How It's Made
Have you ever wondered how the products you use every day are made? How It's Made leads you through the process of how everyday products, such as apple juice, skateboards, engines, contact lenses, and many more objects are manufactured.
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Episodes
1. Time-Delay Locks, Brownies, Pallet Dispensers, Crystal Chandeliers
Precision timers, locking mechanisms and reinforced housings are assembled into time-delay locks designed to prevent safes and vaults from opening before a programmed interval has elapsed. Brownie batter is mixed, deposited and baked on an industrial production line; automated dispensers separate and release pallets one at a time; and metal frameworks are decorated with carefully cut and polished crystals to create chandeliers.
2. Bead Wire, Mini Pepperoni, Irrigation Sprinklers, Leather Gloves
High-strength steel is drawn into fine wire, coated and wound into reinforced hoops used to anchor tires securely to their rims. Seasoned meat is processed and formed into miniature pepperoni; pipes, nozzles and wheeled supports are assembled into agricultural irrigation sprinklers; and selected hides are cut, sewn and finished into leather gloves.
3. Mouth-Blown Window Glass, Water Pumps, Sake, Tweezers
Molten glass is gathered and blown into large cylinders that are cut open, reheated and flattened into sheets for windows and restoration work. Cast housings, impellers, shafts and seals are combined into water pumps; polished rice is steamed, cultured and fermented to produce sake; and strips of stainless steel are shaped, hardened and aligned into precision tweezers.
4. Statue Restoration, Tripods, Polish Sausages, Welding Guns
Conservators examine, clean and repair deteriorated statues while preserving as much of the original material and finish as possible. Lightweight tubes, adjustable locks and camera mounts are assembled into tripods; seasoned meat is packed into casings and smoked to produce Polish sausages; and electrodes, actuators and cooling systems are combined into industrial welding guns.
5. Champagne, ATMs, Marine Turbochargers
Champagne undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle before the sediment is collected and removed and the finished wine is corked and labelled. Reinforced cabinets are fitted with computers, card readers, cash-handling mechanisms and security systems to create ATMs, while precision-machined turbine and compressor components are balanced and assembled into turbochargers for large marine engines.
6. Sharpening Steels, Bladder Pumps, Ironing Boards, Kayak Paddles
Steel rods are cut, hardened and given finely textured surfaces before receiving protective handles to become knife-sharpening steels. Flexible bladders, valves and housings are assembled into pumps used for controlled fluid transfer; perforated metal tops are fitted with padding and folding legs to make ironing boards; and lightweight shafts and blades are shaped into kayak paddles.
7. Champagne Hoods & Foils, Pneumatic Systems, Espresso Machines, Pizza Ovens
Wire is formed into the cages that secure champagne corks, while decorative foils are cut and shaped to cover the bottle necks. Networks of tubes, blowers and carriers are assembled into pneumatic delivery systems; boilers, pumps and group heads are calibrated inside espresso machines; and insulated chambers lined with heat-resistant materials become high-temperature pizza ovens.
8. Stile-and-Rail Doors, Steam Cleaners, Hand-Held Pizzas, Power Brushes
Precisely milled stiles, rails and inset panels are joined to create traditional wooden doors. Boilers, pumps, hoses and control valves are assembled into steam cleaners; dough is folded around savoury fillings and sealed into portable hand-held pizzas; and wire or abrasive bristles are fixed to hubs that can be driven by powered tools.
9. Industrial Casters, Wedding Cakes, Terahertz Spectrometers, Racing Catamarans
Heavy-duty wheels are moulded or machined before being fitted with bearings, axles and swivelling metal frames to form industrial casters. Cakes are baked, stacked, covered and intricately decorated for weddings; precision optical and electronic components are calibrated to create terahertz spectrometers; and lightweight composite hulls, crossbeams, masts and rigging are assembled into racing catamarans.
10. Ceramic Grills, Pneumatic Punchers, Water Jet Fountains, Hollow Wooden Surfboards
Heat-resistant ceramic bodies are moulded, fired and fitted with vents, grates and metal hardware to produce efficient outdoor grills. Compressed-air cylinders and hardened tooling are incorporated into pneumatic punching machines; pumps, pipes, lights and electronically controlled nozzles become water-jet fountains; and wooden frames are covered with thin planks to create strong but lightweight hollow surfboards.
11. Vibrating Mining Screens, Whoopie Pies, Wood Utility Poles, Roller Conveyors
Reinforced steel frames, replaceable screening surfaces and powerful vibrators are assembled into machines that separate mined material by size. Soft cake rounds are baked and paired around a sweet filling to make whoopie pies; selected logs are peeled, dried and pressure-treated for use as utility poles; and rows of rollers, bearings and drive systems are mounted in frames to build conveyors.
12. Exercise Bikes, Cornish Pasties, Pasta Makers, Slate Products
Steel frames are equipped with pedals, flywheels, resistance mechanisms and electronic controls to produce stationary exercise bikes. Pastry is filled with meat and vegetables, folded and crimped into Cornish pasties; gears, rollers and cutting attachments are assembled into pasta-making machines; and quarried slate is split, cut and finished into durable household and architectural products.
13. Channel Signs, Wetsuits, Aluminum Aircraft
Metal strips are bent and joined into three-dimensional letters before receiving translucent faces and internal lighting to create channel signs. Neoprene sheets are laminated, cut and glued or stitched into close-fitting wetsuits, while aluminum structural members and skin panels are shaped, drilled and riveted together before the aircraft’s engine, controls and other systems are installed.
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