How It's Made (2001–…): Season 10, Episode 1 - Magnets/Cooked Ham/Silver-plated Teapots/Crash Test Dummies - full transcript

>> Narrator: TODAY ON "HOW IT'S

MADE"...

MAGNETS...

COOKED HAM.

SILVER-PLATED TEAPOTS.

AND CRASH-TEST DUMMIES.

YOU CAN'T SEE OR FEEL THE FORCE

CAUSING THIS GLOBE TO LEVITATE,

BUT IT'S NOT MAGIC, IT'S

MAGNETIC.

AN ESSENTIAL PART OF OUR DAILY



LIVES, MAGNETS ARE USED FOR A

LOT MORE THAN JUST STICKING

STUFF TO THE FRIDGE.

THEY HELP RUN MOTORS AND

GENERATORS AND ARE ALSO FOUND IN

COMPUTERS, TELEVISIONS, AND

MICROPHONES.

MAGNETS OCCUR IN NATURE.

BUT ONLY TWO CENTURIES AGO,

SCIENTISTS FIGURED OUT HOW TO

MAKE THEM USING METAL AND

ELECTRICITY.

PRODUCTION AT THE MAGNET

FOUNDRY BEGINS WITH A CREATION



OF A MOLD.

A TRAY CONTAINING FOUR MAGNET

SHAPES IS LOADED INTO A MACHINE

THAT FILLS IT WITH SAND.

A WORKER REMOVES THE PATTERN

AND SMOOTHES THE SURFACE DIMPLED

BY THE MACHINE'S LID.

THEN IT'S BACK INSIDE.

THIS TIME THE MACHINE PUMPS IN

GASES THAT CHEMICALLY ALTER THE

SAND, HARDENING IT IN A MATTER

OF SECONDS.

THE SAND SLAB IS NOW A

DURABLE MOLD.

AND THESE MOLDS ARE MADE IN A

WIDE VARIETY OF SHAPES AND

SIZES.

NOW IT'S TIME TO MIX TOGETHER

THE INGREDIENTS FOR THE MAGNETS

THEMSELVES.

THEY INCLUDE COPPER, COBALT,

SULFUR, NICKEL, PURE IRON,

ALUMINUM, AND TITANIUM.

ALL OF THESE METALS ARE

LOADED INTO AN ELECTRICAL

INDUCTION FURNACE.

IT GENERATES A PULSATING

ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD THAT HEATS

THE METAL TO ALMOST 3,000

DEGREES FAHRENHEIT, MELTING

EVERYTHING INTO A MOLTEN SOUP.

THE METAL IS POURED INTO THE

MOLDS.

BECAUSE THE GASES THAT HARDEN

THE SAND ARE HIGHLY FLAMMABLE,

THE MOLDS BURST INTO FLAMES.

STILL ABLAZE, THEY SLIDE TO

ANOTHER PART OF THE FOUNDRY

WHERE WORKERS KNOCK THEM TO THE

FLOOR AND BUST THEM OPEN WITH

SLEDGEHAMMERS.

THIS LETS THE AIR IN, COOLING

THE MOLDS AND ALLOWING THE

GASES TO BURN OFF.

ALL OF THE PIECES ARE

SHOVELED INTO A BIN, AND

WORKERS SEPARATE THE METAL FROM

THE SAND CHUNKS USING WHAT

ELSE?

A MAGNET.

BUT THESE METAL PIECES AREN'T

YET MAGNETIZED THEMSELVES.

THAT WILL COME LATER.

A SET OF RINGS DESIGNED FOR

USE IN ELECTRIC MOTORS IS

THREADED ONTO A COPPER PIPE.

THE RING-COVERED PIPE IS PLACED

IN A TUBE.

THEN, SILICA SAND IS PACKED IN

TO HOLD THE RINGS IN POSITION.

BOTH ENDS OF THE TUBE ARE

SEALED WITH CONCRETE.

THEN, IT'S INTO AN ELECTRICAL

FURNACE.

IT HEATS THE TUBE UNTIL IT'S

RED-HOT.

THIS SUPERHEATING PRIMES THE

RINGS INSIDE TO ACCEPT AN

ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD WHICH WILL

BE DELIVERED BY THIS METAL ROD.

THE ROD SLIDES DOWN THE CENTER

OF THE COPPER PIPE AND IS

CLAMPED INTO PLACE.

WATER KEEPS THE PIPE FROM

MELTING AS A LOW-VOLTAGE,

HIGH-CURRENT CHARGE IS DELIVERED

TO THE RINGS INSIDE.

WORKERS BREAK OPEN THE SEAL.

THE PROCESS HAS LEFT THE RINGS

MILDLY MAGNETIZED.

ANY ROUGH EDGES ARE SMOOTHED

AWAY.

AT THIS POINT, THE MAGNETS

ARE PRETTY USELESS.

BUT THIS MACHINE EMPOWERS

THEM WITH A STRONG

ELECTROMAGNETIC CHARGE.

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THAT

WEAK MAGNETIC FIELD EARLIER

ENSURES THAT THE MAGNETIZATION

IS NOW PROPERLY ORIENTED.

NOW, THAT'S SOME SERIOUS

MAGNETIC MUSCLE.

THE WIDE ARRAY OF MAGNETS

MANUFACTURED TODAY ARE CRITICAL

TO OUR DAILY LIVES BECAUSE THEIR

INVISIBLE POWER HELPS KEEP SO

MANY THINGS RUNNING.

UP NEXT -- TURNING RAW PORK

INTO A SUCCULENT SMOKED HAM.

>> Narrator: HAM COMES FROM THE

HIND LEG OF A PIG.

YOU CAN BUY IT RAW AND COOK IT

YOURSELF, OR YOU CAN BUY IT

ALREADY CURED AND SMOKED.

YOU CAN BUY YOUR HAM BONELESS OR

WITH THE BONE STILL INTACT.

BONE-IN HAM HAS MORE NATURAL

FLAVOR.

>> Narrator: THE PROCESS

STARTS WITH RAW HAMS FRESH FROM

THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE.

THE FACTORY'S AUTOMATED

SORTING SYSTEM WEIGHS EACH ONE,

THEN KNOCKS IT INTO THE

APPROPRIATE VAT.

BY GROUPING HAMS OF SIMILAR SIZE

TOGETHER, THE FACTORY CAN

BETTER CONTROL THE QUALITY OF

THE CURING AND COOKING

PROCESSES.

EACH VAT EMPTIES INTO A TUMBLER

WHICH SPINS THE HAMS FOR ABOUT

FIVE MINUTES.

THIS LOOSENS THE SKINS SO THAT

WORKERS CAN QUICKLY REMOVE THEM.

THEY USE AN AUTOMATIC TRIMMING

MACHINE TO SKIN THE BACK

PORTION, CALLED THE BUTT.

IN KEEPING WITH TRADITIONAL

STYLE, THE MACHINE LEAVES JUST

A SMALL AMOUNT OF SKIN ON

THE THIN PART OF THE LEG,

CALLED THE SHANK.

NOW THE CIRCULAR WIZARD

KNIFE DOES ITS MAGIC, REMOVING

ALL BUT A THIN LAYER OF FAT.

FINALLY, THE BASE OF THE SHANK,

CALLED THE HOCK, IS CHOPPED OFF.

NOW A CURING SOLUTION IS

PREPARED, MADE OF WATER, SUGAR,

SALT, AND A FEW SECRET

INGREDIENTS.

THIS MIXTURE GIVES THE HAM ITS

TRADEMARK FLAVOR AND PINK COLOR.

WITHOUT IT, THE MEAT WOULD END

UP LOOKING AND TASTING LIKE A

PORK ROAST.

PIPES FEED THE CURING SOLUTION

TO AN INJECTION MACHINE ARMED

WITH 138 NEEDLES.

AS THE HAMS PASS BELOW, THEY'RE

THOROUGHLY AND EVENLY INJECTED

WITH SOLUTION.

AND ALL THAT PIERCING TENDERIZES

THE MEAT.

NEXT, WORKERS LOAD A MACHINE

CALLED THE STUFFING HORN, WHICH

FIRES EACH HAM INTO A

HEAT-RESISTANT COTTON NET.

WORKERS SEAL EACH ONE WITH AN

ALUMINUM CLIP, THEN CUT OFF THE

EXCESS NETTING.

COOKING HAMS ON TRAYS WOULD

FLATTEN THE UNDERSIDE.

BUT HANGING THEM BY NETS KEEPS

THEM NICE AND ROUND.

THE COOKING RACKS ARE

TRANSFERRED TO A FOOD-PROCESSING

OVEN, THE INDUSTRIAL EQUIVALENT

OF A TRADITIONAL SMOKEHOUSE.

HICKORY WOOD CHIPS GO INTO THE

OVEN SMOKER.

THEN A WORKER STARTS HER UP.

FOR THE NEXT 12 HOURS, THE

HAMS SLOW COOK AT TEMPERATURES

RANGING BETWEEN 150 AND 180

DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

THIS TENDERIZES THE MEAT AND

GIVES THE SMOKE AMPLE TIME TO

SEEP IN.

AFTER COOKING, THE HAMS GET A

COLD TEN-MINUTE SHOWER.

THIS RINSES AWAY THE DRIPPINGS

THAT FALL FROM THE HIGHER HAMS

ONTO THE LOWER ONES.

THEN IT'S ON TO THE CHILL

AREA, WHERE OVER THE NEXT 36

HOURS, THE HAMS COOL TO AROUND

30 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

NEXT, THE NETS COME OFF AND

PACKAGING BEGINS.

THE FACTORY SELLS HAMS WHOLE,

OR, USING A BAND SAW, SLICES

THEM INTO HALVES OR SMALLER

SIZES SUCH AS SINGLE-PORTION HAM

STEAKS.

WORKERS BAG THE HAM IN

PLASTIC, THEN POSITION A

SOFT, PLASTIC PAD OVER THE BONE

TO PREVENT ANY SHARP EDGES FROM

RIPPING THROUGH THE AIRTIGHT

SEAL.

EACH BAG IS POSITIONED FOR

SEALING.

THEN, AN AUTOMATED VACUUM

CHAMBER DESCENDS OVER EACH BAG,

SUCKING OUT THE AIR AND SEALING

THE PLASTIC.

A ROBOTIC ARM TRANSFERS THE

HAMS TO A CONVEYOR BELT LEADING

TO A HOT-WATER BATH.

JUST FIVE SECONDS IN HOT WATER

IS ENOUGH TO SHRINK THE PLASTIC

TIGHTLY AROUND THE HAM.

THIS AIRTIGHT SEAL WILL KEEP

THE HAM FRESH IN YOUR

REFRIGERATOR FOR THREE MONTHS,

AND UP TO NINE MONTHS IN

YOUR FREEZER.

COMING UP -- THE ARTISTRY BEHIND

SOME OF THE WORLD'S FINEST

TEAPOTS.

>> Narrator: THE MAYANS

STARTED USING POTS LIKE THESE

2,600 YEARS AGO, PROBABLY FOR

HOT CHOCOLATE.

THEY'VE EVOLVED SINCE THEN.

AND TODAY, AFICIONADOS CONSIDER

THEM ESSENTIAL FOR THAT PERFECT

CUP OF TEA.

SILVER-PLATED TEAPOTS COME IN

MANY DIFFERENT STYLES, AND

MAKING THEM REQUIRES THE TALENT

AND SKILL OF AN OLD-WORLD

MASTER.

A CENTURY-OLD HAND-CIRCLING

MACHINE CUTS A PERFECT CIRCLE

OUT OF A BRASS SHEET THAT'S

6/100 OF AN INCH THICK.

THEN THE DISK HEADS TO THE

PRESS.

AFTER LUBRICATING THE PRESS

SURFACE WITH VEGETABLE OIL, THE

DISK IS POSITIONED AND COVERED

WITH A POLYURETHANE STOPPER.

AS THE PRESS APPLIES ITS THREE

TONS OF PRESSURE, THE DIE

MOVES UPWARD, SHAPING THE DISK

FROM UNDERNEATH.

THE STOPPER, MEANWHILE,

PROVIDES A COUNTERPRESSURE TO

KEEP THE DIE FROM BREAKING THE

BRASS AS IT THINS AND STRETCHES.

THEY CALL THIS THE DRAFT SHAPE.

IT THEN GOES INTO ANOTHER DIE

THAT PRODUCES THE FINAL SHAPE OF

THE TEAPOT'S BASE.

NEXT, THEY SOLDER ON THE TEAPOT

RIM, WHICH WAS MADE THE SAME

WAY.

A CRAFTSMAN THEN HAMMERS THE

METAL TO REMOVE ANY

IMPERFECTIONS LEFT BY THE

PRESSINGS AND PUNCHES IN THE

MAKER'S MARK.

SPINNING IS ANOTHER TECHNIQUE

USED TO FORM METAL TEAPOT PARTS.

HERE, A CRAFTSMAN SHAPES A

COPPER TEAPOT MOUNTED ON A

LATHE.

THE METAL IS DECORATED USING A

TECHNIQUE CALLED HAND CHASING.

WITH A PAPER STENCIL, HE APPLIES

THE DESIGN IN WHITE POWDER.

HE PENCIL TRACES THE PATTERN,

THEN HAMMERS IN THE DESIGN WITH

A VARIETY OF TOOLS.

THIS INTRICATE PROCESS

REQUIRES THE TALENTED HANDS OF

AN EXPERT ARTISAN.

FOR THE TEAPOT SPOUT, WORKERS

PRESS BRASS PLATES INTO LEFT-

AND RIGHT-SIDE DIES.

A QUARTER-TON PRESS PRODUCES

THE FINAL SPOUT SHAPE.

SOLDERING PASTE IS BRUSHED ONTO

THE HALVES.

THEY'RE WIRED TOGETHER, THEN

FIRED TO 600 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

THE SPOUT GETS AN ACID BATH TO

REMOVE ALL OF THE IMPURITIES

LEFT BEHIND FROM THE SOLDERING

PROCESS.

WORKERS POLISH THE TEAPOT WITH

THREE PROGRESSIVELY FINER GRADES

OF PUMICE, WHICH IS CRUSHED

VOLCANIC ROCK.

ONE FINAL BUFFING ENSURES THE

SURFACE IS PERFECTLY SMOOTH.

WITH DIAMOND-TIPPED HAND

TOOLS, ENGRAVERS CAN ETCH

ANYTHING ONTO THE TEAPOT FROM

CUSTOM DESIGNS TO COMPANY

LOGOS.

WORKERS NOW SCREW ON THE LID,

WIRE UP THE TEAPOT, AND IMMERSE

IT IN CLEANING CHEMICALS

FOLLOWED BY A SILVER-PLATING

BATH.

JUST BEFORE SHIPPING, THEY

ATTACH HARDWARE AND PERFORM A

FINAL CLEANING.

FINALLY, THE TEAPOTS ARE

WRAPPED IN ACID-FREE CELLULOSE

TO PREVENT THE SILVER FROM

TARNISHING.

IT TAKES A HIGHLY SKILLED

TEAM OF CRAFTSPEOPLE TO CREATE

THESE UNIQUE TEAPOT DESIGNS

IN STYLES RANGING FROM

ELIZABETHAN TO ULTRA MODERN,

BEAUTIFUL AND FUNCTIONAL.

WHEN WE RETURN -- BRINGING

CRASH-TEST DUMMIES TO LIFE.

>> Narrator: CRASH-TEST DUMMIES

MAY LOOK HUMAN, BUT THEY'RE

ACTUALLY HIGH-TECH GUINEA PIGS

FOR A WIDE RANGE OF IMPACT

TESTS.

SO, HOW DO THEY MAKE DUMMIES

WHOSE FORM AND STRUCTURE MIMIC

THE HUMAN BODY?

YOU'RE ABOUT TO FIND OUT.

CRASH-TEST DUMMIES ARE

DESIGNED TO TAKE SOME SERIOUS

HITS.

AUTOMAKERS USE THE DATA THEY

PROVIDE TO BUILD SAFER CARS,

VANS, AND TRUCKS.

A DUMMY'S ANATOMY IS PRETTY

SIMPLE.

BENEATH ITS VINYL SKIN, THERE'S

A METAL SKELETON MADE OF STEEL

AND ALUMINUM BONES.

THOSE BONES CONTAIN LOAD CELLS,

ELECTRONIC DEVICES THAT MEASURE

CRASH FORCE.

PRODUCTION OF THE LOAD CELLS

BEGINS WITH A MACHINE THAT

SHAPES STEEL BARS USING A SOLID

CARBIDE END MILL.

LUBRICANT COOLS THE INTENSE HEAT

AND WASHES AWAY THE METAL

PARTICLES.

USING A PRECISION TOOL CALLED

THE DIAL INDICATOR, WORKERS

VERIFY THE LOAD CELL'S

DIMENSIONS TO WITHIN 2/1,000

OF AN INCH.

NEXT COMES THE STRAIN GAUGE --

THE COMPONENT WITHIN THE

LOAD CELL THAT MEASURED CRASH

FORCE.

THE HAIR-WIDTH WIRES THAT

CONNECT THE STRAIN GAUGES ARE SO

DELICATE THAT SOLDERING THEM

REQUIRES A MICROSCOPE.

THE VERTEBRA IN THE DUMMY'S NECK

ALSO CONTAINS A LOAD CELL.

THE STRAIN GAGE SOLDERED INSIDE

IT MEASURES NOT JUST LATERAL AND

VERTICAL FORCES, BUT ALSO TWIST,

OR TORSIONAL FORCE.

THE COMPLETED BONES AND

CORRESPONDING LOAD CELLS ARE

LAID OUT, BUT THEY CAN'T BE

CONNECTED UNTIL THE DUMMY'S RIB

CAGE IS COMPLETE.

TO MAKE THE RIB CAGE, STEEL

BANDS ARE BONDED TO A FLEXIBLE

DAMPING MATERIAL.

THIS MATERIAL WAS ORIGINALLY

DESIGNED TO DEADEN SOUND IN

NUCLEAR SUBMARINES.

IT ALLOWS THE DUMMY'S RIB CAGE

TO COMPRESS JUST LIKE THE REAL

THING.

A TECHNICIAN BOLTS THE

ENTIRE RIB ASSEMBLY TO THE

SPINAL COLUMN AND COVERS IT WITH

A PLASTIC CHEST PLATE CALLED A

BIB.

THE LONG BONES AND LOAD-CELL

FORMS ARE INSERTED INTO ALUMINUM

MOLDS.

WORKERS THEN BOLT THE MOLDS SHUT

AND POUR IN LIQUID VINYL.

THE MOLDS BAKE AT AROUND 350

DEGREES FAHRENHEIT FOR 10 TO 20

MINUTES.

WHEN THEY COME OUT, WORKERS CUT

AWAY ANY FLASH -- THE EXCESS

VINYL THAT OOZES OUT DURING THE

BAKING PROCESS.

THEN, A TECHNICIAN INSPECTS THE

COMPONENTS TO ENSURE AN ACCURATE

FIT.

THIS IS NO ORDINARY VINYL.

IT'S SPECIALLY DESIGNED TO

RESEMBLE HUMAN FLESH IN

CONSISTENCY AND DENSITY.

THIS GIVES RESEARCHERS REALISTIC

CRASH DATA.

NOW, IT'S TIME TO INSTALL THE

BONES INTO THEIR RESPECTIVE

VINYL COMPARTMENTS, STARTING

WITH THIS TIBIA OR SHIN BONE.

ZIPPERS ALLOW THE ENGINEERS TO

EASILY REMOVE THE COMPONENTS

AFTER PERFORMING A CRASH TEST.

A TECHNICIAN BOLTS ALL THE

DUMMY'S JOINTS IN PLACE AND

ENSURES THEY HAVE A HUMAN-LIKE

RANGE OF MOTION.

USING A NECK-COMPRESSION TOOL,

A TECHNICIAN LINES UP A LOAD

SENSOR WITH THE NECK

VERTEBRAE AND FASHIONS THE

COMPLETED NECK ASSEMBLY TO THE

DUMMY'S HEAD.

NEXT, THE UPPER BODY IS

COMPLETED.

THE THORAX IS BOLTED ONTO THE

PELVIS, THE HEAD AND NECK

ASSEMBLY ONTO THE THORAX.

THEN, THE VINYL JACKET IS

FITTED OVER THE CHEST.

FINALLY, THE TECHNICIAN BOLTS

ON THE LIMBS.

CRASH-TEST DUMMIES RANGE IN

SIZE FROM NEWBORNS ALL THE WAY

UP TO 225-POUND ADULTS

SO THAT AUTO MANUFACTURERS

CAN BE SURE THEIR SEAT BELTS

AND AIR BAGS PROTECT EVERYONE

EQUALLY WELL.

IT TOOK A FULL 12 WEEKS TO

MAKE THIS DUMMY, AND NOW HE'S

READY FOR A LIFE OF HARD KNOCKS

TO MAKE TRAVELING SAFER FOR ALL

OF US.

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