut the steel to various lengths for a multi-leaf spring.

It's one of the two kinds of leaf springs.

Using a band saw, they cut steel for the other kind of leaf spring, known as a full taper spring.

It's made of one to four leaves that are approximately the same length but various thicknesses.

After cutting, they rapidly heat the ends.

Computerized machinery rolls and stretches the piece to a tapered profile.

This achieves the same flex effect as the progressively shorter leaves on the multi-leaf spring, but the end product will be lighter and not as stiff.

Next, it's into a press that trims the stretched ends and punches holes for various components.

It takes about an hour for the steel to cool down for the next operation.

Meanwhile, other members of the team are hard at work on the multi-leaf spring.

They feed the heated tip of the main leaf to a machine that wraps it around a die form.

This creates an eye mount for attaching the spring to the vehicle.

They create an eye mount on the other end, as well.

Next they curl the ends of a slightly longer steel bar into a loose "c" shape.

This piece will serve as an outer protective wrap for the main leaf and protect the eye mounts.

Back to the taper spring, hydraulic machinery bends it to the final "z" shape so it will fit around a vehicle axle.

They soak both the taper and multi-leaf springs in oil and temper them in a furnace to strengthen the steel.

Then it's time for a process known as peening.

Machinery clamps the steel leaf onto a carriage, which takes it through a chamber for blasting with tiny steel pellets.

The blasting changes the surface tension, further strengthening the metal.

A worker now assembles the multi-leaf spring.

He inserts a pin through the center of the main leaf and wrap to align them.

Each of the next leaves is shorter than the last.

They're known as graduated leaves.

It's a design that will make the spring more flexible.

He transfers the stack to a hydraulic station...

And inserts a different pin for more precise alignment.

He activates the hydraulic mechanism, and it squeezes the leaves together.

The mechanism maintains the leaves under tension as he removes the pin and now bolts them together.

He pounds clips installed at specific locations on the spring to close them around the leaves.

The clips tighten the stack all the way across and will stop the leaves from twisting or turning.

Next, another hydraulic device applies pressure, this time to simulate the load the spring will carry.

This sets the spring to a specific height and compresses it to stiffen the overall performance.

The worker measures the spring to confirm that it meets the specifications.

The assembled leaf springs now take a quick dip in a tank of black paint.

The paint coats the leaves, clips, and fasteners to give these suspension springs a uniform finish.

Painted black, they should blend in with all the other components on the vehicle's undercarriage.

Now complete, these leaf springs can be depended on for support when the going gets rough.

Lavandula angustifolia might sound like a name of an ancient roman emperor, but it's actually the scientific name for the lavender plant.

The leaves and striking blue petals of this aromatic flowering shrub are used to make lavender essential oil, an ingredient in many health and beauty products.

Lavender essential oil has antiviral, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.

No wonder it's long been a natural remedy for many ailments.

And with its flowery fragrance and relaxing effects, it's a common ingredient in lotions, soaps, and bath oils.

Lavender is a perennial plant that begins flowering in its second year.

Harvest time at this canadian farm is in july, at the peak of the first bloom.

There's a second bloom afterward, but not significant enough to warrant another harvest.

Weeds like to grow at the base of lavender plants, siphoning off water and important soil nutrients.

So between may and september, killing those weeds is a vital daily ritual.

The weeding machine lifts the lavender stems out of the way, then blasts the weeds around the base with hot steam.

To determine the right time to harvest, the producer looks at the quantity of blooms and the color of the flowers.

They should be purple-blue, on the verge of turning grayish-brown.

The producer also crushes a few petals to see how much oil comes out.

The harvester is specially designed for cutting lavender.

Like a stylist cutting hair, it pulls the stem straight up, then snips near the base.

The cut stems, about 15 inches long, fall onto a conveyer belt, which moves them into a tray.

From there, workers manually transfer the lavender to the harvester's trailer.

When the trailer is full, the harvester delivers its load to the on-site distillery.

Workers load the lavender into a still, a large stainless-steel vessel typically used to produce alcoholic spirits.

They compact as much lavender as possible into the still to prevent the formation of air pockets.

The less air, the greater the oil yield.

Once the still is stuffed to compacted capacity, they close it tightly and start up an oil-fired boiler.

The boiler heats water into steam, which they then inject into the bottom of the still at very low pressure.

Over the course of about 15 minutes, the steam slowly rises to the top of the still, heating the lavender along the way.

They continue the steam for another half-hour or so.

This bursts the glands located primarily in the petals, releasing the oil.

To collect that extracted oil, they feed cold water into a coiled pipe running through the still.

When the hot steam hits that cold pipe, it condenses, transforming back into water.

Only now, the water contains lavender oil.

They open the still's tap and let the water flow into a holding tank.

On average, the proportions are one part lavender oil to 40 parts water.

In the holding tank over the next hour or so, the oil naturally separates and rises to the surface.

At that point, they begin pumping the water to another container, stopping at the first sign of oil.

What remains in the tank is the final product-- pure lavender essential oil.

The pumped-out water is a secondary product called lavender flower water.

The producer sends both products to a laboratory to be filtered.

Producers primarily sell lavender oil and floral water as ingredients to manufacturers of health and beauty products, but they also often design their own lines of lavender creations for pampering the body and soul.

Rivets hold a lot of things together.

Product fabricated with rivets include aircraft, cars, computers, and household appliances.

Installed with a rivet tool, these fasteners create strong and permanent joints.

Without rivets, a lot of things might fall apart.

Whether the job is large or small, chances are there's a rivet for it.

And using a special rivet tool, it's possible to form strong attachments quickly and easily.

The two together make a perfect match.

The rivet tool starts with a precast aluminum handle.

A technician inserts a steel sleeve.

It will serve as a chamber for hydraulic fluid.

The spring for the tool's trigger is next.

She screws an aluminum plate to the base to enclose the two parts and the handle.

This is the pulling-head assembly.

It has tiny jaws to grab the rivet stem.

She lubricates it and presses it into the main bore of the rivet tool.

She installs a fill screw in the top of the handle casting for top-offs of hydraulic fluid during servicing.

But the initial supply of hydraulic fluid is added through the steel sleeve at the bottom.

She inserts an air-piston assembly into the fluid-filled chamber.

She threads a screw into the nose of the rivet tool.

This keeps the internal workings in the correct position for the next step.

She places the base of the tool into an air chamber, then hooks up an air hose and secures it with steel clamps.

She plugs the tool into an air supply and pulls the trigger.

The air puts pressure on the hydraulic fluid inside to activate the riveting mechanism.

And now the test-- she places a rivet in the nose of the tool, then inserts the other end of the rivet into a hole on the test plate and presses the trigger.

The tool efficiently installs the rivet in the hole.

It's time to stock up on rivets.

They make them from round wire.

A machine cuts the wire to length and then punches it into a die twice to form a rivet stem blank.

Here's the cutting and forming action in slow motion.

The machine operates in a blur, producing 200 rivet stem blanks a minute.

The stem blanks move between serrated rolling dies.

The dies form grooves to allow the stem to be gripped by a rivet tool.

They also make ridges that will serve as a breaking point during rivet installation.

This is a slow-motion close-up of the serrated rolling dies in action.

Here's the rivet stem before and after forming.

The next machine creates the rivet body.

It cuts wire to the correct length and forces it into dies.

It takes five punches to transform the solid wire into a hollow rivet body.

These machines can produce up to 300 parts a minute.

Next, the rivet bodies go for a tumble in a cleaning solution to remove oily residue left by the forming.

The rivet stems also undergo this thorough washing.

The rivet bodies then travel through a furnace.

The intense heat followed by a gradual cooling hardens the metal to free it from internal stresses.

After zinc-plating, the rivet bodies head towards the next station.

The rivet stems are also on the move.

They travel through a channel that gradually widens to sort out stems that are too big or small.

The undersized stems fall through at the beginning, and oversized ones fall off the end.

A magnet loader collects the correctly sized stems, and rejects are discarded.

The rivet stems cling to the loader, which is stopped at the moment.

The rivet bodies now ride a carrousel.

It pauses briefly to allow a stem to be inserted into a body.

These are slow-motion shots, and back in real time.

These machines work fast.

They pump out millions of rivets a day.

The rivets are now ready to leave this factory for another, where they could be used to make almost anything.


Replica Clay Pipes
Drinking Fountains
Orange Liqueur
Compound Bows

Clay tobacco pipes may have been the first disposable product.

For centuries, smokers in north america and europe used them until they broke, which happened often.

Clay pipes fell out of widespread use at the end of the 19th century, but they're still made today by clay artists with a reverence for history.

Nostalgia is a new niche market for clay pipes, popular at historical reenactments and coveted by collectors because history buffs like an authentic puff.

At this studio in the midwest, the craftsman starts with a small wad of clay.

He rolls it long and thin and flares the shape at the end.

This establishes the basic shape of a native-american-style clay pipe.

He drives a tapered stick into it to hollow the long stem and stops just short of the flared end.

He rolls it with the stick inside as he continues to shape the clay.

He trims the flared end and now transforms it into the pipe bowl.

He presses a handmade stone tool into it to make it hollow and then flares the bowl some more.

To better define the shape of the bowl, he kneads the clay from the outside.

He removes the stone implement.

He now works the pipe bowl entirely by hand to make the thickness of the wall a little more uniform.

One more roll, and then he punctures the bowl cavity to link it to the air passage.

He bends the bowl upward and then sculpts the clay a little more.

He sets it aside to dry a bit.

The clay hardens but is still soft enough to carve into with the edge of a wood tool.

To create notches and other trim marks, he gently presses the tool into the bowl.

He tweaks the shape a little more and leaves the pipe to dry much longer now.

The moisture evaporates, and the clay solidifies.

Using another stone tool, he grinds off bumps and other surface flaws.

The grinding leaves little scratches on the pipe.

He rubs those away with water.

The clay quickly absorbs the small amounts of water, and the surface of the pipe dries in a very short time.

After that, this replica native pipe looks pretty smooth.

Other native pipes are more elaborate.

The bowls are decorated with effigies of an animal or human.

Here, the artist sculpts a man's face onto the bowl.

He uses a blunt stick to raise a couple of eyebrows and add nostrils.

He rolls eyeballs and plants some ears on the side.

The pipe bowl will serve as the mouth.

Native people believe that smoke carries their prayers to the gods.

To make an english tavern pipe, he shapes the clay in a mold with a metal wire inside to create an air channel.

He trims the excess clay.

He stamps the maker's mark onto the base of the pipe.

After his removes the wire used to make the air channel, there's drying time, and then he fires it in a kiln at approximately 2,012 degrees fahrenheit.

After 17 hours, each pipe is a solid piece of white ceramic.

He fires the native pipes outside in the open air.

He builds a fire around them using bark, leaves, and twigs.

This is the traditional way natives have hardened their ceramic items.

As the fire burns, the clay hardens and takes on a smoky, black finish.

The fire dies down, and he removes the now-hardened clay pipes.

Still hot, he removes them with tongs and sets them aside to cool.

Later, in the studio, he dampens a cloth with mineral oil and rubs it into the clay.

This seals it and gives the sooty finish a nice patina.

It takes the craftsman about three days to make one of these replica clay pipes.

They're sure to provide a whiff of nostalgia.

There's nothing quite as thirst-quenching as a sip at a water fountain after playing in the park.

The modern drinking fountain was invented in the early 1900s as a result of health and sanitation concerns.

Today, it's a safe source of water.

It waits to serve, no matter what the weather.

And at the touch of a button, you can drink your fill of refreshing water.

Essentially unchanged for decades, it is the ever-dependable drinking fountain.

A worker begins by coating the concrete molds with a release agent.

The molds are made of fiber glass and metal.

He makes sure the coating is thorough so that the molds will be easier to pull apart later on.

With a cloth, he also coats the rubberized cap of the mold.

The cap will eventually become the top of the fountain.

After he applies the coating, the worker assembles the inset portion of the mold.

He then puts the fountain frame, made of galvanized steel rods, into place.

He assembles the two sides of the mold with the fountain frame enclosed within.

Using nuts and bolts, he ensures the mold is nice and tight to avoid seam lines in the concrete.

He now inverts the assembled mold on top of the cap, again making sure all the pieces of the mold are as snug as possible.

Using wooden spacers, the worker makes sure the frame inside is precisely centered.

He slips in the core of the mold, which will create the void needed for mounting hardware.

This wooden cover will keep the concrete out.

A mixing machine prepares the concrete-aggregate mix.

A computer controls the portions of sand, rocks, pebbles, and water used in this recipe.

Once the employee is satisfied with the consistency of the mixture, he directs it into a wheelbarrow.

As the worker pours concrete into the mold, the mixture oozes evenly into the available space.

He completely fills it in a matter of minutes.

He uses a trowel to smooth the edges.

Two to three hours later, workers carefully pull the core from the mold.

Once the cement has cured overnight, workers lift the top of the mold off and peel away its cap, revealing the top of a brand-new drinking fountain.

With a rubber mallet, the worker separates the sides of the mold from the concrete fountain.

The fountain pedestal is still a little rough around the edges, so he gives it a high-pressure water wash.

The spray gradually removes the superficial layer of concrete, revealing the textured concrete- aggregate mix underneath.

The concrete aggregate becomes a sturdy material, with sand, rocks, and pebbles not just on its surface, but all the way through.

The aggregate mix is durable, with no rust or peeling paint.

It's aesthetically versatile and comes in a variety of colors.

A worker now assembles the plumbing.

He places two washers on this lead-free brass fitting and applies a thread sealant.

He holds the bubbler in place on the stainless steel bowl and attaches a fitting underneath.

He applies more thread sealant to the elbow fitting and, after putting it in place, makes sure it's carefully aligned.

He then inserts a stainless steel drain, followed by a washer and nut to hold it in place.

He attaches a mounting bracket to hold the bowl assembly to the frame inside the concrete fountain.

A worker now fits the bowl assembly into the top of the fountain pedestal.

The mounting bracket holds firmly to ridges in the concrete frame.

A worker attaches the button assembly, which holds both the button and the valve controlling water flow.

He attaches the elbow fitting to polypropylene tubing and attaches the button plate to the fountain pedestal.

A slide on the pedestal prevents the bubbler from being twisted or turned.

All that's needed now is a thirsty customer.

Tradition dictates that orange liqueur be served as a digestif, but nowadays it's also used as an ingredient in popular cocktails-- for instance, mixed with tequila to make a margarita, with gin to make a white lady, or with vodka to make a cosmopolitan.

Orange liqueur is also known as triple sec, triple referring to the fact it's distilled three times.

"sec" is french for "dry".

However, this liqueur isn't dry at all.

It's actually very sweet, even though it's made with mostly bitter oranges.

Triple sec was invented in 1834 by this distillery in france.

The liqueur is made from a combination of sweet orange rinds and bitter orange rinds, which are green, imported from haiti.

The rinds arrive sun-dried, so the first step is to rehydrate them by soaking in cold water for about 12 hours.

The next step is running each and every rind through a revolving razor to remove the white lining.

Left on, this lining would make the liqueur taste bitter.

Rind with its lining removed is referred to as zest.

While the distillery will divulge that its liqueur recipe calls for significantly more bitter orange zest than sweet orange zest, the precise ratio is top secret.

The next step is what's known as maceration.

They soak the zest in sugar beet alcohol for about five days, during which time the rinds soften and the alcohol turns slightly orange.

At the end of the maceration phase, they pump the alcohol and transfer the zest into a long-necked copper vessel called a still.

Once all the alcohol and zest are inside, they close up the still.

Then they release hot steam, which heats the still, bringing the alcohol to a boil.

The alcohol evaporates, rising up the still's long neck, until it reaches a condensation system which cools it to liquid form again but now with a more concentrated flavor.

This entire distillation cycle takes about a half hour.

The result is a spirit of bitter and sweet oranges that has an alcohol level of between 86% and 88%.

The first flow out of the still, called head phlegm, is white, due to the orange oil which has risen to the top.

Once that oil flows off, the spirit is clear and ready for another distillation the next day, then another the day after--  three distillations in all.

The final spirit, called heart, now has an alcohol level of 81% to 83%.

They pour a precise amount into a stainless steel mixing vat.

In a different mixer, they combine water and sugar, heating until the ingredients concentrate into syrup.

Then they add the syrup to the spirit.

The proportions are top secret and mix for at least an hour.

The syrup gives the liqueur additional sweetness and dilutes the 80% alcohol level in half to 40%.

In the distillery's quality-control laboratory, technicians test samples regularly to ensure that the liqueur's alcohol level is always consistent.

On the bottling line, the first station is a rinsing machine.

It disinfects the interior of the frosted-glass bottles with alcohol.

Next, the bottles proceed to the filling station.

These are 1 1/2-pint bottles.

However, the liqueur is bottled in several different sizes.

The next station places a metallic twist cap onto the neck of each filled bottle, then twists it until the bottle is tightly sealed.

The final station simultaneously applies front and back adhesive labels.

Triple sec is a completely colorless liqueur-- not what some might expect, given its unmistakably orange flavor.

The bow and arrow have come a long way since the stone age.

In the 1960s, an american engineer added cams and cables to produce what is now known as the compound bow.

Concept-wise, he hit the bull's-eye.

With this new bow, archery entered a whole new era.

The compound bow puts greater energy behind the arrow so it flies faster and straighter.

This means it's more likely to hit the mark.

It starts with this computerized tool.

It carves a latticework of holes in the riser, which is the aluminum framework.

The holes lighten the bow substantially.

Next, a printing cylinder applies an activator to release ink graphics from a starch-based film.

The film rolls into a tub of water.

The film dissolves, and the camouflage-style graphics are now afloat.

Machinery dips the bow risers into the floating artwork, and the graphics adhere to them.

A camouflage design now covers the entire surface, including all the crevices.

After a wash and dry, the risers are sprayed with a clear acrylic coating.

In the meantime, a technician prepares 10 bowstrings at once.

Each string will be made of 20 synthetic strands.

He ties the fibers to the prongs of a wheel, and as it turns, it winds the 20 fibers into one bundle.

The result is a bowstring that's so strong, it won't stretch under tension.

Next, the string builder wraps one of the bowstrings around the posts of a jig.

He winds a thin, braided string around a strategic section to reinforce it.

This is called serving.

He closes the jig to loop the string at the reinforced juncture.

This loop will be used to tightly attach the string to the pulley wheel known as the cam.

He loops the other end now and spins the synthetic string wrap further to provide extra protection.

He stops at the point where the arrow will sit prior to shooting.

He pulls the string apart and inserts the end of more serving string.

He winds it around this site to bolster the bowstring at this location.

He burns off the end to seal it.

He ties a loop around the reinforced section.

This is known as the shooter's loop.

It will be used to nock or hold the arrow.

To keep the string from oscillating when drawn and ensure a quiet, steady shot, they install two rubber dampeners.

A machine pulls both ends of the string through the dampeners to slide them into position.

The riser is now finished, so they add the handle, string stop for more dampening, and the arrow rest.

It's time to give the compound bow that all-important leverage.

He screws a limb and cam to each end of the riser.

A device presses the bow to load tension.

He slips the end loop around the cam post and winds the string around the cam track.

He pulls the string to the other cam and winds it.

He then turns the cams to tighten the string.

Finally, he runs two cables to the cams, completing the mechanics of the compound bow.

He splits the bowstring at a predetermined location and inserts an aperture through which the archer can view the target.

He now frees the bow from the press and locates the shooter's loop more precisely with a special measuring stick.

Satisfied with the placement, he tightens the loop to the string.

He winds more synthetic string around the aperture to secure it.

He burns the end of the string down to the knot to prevent unraveling.

At this factory, they produce one compound bow every three minutes.

With production targets now met, it's time to aim for success at the shooting range.


Gas Barbecues
Mattress Pads
Ear Prostheses

Gas barbecues were invented in the 1960s by an arkansas gas company.

They redesigned a charcoal grill to run on bottled propane.

People were drawn to the instant flame, and the gas barbecue became a hot commodity.

Gas barbecues run from basic to extremely high-end.

There's no fussing with charcoal briquettes.

You just press the starter button and adjust the flame to the desired intensity.

Then close the lid, and you're cooking with gas.

Making a gas barbecue begins with a laser.

It cuts holes for screws, knobs, and piping into a sheet of high-gauge steel.

It will take approximately 50 steel sheets to make the entire gas barbecue.

This sheet will be used for the grill's front hood.

Computerized tools punch out various holes in the next steel sheet.

It will be used to make the barbecue's cart.

The holes are strategically placed for vents and other features.

Once holes are punched, the team transfers the sheet to a press brake.

They place it between the jaws repeatedly to make numerous bends.

The first set of bends create a ledge for the grill to sit on.

Other bends transform the flat sheet into a three-wall box that will serve as the back and sides of the barbecue's cart.

The next employee places a sheet within the walls of the box.

This will serve as the base of the barbecue's cart.

He clamps cross braces to the cart and welds the parts together.

The barbecue cart has taken shape.

They return to the front hood piece.

It's been rounded since we last saw it.

A worker assembles two steel side panels to the hood.

The side panels are made of thicker steel than the rest of the barbecue because they will need to support hinges and springs.

An employee presses a belt sander against the welded seams to clean them up.

Then he sands the entire surface of the hood so that the seams disappear.

He inserts the temperature gauge and secures it to the hood from the inside.

Down the line, another team member joins the rear part of the hood with the barbecue's firebox.

He installs the gas manifold system, complete with valves that control the burners.

He hooks up the gas line that will fuel the barbecue's rotisserie.

He covers the manifold with a plate that has holes for the valves.

He places infrared ceramic burners inside the firebox.

He connects the ignitor system for lighting the gas barbecue...

And fastens all the cables together.

Now he fires up the barbecue and inspects it for leaks or any other operational problems.

Once the barbecue passes inspection, the employee mounts a glossy steel panel to the front.

He attaches a knob to the end of the ignitor.

He installs stainless-steel grates above the burners.

He hinges the front hood to the back one.

Once the hinges have been secured, he lowers the lid to confirm that it closes tightly over the firebox.

The team transfers the barbecue to the cart.

The cart has been equipped with doors and drawers.

After they weld the firebox to the cart, this gas barbecue is on its way to a patio near you.

15 hours in the making, it will provide years of grilling pleasure.

No need to slave over a hot stove in the kitchen.

Just turn on the grill and enjoy the great outdoors.

A mattress pad protects and preserves a mattress, ensuring that it lasts longer.

Quilted with plush filling, a mattress pad can also provide an extra layer of comfort for those who prefer a softer mattress.

Purchasing a comfortable mattress is an investment in a good night's sleep.

A mattress pad can protect that investment.

To manufacture a mattress pad, a crew first cuts straps to keep the fibers compressed.

Then they feed the clumps of fibers into a revolving drum with steel spikes.

The spikes fluff up the fibers.

This starts the process of opening and separating the strands.

Fans propel the fibers through ductwork in the ceiling and into a chamber where they tumble around.

This process introduces more air, further separating the fibers.

It also helps mix the new and recycled fibers together with a polyester binder.

Next, rollers with small metal teeth align the fibers.

Two streams of combined fibers merge and enter a machine called a crosslapper.

Here carriages lay the fibers perpendicular to each other.

Multiple layers of crisscrossed fibers accumulate, creating a thick pile of polyester.

Rollers compress the layers of polyester, then the padding travels through a long oven that's heated to just under 400 degrees.

The heat activates the binder and unites the polyester fibers.

The polyester exits the oven and is taken up by a big spool.

In the next stage, the polyester wadding unrolls and travels between sheets of embossed fabric.

At the same time, thread unwinds from 22 bobbins.

The thread and polyester wadding head into a quilting machine.

Here 22 needles chain-stitch a design into the fabric and polyester wadding.

The stitching creates pockets that hold the filling in place.

Without it, the stuffing would slide around between the sheets of fabric.

A circular blade slices the quilted fabric to a width of 60 inches, the standard for a queen-size mattress.

The edges of the quilted layers are left open for inspection.

At the next station, fabric for the skirt unwinds into a large, automated sewing machine.

It pulls elastic threads tight as it sews them into the nylon material, creating a ribbed pattern.

This turns the fabric into a stretchy material.

A seamstress stitches the stretchy material to the quilted rectangles.

She uses an industrial sewing machine that trims excess fabric as it sews.

She also sews a label into the seam.

It contains manufacturing information and washing instructions.

These overlock stitches will encapsulate the seam so that the fabric will not unravel.

She trims the bottom of the skirt by hand and hems it.

The mattress pad is complete and ready for the quality control department.

Here an employee does random checks of the workmanship.

He examines the fit of the pad to a mattress and looks for missing stitches or defects.

With his approval, the mattress pad is ready to leave the factory.

It takes about 30 minutes to make one of these mattress pads.

With the job complete, it's nap time.

A prosthesis can help restore the physical appearance of a person who has lost a part of their face to an accident or illness.

Everyone's face is unique, so the prosthesis must be custom-designed for the patient by an anaplastologist.

Anaplastologists combine anatomical knowledge, technical skill, and artistic talent.

They can create an artificial ear, nose, or eye that looks remarkably realistic.

Entirely custom-made, the prosthesis blends seamlessly with the patient's skin coloring.

The prosthesis is durable, easy for the patient to apply, and comfortable to wear.

To securely attach an ear prosthesis to a patient, surgeons implant titanium fixtures into the bone around the ear area.

Once bone has grown over the implant, the anaplastologist attaches metal markers called impression copings to the titanium implants' abutments.

These markers register the abutment locations in the impression the surgeon will now take of the ear area.

The material she is using for the impression is the same material dentists use to make models of teeth.

She then attaches abutment replicas to the copings with guide pins.

After taking photos of the patient's other ear, the surgeon sends the patient home and begins the process of making a plaster model of the missing ear area.

She mixes the plaster and vacuums out any air pockets.

This is to prevent holes from appearing in the plaster once it sets.

Next, she gently presses the ear-area impression that she took from the patient into the plaster.

Once the plaster hardens, she unscrews the guide pins that connect the implant abutment replicas to the impression copings.

Then she removes the impression.

She now has a plaster model of the patient's ear area.

She sends this model to an outside laboratory.

The lab produces a solid gold bar that is custom-fitted to the abutment replicas.

She screws the gold bar into the abutment replicas, then fills in the gap between the gold bar in the plaster model with heated wax.

This will create an air space in the prosthesis so the patient's skin can breathe.

She traces the impression on the plaster with a pencil and bends a strip of wax along the pencil line.

Then she fills the wax-enclosed shape with flesh-colored acrylic.

It takes an hour for the acrylic to solidify.

She removes the wax strip and shaves off any excess acrylic, then cleans the newly formed acrylic plate.

It will form the rigid internal structure of the prosthesis.

She drills holes for attaching the prosthetic ear and installs tiny clips.

These clips allow the acrylic plate to snap onto the gold bar that is on the patient's ear.

Now comes the artistic part-- designing a wax prototype of the prosthetic ear.

The anaplastologist places the acrylic plate and bar onto the plaster model of the patient's ear area.

With fine sculpting tools and her fingers, she begins sculpting a wax ear.

She refers to photographs of the patient's existing ear to try to sculpt a perfect match.

Sculpting the wax prototype can take an entire day.

When she's done, she carefully removes the wax ear from the plaster model.

The acrylic plate is now lodged inside.

The patient returns for his next appointment.

Here the anaplastologist snaps on the wax prototype and compares it to the patient's existing ear.

She makes whatever modifications are required to perfect the fit and appearance.

This sculpting process can take two or three hours to complete, and the patient must be present.

Once the anaplastologist is satisfied with the prototype, she conducts a comprehensive final inspection from every angle.

Then she moves on to the last phase using the wax prototype to make a silicone prosthetic ear.

A prosthetic ear is made of medical-grade silicone.

The material can be molded into any shape and colored to match any skin tone.

It does not react to temperature change or irritate the skin, allowing for a natural-looking prosthesis that's comfortable to wear.

To cast a silicone prosthetic ear, the anaplastologist makes a three-part mold.

She reattaches the wax prototype ear to the plaster model of the patient's ear area.

Then she tops the combination with colored dental plaster.

Once the plaster sets, she transfers everything into a taller container and pours in more dental plaster.

Once that sets, she pours boiling water over the mold to melt the wax prototype that is inside.

This leaves an ear-shaped cavity in what is now a three-part plaster mold.

Next, she mixes one to two ounces of medical-grade silicone with a catalyst.

She removes a small quantity and mixes it with opaque powder in a separate cup to make it less transparent.

Then she mixes this opaque mixture with the rest of the silicone.

At the patient's next appointment, the anaplastologist colors the silicone to match his skin tone.

She works with an array of pigment powders diluted in silicone fluid.

The first step is to produce a base color that's a perfect match to the patient's complexion.

There's no exact formula for doing this.

It requires an artist's eye.

She needs the patient right beside her so she can check samples against his skin.

Once she has the overall base color, she transfers a small amount to a separate cup, adds a drop of thickener, and mixes.

Then she chooses from her color palette to produce a few deeper shades.

Every ear has natural color variations.

So for the prosthesis to look real, it has to have variations, as well.

She uses the patient's other ear to match these more pronounced skin tones.

Once all the colors are ready, she applies the deeper tones in specific areas of the ear.

Next, to simulate veins, she applies a few fine, red rayon fibers.

She repeats this coloring process for the back of the silicone ear.

Then she puts that part, along with the acrylic plate, on the plaster model of the ear area.

She fills a syringe with a base color and injects it into the mold cavity.

She completely fills the cavity, getting every nook and cranny...

Then closes the mold firmly.

She wipes away any excess silicone...

Clamps the mold tightly in a press...

And puts the press in an oven.

The oven cures the silicone for 2 hours at about 200 degrees.

Once the mold cools to room temperature, she opens it and extracts the finished prosthetic ear.

It's identical in shape to the wax prototype and looks remarkably realistic.

The patient returns for his final visit.

She snaps on the prosthesis...

And checks that the edges adhere well to the surrounding skin.

The life-span of a prosthetic ear depends on how it's handled.

Sun exposure can wear out the silicone or fade its coloring.

A patient typically returns for a new prosthesis every two to four years.


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

Three-wheeled vehicles...

Baseball bats...

Artificial bonsais...

And trombones.

Three-wheeled vehicles were introduced in the 1990s as exotic concept vehicles.

This one is like a motorcycle on steroids.

It has what's called a reverse trike design-- two wheels in front and one in the back.

It hugs the road like a race car yet is legal to drive through city streets.

This vehicle goes from 0 to 60 miles per hour in just 4.1 seconds.

It's no faster than a motorcycle, but it definitely turns heads.

Production begins with 34 steel-tube components that will form the vehicle's chassis.

A worker places them in an assembly jig.

This positions the tubes for welding.

After clamping the components in place, it takes the worker about 4 hours to weld 68 different areas together.

For efficiency, 13 of the larger, more complex structures are pre-assembled.

The steel tubes measure 1.5 inches in diameter, but the metal itself is only 1/16 of an inch thick.

They're like those used in the aviation industry-- strong, yet lightweight.

This company uses a visual reference method to assemble smaller parts of the vehicle.

Before starting, a worker places 80 components on a board with labels that identify them.

This way, he's certain he won't forget any nuts, bolts, bearings, brackets, or horns.

Using an electric crane, a worker hoists the vehicle's 4-cylinder, 152-horsepower, 1,200cc motorcycle engine into the chassis, now tinted black.

Using a pneumatic wrench, he attaches it with six bolts and six nuts.

Here, a worker assembles the 50 parts that make up what's called the foot box.

This includes aluminum clutch, brake, and gas pedals.

The brake pedal is thicker to withstand more aggressive use.

The vehicle decelerates from 60 miles an hour to 0 in just less than 95 feet.

He coats part of the brake pedal with a liquid sealant so vibrations won't loosen it.

Another worker then mounts two output hoses and two plastic reservoirs for brake fluid.

The brake fluid must withstand heat of 650 degrees fahrenheit, 86 degrees hotter than what's required for most cars.

This enables better engine performance.

He installs the foot box onto the front of the chassis using three bolts.

Controlling the speed with the foot box is crucial since top speed for the vehicle is 143 miles an hour.

Next, he installs part of the suspension system-- a cylindrical gas shock absorber.

This attaches to the brake system, which is a zinc-plated rotor and an aluminum caliper.

Then they attach what's called the 4-into-1 exhaust manifold.

The four pipes merge into one to vent the exhaust fumes from the engine.

They install the electric fan and radiator assembly.

Next, a worker attaches a removable leather-covered aluminum driving wheel to the steering column.

The driving wheel locks into place with a spring-loaded latch system.

Just like a race car, you attach the steering wheel after you sit in the driver's seat so that you can get inside the vehicle.

The collapsible steering column is part of the instrument cluster.

This includes dials showing the vehicle's speed, mileage, and fuel.

There are also switches for turn signals, hazard flashers, high- and low-beam lights, and to start and kill the engine.

Next, workers install the rear wheel to another part of the suspension called a swing arm.

They attach it with one bolt that's a foot and a half long and two smaller bolts.

Workers then install a chain on the rear-wheel assembly.

When the vehicle's running, the chain's 94 links revolve on two sprockets to make the wheel turn.

Rubber "o" rings on each link prevent dust from damaging the chain.

Finally, workers attach 19 molded fiberglass body parts.

This factory offers 6 standard colors and several custom colors.

When assembled, the vehicle is nearly 11 1/2 feet long, 6 1/2 feet wide, and just over 3 feet high.

If you have a motorcycle license and a spare $50,000, you too can burn the pavement on this mean set of wheels.

If you think a baseball bat is a pretty simple thing, well, you're out in left field.

Making a bat means balancing things like weight and thickness.

The material it's made from can make a difference.

Metal bats hit the ball farther.

However, the pros use wood bats because of league regulations, and even the type of wood might impact the score.

Barry bonds cracked a home-run record in 2001 with a wood bat like this-- one made of maple instead of the usual white ash.

They can never tell just by looking at it that a chunk of maple has what it takes to make a good bat, so they weigh it to make sure the wood is really as thick and heavy as it appears.

Next, pointed prongs grip the wood and spin it while a carbide cutter rounds it.

This is a very modern lathe called an xy machine.

The rounded blank goes into a room called the library, joining others on the shelf that are waiting for their chance at the big leagues.

A worker selects one of the blanks to fill an order that specifies a certain model and size.

He weighs it again to make sure it measures up to what the player has ordered.

The blank goes onto the xy machine and spins.

A computer guides the cutter as it moves on rails and carves into the blank.

It whittles one inch of wood from the blank in order to form a handle.

It takes a total of three passes on this cutter to make the rough shape of a baseball bat.

But it's quick work--  completed in just 3 minutes.

Now it's time for another weighing-in.

The bat is substantially lighter, which is what they want.

Next, he measures the end of a completed bat with a caliper.

Using a square-edged scraper, he rounds the knob as the bat spins on a more traditional lathe.

He measures as he cuts.

With another caliper, he checks the thickness of a completed bat and compares it to the one he's just carved.

Now he takes a turning tool called a skew chisel.

With its pointed tip, he cuts into the bat's handle, just above the knob, to narrow the shoulder.

Again, he measures as he cuts to make sure the diameter is just right.

Using the skew chisel, he shapes the slope of the bat, repeatedly checking with the caliper to make sure it meets specifications.

He slims down the handle a little more.

Then, he angles the top of the knob with the chisel.

He shapes the rest of it with a square-end chisel.

Next, he curves the bat's barrel using the same tool.

This gets rid of sharp edges that would cause a ball's impact to ripple down and jar the player.

Then he goes back to the knob and completes the shaping with the skew-end chisel.

Because the tool is extremely sharp, he can carve very precisely.

The bat is now within a half ounce of its final weight.

Using an electric sander, he smoothes down some of the rough edges.

He switches to a finer grit to finish off the job.

As he sands, he measures because this isn't just about getting the surface smooth.

The bat has to be exactly the right size and weight for the player it's being made for.

Now he places the bat's knob in an end mill.

A spinning carbide disc cuts around the holes made by the pointed grippers on the lathes, producing a gentle scoop.

Next, a bigger disc carves into the barrel, cupping it.

Some players prefer a cupped bat because it balances differently.

Now he places the bat on the scale for the final weighing, and it is exactly what the player ordered.

He brushes paint on the barrel and rubs stain into the lower half of the bat.

He presses decals onto the bat so it sports both the brand name and distributor.

Then, he stamps the model number in gold ink.

And tops everything off with a light coat of varnish.

Now this maple bat is ready for the big leagues and some heavy hitting.

Bonsai is a japanese word that means plant in a pot.

Growing trees in pots is a revered art that actually began in china more than 2,000 years ago.

During the past century, creating artificial trees known as bonsai zokei has evolved into a hobby with global appeal.

Whether it's rustic pine, flowering cherry, or chinese elm, bonsai zokei can be made to resemble a variety of trees.

Some include stones and small statues, a chinese tradition known as penjing.

A craftsman starts by wrapping 13 strands of wire with stretchy, sticky tape used by florists.

He uses 13 partly out of respect for a traditional asian preference for odd numbers.

Later, these wires will form parts of the trunk and branches.

Next, he wraps the wires with strips of paper towel for thickness and flexibility.

To hold the paper towel in place, he wraps the ends of the wires with more floral tape.

He then separates clumps of plastic pine needles from their branches.

Ironically, this fake vegetation is imported from china.

Next, he snips off the ends of the branches, creating segments about one inch long.

To reinforce and support these segments, he wraps them with tiny wire that's 2/100 of an inch in diameter.

Next, he wraps the segments with floral tape to give them a more natural, branch-like appearance.

Then he inserts these segments into the pine-needle clumps.

The thicker end becomes the bud and holds the clump on the segment.

The craftsman now places three of these leafy segments together and attaches them with wire.

He bends them sideways in the same direction.

This mimics the tendency of natural branches to lean toward the sun.

For more mature-looking buds, he uses different, 3-headed artificial segments.

For integrity, two different types of buds are never used on the same tree.

To add character, the craftsman uses a piece of weathered driftwood as the base of the trunk.

He anchors the long wrapped wires into styrofoam around the bottom of the base.

He staples the wires to the driftwood, and wraps floral tape around the wires surrounding the base.

Then he twists the wires to form a sinuous shape, what the japanese call moyogi.

He covers the trunk with soft gray modelling clay, adhering closely to the shape of the driftwood underneath.

This will later be covered by artificial bark and moss.

This process can take several hours-- just part of the 4 to 6 days it takes one worker to make a bonsai zokei.

The craftsman then applies slow-drying glue to one side of strips of rice paper.

The strips are two inches long and one inch wide.

He uses about 50 to cover the trunk like bark on a tree.

He dabs them with a wet rag so that the creases will remain when the glue dries.

The creases make the bark look realistically aged, one of the hallmarks of a good bonsai zokei.

Craftsmen are careful to place the branches in the traditional triangle shape.

The lower branches must droop as if weighed down by the elements.

They add the leafy segments to the ends of the wire branches, attaching them with wire and floral tape.

Using a knife, the craftsmen trim away the excess styrofoam around the tree trunk.

He then places the tree into an argyle pot that's 8 1/2 inches in diameter and 2 inches high.

Using a sculpting tool, he covers the styrofoam in the pot with brown modelling clay.

Using slow-drying glue, he now covers the clay in several shades of fake moss.

They range in color from dark brown to light green.

He doesn't let the glue dry between each layer because the blending of moss and glue ensures a more natural-looking ground cover.

He gently blows on the moss to scatter it across the base.

He also applies glue further up the trunk, adhering moss that's thicker and lighter in color to resemble lichen.

The finished bonsai zokei is 17 1/2 inches high.

It needs none of the constant care required by its natural twin.

Depending on their size and complexity, artificial bonsais range in price from $50 to $800.

The adage "it's hard to improve on a good thing" certainly applies to the trombone.

The modern trombone isn't really much different from its medieval predecessor, known as the sackbut, with its distinctive "s" shape, hand slide, and bell section.

It's a blast from the past, and a pretty loud one, but it can also sound smooth and mellow.

the trombone literally slides down to the low notes.

It's the only instrument with a hand slide to lengthen it in order to change pitch.

To make a trombone, they cut sheet brass in the pattern of a bell stem.

They shape it by wrapping it around a steel rod.

Using a nylon-headed mallet, the worker hammers the brass to shape it further.

It takes just a few minutes for him to hammer out a rough bell stem form.

He spreads open the stem slightly so he can make small notches on one edge with snippers.

Then, with a brass-headed hammer, he taps down the notches so they hold the edges together.

With an acetylene torch, he joins the notched seam, melting in a brass alloy wire to bond it securely.

But the seam overlaps and it's too thick, so he runs it through a seam roller.

Two tons of pressure thins it, but now the bell stem is too flat.

To round it out, he shoves it onto a bell-shaped rod and hammers it back into shape.

Then he irons out the hammer marks with rollers.

The bell stem, fitting loosely on a steel mandrel, goes through a draw bench.

A hydraulic cylinder pushes it through a thick lead washer, pressing it tightly around the mandrel to its shape.

To make the bell flare to attach to the stem, he puts a brass disc on a spinning lathe.

Using pliers, he turns the edges of the disc to prevent it from flapping while spinning.

With a lever, he manipulates a scissors spinning tool, pressing it against the turning brass disc.

This shapes the disc into a flare.

Making a trombone flare is a delicate business and is the work of a skilled craftsman.

Getting it right is critical because the shape will affect the tone of the trombone.

Next, with a torch, he brazes the flare to the bell stem.

The bell stem and flare now turn on a mandrel while he presses against the seam with a wooden tool.

This flattens the seam and gives the bell its final shape.

Now it's time to make the tubing.

A hydraulic cylinder pulls it on a mandrel through a die, stretching it considerably.

In this way, both the diameter and thickness of the tubing are precisely controlled.

Then, they become ice tubes after they're filled with water and put in the freezer.

The ice will keep the thin tubing from buckling in the next process.

With a lever, he bends the tube around a u-shaped block.

As he works it into a "u" shape, the tubing hardens.

After the ice melts, he places the "u" bend in a balling out die.

He lubricates the tubing with oil and places a steel ball at the top of the tube and presses it down.

He drops in smaller balls and they push the first, larger ball through the "u" tube.

This stretches the inside of the tube, rounding it to the correct diameter.

And then the balls exit at the other end.

Now he pieces the tubes together and solders them the same way a plumber joins copper tubing.

He adds a loop for the valve section.

In total, a bass trombone has nine feet of tubing.

Straightened, that's enough to reach from the floor to the ceiling.

But, of course, trombone makers are more interested in musical highs and lows.

Finally, he solders a brace into place to add structural strength to one of the loops.

A diamond-tipped tool engraves the company logo onto the trombone's bell stem.

And a cloth buffing wheel spins against the trombone flare to polish it.

this custom trombone has been built in approximately 50 hours-- something worth blowing a horn about.


Wall Beds
Sundae Cups
Digital Paintings
Badminton Rackets

In the late 19th century, it was considered immoral for unmarried women to enter a man's bedroom.

William murphy couldn't bring his date back to his one-room apartment, so he invented a bed that folded up into the wall, converting his bedroom into a parlor to host his love interest.

A wall of cupboards and closets suddenly opens up to reveal sleek comfortable sleeping quarters.

The wall bed is a great way to economize on space without sacrificing comfort or style.

To build the mechanism casing, a worker begins by placing the steel plate in a powerful bending machine, which is capable of exerting 55 tons of force.

Using the square and calipers, the worker verifies that the bend is a perfectly uniform right angle and the flange depth does not exceed the specified parameters.

Once the bending machine has folded all four sides of the plate, the worker then mounts it onto a locator pin in a second press, which descends and creates a small depression around the central opening.

This depression will facilitate the welding process.

Using another locator pin, a welder clamps the plate into a purpose-built jig.

He then begins welding all of the necessary components in place.

He uses a bolt to correctly locate an internal reinforcement plate and also welds in the crucial pivot pin on which the mechanism will hinge.

The casing plates are mounted on spacers to help speed the drying process.

Then a worker spray-paints them black.

Once dry, he removes a protective cap from the pivot.

It's now time to manufacture the wall-mounted spring mechanism.

A worker uses a drill press outfitted with a countersink to create a beveled recess around the openings.

A worker then uses a specially-designed press to install a brass bearing in one of the openings.

The mechanism is nearly complete.

However, there are still several steps to go in the process.

Next, a worker brushes grease onto the interior of two mechanism casings.

He then flips them over in order to apply a specially-formulated grease to the pivot pin.

He slides the bushing over it and applies a c-shaped locking washer.

An s-shaped stop will lock the mechanism in place until the bed is installed.

The spring-unit assemblage will provide the resistance required to help smoothly raise and lower the bed.

A locking pin secures one end of the spring unit in place.

The worker adds the bottom plate of the unit, which includes a threaded bolt.

A nut threaded onto it can be tightened or loosened to adjust the mechanism's tension.

The wall-mounted spring mechanism is ready to be installed.

It's designed to connect to this bed-mounted component.

Once mounted to the bed, the two components work together, allowing the user to easily raise and lower the bed.

A worker quickly installs the bed-mounted component using pre-drilled holes, bolts, and locking nuts.

He installs the wall bed's legs in the same way, following a pre-drilled hole pattern to locate the component and attach it with bolts, locking nuts, and screws.

The legs fold down when the bed is being used and tuck out of the way when the bed folds up.

The manufacturers can now package the fully-assembled wall beds for transport to their destinations.

Installing the wall bed requires some muscle, but once the two components of the spring mechanism are connected, lowering the bed onto its fold-away legs is a piece of cake.

This s-shaped stop ensures the mechanism won't accidentally flip up.

Once it's removed, the bed easily rises.

The legs tuck into position, and the bed neatly folds away into its hiding spot, as though it were never there.

Several american towns claim to be the birthplace of the sundae.

Sundaes first appeared in the 1880s, when the sale of ice cream sodas was banned on sundays.

Instead, soda-fountain operators poured soda syrup on ice cream, added toppings, and called this new treat the sundae.

Today, ice cream sundaes come pre-made and frozen in individual servings.

There's no need to wait.

This decadent dessert can be served up in an instant.

At the sundae factory, productions starts with something called the white base mix.

It's a pasteurized blend of fresh cream, milk, and a variety of sweeteners.

A worker adds a blend of yellow coloring to the white base mix, and this takes it from bright white to an off-white.

A generous helping of pure vanilla extract lends a distinctive flavor and adds extra color to the cream base.

After a final stir, the mix is ready for a freezing process, during which, air will be added to turn the mix into soft ice cream.

It's time to cue the containers.

Two at a time, individual-sized sundae cups move forward on the production line.

They meet up with the ice cream dispenser.

It automatically pumps precise amounts of the soft vanilla ice cream into the cups.

It fills the cups to the 3/4 mark, leaving plenty of room for toppings.

It's now time to prepare the next layer of deliciousness-- the chocolate fudge sauce.

A worker mixes skim milk and sweeteners to a frothy consistency, and then adds several large bags of dark rich cocoa.

The mixer paddle agitates the ingredients to distribute the cocoa evenly throughout.

The chocolate fudge is pumped into a plastic tote to cool overnight.

During cooling, the sauce thickens up substantially.

It's now a rich chocolate fudge syrup.

Velvety smooth, the chocolate syrup flows out of the tote and into a big tank.

From there, nozzles dispense the chocolate fudge syrup onto the vanilla ice cream in the cups.

Next, a worker pours a liquid-topping blend into a high-speed mixer system that beats it to a whipped consistency.

Nozzles deposit the whipped topping onto the syrup-covered ice cream.

Now it's time to add some chocolate crunch to the smooth, sweet sundae.

The system sprinkles semi-sweet chocolate chunks onto the whipped topping.

It's the final touch.

These single-serve chocolate sundaes have been prepared almost entirely by machines.

A conveyor now sends them through an icy blast of air for a quick freeze.

Exiting the freezer, the frozen sundaes travel forward, shielded by overhead guards for food-safety reasons.

The sundaes funnel into a single-file lane.

This positions them to receive lids.

The lids slide down a chute and land on top of the ice cream sundae cups.

Rollers press the lids down on the rims.

A revolving apparatus deposits plastic collars around the lids.

Moving forward, the machinery sorts the sundae cups in row of two.

This allows a robot with suctioning arms to pick up six at a time and pack them into a cardboard box.

The boxes travel under and over packing tape to seal the tops and bottoms.

Incredibly, this factory produces 1,440 ice cream sundae cups every 15 minutes.

And it's all thanks to the magic of mechanization.

This company also produces tubs of flavored ice cream, so there are many mouth-watering choices to be made at dessert time.

Digital painting is a relatively new medium.

It's an artistic hybrid that marries modern computer technology with traditional painting by hand on canvas.

Today, some photography studios offer digital painting as a way to transform photographic portraits into painted portraits.

This specialized photographer offers digital painting to enhance original portraits and cherished snapshots.

His studio also specializes in creating life-story collages.

The in-house artist assembles photos and illustrations, depicting elements of the subject's lifetime.

She scans and digitizes photos which are not already digital.

She manually retouches every image with a digital pen and tablet to maximize the quality.

Then she begins working on the layout of the collage.

Once she has finalized the layout, she blends the edges of each image so that the elements flow seamlessly into each other.

Now the artist begins digitally painting.

She chooses from a selection of brush shapes and sizes, and from a myriad of colors.

She applies digital paint to blur the hard lines of the photographs to make them look more like painted images.

This painting process takes several hours of painstaking work.

She sends the digital painting to the lab technician who prepares to print the work onto a canvas.

First, he tweaks the entire painting, balancing the brightness and the colors.

He prints a small test sample on canvas.

Both the technician and the artist meticulously examine the sample under magnification, looking for any painting or printing errors.

If everything is perfect, the technician installs a large canvas roll on the printer.

The machine prints, not with regular inks, but with archival pigments, which last for centuries.

After each pass, the head waits six seconds to let the pigments dry.

This prevents them from smearing on the next pass.

A digital painting this size takes five hours to print.

The pigments must dry for 72 hours to ensure they're embedded into the canvas.

Then the technician applies a coat of stabilizing lacquer to protect the surface from damage caused by ultraviolet rays or handling.

The lacquer takes about an hour to dry.

Then they can safely mount the canvas on a stretcher frame.

The workers pull it tight with special pliers and then staple it down.

They cut the corners to facilitate framing.

The artist applies a white gel with thicker brush strokes in some areas and thinner ones in others.

This gives the print the texture of a painting.

The gel turns clear as it dries for 24 hours.

Then the artist paints the entire printed canvas with acrylic paints.

As she applies shading and creates depth, the painting gradually comes alive.

When she finishes, she signs her work.

In about an hour, the paint is dry and the digital painting is ready for framing.

She inserts a personalized certificate of authenticity, stating that this is a one-of-a-kind work, and applies the photography studio's label on the back of the canvas.

Whether it's a creatively-crafted collage or produced from a simple photograph, a digital painting immortalizes precious moments captured by the camera lens.

At some point in 19th-century england, a new game evolved that took its name from the duke of beaufort's badminton house.

Badminton soon became all the rage among british officers in india.

Today, fans believe the game is faster and harder than tennis, its long-time rival.

To create the carbon-fiber shafts of the badminton racquets, the manufacturer follows a series of meticulously-defined production steps.

The process begins by tightly wrapping a carbon-fiber fabric, called prepreg, multiple times around a metal cylinder.

A worker encases the fabric in plastic to hold the prepreg in place.

Then he suspends the cylinders from a rack and rolls them into an oven.

The heating process transforms the wrapped prepreg into solid lightweight and super-strong carbon-fiber material.

This specialized device removes the cylinder from the carbon fiber, leaving a hollow shaft.

Here, we can see the stages of production required to create the hollow carbon-fiber shaft.

In the next stage of production, a worker begins the process of manufacturing the racquet frame.

She starts with a different formulation of prepreg material, which she folds into thin strips.

The key is to make sure each strip is identical.

In the next phase, a worker wraps the strip around a purpose-built mold to create the shape of a racquet frame.

She introduces the carbon-fiber shaft into the mold.

The racquet is taking shape.

Another piece of carbon fiber forms the joint between them.

The frame-shaped prepreg carbon fiber then goes into a shaping machine, and the lid closes.

The shaping machine heats and then cools the prepreg over the course of about 30 minutes.

A worker lifts the lid and removes the fully-formed racquet frame, which has excess resin.

Resin holds the carbon fibers together before the curing process.

Heating expels the resin, which must then be removed.

A narrow bit drills the first sequence of holes in an offset pattern to make the racquet easier to string.

A larger-gauge bit drills holes large enough to permit two strings to pass through.

Quality-control inspectors choose a racquet frame at random to test how much pressure it can bear before it reaches the breaking point.

It's finally time to add the wooden handle and cap to the shaft and put everything together.

The racquets head for the painting department, where they receive a base coat.

Then workers meticulously apply a series of decals.

The decals soak in water to make it easier to remove the backing.

A worker slides each hole over a pin at the base of a nailing machine.

The machine nails specially-designed grommets into the holes.

The grommets are slightly too long to ensure they can be cut perfectly flush to the frame by this machine.

In a two-part process, this pressing machine heats and then presses the cut side of the grommets to smooth them out.

A worker carefully clamps the racquet into a winding machine and brushes glue onto the handle.

She then secures one end of the handle wrap at the base, and uses a foot pedal to begin turning the racquet.

Maintaining the steady tension at the correct angle, she winds the wrapping all the way up to the beginning of the shaft.

She secures the top end of the wrapping with tape.

A laser quickly and accurately burns the product i.d. number into the shaft.

A quality-control inspector clamps the completed racquet into a precision- engineered device, designed to measure its weight, swing weight, and balance point with incredible accuracy.

The racquets made by this manufacturer come in different sizes, suited to every level of badminton player.