Windshields
English Saddles
Butter
Post Clocks

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

Fiberglass insulation...

Wooden ducks...

Gumball machines...

And exhaust systems.

It's pink and fluffy, and it keeps us warm.

Fiberglass insulation is a great way to prevent heat loss from our buildings.

It has a woolly texture, but it is, as the name suggests, made of very fine threads of glass.

That's why it's sometimes referred to as glass wool.

Fiberglass insulation will reduce energy consumption, but it also reduces waste because it's made from at least 35% recycled glass.

The recipe also includes what's called the batch-- a lot of sand and smaller portions of soda ash, limestone, and other minerals.

The glass, called cullet, used to be bottles and windows.

This will be its second recycling.

The cullet and batch ingredients spill onto a conveyer-belt system, which transports it all to an electric furnace.

The conveyer moves back and forth to evenly distribute the cullet and batch ingredients.

They seep down and melt into a previous mix, which is now a pool of glass at the bottom of the furnace.

The glass liquid now flows out of the furnace and into sloped channels.

Inside these channels, the temperature is kept red-hot by natural-gas burners.

This keeps the glass mix in a liquid form, as it oozes out of the holes in the bottoms of the channels.

The melted glass falls about 3 feet into a spinning bowl.

It's called a fiberizer.

The spinning action flings the glass through thousands of holes in the bowl, creating thousands of feathery glass fibers.

Gas and compressed air pull the fibers, stretching them thinner.

The process is a lot like making cotton candy, and the spun glass even has a similar texture.

But the fibers will soon become even more like cotton candy.

Nozzles spray them with a polymer glue tinted pink.

The now-pink and sticky fibers drop into a hole in the ground and amass.

Then a conveyer belt takes the mounds of sticky glass to an oven.

Steel plates compress the pack as it enters the oven that's heated to 500 degrees fahrenheit.

Hot air blows through it, setting the glue.

As the pack exits the oven, circular saws cut through it, making 15- to 24-inch-wide strips that are called lanes.

The lanes pass by a series of poles that push them apart.

Next, an ink jet brands each lane with a number that conveys the "r" value.

"r" stands for "resistance to heat flow".

It's a measure of how well the insulation will stop heat from going through the roof and your energy bill along with it.

A chopper with big steel teeth now cuts the lanes, making chunks that could easily be installed in an attic or wall.

After chopping, the conveyer belt accelerates, transporting the fiberglass batts to the next station.

A few at a time, the batts plunge down a chute, to a mechanical arm which slides the batts into a compression chamber.

There, a hydraulic ram squishes the batts down, reducing their bulk 5 to 10 times.

This compaction will make them easier to transport.

Now another ram comes from the side and pushes the stack of compressed batts forward into a spout.

The spout is a hollow batt-shaped frame.

A worker pulls a plastic bag over it.

Then the ram pushes the fiberglass-insulation batt into the plastic bag, and the process begins again.

A conveyer belt transports the batt-filled bags to a machine that heat-seals them.

Then they're sent off to be installed.

For centuries, hunters have used wooden ducks to lure live ones to within shooting range.

Stringing together decoys and floating them in the water, hunters trick the birds down from the sky with duck calls.

Nowadays, hunters generally prefer cheaper, plastic decoys.

Wooden ducks are mostly decorative items for the home.

This company's flock includes males, females, and androgynous models like this one.

This more elaborate male is inspired by another aquatic bird, the loon.

To make them, these craftsmen use eastern white pine because it's easy to carve and has a nice grain.

First, a machine shapes a 2-inch-thick slab.

They cut the slab lengthwise.

They'll use four to six of these smaller pieces to make most of the duck's body.

The birds range in size from baby ducks just 4 inches long to geese at more than 19 inches long.

A craftsman now applies a generous amount of carpenter's glue to one side of the wood.

Using a lot ensures a strong bond and prevents splitting later on.

The pieces then go into what's called a wood clamp.

He tightens a vice, squeezing them together.

It takes about two hours for the pieces to bond properly.

Then he'll shave away the excess glue and even up the surfaces.

Once that's done, they run the block over what's called a joiner.

A roller with 3 blades shaves about 3/4 of an inch from what will become the top and bottom of the duck.

Each model has three wooden patterns for the top, the bottom, and the profile.

Here, a worker traces the outline of the bird's profile in pencil on the wood.

Since this is a small model, he'll make two birds with one block.

Using a band saw, he trims along the trace line.

This company recycles the cutoffs into fireplace kindling and shavings for farm stables.

Next, he uses another pattern to create the top of the bird.

These patterns provide only the general shape of a particular model.

The craftsman will later carve the details using smaller electric tools and by hand.

Now he sands the wood with a pneumatic drum sander-- a tube of pressurized air with sandpaper stretched over it.

He uses higher pressure for sharper curves, lower pressure for softer edges.

To sculpt the bird's plumage, the craftsman uses this band sander whose rounded edge presses sandpaper into the wood.

Here, he makes three long grooves-- one on top, and one on each side of the duck.

The head's made from a different piece of wood than the body.

Here, he sands down the piece to smooth out the curves.

Using various shaping tools and the band sander, he sculpts the bird's head and bill area, then the underside and rear end of this waddling duck.

He also carves depressions for eye sockets to come later.

Here, he puts glue on the neck to attach it to the rest of the body.

Using a nail gun, he reinforces the area with two nails on each side.

To hide the nails and smooth out the neck, the craftsman uses wood putty.

Once it dries, he'll sand it smooth.

Next, he tints the duck bill using an orange wood stain...

Then a forest-green stain to tint the head and neck areas.

Males have colorful feathers to better attract mates.

Females have more neutral colors to blend into their surroundings and protect their ducklings.

The craftsman covers the duck's lower body with a clear wood stain.

This way, the natural grain of the wood shows through.

The front gets a clear but darker stain to mark the chest.

And darker stain also highlights the plumage in the long grooves.

Then, some green accents for the feathers on the sides in the back.

Next, two coats of white paint to mark the duck's collar.

Then he glues plastic eyes in the eye sockets.

The irises are black, brown, or red, depending on the model.

He then sprays on a protective, water-based varnish, and elevates the duck on nails so that the underside will dry along with the rest.

Finally, the craftsman rubs the entire carving in wood wax.

This makes the varnish appear uneven in places, giving the duck a worn, antique finish, like he's been around the pond a few times.

The prices of wooden ducks vary according to size and detail.

$500 will buy you this magnificent canada goose with wings stretched and ready for a graceful landing.

For a century, there have been machines to give us gumballs.

Vending machines that dispensed gumballs were introduced in 1907 on a new york city subway platform.

Today's machines are more modern versions of the originals, but they still perform, basically, the same function.

The gumball machine is all about instant gratification.

Insert a coin, turn a handle, and out comes the merchandise.

To make a gumball machine, a designer first sketches out the exact proportions.

Then, a worker ladles molten zinc into a holding furnace, where a steel plunger pushes the metal through a die that forms a gumball machine base.

A mechanical claw removes the newly shaped base from the die and places it on a conveyor belt to cool.

A similar die shapes the coin mechanism handle and drive gears.

A worker places a braided hose with a natural-gas flame under a mold that will shape the gumball-dispensing chute.

He pours piping-hot liquid aluminum into the mold.

The flame below warms the mold enough to prevent condensation, which would ruin the shape.

But the mold is still cooler than the aluminum, and that allows it to solidify into a chute shape in seconds.

Now, using a punch press, a worker trims the waste away from the lid for the gumball machine.

They also trim the front plate of the coin mechanism, using a similar press.

A computerized cutter mills out a hole in the top of the globe that will hold the gumballs.

The globe is made of shatterproof plastic.

At another station, they press the base of the gumball machine against a cloth-covered buffing wheel to give it a shine.

A worker now assembles the coin mechanism, layering the front plate, the coin carrier, the back plate, and ending with a cam, the part that ensures the coin mechanism moves clockwise.

She screws it tightly together, then inserts the handle on the front plate.

The handle will turn the coins that pay for the gumballs.

She places a little spacer and drive gear on the handle stem that protrudes through the back of the assembly and then screws the drive gear onto the handle stem.

Now it's time to put the money up front.

They insert a coin in the slot and turn the handle to make sure the system works.

People in many countries like gumballs, and so these coin mechanisms can be made to accept currencies from around the world.

They can also be used in other types of vending machines.

Now they spray powder paint onto the lids, giving them a coating that's almost 1/16 of an inch thick.

They bake the paint onto the lids at 400 degrees fahrenheit for 25 minutes.

Now it's time to put all the pieces together.

They place the dispensing wheels in hoppers, then cover them with a part that stops free gumballs from spilling out.

The next part is the adaptor ring, and the plastic globes fit on top of them.

They place aluminum rings on top of the globes.

Then they slide two side rods through the top rings, down into the bottom of the globes.

They screw them down very tightly, and then they set the assembly aside.

Now they place plastic bodies on bases and install the chute doors on the front.

They place the chute covers in the plastic body...

And mount the coin mechanism just above the chute.

Next, they slide the globe assemblies over center rods and onto the plastic foundations.

They put a lid on every globe...

And then lock them on.

And now we're at the vending part of the story.

Gumball, anyone?

The job it does is exhausting.

The exhaust system on your vehicle gets rid of harmful gases that could damage the engine.

It also cleans up the gases a bit before venting them into the air.

A properly functioning exhaust system does another big job-- muffling the airborne noise of the engine.

It's a system of metal tubes and plates we only seem to notice when it breaks down.

And when it does, everyone can hear it.

To make an exhaust system, a mechanical puller draws a stainless-steel strip up into a punch press, shuffling it back and forth to allow for a precise cut with little waste.

The press brings 60 tons of force to bear as it pushes the steel into a die.

It punches out a baffle shape with holes in it, which will form the skeleton for the muffler box.

The finished baffles fall onto a conveyor and go into a storage cage.

Now a long steel tube tumbles to automated blades which score the tube crosswise to prevent denting and then cut it to produce smaller tubes that go inside a muffler.

A circular saw descends on another tube to make a tail pipe.

Its length depends on the type of muffler being made.

A louver machine spins and punctures one of the inside tubes.

The holes will regulate airflow in the muffler.

A cnc bending machine grips and bends a pipe in several spots.

This is how they make inlet, intermediate, and outlet tubes.

These tubes run the length of the exhaust system.

Then they place a tube in a circular hydraulic vice, which pinches the end down to a prescribed diameter to allow for further assembly.

A worker now places two baffles in a jig.

He fits the tubes through the holes in the baffles so that the tubes connect the baffles.

Three mandrels slide into the tubes.

The mandrels expand, locking the tubes to the baffles.

Then they contract and slide out.

Now the baffles and tubes are one piece.

Next, a robotic arm picks up metal sheets, which will become the outer skin of the muffler box.

It pushes them under an oval mold.

Another arm with numerous rollers on it moves up and wraps the steel around the oval form.

Then a metal block moves over the ends, double-folding them.

This locks them together, and it completes the assembly of the muffler's outside skin.

Magnets pick up the new skin, and, sliding on rails, they relay it to a mechanical claw which, in turn, feeds it to a flanger.

The flanger bends the edges, creating a lip on either end of the muffler skin.

A carousel turns, and a mechanical claw transfers the newly flanged muffler skin to the stuffing position.

Hydraulic pushers press the pre-assembled baffles and tubes inside the skin.

After the muffler is stuffed, the robotic claw transfers it to a conveyor belt.

Next, a worker presses each end of the muffler against a set of steel expansion fingers.

The fingers move forward into holes in the muffler.

They expand and lock the baffles and tubes inside to form one solid, internal unit.

Grippers place the muffler on a spinning machine that will fasten the caps on.

Rollers press against the flared edges of the revolving muffler, tightly locking the end cap to the rest of the body.

Here, you see the rolling in slow motion.

It takes only a few revolutions to do the job.

Then the roller backs away, and a mechanical arm grabs the muffler and transfers it to a conveyor belt.

Now these mufflers are ready to help keep the traffic noise at a minimum.


Wood Toys
Retro Toasters
Laboratory Furnaces
Aerogel

a rubber tree's life-span for natural rubber production is limited to about 25 years.

But making toys out of their wood gives unproductive trees a second life.

This idea comes from southeastern asia, home to most of the rubber and latex production worldwide.

This company, based in thailand, manufactures toys such as this series of animal-shaped racers made of locally farmed rubberwood.

They buy old trees that have exceeded their productive life.

A worker feeds lumber through a wood-rounding machine.

The machine drives the log through a mill and turns it into a rod.

The worker places the rod on a tray alongside other pieces ready for cutting.

A cutting machine automatically matches the length of the rods while a round saw cuts out blanks, which accumulate in a crate.

A router removes the sharp edges on the blanks.

Stacked in a feeder tube, the blanks drop down one by one on the router table.

An automated feeding mechanism pushes each blank against the router head.

The router blade bites into the blank and trims off the edge, leaving the pieces ready for sanding.

At another station, a lathe turns spherical shapes out of the wood.

Several blades move in sequence to form the piece.

When a new length of wood comes through, the front blade moves in.

Once it backs away, another set of blades shapes the piece laterally before a cutter blade separates it from the rod.

A worker now pours a nontoxic, water-based paint over the sanded blanks.

He transfers the batch into a tumbling machine.

The tumbling process will even out the color and drain the extra paint to accelerate drying.

The worker closes and secures the lid of the tumbler before he starts the machine.

The facility can simultaneously process 40 batches of painted parts in 30 minutes.

The painted parts now go to a pad printer.

An automated arm feeds the parts to the printer, which stamps each piece with a nontoxic paint.

A worker uses a table saw to groove another set of painted parts.

The custom-made jig ensures that the cut is straight and even and that the blade makes only a narrow and shallow groove in the wood.

The worker places the grooved part on a jig and bores a hole into the piece with a drill.

The machined piece goes to another pad printer.

The pad picks up paint from a tray and transfers it to the wood.

This process, called tampography, allows the printer to reproduce a design on an irregular surface, such as this wood piece.

The printed parts dry at room temperature.

As a last pad printer paints two dots on the wood, the face of the animal racer slowly takes shape.

This red-colored powder is processed rubberwood sawdust entirely recycled from the machining operations.

A worker fills molds with the reprocessed sawdust and prepares them for casting.

The machine compresses the sawdust in a die and turns it into a solid and compact material called planwood.

A worker starts assembling the planwood pieces to form the body of the racers.

She applies a thin coat of nontoxic, formaldehyde-free glue and presses two corresponding planwood pieces together.

She removes the excess glue with her finger before she hammers a dowel into the assembled planwood body.

To finish the head of the racer, she inserts a felt piece into the groove machined on top and presses the head into the racer's body using a pneumatic press.

The worker then drives the axles through holes in the planwood assembly.

She takes painted and pad-printed wheels and applies a drop of fast-hardening glue inside each wheel hub.

She then hammers the wheels into the axles and takes the assembled toy to a customized machine designed to press the wheels firmly into the axles.

This finished chicken racer is one of a wide variety of rubberwood toys manufactured with environment-friendly processes and materials.

Whether your preferred shade is light, medium, or dark, owning a reliable electric toaster that evenly heats and browns both sides of your bread just the way you like it is one of life's small pleasures.

And if that toaster adds some style to your kitchen, all the better.

Making retro-style toasters is this british company's bread and butter.

While some of its models are new designs in a vintage style, this one is authentically retro, in continuous production since the 1960s.

The manufacturing equipment, however, is modern.

A computer-guided laser cutter cuts out many components from sheet steel coated with zinc for corrosion resistance.

They stamp the company logo and then use the same press to begin forming a rectangular box.

They bend three sides on this press...

Then bend the fourth on a machine called a box folder.

They rivet the body closed, then spray on a thick layer of paint powder known as powder coat.

Then, they run the body through a tunnel oven for 10 minutes to bake the finish.

The computer-guided laser cutter also cuts out several toaster tops from a sheet of stainless steel.

This model is a four-slice toaster, so the machine cuts four slots per top.

To make the manual bread ejector that pops up the hot toast, they weld steel strips to a round steel bar.

Moving the toaster's ejector knob lifts this bar, raising the top of the toast out of the slot.

They bend the strips, creating a cradle to stabilize the bread so that it doesn't wobble and get caught while moving up and down within the slot.

This machine makes the toaster's guard wires out of copper-coated steel.

The guard wires are barriers that prevent the bread from touching the toaster's heating elements.

The machine first welds cut horizontal wires to four continuous vertical ones.

Then, a blade chops the vertical wires every 12 inches, producing two side-by-side guard wires.

Workers cut them apart on a guillotine, then, with a hand press, fold over the top of each one.

This prevents the bread from catching on the top of the guard wires.

Now they take the toasting compartment and insert the eight guard wires, one for each side of the four bread slots.

Then, they install the bread ejector.

Next, the heating elements.

Being a high-end toaster, the elements are sheets of pure mica, a mineral that's heat-resistant up to 1,800 degrees fahrenheit.

They connect them with electrically conductive copper links.

They mount the switch that selects the number of bread slices to toast.

Then, they install a red neon light that illuminates when you start the toaster and turns off when the toast time has elapsed.

The timer switch has a bell that sounds when the toast time is up, at which point the switch cuts the current to the elements.

They attach the dials for the slice selector and timer switches and connect their wires to the main power cord.

Then, they place the toaster compartment into the body and screw on the toaster's stainless steel top, the protective film now removed.

They flip the toaster upside down and wire up the elements.

They install the ejector knob, positioning its spring against the bread ejector.

When the bell rings, indicating your toast is ready, you move the knob to raise and retrieve your slices.

A technician tests the toaster thoroughly, ensuring that all of the elements heat to the correct temperature, that only the selected slots heat up, that the timer is accurate, and that the bell rings when the selected time elapses.

they install the removable crumb tray, then close up the bottom of the toaster with a ventilated base plate.

Nylon feet elevate the toaster for ventilation and to prevent the screws attaching the base from scratching your kitchen counter.

The style may be retro, but this 1960s-design toaster was ahead of its time with its energy-saving slice-selector feature that stops the toaster's empty slots from heating up unnecessarily.

Laboratory furnaces are small but powerful appliances.

They can reach temperatures of 3,000 degrees fahrenheit or more.

These incredible furnaces are often used to test the quality of things like fuel oil, greases, coal, and to confirm the strength of structural materials.

Exposed to the red-hot intensity of a laboratory furnace, this piece of steel should endure and even be strengthened by the exposure.

It's the ultimate test of the steel's integrity.

Making a laboratory furnace starts with this laser cutter.

It carves out steel panels for the lower cabinet.

A press brake folds the panels with precision to make three-sided pieces of cabinetry.

A worker stacks them up.

The next worker applies a powder coat to the metal parts using a compressed-air sprayer.

When baked on, the powder forms a tough thermoplastic skin.

At the next station, a worker tucks the end of an iron alloy wire into a lathe.

As the lathe spins, it winds the wire around a mandrel, producing a tight coil.

This coiled wire will serve as one of the furnace's two heating elements.

After stretching the coil to widen the gaps and bending it to create parallel rows, the technician attaches electrical clips.

He flips a switch.

And electricity surges through the coil.

This relieves stresses in the metal caused by the winding and bending.

He now inserts two coils into the ridges of the mold.

He transfers it to a vat filled with a ceramic fiber mixture.

A powerful vacuum pump pulls the mixture into the mold, filling all the crevices.

The vacuum then draws out the moisture.

The coils are now embedded in a ceramic cake.

This cake bakes in an oven overnight and solidifies, encasing and insulating the heating coils.

A worker cuts the solid ceramic-fiber block in two, creating two separate heating modules.

He trims them so they fit neatly in the furnace chamber.

A computerized router cuts out other insulation pieces to fit the rest of the furnace chamber.

This ceramic brick is a threshold insulator.

This piece is a surround for the furnace door.

A team now puts all the ceramic fiber pieces together in a metal framework.

The heating element blocks form the sides of the furnace chamber.

They thread the wires from the coils through the back panel.

They insert the side and back panels in the framework.

They assemble the other ceramic fiber parts to form an insulated chamber.

They screw the framework tight, and this nestles the ceramic-fiber walls more closely together.

They tuck the threshold insulator into place, completing the laboratory furnace's heated chamber.

A technician now places the furnace's electric heating control panel in the lower cabinet.

He fastens it to the metal cabinet with screws.

He wires the temperature-control board to a touch screen and connects the power supply for the touch screen.

He installs a stainless steel shelf on top, towards the front.

He screws the front panel that houses the touch screen to the cabinet.

He adds the top panel that the furnace chamber will sit on.

He assembles the metal surround for the furnace chamber to the control cabinet, then slides the furnace chamber into place.

Moving to the open back, he wires the heating elements for power and inserts a temperature sensor into a hole in the center of the chamber.

He assembles a connector block, which will relay the sensor signal to the controller.

He encloses the back with another metal panel.

The next technician hinges the door to the metal surround.

The door is a metal structure that's filled with many layers of ceramic-fiber insulation.

He lowers and raises the door to confirm that it operates smoothly.

This metal cover is the finishing touch.

He snaps it onto the door and secures it with screws.

The laboratory furnace's thick, insulated chamber is ready to contain the extreme heat and maintain it.

And these torrid conditions are ideal for quality-control testing.

Aerogels are the lightest solid materials on earth.

They have nanosized pores that make it difficult for cold or hot air to penetrate.

Used to insulate the electronics of the mars rovers and to capture comet dust, aerogels are among the most fascinating materials.

Aerogels in shaped forms look almost like holograms.

Yet they feel like hard foam.

It's why they are often called frozen smoke or solid smoke.

Making them starts with four ingredients-- a chemical called tmos, methanol, concentrated ammonia, and water.

The technician adds measured amounts of tmos and methanol to a beaker that has a magnetic stir bead at the bottom.

He transfers the beaker to a device that generates a rotating magnetic field.

This causes the bead in the bottle to evenly mix the ingredients.

He pours the mixture into a larger beaker and adds specific amounts of water, additional methanol, and ammonia hydroxide.

As the ingredients are blended, a chemical reaction occurs.

The tmos and water react to form silica.

The chemical reaction will also cause the mixture to become a gel.

But before that happens, he quickly prepares the molds.

He pours pure methanol over a plastic grid and arranges rectangular molds over the grid.

He injects precise amounts of the silica gel mix into the molds and leaves them to gel.

During this process, the methanol under the grid evaporates, preventing excessive drying of the gels.

The mixture coagulates in just minutes, but it takes about a day for the gels to fully strengthen.

He then soaks the silica gels in methanol baths repeatedly over a period of several days.

The methanol seeps in the gel's pores to flush out impurities.

The gel pores are so minuscule they can't be seen with the naked eye.

The technician decants the used methanol into a container.

He'll send it to a recycler to remove impurities, and this will allow it to be used again in the aerogel production process.

After several days of soaking in methanol, the silica gels are purified.

They're ready for a process known as supercritical drying.

It's a process that will convert these silica gels into aerogels.

A technician places the gels in a pressure vessel.

He locks the heavy steel lid with 12 large bolts and nuts so it will hold tight against a pressure that's 100 times greater than that of the normal atmosphere.

He connects the hose that delivers liquid and carbon dioxide to the vessel.

The liquid carbon dioxide replaces the methanol in the gel's pores.

They then heat and pressurize the gels until the carbon dioxide in them becomes supercritical.

It's semiliquid, semigas.

The supercritical carbon dioxide diffuses out without collapsing the gels' solid skeletons.

This transforms the silica gels into transparent solids that are mostly air.

To demonstrate the insulating properties of the nanosized pores, they aim a blowtorch under an aerogel with a peanut butter cup on the top.

It doesn't melt.

A technician then places the aerogel on a scale to confirm its incredible low density.

This aerogel weighs less than a nickel.

Next, using a scoopula, which is a tool with a v-shaped dent, she breaks an aerogel into little pieces.

She inserts the bits into a glass tube with a bulb at the base.

She transfers the tube to a machine that measures how much nitrogen gas the aerogel bits take up at different pressures to determine the size of the pores and the surface area.

Aerogels can have other magical properties.

To demonstrate, she rubs specially treated aerogel particles on her hands.

She then plunges her hands into water.

The aerogel particles act like waterproof gloves and repel the water.

This water resistance makes aerogels useful for a variety of applications.

They can be added to paint or other things to make them waterproof and add insulating properties.

Scientists continue to explore the potential of aerogels.

A gossamer synthetic material that weighs almost nothing, there's a lot more to them than it may seem.


Prepared Mustard
Violins
Nuts and Bolts
Toilet Paper

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

Prepared mustard...

Violins...

Nuts and bolts...

And toilet paper.

We eat it on hot dogs and hamburgers, on sausages and sandwiches.

No condiment cuts the mustard quite like mustard.

The ancient romans took the mustard seed to what is now france, and by the 9th century, big-time mustard production was under way.

Yellow mustard and dijon mustard have a few ingredients in common, but that's where the similarity ends.

Not only are they prepared quite differently-- they're derived from different varieties of mustard seed.

Yellow mustard is made from the seeds of the white mustard plant.

Turmeric and paprika provide the yellow color and sharp flavor.

The other ingredients are salt, water, and white vinegar.

The powdered ingredients go down a shaft to a mixing tank containing the water and vinegar.

Yellow mustard's proportions are roughly 60% water, 20% vinegar, 15% seeds, and 5% salt and spices.

The last ingredient to go in is the mustard seed-- hull, bran, and all.

The tank's rotating mixers blends the ingredients for about an hour at seed-crushing speeds reaching 165 miles per hour.

The tank's contents empty into several stainless-steel mills.

Inside each one, a pair of synthetic stones grinds the seeds, a process known as stone milling.

That grinding action heats the mixture to about 140 degrees fahrenheit.

The liquid thickens into creamy, bright yellow mustard.

Before bottling, they perform what is called a finesse test.

This ensures the mustard is smooth enough.

If its particles are larger than 9/1000 of an inch, the factory adjusts the milling stones closer together to produce a finer grind.

They make dijon mustard from brown mustard seeds, sometimes mixed with other varieties, and they usually use two types of vinegar-- cider and white.

The ingredients ferment in a tank for 12 hours before mixing.

That's what gives dijon mustard its strong flavor.

After mixing, it's the same stone-milling process we saw before.

Here's what the inside of those mills look like-- a rotating stone rubbing seeds against a stationary stone-- the same principle as an old-fashioned mortar and pestle.

Dijon is made with twice as many seeds as yellow mustard and 20% less water, which is why it comes out thicker and denser and needs the occasional stir.

Filters screen out any particles larger than 9/100 of an inch.

The factory saves these coarse pieces to put into specialty mustards.

Now the creamy, smooth dijon mustard goes into a stainless-steel tank.

A slow-speed revolving mixer removes the air, which would otherwise turn it brown and dull its flavor.

The yellow mustard tanks also have mixers to remove air and to keep the condiment well-blended.

Both dijon and yellow mustard have to cool overnight before bottling.

From start to finish, it takes about 20 hours to produce yellow mustard, and about 32 hours for dijon because of its fermentation period.

Yellow mustard has a 15-month shelf life, while dijon stays fresh for a year.

Both should be refrigerated after opening to preserve their flavor.

Mustard is a condiment that even health-conscious eaters can enjoy.

It packs a lot of flavor in just a few calories.

Mustard contains a small amount of fat, somewhat more if the manufacturer uses oil in the recipe, but it's still a cholesterol-free food.

The violin was developed in the 1500s, evolving from a series of guitar-like instruments that musicians played with a bow.

While the violin is best known for classical and gypsy music, today you hear it in pop, country, bluegrass, even jazz.

First they cut a piece of maple, then split it in half to expose the grain in mirror image.

They melt down glue flakes made from animal hide, then bond the pieces together.

Violin makers only use glue, never nails or screws.

These pieces of wood will form the back of the violin.

After four hours, the glue is dry, and they can remove the clamps.

Using a small plane, they even out the surface.

Then they trace the violin's shape and cut it out.

They shave the surface sculpting a downward slope from the middle using an even smaller plane.

Then they carve a groove along the circumference.

After dabbing it with glue, they insert what's known as purfling, a reinforcement made from a thin strip of hardwood, usually maple.

Finally, they carve the reverse side to the right form and thickness.

Next they make the sides of the violin, known as the ribs.

First they soak thin strips of maple or sycamore and press them against a heated bending iron to curve them.

Then they glue the strips around a form, connecting them at the top and bottom, and at the corners with small blocks of wood.

They clamp everything together and let the glue dry for four hours.

Next they glue thin strips of wood called counter-ribs onto the edge of the ribs.

This enlarges the surface so that it's easier to glue the ribs and the back together.

They make the violin's front, or belly, from a solid piece of spruce.

To the underside, they glue a spruce support bar called the base bar.

Sound escapes through the two curved slots called f-holes.

They cut out and carve the violin's neck and scrolled head from a piece of maple.

Then they glue it to the body.

They sculpt the fingerboard from ebony, a hardwood durable enough to withstand centuries of a violinist's fingering.

Using a tool called a peghole reamer, they make the holes for the ebony or rosewood pegs around which the strings are wound.

They coat the wood with four or five coats of varnish, depending on the color, then polish it with several coats of oil over several days until the finish is shiny and silky-smooth.

Next they insert the sound post.

This little cylinder conducts sounds and supports the belly against bowing pressure, so it's critical to position it in precisely the right spot between the belly and the back.

It's not glued, but rather wedged into place.

The bridge isn't glued either.

It's held in place by the pressure of the four strings, which they feed through the ebony tailpiece and wind onto the pegs.

The bridge has little notches in which the strings sit.

The violin is finished.

They make the bow from horsehair and a high-quality brazilian wood called pernambuco.

They bind the hairs at one end with strong sewing thread, then burn them and seal them with wax to prevent fraying.

This end goes into the frog, the wooden box at the bottom, or heel, of the bow.

They cover the frog with the mother-of-pearl lining, then slip on a ring made of nickel, silver, or gold to prevent the hairs from tangling.

Next comes the screw that controls the tension of the hairs.

They comb the hairs to make them parallel, then insert them into the tip of the bow, known as the head.

They tighten the screw until the hairs are taut.

Finally they rub on rosin, a sticky pine-tree resin that keeps the bow from slipping off the strings.

At "how it's made," we pride ourselves in showing you the nuts and bolts of how everyday items are made, so it's about time we visited a real nuts-and-bolts operation.

We sure couldn't do without these tiny but essential pieces of hardware.

If only they weren't so darn easy to lose.

Nuts and bolts are made from what's called steel wire rod.

After spending up to 30 hours in a furnace to make it pliable, the wire rod goes into a bath of sulfuric acid to remove any rust particles.

It's rinsed in water then coated with phosphate, a chemical compound.

This prevents the steel from rusting before the bolt forming begins and lubricates the steel to make forming easier.

They form the bolts by cold forging, shaping the steel at room temperature by forcing it through various dies at high pressure.

The forming machine first straightens the wire rod, then cuts it into pieces slightly longer than the bolt length.

The extra will become the bolt head.

Each piece goes through a die that makes it perfectly round, then through a series of dies that progressively shape the head of the bolt on one end.

The machine heads up to 300 bolts per minute.

Here's what the heading stages look like in slow motion.

This die creates a slight collar.

The next one turns it into a round head.

Then the last one transforms that into a hexagonal head-- the most common shape.

Next the machine forms the opposite end of the bolt.

A tool called the pointer shapes the bottom of each bolt, creating what's called the chamfer, the part the nut catches on to.

Here's the bullet before and after the chamfer.

The bolt needs threads to enable the nut to screw onto it.

Once again, they use the cold forging method.

High-pressure rollers press in the thread pattern...

As we see here in slow motion.

This is the actual speed, up to 300 bolts per minute.

During each production run, they take several samples to verify dimensions.

They use various measuring devices-- a micrometer to check the bolt's length, calipers to measure the width of the head, and a ring gauge to check the threads.

To make the nuts, they use a process called hot forging.

They cut steel bars into small pieces known as slugs, then heat them to 2,200 degrees fahrenheit to make them malleable.

As we see here in slow motion, hydraulic cameras punch the slugs into hexagons, while a die pierces the hole.

Then a tool called a tapper drives into the hole to cut the threads.

That black liquid is a lubricant oil to minimize wear and tear on the tappers.

The nuts and bolts now go into an oven at 1,600 degrees fahrenheit for about an hour.

This gives them the required strength.

Then a rapid cooling in oil for five minutes to solidify the steel's internal structure.

By now the steel is hard, but brittle, so they heat the nuts and bolts for another hour.

This removes their brittleness yet maintains their strength.

The quality-control team pulls samples off the line, measuring how much force it takes to break them.

If a bolt meets its minimum strength requirement, it passes inspection, provided the break occurred in the threading-- the weakest part.

Finally packaging-- labeled, among other things, by size and grade.

Toilet paper is probably the most indispensable item in your home.

After all, it's not something you want to run out of at the wrong time.

Most of us probably take our rolls of toilet paper for granted.

So you may be surprised to learn that bathroom tissue, as it's properly called, is a relatively new invention.

The vikings used wool.

The ancient romans employed sponges, and french royalty wiped with lace.

Then in 1857, an american entrepreneur figured that people had had enough of using leaves, corncobs, newspapers, and mail-order catalogs, so he invented therapeutic paper, as he so tastefully named it.

Toilet paper only came in piles of pre-cut sheets until 1890.

That's when one company introduced bathroom tissue on a roll.

Ever wonder where all that recycled paper goes?

Well, look no further than your bathroom.

Many brands of toilet paper begin as recycled paper.

The bales of paper drop down into the pulper, a giant tank with an agitator, similar to a washing machine.

It mixes the paper in lukewarm water for about 10 minutes, transforming it into what's known as pulp and screening out all the bits of metal and plastic.

Now they have to take out the ink.

The ink-removal system injects the pulp with air.

Ink particles attach to the air bubbles, which rise to the top.

The system then skims off the foam, leaving the pulp ink-free.

Next the pulp passes through a series of rollers, which squeeze out the water.

This dries out the soggy pulp, enabling it to absorb the chemicals they'll use to bleach it.

Revolving knives now chop up the pulp to prepare it for the bleaching process, the details of which are a closely guarded trade secret.

The bleach turns the gray pulp a pure white.

The company says it does this without using chlorine or other toxic chemicals.

They spread the wet pulp onto a flat screen that runs through a hot dryer.

In less than a second, the pulp dries into a delicate paper 4/1000 of an inch thick.

Each spool holds close to 47 miles of paper.

That spool now feeds a machine with rollers that emboss a pattern, in this case a waffle print.

The pattern isn't just aesthetic.

It also makes the paper thicker and therefore more absorbent.

Elsewhere in the factory, production is rolling, so to speak, with two strips of cardboard, each 3 inches wide.

The machine coats the underside of the top strip with glue, then winds the two strips diagonally to create a continuous cardboard tube.

The machine then cuts the tube in 65-inch lengths.

The tubes ride an elevator to the toilet paper zone.

There, two giant spools of paper feed what's called the winding machine.

The two sheets come together to form a two-ply toilet paper.

The paper then winds onto a cardboard tube, creating a super-wide roll of toilet paper.

When the roll is full, a blade automatically cuts the paper, and winding resumes on the next tube.

The machine automatically seals the end of the roll with glue to prevent unraveling.

A circular saw slices the super-wide toilet paper roll into 16 standard rolls, 4 inches wide.

The toilet paper is finished and ready for packaging.

This batch is for commercial use.

Each roll is individually wrapped in paper.

Check out this slow-motion wrapping action.

Toilet paper destined for residential use gets wrapped in transparent plastic, 4 to 30 rolls per package.


Heated Skate Blades
Gliders
Hand Bells
Fire Hoses

Hockey skates are not all created equal.

That's why professional hockey players are always looking for ways to get that cutting edge.

They know championships are won or lost in fractions of a second, and that's when heated skate blades can make all the difference.

With a simple touch, heated skate blades are revolutionizing the game of hockey.

They give much more control and speed on the ice.

They do this using a smart board, the brain of these performance-enhancing blades.

It all starts with custom-made, stainless-steel blades.

A technician places them inside an injection-molding machine.

Liquid plastic is injected into a cavity, creating a plastic overmold.

Once bonded with the overmold, the blades are ready to receive the electronic smart board.

The smart board fits into the plastic overmold that runs along the top edge of the blade.

After removing excess plastic from the mold, the technician places the prepared blades onto a mounting tray.

He uses thermoconductive glue to ensure contact between the heating wire, the temperature-controlling smart board, and the blade overmold.

After that, the technician inserts insulating material along the entire length of the overmold so the heating wires make perfect contact with the steel.

Once the smart board is secure, the technical places the blades into a low-density injection machine that encapsulates the smart board with impact- and moisture-resistant resin.

The smart board is now waterproof.

Meanwhile, another high-pressure injection-molding machine makes the blade holders that support the finished blades.

These blade holders will be given an actual power supply-- a high-performance lithium-polymer rechargeable battery that makes heating the blades possible.

The battery will be cleverly concealed inside the heel of that molded chassis.

To do this, a technician first attaches rivets into the heels of the blade holders, then mounts the blade holders onto an automatic rivet press.

This machine pressure-punches the rivets so they will make a proper connection to the battery for recharging.

A printer heat-presses the brand name and logo on the heel.

The logo sits over the flexible proximity sensor, or the on-and-off button that a technician wraps around the battery.

Then she buries the combined unit into the heel of the blade holder to protect it from moisture and impact.

She then locks it into place.

Next, the technician attaches a threaded insert bolt to the blade overmold.

This special bolt hold the blade in place and allows for quick and easy blade changing.

The technician then connects the blade to the blade holder and presses the blade firmly into the chassis.

Then she locks all electronic and mechanical components into place.

A charging unit powers up the battery for testing.

Then the technician seals off the heel chamber to further protect the battery.

She turns on the smart board to make sure all systems are go.

An l.e.d. confirms the blades are heating properly.

In the meantime, another technician assembles the molded charging unit for the blades.

The technician hand-trims the motherboard that controls the charger so it will fit flawlessly into the charging unit.

She inserts the finished motherboard into the back of the unit and checks to make sure it works properly.

Then she snaps on an airtight cover that seals the unit, fully protecting the motherboard against wetness and shock.

Finally, she plugs in the charging unit to confirm it works.

A rechargeable battery, a manual, a convenient charging unit, and a pair of performance-enhancing skate blades complete the kit.

They heated skate blades are now ready to ship around the world.

They're quick and easy to mount on the boot, with the built-in smarts to help create the next champion.

Gliding involves flying unpowered aircraft, though some models are fitted with a small engine and propeller so they have the power to launch into the air on their own.

No matter what the model, the sport of gliding is all about the joy of using the forces of the atmosphere to fly higher, faster, and longer.

Gliders, like this model version, have three main parts--  wings, fuselage, and tail.

Workers build each part of the glider in two pieces, using resin and steel molds.

They begin with the fuselage mold.

They lay down strips of kevlar, a strong, heat-resistant material.

Then they apply epoxy resin to the kevlar fiber to reinforce it.

They leave the epoxy to dry and the next day apply strips of carbon fiber to reinforce the fuselage.

The direction in which workers lay down the fiber layers is key.

In flight, gliders are subject to strong forces that can bend and twist the structure.

They must be sturdy yet as light as possible.

The glider's tail boom gets the same treatment, except where the antenna will go, as radio signals don't penetrate the carbon fiber very well.

Workers apply a thin coat of white gel paint to the 30-foot wing mold.

Gliders are always white so they don't absorb the sun's rays and overheat.

They roll a sheet of carbon fiber over the painted mold.

Then the entire assembly team skillfully applies an even coat of resin.

They've got to be quick.

The resin cures in just 30 minutes.

They add a final layer of carbon fiber to strengthen a portion of the wing that's subject to strong wind currents.

After laying a white fleece over the layers of carbon fiber, they seal it between two sheets of plastic.

A vacuum compresses the layers, which draws excess resin to the surface where workers can remove it.

The two wing parts are glued together using the same epoxy resin that bonds and seals the carbon fibers.

Mixing in some cotton flakes helps thicken the resin, which they apply to the main spar, the wing's backbone, then to the front, back, and center portions.

Using a crane, workers carefully fit the two wing molds together.

The molds' weight forces out any excess glue.

They tightly clamp the two molds together and leave them to harden overnight in an oven heated to 140 degrees fahrenheit.

The next day, there's a loud pop when workers separate the two molds.

They carry the completed wing structure, which weighs only 132 pounds, over to another area to trim the resin overflow and sand down the seams.

Using a diamond-tip cutter, they cut the wing in two for transport, revealing its inner structure.

Then they make sure they can easily put it back together before going on to the paint shop where they reassemble it.

Workers scan the surface and mark the areas they will sand by hand.

They mount the glider's fuselage on a rotating stand so they can easily access the entire surface.

They sand it and then polish it to a mirror finish.

As workers assemble the glider, they inspect every system.

They check the engine command that lowers the glider's launch propeller and retracts it into the fuselage.

The landing gear must lower and retract smoothly out of the glider's undercarriage.

Now they reassemble the wings.

They check the air brake located in the wing.

And, finally, they install the canopy.

The glider is complete.

Sturdy yet light, this midsize model can reach speeds of nearly 186 miles per hour thanks to its sleek design.

Hand bells can be seen in church choirs, schools, and ring concerts.

There, skilled ringers read music similar to a piano score, playing all the notes found on a modern musical keyboard.

Finely crafted and tuned, hand bells will continue to entertain generations to come.

hand bells have a long tradition of making beautiful music, from church hymns to the music of beethoven.

It all starts with a casting mold that a worker encloses in a two-part container, or flask.

He fills the bottom half of the flask with special, coarse sand that's ideal for making sand molds.

He compacts the sand, and then he turns the metal flask over.

He places guide rods onto the bell shapes and fills the top part of the flask with sand.

He puts a ramming board on again, and he compacts the sand that fills the top part of the flask.

Now he removes the guide rods.

Then he removes the top half of the flask and takes out the casting mold.

He reconnects the top of the flask and then frees it completely from the sand mold.

A worker places bronze ingots into a crucible to melt them down.

He places heat-sensitive material onto the sand mold, and then heavy weights to hold the mold together safely.

When the melted bronze reaches about 2,200 degrees fahrenheit, a worker guides the crucible over to the sand mold and pours the molten metal into the cavity of the mold.

He stops pouring when he sees the heat-sensitive material smoking.

This indicates the mold cavity is filled.

Workers then use a vibrating bed and small hammers to free the finished castings from the sand mold.

Rotoblasting cleans the dirty castings.

A worker trims off the excess pieces that feed the molten metal into the bell cavity.

He sands the sharp edges of the bell and then drills the center hole for the assembly screw.

The bell casting then goes on a lathe.

Here, a carbide cutting tool, working with a stylus that follows a template of the bell, removes the coarse casting surface and makes the bell shiny.

This turning operation also shapes the bell to give it the right tone.

Another carbide cutting tool shapes the inside of the bell casting, giving it shine and the desired tuning, as well.

Using a custom-made tracing device, a worker reproduces the outside shape of the bell on paper.

He then traces the inside of the bell casting until he completes an exact replica of the inside and the outside shape.

And this must match a master template.

A worker polishes the bell using fine sandpaper.

He also puts a jeweler's finish on the inside.

Then he tests the bell's sound quality using a stroboscopic tuner and the human ear.

He re-sands the bell to make a slight tonal adjustment.

Then he tests it again to make sure it strikes the perfect musical note.

A worker gives the bell that final polish, and another craftsman engraves the bell for the customer.

Finally, a worker puts the ringer and bell together.

She puts a washer, a hand disc, and a handle onto the assembly screw and screws it all into place.

Hand bells make wonderful music in the hands of skilled ringers, whether the musical compositions are performed by an intimate gathering of friends or by a concert bell choir of 13 ringers or more.

The music made by traditional hand bells is timeless.

firefighting used to consist of passing water buckets hand to hand.

The first fire hoses of the 1600s were made of leather.

But these hoses were heavy, would crack when dry, and often break open under pressure.

Modern firefighting began with the lightweight, cotton fire hose, lined with rubber to keep the cotton dry and flexible.

Fire hoses come in a range of sizes to fulfill a range of functions-- from small, lightweight ones for fighting forest fires to large, heavy-duty hoses for industrial fires.

Production begins with hundreds of bobbins of polyester yarn, feeding automated looms a floor above.

A series of spring rods keeps the yarns under uniform tension.

This is essential to create a tight weave.

The factory programs each loom to weave specific patterns, which incorporate identifier stripes.

This is a visual guide to help workers assemble the fire hose later on.

This woven fabric will form the fire hose's exterior called the jacket.

It's got to weather some nasty conditions, so they soak it in a plastic polymer solution with dye for color.

The liquid encapsulates the fibers, making them durable and water-resistant.

At another station, they mix granules of polyurethane, a form of plastic, with white colorant and adhesive pellets.

This mixture is for making the waterproof tubing that forms the inside of the fire hose.

When they activate the adhesive in the mixture with heat, this tubing will bond to the hose-jacket fabric.

The mixer fees the ingredients to an extruder, which melts the mixture and forms it into a hollow tube.

The tube then passes through a basin of cool water to set the plastic.

Next, the tube goes to the inspection table where an automated printer prints code numbers on it for tracking purposes.

To assemble the fire hose, they first pull out an outer hose jacket over a 33-yard-long cable.

Then with another cable, they feed a second untreated hose jacket inside the first one.

Finally, they attach a cable to the third and innermost layer, the tube, and pull it along the entire length of the double jacket.

Once it's all the way through, they trim both ends.

The three layers-- outer jacket, inner jacket, and tube-- are now ready to become one.

They begin the fusing process by clamping one end of the assembled hose to a steam nozzle.

As the clamp holds the hose steady, the nozzle blasts pressurized steam into the tube.

At the same time, it moves backward, pulling out any kinks.

The hot steam melts the adhesive in the tube material, and it penetrates the inner jacket around it.

Once everything's perfectly straight, they pump in cold air to solidify the adhesive.

This permanently bonds the layers.

They roll up the finished hose into a coil, controlling the winder with a foot pedal.

Then they lay the coiled hose on a table to install the couplings.

Those are the components that attach the hose to the water supply on one end and to the spray nozzle on the other.

They trim each end and then insert a brass expansion ring and then an aluminum coupling on top.

An expansion machine does the rest.

They attack the end securely to the machine's protruding bar.

Then the bar retracts and expands, pushing the brass ring outward.

The force wedges the brass into the aluminum coupling permanently.

This company tests every fire house it produces under high pressure on this table.

After marking the type of hose with a stencil in indelible ink, they fill the hose with water.

They check for holes and kinks and verify that the couplings stay in place.

After the test, they drain the water.

They insert a giant sponge to get rid of any water left behind.

And now these new hoses are ready for their baptism by fire.


In 1895, ogden bolton jr.

Registered one of the first patents for an electric bicycle in the u.s. a century later, they've become one of the most popular electric vehicles in the world.

Using electricity to enhance performance, the e-bike is definitely in the current.

These electric three-wheel trikes combine ergonomic design with cutting-edge mechanical engineering.

A rechargeable battery powers the electric engine.

The rider sits comfortably in the ergonomic seat, places his feet on the pedals, releases the parking brake, and takes off.

The process begins with a water jet cutter.

It uses ultra-high-pressure water and sand to cut parts out of a thin aluminum sheet.

The cutter significantly enhances productivity without sacrificing precision.

It can make several parts out of a single sheet of aluminum.

Parts that are ready for assembly go to the cnc brake press for folding.

A stopper positions the piece on the v die, where a punch comes down to fold it.

A worker inspects the folded part to make sure it's ready for assembly.

A cnc bender curves aluminum extrusion tubes for the frame.

This machine has multidirectional bending capabilities and can make multiple bends to a single extrusion tube.

The trike frame assembly process starts on a jig.

Once all the tubes are in place, a welder spot-welds the aluminum brackets.

He welds about 20 spots, bonding the brackets to the tubes.

The tubes bear most of the load while the brackets keep the frame aligned.

The worker uses an electric tig-welding torch to complete the welding.

He welds at a low temperature to avoid heat deformation in the metal.

A mechanic installs thermoformed recyclable abs plastic over the back frame tubes.

He assembles the rear wheels, which have a seven-degree negative camber angle for better grip and handling.

The mechanic mounts brake levers, gear shifters, and handle grips onto the steering bar and tightens the six-point socket nuts with an allen wrench.

He applies a structural adhesive on the drop-out poles and in slots located on the front frame tubes.

The adhesive provides the flexibility and strength needed to keep the drop-out poles in position.

Now, the mechanic assembles the front and back frames together.

The two frames connect under the seat through an integrated direction pivot and suspension system.

The mechanic slips the front wheel into the drop-out poles on the frame.

He uses a calibrated torque wrench to tight the wheel nut.

He assembles the three-cog front cassette to the bottom bracket, then bolts on the pedal crank arm using a threaded taper pin system.

Next he installs the derailleur for the nine-gear cassette and bolts it on with a lock-tight bolt.

The compact drivetrain makes the trike 15% more energy-efficient than regular bicycles or tricycles.

A mechanic installs the disc brake system on the front wheel electric hub and verifies that it is functioning properly.

The seats are made of woven synthetic fabric wrapped around the frame and tightened with bungee elastics.

He locks the removable battery pack in place with a key.

A console indicates levels of electrical assistance and battery regeneration.

This trike's wheel base allows it to ride on bike paths.

When on the road, its width takes up more space.

The design of this electric trike combines stability and safety for a secure and pleasant ride.

The easiest way to treat dry skin is to spread on some skin cream.

It rejuvenates the skin cells and acts as a protective barrier.

This is particularly important in the winter, when cold outdoor air and indoor heating suck the moisture out of your skin.

If you have dry skin, it's wise to keep a good supply of skin cream on hand.

It's not just dry air that makes skin flaky and itchy.

Cancer treatments can also dry out the skin, along with other medical conditions, like diabetes.

The first ingredient is stearic acid.

It's a wax derived from palm tree oil.

The next ingredient is refined lanolin.

It's blended with isopropyl myristate, a natural oil that helps soften the stearic acid.

These ingredients make up what's called the oil-soluble phase of the recipe.

Workers heat the stearic acid until it liquefies, then add the blend of lanolin and isopropyl myristate and keep heating.

While the oil phase is heating, they prepare the water-soluble phase of the recipe.

The first ingredient is glycerin derived from a vegetable source, such as corn.

They heat and mix it, then add purified water.

They continue heating the mixture to just below the boiling point, add a floral fragrance, then pump the oil phase into the bottom of the tank.

It blends in with the water phase while naturally rising to the top.

They gradually lower the temperature.

This makes the mixture creamy and bright white.

After an hour of mixing, the skin cream is ready.

They pump it out of the mixing tank to supply tanks that feed the filling line.

This company packages its skin cream in jars for body cream and tubes for hand cream.

Workers unpack boxes of plastic jars and line them up on a conveyer belt that feeds the labeling machine.

Each jar passes a photo-eye sensor.

This sensor triggers the machines to spin the jar at the same speed as the adhesive label coming off the roll.

Workers place the labeled jars onto a turntable that feeds the filling machine.

Two single-file lanes each lead to three nozzles.

The machine fills up to 125 jars per minute, depositing 12 ounces of skin cream into each jar.

The two lanes of filled jars merge as they approach the capping machine.

The caps come down a chute to the machine's carousel.

A device called a timing screw correctly positions each jar to receive a lid.

The lower part of the machine holds the jar steady as an arm secures the lid in place.

The next station on the line applies an adhesive label onto the cap.

The jars of body cream are ready for sale.

This factory also packages hand cream in a tube that you can keep in your purse or pocket.

A mechanical arm places the tubes on a turntable, cap side down.

The bottom of each tube is open and ready for filling.

A nozzle squirts two ounces of skin cream into the tube.

Then the machine heats the open end to soften the plastic, clamps it shut, then cools the plastic to a solid state.

When you rub the cream on your skin, the key ingredients, glycerin and lanolin, pack a one-two punch.

Glycerin is hydroscopic, meaning it draws water from the air to the skin.

Lanolin smoothes the skin, forming a protective film to lock in the moisture.

Patio heaters make it possible to dine outside even when it's cold.

When this outdoor space heater is turned on, it creates a circle of warmth.

The heater can take the chill out of a cold summer evening and extend patio season well into the fall.

It's a chill day, but not on this patio.

It has its own microclimate, one that's warm and toasty.

It's all thanks to the infrared heater overhead.

To make a patio heater, an engineer first maps out the design on a computer.

He transfers the design to cutting equipment, like this laser.

It cuts screw holes and vents into steel that's covered by a protective plastic film.

The laser also cuts a part that will be shaped into the patio heater's housing.

After removing the plastic film, a worker places the steel between the jaws of a press brake.

It bends the part to form a rim around the edges.

Additional bends give the part a rounded profile.

A laser probe checks that the worker's fingers are not getting too close to the jaws.

Once all the parts have been cut and shaped, the patio heater is ready to be assembled.

A worker creates a reflector that will direct heat down and out of the unit.

Then he attaches an insulator to the reflector.

It will protect the roof and walls that the heater will be mounted to.

He inserts the insulator and reflector assembly.

The legs of the reflector assembly fit into the laser-cut holes in the housing.

He temporarily places the control box cover at the end of the housing.

Then he aligns and welds a side panel to the housing.

He welds a second panel to the other side.

After covering the assembly with protective plastic again, he grinds down the welded seam.

This gives the patio heater unit cleaner edges.

He buffs the seams to a low sheen using a cloth wheel and polishing paste.

This makes the seams blend in with the steel.

The burner is next.

It's made of steel but has a ceramic grill with hundreds of tiny holes.

This contoured pattern allows heat to radiate in all directions.

He tucks insulation into the heater body to protect it from the hot burner.

Then he installs the burner on top of the insulation.

It fits snugly to the reflector and insulator framework.

He places a separator at one end of the burner, leaving a space for a control box and gas line.

He inserts the control box and connects the gas line to the burner.

He attaches the spark igniter and temperature sensor to the separator.

He secures the burner to the main assembly with screws.

He tucks the electronic controls into the control box and connects all of the wiring.

He seals the control box with a metal plate and rubber gasket.

This makes the electronics watertight.

Finally, he adds a vented panel to the top of the controls and a metal grill to the rest of the heater.

Over at a test station, a technician powers up the heater using a remote-control system.

He checks for gas leaks or blockages and confirms that the temperature rises in response to the remote control's commands.

This patio heater has passed all of the tests and is now ready for the outside world, where people are sure to be attracted to its warm glow.

In the early days of the automobile, wheels had wood spokes and rims.

But by the 1920s, manufacturers began using more durable materials, like iron and steel.

Today, wood-spoke wheels are used in classic-car restoration.

In the early 1900s, cars had wood-spoke wheels.

When those antique vehicles need new wheels, collectors turn to wheelwrights.

They can build wood-spoke wheels just as it was done a century ago.

Production starts with the steel rim that wraps around the wood wheel.

The steel spins in a lathe as stationary tools cut it to the correct profile and create a lip for gripping the rubber tire.

A worker measures the rim to confirm it's the same as the original.

You can see the difference the machining has made.

Another member of the team measures the moisture content of hickory wood and selects boards that are sufficiently dried.

He traces a rough pattern of a wheel spoke and cuts along the penciled lines.

This gives him a basic shape to work with.

Next he selects a more exact pattern.

He clamps this pattern in a wood carving duplicator alongside four of the rough spokes.

He follows the contours of the pattern with a tracing wheel.

The tracing wheel moves cutting tools that carve the hickory.

This duplicates the profile of the wheel spoke pattern.

He sands off marks left by the cutting tools and smoothes the surface of the newly formed spokes.

Then he secures the spokes one at a time in a jig.

This steadies the spokes as he cuts the wider ends into a wedge shape.

Together, two wheelwrights arrange the spokes in a wheel formation.

The wedges fit together at the center like pieces of a pie.

They tighten clamps to bring the spokes into perfect alignment.

One of the wheelwrights inserts a steel hub in the center hole.

He drills holes into the wood and inserts bolts to secure the steel hub.

Using a tool that's like a big pencil sharpener, he carves the ends of the spokes, creating dowels.

Dowels are peg-like fasteners.

He sands the dowels on an angle to create a gentle slope in each one.

These slopes make it easier to slide the spokes into the two-part wood rim.

Using a special tool, the team stretches the rim and pulls the spokes into position.

Then they insert the doweled ends of the spokes into the holes.

This process is difficult.

One wrong move, and they could damage the spokes or rim.

But thanks to their skill, the wood-spoke wheel comes together.

All of the parts are intact, and the spokes are firmly secured in the rim.

A wheelwright measures the circumference of the wood rim and calculates how much will need to be trimmed off.

He shaves down the wheel, adjusting the circumference to the desired dimension.

The wheel must be slightly larger than the outer steel rim.

You'll see why next.

They place the steel rim over an intense gas flame and cover it with a piece of metal.

The heat causes the steel rim to expand.

After about 15 minutes, the wheelwright removes the cover.

He grips the hot rim with tongs and transfers it to the wood wheel.

The enlarged steel rim fits loosely around the outside of the wooden wheel.

They now spray the steel with cold water.

As the rim cools, it shrinks to the hickory wood, creating a permanent bond.

The wheelwright shaves the spokes down to make them look more streamlined.

He sands the wood to enhance the grain.

It took 16 hours to make this wood-spoke wheel.

It's brand-new, but looks like a thing of the past.


Carbon Fibre Car Parts
Hand Dryers
Recycled Polyester Yarn
Fleece

Carbon-fiber car parts, such as bumpers and spoilers, are nearly as strong as steel ones, and yet they're 1/5 the weight.

Of course, a car that weighs less accelerates more quickly and burns less gas, so carbon fiber offers style that actually does go that extra mile.

Custom spoilers, bumpers, and other parts make a vehicle more aerodynamic.

When the parts are made of carbon fiber, they create this effect without the hindrance of extra weight.

It's easy to get carried away with all the extras.

Yes, that is a miniature basketball court in the trunk of this car.

Carbon-fiber parts are made of fabric that's tightly woven with very fine threads of virtually pure carbon.

To transform the material into a rigid car part, they begin with paste wax.

They brush it into the crevices of a fiberglass mold.

This mold is for a car rocker panel.

The wax seals the mold and also serves as a nonstick coating.

They protect the lip of the mold with masking tape.

Then they spray a second nonstick substance, polyvinyl alcohol, into the fiberglass form.

Now they're ready for the carbon-fiber material.

They unroll it and spray it with adhesive.

Despite the nonstick coatings, they'll want this fabric to stick to the mold for a while.

The glue will gradually dissolve into the material.

They press the glued carbon-fiber material onto the lip of mold.

After all, they don't want any wrinkles in this job.

This material has yet to gain its steely strength, so they easily trim the excess.

They layer the fabric seven times, again following the lines of the mold.

They apply a permeable material called flow media to the carbon-fiber layers.

They place plastic mesh on top of the flow media and tuck it into the curves of the mold.

They frame the layers with double-sided tape which sticks because this area was taped off earlier to protect it from the nonstick spray.

This strong double-sided tape is called butyl tape.

They drape a plastic bag over the mold and press the edges to the butyl tape for an airtight seal.

They pleat the bag and close the pleat with more tape.

The pleats give the plastic bag some slack.

They push the folds into every crevice of the mold, then turn on a vacuum.

As the vacuum sucks the air out, the bag compresses the layers in the mold.

Meanwhile, they activate some plastic resin with a chemical catalyst.

They place a hose in the resin.

The other end is attached to the vacuum bag.

As the vacuum continues to draw air out of the bag, it pulls the resin into it.

The resin saturates the seven layers of carbon fiber to laminate them into the shape of the car part.

After the part cures, it's ready to come out of the mold.

Cleaning it up reveals the solid union of epoxy resin and layers of carbon-fiber fabric.

Carbon fiber can be molded into almost any vehicle accessory.

Its versatility is one of its strengths.

Painted to match the vehicle, the parts blend with the steel, adding some aerodynamic flash to this road show.

Public washrooms often have electric hand dryers.

Many prefer them over paper-towel dispensers for environmental reasons-- no trees killed and no waste.

Hand dryers also require less maintenance because there's no garbage bin to empty and no need to restock the machine with clean paper towels.

This new-generation model dries hands in 10 seconds and uses 80% less energy than conventional hand dryers.

A sensor turns the unit on and off automatically.

A circuit board with a microprocessor runs everything.

The assembler builds a strip of eight control boards at a time.

They go into a track that first runs through a chemical cleaning.

This preps them for soldering.

The boards then flow through molten solder.

As it cools and solidifies, it fuses the components in place.

An inspector scrutinizes every board, then, wherever necessary, does soldering touch-ups by hand.

Finally, they separate the eight control boards.

Working a board at a time now, they plug in and test an infrared sensor.

The sensor shoots a continuous beam to the area below the air outlet.

The testing machine uses a strip of metal to represent hands.

When the strip cuts the beam, it triggers the dryer to start.

When it departs, the beam is restored, triggering the dryer to stop.

To produce the air flow, a motor spins a blower wheel at a rate of 20,000 revolutions per minute.

After connecting the blower and motor, they slip them into the unit's plastic inner housing.

They add a rubber gasket to lessen vibration noise then close up the housing.

Next comes this electrical heating element.

Its coils will heat the air as it passes.

After applying mandatory electrical warning stickers, they install the circuit board on a mounting bracket, then connect the bracket to the housing.

Then they connect the wires coming from the heating element and the motor to the control board.

Now they send the unit to the testing area for, quite literally, a dry run.

They make sure it turns on and off properly.

They check the blowing force, the air temperature, the voltage.

Elsewhere in the factory, they work on the hand dryer's outer housing.

It's cast from zinc.

After it comes out of the mold, they polish it with a buffing wheel to prep the surface for painting or chrome plating.

In the plating tank, they run a positive electrical charge to chunks of metal and a negative charge to the zinc cover.

This draws metal particles through the water like a magnet onto the surface of the cover in a thorough and even layer.

For this model, they first plate the cover in copper...

Then nickel...

Then chrome.

The underlay metals are required for the chrome to adhere.

Once the plating's done, they clean the cover...

Apply an arrow sticker pointing to the air outlet...

Then glue on a plate with the name of the manufacturer and model.

The inside unit, attached to a wall plate now, fits right inside.

They fasten the cover using tamper-proof screws, then shine it up with a few squirts of window cleaner.

These hand dryers come in a wide range of finishes, letting you dry your hands in style.

The recycling of plastic bottles is changing the fabric of society because those bottles are being turned into polyester yarn.

The recycled polyester yarn is woven into material that's used to make socks, fleeces, and other things.

It puts a whole new spin on polyester.

Polyester is made from oil, so recycling means we get more mileage from our precious resource.

They convert polyester manufacturing waste on the left and plastic bottles into chip form.

Pulses of hot air toss the chips, giving them hard shells.

They go through a dryer to get rid of moisture that would weaken the final product.

The shells keep them from sticking together, aiding the drying process.

A worm screw moves the chips through heated pipes, which melt them into a thick liquid.

This molten recycled polyester is now ready to be turned into yarn.

It will be pressed through this die plate that looks as lot like a shower head.

It's part of a device called the spin pack, which also includes a mesh filter...

A metal distribution plate...

And bits of shattered metal for extra filtration.

It's important to screen out impurities that might compromise the recycled product.

They screw the cap onto the spin pack and insert a metal connector piece.

They preheat the pack so the polyester won't harden as it flows through it.

Then they transfer it to one of the openings from which the liquid polyester flows.

There are dozens of these openings, all capped by a spin pack.

68 tiny holes in each disk shape the recycled polyester into filaments.

They cool and harden as they exit.

Each one is five times finer than a single human hair.

Some of it breaks during equipment stops and starts, and that goes into a big box to be recycled again.

The rest converges and funnels into a guide, which bundles all the strands into one yarn.

The yarn travels around rollers into a compartment where air buffets the yarn to entangle the filaments.

This holds them together.

A spool then racks up the yarn at a speed of 125 miles per hour.

Next, an autonomous vehicle pulls up, the spools move into position, and a long spindle emerges from the automated vehicle to collect them for more processing.

They group a sample from every production run with strands of black yarn which allows the lighter yarn to stand out.

They fray both ends of the yarns with a razor so they'll be easier to examine under a microscope.

The technician projects the magnified image onto a screen and counts the number of filaments.

At this point, the yarn is stiff like dental floss, but that's about to change.

This machinery pulls the polyester yarn over heated rubber rollers.

The process stretches it and realigns the molecules.

More equipment twists it, and then it's taken up by automated spools.

Now this recycled polyester yarn is less like dental floss and more like wool.

From plastic bottles and manufacturing waste, to polyester yarn, this transformation has taken just a couple of weeks.

This recycled yarn is now ready for the material world, making consumerism a less wasteful thing.

The invention of polyester fleece in the 1980s changed the way we dress for the cold.

Instead of heavy and constricting clothing, we can now layer with lightweight fleece.

Its texture gives us that warm, fuzzy feeling, and so does the philosophy behind it because it's often woven with recycled yarn.

From trash to textile, today's fleece offers warmth from waste because it's partly knit with yarn made from soda bottles and other discarded plastic.

The recycled yarn looks and feels exactly the same as the virgin kind.

They both unwind into a huge, circular knitting machine.

It knits a lot faster than grandma, so we've slowed down the video to given you a good look at the knitting action.

Hundreds of tiny needles grab and stitch the recycled and virgin yarns together to create a perpetual tube of material.

This machine generates three feet of polyester every two minutes.

Big metal brackets flatten the knitted tube so it can be taken up by a spool.

Inspectors check for any major flaws.

If necessary, they'll halt production until the problem can be fixed.

Then it's over to the laundry department, where a cylindrical machine washes and dries the material.

It then dyes the fabric under pressure and adds a water-repellent chemical to the fabric.

After another wash and dry, equipment funnels the polyester into a holding bin.

They feed the long polyester tubing through a device that twists it to wring out the rest of the water.

As the knitted tube exits the twister, a circular cutter slits it, turning it into a sheet.

The sheet of fabric is thin and not fleecy at all at this point.

One side is a smooth knit, while the other is rougher.

It has thousands of tiny loops.

Cylindrical wire brushes will transform this polyester into fleece in a process called napping.

Each brush spins at a different speed.

It's all carefully calculated to break the knitted loops without tearing the fabric.

The napped side of the material is now fuzzy and fleecy.

The smooth side of the fabric winds around a second set of spinning brushes.

They pull fibers through from the fleecy side to evenly distribute them on both sides.

The double brushing increases the fabric's thickness fivefold and builds air pockets into the fleecy pile for insulation, all this without adding weight.

A spiraling blade then shears the fibers to a uniform length to prevent pilling, which looks bad and can compromise those insulating air pockets.

Each production run undergoes a battery of tests, like this one for water repellents.

If the water doesn't soak into the fleece, it's a pass.

In another test, they insert scratchy nylon strips in the head of the tool.

As it spins, it rubs the fabric the wrong way.

The test simulates wear and tear and determines whether the fleece will resist pilling.

They try to set fire to a swatch that has flame-resistant fibers woven into it.

The fleece smolders and then extinguishes the flame.

Once the fleece has passed all the tests, production resumes.

Grippers pull it along the edges to stretch it to the desired width.

Steam rises to heat-set the fabric to its new measurement.

And now this batch of fleece is ready to sew.

They fold is for transport to the clothing factory.

In its various colors and textures, this high-tech fabric will help protect you against the forces of nature.

And with its recycled content, it also gives nature a bit of a break.


Scuba Diving Lights
Interchangeable Sandals
Race Car Simulators
Fibreglass Doors

A dive light is essential when scuba diving at night, but can also be used for daytime dives to explore underwater caves and shipwrecks.

The deeper you dive, the more water absorbs certain colors in the light spectrum.

When you use an artificial light, you can see the underwater world in true color.

The dive light is waterproof to a depth of 295 feet.

It's brighter than a car headlight, with six outer l.e.d. lights for floodlighting and three inner l.e.d.s for alternate spotlighting.

The dive light begins as a conceptual drawing.

The mechanical designer sketches out its basic features and a few proposed shapes.

Then the company creates foam models.

Scuba divers test these models and provide feedback on the comfort of each shape.

This market research results in the final design-- a compact, hand-mounted dive-light with a user-friendly operating switch and three l.e.d. battery-life indicators.

The housing's components are made of durable plastic pellets, reinforced with glass fiber.

Workers load the pellets into an injection molding machine.

The machine melts them and shoots the molten plastic into the proper mold for the component they are making.

The machine then cools the plastic to a solid state and injects the newly formed part.

This is the reflector.

It combines the light from the six outer l.e.d.s into a single beam.

It's coated in aluminum to increase the amount of light it reflects.

A 3-d printer produces prototypes for all of the parts before they are manufactured.

Guided by a computer, the printer shoots out plastic to build the part in three dimensions from the bottom up.

Once the prototype is approved, they make a mold for mass production.

This part is called the light pipe.

It has oval covers for the three l.e.d. battery-life indicators and a waterproof seal.

Once all the housing parts are molded, assembly can begin.

They insert the light pipe into the main body of the housing.

Then they attach a switch, which turns the light on and off.

It also toggles the light between spotlight and floodlight modes.

They don't need to pierce the housing to connect the switch.

The switch slides a magnet over the outside of the housing.

The magnetic field communicates through the housing to sensors inside.

Next they insert and connect the circuit board...

Then the lithium-ion rechargeable battery.

They plug its connector into the circuit board.

This cover holds the internal parts in correct alignment.

A silicone o ring forms a watertight seal between the main body and the light head.

They snap the reflector over the nine l.e.d.s, which are attached to a round circuit board.

The circuit board is metal so that it will absorb the heat the l.e.d. lights generate.

The screw-on aluminum bezel makes contact with the circuit board, transferring the heat out of the housing and into the water.

They conduct the first quality-control test in water.

The dive light is turned on to verify that it will run for 65 minutes on a full charge.

In the second quality-control test, they submerge the dive light in a pressurized tank.

This simulates the pressure the light would be subjected to at an underwater depth of about 300 feet.

That's over twice the diving depth of a typical recreational dive.

If the light doesn't spring a leak, it passes the test.

They fully recharge the battery, which takes two and a half hours.

At full charge, all three indicators light up green.

As the charge drains, the indicators change from green to orange to red, then to flashing red, so scuba divers are never in the dark about how much juice is left in their light.

Interchangeable sandals come with numerous ties that can be used to customize the look of a pair of heels.

The mix-and-match possibilities are endless.

The wearer can try out many different styles on a small budget.

With interchangeable footwear, you can change the look without actually changing your shoes.

With a variety of cloth and leather strappings to choose from, a pair of sandals can be made to look different each time you wear them.

To make a pair of interchangeable sandals, they start with a piece of hardwood, like cherry, walnut, or maple.

The employee cuts the wood to a workable size.

Then computer-driven routers carve the rough shape of the sandals' heels, making two heels from a single block.

The router sculpts a cup for the wearer's heel and carves a supportive structure for the arch of the foot.

The router then shaves the sides of the heels and exposes the grain of the wood.

Then a worker takes over, cutting away excess wood with a band saw.

She rounds the back of the heels and further refines the structure.

She now has a pair of heels.

Another team member brushes rubber cement onto the soles.

They are made of both natural and synthetic rubber.

She applies glue to the heels, too.

She presses the heels to the rubber soles.

The glue takes 40 minutes to dry.

Faux leather, backed by cushy padding, is used to make the footbed.

This material is similar to what is used to make flip-flops.

The worker transfers the footbeds to a silk-screen work station.

She lowers a stencil with the company's logo on it.

She applies acrylic ink and squeegees the ink across the stencil to transfer the imagine to the faux-leather footbeds.

Another employee threads strong nylon cording through the holes in the footbeds to create loops for the interchangeable ties.

He presses rivets into the footbed to hold the loops in place.

Then he attaches the second part of the rivets to the protruding shafts.

Using the special press, he flattens the rivets to secure them to the footbed.

The loops are now firmly attached and should hold up to frequent tying.

Another worker now glues the footbeds to the soles and heels.

Next, she glues the rubber heel caps to the bottoms of the shoes.

The caps provide tread and make the shoe more durable.

A worker then sands the sides of the sandals, blending all the layers together.

He buffs the sides against a fine grit abrasive to give the surface a nice sheen.

Then he rubs an oil-based sealer into the wooden heels.

This protects the wood from moisture and also accentuates the grain.

It's time to test the ties.

She threads the ribbons through the loops.

They're good to go.

With many colorful ties to choose from, these interchangeable sandals are many shoes in one.

Racecar simulators help train racecar drivers off the track.

They provide realistic visuals and sensations-- bumps, jolts, swerves-- whatever movement you'd feel if you were sitting in the driver's seat of a real racecar.

This racecar simulator can be programmed to produce a range of racing scenarios and weather conditions.

It can replicate any car on any track.

First, a computer-guided laser cuts many of the simulator's parts from steel sheets.

After workers sand the rough areas, a machine reads the final shape with a laser to make sure the part meets specifications.

If a part requires bending, it is done with a press.

This is one of the side brackets for the driver's seat.

The simulator's main structure is made primarily of steel tubing.

They saw the lengths required.

Then a computer-guided mill drills holes for the bolts that will later be used to attach the simulator's components.

Once all the steel tubes are ready, a welder puts them in a jig to align them correctly for assembly.

The structure's tubular parts are welded together.

Then the worker adds the simulator's sheet-steel parts and sprays the structure with industrial-grade paint.

Now they mount an audio speaker and amplifier for the vibration system.

Motion controllers that move the steering wheel and driver's seat are also added.

They install the power distribution block and a sub-controller for each of the two actuators.

They install the cables required for the simulator's components and plug them into a usb hub.

Then they install the computer and plug it into the usb hub, as well.

They cover the top of the structure with a textured aluminum panel.

They bolt the bottom of the actuators to the structure and plug them into the sub-controllers inside.

Then they mount the driver's seat and bolt the top of the actuators to the back of it.

A worker installs the seat belt, along with the spring mechanism that yanks the belt back when you hit the brakes.

They close in the sides of the main structure with aluminum panels.

Next they assemble the simulator's three pedals-- gas, brakes, and clutch-- and mount the clutch mechanism to it.

The pedal assembly is installed to the base of the steering frame.

They mount the dashboard to the top of the frame.

It's made of carbon fiber and contains the computer and audio controls.

They attach the steering frame to the main structure.

Then they assemble the steering wheel.

Inside its base is a circuit board that controls the buttons on the wheel and gear shift.

It's called the shift paddle.

They mount the shift paddle to the base...

Then flip it over to attach the wheel.

Next workers assemble the display frame.

It holds the simulator's three monitors and three front speakers.

Then they roll in the rest of the simulator and plug the monitors and speakers into the computer.

Finally, the steering wheel is mounted to the dash.

It snaps in and out, allowing the driver to easily switch between steering wheel models.

The simulator is run through several days of test drives before it ships out.

Amusement parks also purchase these simulators to offer visitors a racecar driving experience.

They can even link multiple simulators together to race against each other in virtual replicas of the world's most famous racetracks.

In the 1980s, fiberglass doors came on the market.

They were well-insulated and didn't warp in humid conditions like wood doors.

However, they lacked the beauty and texture of real wood.

That's now changing with technology that can make fiberglass doors look much more inviting.

Fiberglass doors trick the eye and fool visitors.

Even up close, they look like real wood.

It's an illusion made possible with the help of technology.

A wood-grain fiberglass door starts with a real wood door.

A computerized cutter carves various panels.

An employee sands away any marks left by the cutter.

He gently scrapes the wood with a wire brush to expose the grain.

He then assembles the panels of the door within a special fixture.

Another team member scans the wood door with a laser to confirm its dimensional accuracy.

With that confirmation, they're ready to use this wood door to make a fiberglass one.

Next the worker pours a special silicone mixture onto the wood and leaves it to cure overnight.

This step was demonstrated using a smaller section of the door.

The silicone picks up all the definition of the wood grain, creating an exact copy of the door.

Next an employee injects a different silicone mixture into a thin gap between the recently created silicone copy and a sheet of steel.

The second silicone door copy is thinner, allowing for a better transfer of heat during the next process.

They load the door copy, still on the steel sheet, into a chemical deposition chamber.

The chemical heats the steel and the silicone, causing a nickel-vapor shell to form.

The nickel shell has all the detail of the original wood door.

An employee files the edges and adds a protective fiberglass cover over the top of the shell.

Workers then lower the nickel shell into a mold base.

They remove the protective cover and are ready to use the nickel shell to mold fiberglass door veneers.

There are many nickel molds and a variety of door styles at this factory.

The fiberglass material now unwinds into a cutting station.

A worker slices it into uniform strips.

The fiberglass has a dough-like consistency at this stage.

He places a stack of fiberglass strips on the nickel door mold and lowers a hot press.

The press squeezes and melts the fiberglass.

It flows into the crevices of the mold.

The fiberglass solidifies quickly.

An employee removes it from the press and sands the ragged edges.

Another member of the team confirms that the width and thickness of the panel are on target.

They stain every first-run fiberglass panel to expose the transferred wood grain.

This is a test.

If the grain is good, it means there are no defects in the nickel door mold.

It's time to assemble the fiberglass door.

Rollers apply glue to external framing wood.

The team builds a frame around the fiberglass door skin.

They join the wood to plastic casing at the top and bottom of the door.

They place a second fiberglass door skin on the top.

Then they feed the door through rollers that squeeze it together.

This activates the glue for a strong assembly.

The glue takes over 24 hours to dry.

Next they load the hollow fiberglass doors into an insulating press.

The press closes, holding the doors tightly in place.

A worker fills the hollow doors with polyurethane insulating foam.

When foam begins to overflow through the vent holes, the worker knows the doors are full.

He caps the fill hole...

And runs a finger along the doors to remove any excess foam.

Energy-efficient and stable, fiberglass doors are a great alternative to wood.

With eye-catching wood grain, they're convincing imitations.