How It's Made (2001–…): Season 8, Episode 8 - Pro Hockey Sticks/Bronzed Baby Shoes/Treadmills/Handheld Computers - full transcript
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Narrator:
TODAY ON "HOW IT'S MADE"...
PRO HOCKEY STICKS.
BRONZED BABY SHOES.
TREADMILLS.
AND HANDHELD COMPUTERS.
TODAY'S CUTTING-EDGE
HOCKEY STICKS
ARE MADE PRIMARILY OF GRAPHITE,
A STRONG YET LIGHTWEIGHT
MATERIAL WOVEN FROM CARBON.
PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY PLAYERS
HAVE THEIR GRAPHITE STICKS
CUSTOM-MADE.
EACH PLAYER HAS THE CURVE
AND ANGLE OF THE BLADE TAILORED
TO PRECISE SPECIFICATIONS
THAT HE BELIEVES ENHANCE
HIS PERFORMANCE ON THE ICE.
TO CONSTRUCT THE STICK'S
HOLLOW SHAFT,
WORKERS LAYER 15 SHEETS
OF GRAPHITE,
EACH IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION TO
MAKE THE SHAFT UNIFORMLY RIGID.
HEAT-ACTIVATED RESIN
MOLDS THE LAYERS TOGETHER.
THIS MACHINE,
CALLED A FLEX TESTER,
MEASURES HOW MUCH FORCE IT TAKES
TO BEND THE SHAFT ONE INCH.
IF THE FORCE IS WITHIN
A CERTAIN RANGE,
THE SHAFT HAS THE CORRECT DEGREE
OF STIFFNESS FOR THAT MODEL.
THE BLADE STARTS
WITH THE PLASTIC CORE.
IN THE CENTER,
THERE'S A PIECE OF HARD FOAM
WRAPPED IN GRAPHITE.
IT ABSORBS THE IMPACT
OF THE PUCK.
LATER, THEY'LL MOLD THE CORE
TO THE SHAFT,
BUT FOR NOW, THEY GLUE
AND CLAMP THEM TOGETHER.
WHEN THE GLUE DRIES,
THEY COVER THE CORE
IN A GRAPHITE SOCK.
THE SOCK FIBERS RUN DIAGONALLY.
THE FIBERS OF SUBSEQUENT LAYERS
RUN IN OTHER DIRECTIONS,
BUILDING A COMBINATION
OF CRISSCROSS FIBERS
THAT CREATES UNIFORM STIFFNESS
THROUGHOUT THE BLADE.
NOW THE CORE GOES
INTO A GLUE APPLICATOR.
THIS HEAT-ACTIVATED PLASTIC
RESIN PERMEATES THE GRAPHITE.
ONCE IT CURES,
IT WILL FORTIFY THE MATERIAL.
ON THE NEXT TWO LAYERS
OF GRAPHITE ARE STRIPS.
ON ONE,
THE FIBERS RUN VERTICALLY.
ON THE OTHER,
THEY RUN DIAGONALLY.
THEY'RE STIFFER BECAUSE THEY'VE
ALREADY HAD A RESIN APPLICATION.
THEY RUN THROUGH
THE GLUE APPLICATOR
AND GO ONTO THE CORE.
THIS IS HOW THE FACTORY
BUILDS ITS GRAPHITE BLADES,
WHETHER MASS PRODUCING
AMATEUR STICKS
OR MAKING A FEW SPECIAL-ORDER
STICKS FOR A PRO PLAYER.
AT THIS POINT,
RETAIL STICKS HEAD
INTO LARGE-SCALE
AUTOMATED PRODUCTION.
WORKERS CONTINUE MAKING
PRO STICKS BY HAND.
INITIALLY, THEY PRODUCE
A CUSTOMIZED WOODEN MOLD
FOR EACH PLAYER'S STICK
AND GIVE IT AN IDENTIFICATION
NUMBER TO PREVENT MIX-UPS.
THEY INSTALL THIS TWO-PIECE MOLD
ON A PRESS.
THE PRESS SHAPES THE BLADE
TO THE PLAYER'S
PRECISE SPECIFICATIONS,
FOR THE FACE, OR VERTICAL ANGLE,
AND THE CURVE.
THIS MOLDING PROCESS ALSO
COMPRESSES THE GRAPHITE LAYERS
INTO A SINGLE UNIT
AND BONDS THE BLADE
TO THE SHAFT PERMANENTLY.
THE PLASTIC BAG OVER THE BLADE
PREVENTS EXCESS RESIN
FROM OOZING ALL OVER THE PRESS.
USING A ROUTER, THEY PROFILE
THE BLADE TO A SPECIFIC SHAPE.
EACH PRO PLAYER ORDERS HIS OWN
PERSONAL TEMPLATE.
IT CAN BE ANY SHAPE, PROVIDED
IT ABIDES BY NHL REGULATIONS.
MAXIMUM CURVE -- HALF AN INCH,
MAXIMUM HEIGHT -- 3 INCHES,
MAXIMUM LENGTH -- 12 1/2 INCHES.
NOW, A GOOD SANDING.
AND A THOROUGH BUFFING.
THEY DIP THE BLADES IN URETHANE,
A COLORLESS COATING THAT
FILLS IN TINY IMPERFECTIONS
ON THE SURFACE.
ONCE THAT DRIES,
A MACHINE SPRAYS SILVER PAINT
AT THE BASE OF THE SHAFT.
FINALLY, ANOTHER COAT
OF URETHANE
TO SEAL AND PROTECT THE PAINT.
FOR THE RETAIL MARKET,
THIS COMPANY MASS PRODUCES SIX
MODELS OF GRAPHITE HOCKEY STICKS
IN A RIGHT-HANDED
AND LEFT-HANDED VERSION.
THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME
BLADE SHAPE,
BUT DIFFERENT CURVES.
YOU CAN PEEL OFF THE REMOVABLE
MODEL-NAME DECAL
AND WRITE YOUR OWN NAME
ON THE SHAFT INSTEAD.
NOT NEARLY AS PERSONALIZED
AS A MADE-TO-ORDER PRO STICK,
BUT AT LEAST YOU WON'T LEAVE
THE ARENA
WITH SOMEONE ELSE'S
HOCKEY STICK BY MISTAKE.
Narrator: THE PITTER-PATTER
OF LITTLE FOOTSTEPS
IS A WELCOME SOUND
IN ANY HOUSEHOLD.
BUT CHILDREN GROW
BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS.
BRONZING BABY SHOES IS ONE WAY
TO PRESERVE THE MEMORY
OF THOSE FIRST STEPS.
THE TRADITION WAS STARTED
BACK IN THE 1930s.
IN THESE SHOES,
A CHILD LEARNED TO STAND
ON HIS OR HER OWN TWO FEET.
THE BABY SHOES HAVE JOINED
A PILE OF OTHERS.
THEY'RE ALL ABOUT TO BE
PRESERVED FOREVER.
THEY RECORD INFORMATION
ABOUT THE SHOES' OWNERS
INCLUDING PERSONAL DETAILS
FOR ENGRAVING.
THEY ASSIGN A TRACKING NUMBER
TO EACH PAIR.
WITHOUT IT, SOME SHOES MIGHT NOT
FIND THEIR WAY BACK
TO THEIR OWNERS.
THEY STAMP THAT NUMBER
ONTO INSOLES.
THERE'S A SPECIAL COATING
ON THE INSOLES
THAT WILL PREVENT THE METAL
PLATING FROM STICKING TO THEM,
SO THIS NUMBER WILL BE VISIBLE
THROUGHOUT PROCESSING.
THEY STAPLE DOWN THE INSOLES
AND THEN DIP THE SHOES
IN A SPECIAL FORMULA.
IT CHEMICALLY SEALS THEM
AND WILL ALSO HELP STIFFEN THEM
AS THEY DRY LATER.
BUT FIRST THEY HANG THEM TO
ALLOW EXCESS LIQUID TO DRIP OFF.
THEY STUFF EACH SHOE
WITH PLASTIC
TO GIVE IT SOME SHAPE.
THEY PUSH A ROLLED PLASTIC FORM
INTO EACH SHOE
TO COMPLETE THE SHAPING.
THEY TIE THE LACES,
POSITIONING THE BOWS FLAT
AGAINST THE SHOES
SO THEY WON'T BREAK OFF DURING
THE REST OF THE PROCESS.
AS AN EXTRA PRECAUTION,
THEY WRAP A RUBBER BAND AROUND
EACH BOW AND THEN GLUE IT DOWN.
WITH THE SHAPING PLASTIC REMOVED
AND THE SHOES DRIED
AND STIFFENED,
THEY DRILL HOLES
INTO THE BOTTOMS OF THE SOLES.
THIS WILL ALLOW THEM TO BE HUNG
ON PRONGS DURING PLATING LATER.
BUT BEFORE THAT HAPPENS,
THEY STIR UP A MIX OF WATER,
COPPER, AND OTHER INGREDIENTS.
THEY CAREFULLY SUBMERGE
A RACK FULL OF BABY SHOES
INTO THE COPPERY LIQUID.
THIS ISN'T THE FINAL COATING.
IT'S A KEY PREPARATION STEP.
IT MAKES THE SHOES
ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE
SO THAT THEY CAN BE
ELECTROPLATED.
THEY HANG THE SHOES TO DRY
AND DRIBBLE A LITTLE MORE
OF THE LIQUID ONTO THEM
TO COVER ANY BARE SPOTS.
THEY ALLOW THE FINISH TO DRY
FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.
THEN A WORKER LOWERS THEM
INTO THE ELECTROPLATING TANK.
AN ELECTRICAL CURRENT
RUNS THROUGH TO THE SHOES,
ATTRACTING COPPER IN THE TANK
TO PLATE THEM.
USING A SPECIAL POLISHING WHEEL,
THEY LIGHTLY SCRATCH THE BRIGHT
COPPER FINISH ON THE SHOES.
THIS PREPARES THEM
FOR THE NEXT STEP.
THEY SPRAY A BLACK FINISH
ONTO THE SHOES.
AND THEN WIPE IT OFF,
RUBBING SOME INTO THE CREVICES
TO GIVE THEM
AN ANTIQUE APPEARANCE.
NEXT, THEY SPRAY THEM
WITH A PROTECTIVE LACQUER.
YOU CAN STILL SEE THE
IDENTIFICATION NUMBER CLEARLY
ON THE INSOLE, SO THEY HAVEN'T
LOST TRACK OF THE OWNER.
THEY ATTACH THE ENGRAVING PLATE
ONTO A WOOD BASE
AND SCREW THE SHOES ONTO IT.
NOW THEY WON'T BE
GOING ANYWHERE,
EXCEPT DOWN MEMORY LANE.
AND IT SEEMS THERE'S NO END
TO THE BRONZE KEEPSAKES
THAT CAN ALSO TAKE YOU THERE,
FROM COWBOY BOOTS
TO BURGERS ON A BUN.
Narrator: TREADMILLS WERE
INVENTED BACK IN THE 1800s
FOR THE FARM TEAM.
FARMERS PUT ANIMALS
ON TREADMILLS
TO POWER BUTTER CHURNS
AND THRESHING MACHINES.
IT WASN'T UNTIL THE MIDDLE
OF THE 20th CENTURY
THAT PEOPLE STARTED WORKING OUT
ON TREADMILLS,
AND AS A FITNESS CONCEPT,
IT'S BEEN A SUCCESS.
IN THESE HIGH-TECH TREADMILLS,
COMPUTER PROCESSORS ACCESS
YOUR LEVEL OF FITNESS
AND PLOT YOUR WORKOUT PROGRAM.
TO MAKE ONE, THEY PUNCH HOLES
IN ALUMINUM-FRAME SIDE PIECES.
THESE HOLES WILL BE USED
TO ATTACH OTHER PARTS.
BUT FIRST, THEY WELD JOINTS
TO THE SIDE PIECES.
AND THEY WELD BRACKETS
ONTO THE PLATFORM
THAT WILL HOLD
THE TREADMILL'S MOTOR.
THEY POSITION THE PLATFORM
BETWEEN TWO ALUMINUM SIDE PIECES
AND SCREW IT INTO PLACE
TO COMPLETE THE FRAME.
NEXT, THEY ATTACH
THE ELEVATION MECHANISM.
THIS PIECE WILL RAISE
THE TREADMILL BELT.
THEY FASTEN WHEELS TO THE FRAME
THAT WILL ALLOW THE TREADMILL
TO BE ROLLED AWAY FOR STORAGE.
THEY TURN OVER THE TREADMILL
FRAME AND WORK ON THE UNDERSIDE.
THEY ATTACH BRACKETS
FOR THE ROLLERS
THAT GO INSIDE THE BELT.
THEN THEY POSITION THE BELT
AND DECK OVER THE FRAME.
THEY SLIDE IN
THE STEEL ROLLERS...
AND ATTACH THE DRIVE BELT.
THEY BOLT A BIG SHOCK ABSORBER
TO THE DRIVE MOTOR
TO DAMPEN ITS VIBRATION.
THEY INSTALL A STROBE DISK
AND THEN PLACE
AN OPTICAL SENSOR OVER IT.
WITH THE HELP OF THIS SENSOR,
THE STROBE WILL MONITOR
THE MOTOR SPEED
16 TIMES PER SECOND.
THEY MOUNT THE DRIVE MOTOR
FOR THE TREADMILL BELT
ON THE SPECIAL PLATFORM
AND BOLT IT INTO PLACE.
AT THIS POINT, THEY ATTACH ONE
OF THE COMPUTER BOARDS.
IT RECEIVES INFORMATION
FROM THE OPTICAL SENSOR
ABOUT THE TREADMILL'S SPEED
AND RELAYS IT TO THE COMPUTER
IN THE CONTROL PANEL.
THIS WILL ENSURE THAT EVERYTHING
IS IN SYNC.
HERE, THEY SLIDE A PROTECTIVE
CASING OVER THE FRAMEWORK.
THEY CAP THE ENDS,
THEN TURN OVER THE MACHINE
ONCE MORE
TO INSTALL THE MECHANISM
THAT ALLOWS THE TREADMILL
TO BE FOLDED UP
WHEN THE WORKOUT IS OVER.
THEY SCREW A PLASTIC COVER
ONTO IT TO PROTECT THE BOTTOM.
AND IT'S OVER
TO THE CONTROL SYSTEM.
THEY STICK THE CONTROL MEMBRANE
ONTO THE PLASTIC HOUSING
AND ATTACH A SAFETY SWITCH
TO THE BACK.
THEN THEY INSTALL THE
TREADMILL'S OTHER COMPUTER BOARD
IN THIS HOUSING.
THEY PLUG A LEAD WIRE
INTO THE SAFETY SWITCH
AND INSTALL A RECEIVER TO PICK
UP THE RUNNER'S HEART RATE.
THEY SECURE THE HANDLEBAR
ASSEMBLY TO THE CONTROL HOUSING
AND PLUG IN
THE UPPER CIRCUIT BOARD.
NOW THEY CLOSE THE BACK
OF THE CONTROL SYSTEM,
AND IT'S TIME FOR THE TWO
ASSEMBLIES TO COME TOGETHER.
THEY CONNECT THE UPPER
AND LOWER COMPUTER BOARDS
SO THEY CAN COMMUNICATE.
AND THEN THEY GIVE THE TREADMILL
A LITTLE TEST RUN
TO MAKE SURE IT'S IN TOP FORM.
THEY PUT IT THROUGH A RANGE
OF ELEVATIONS
AND CHECK THE BELT TO DETERMINE
IF IT'S RUNNING IN THE MIDDLE.
THEY ADJUST THE BELT TO CENTER
IT A LITTLE BETTER.
AND NOW THIS TREADMILL
HAS PASSED INSPECTION.
SO THEY WIPE AWAY
THEIR FOOTPRINTS
AND PRESS THE BRAND LABEL
ONTO THE HOOD.
THEY LOWER THE HOOD
ONTO THE MOTOR.
AND NOW, THIS TREADMILL IS READY
TO GIVE YOU A GOOD WORKOUT.
Narrator: HANDHELDS,
AS THEY'RE CALLED,
ARE RUGGED COMPUTERS DESIGNED
FOR WORKERS ON THE MOVE.
YOU SEE THEM ON DELIVERY TRUCKS,
POLICE CRUISERS,
FORKLIFT TRUCKS,
AND IN LARGE WAREHOUSES.
THEY PROCESS DATA IN VIRTUALLY
ANY CONDITION,
FROM BAD WEATHER TO ROUGH ROADS.
SO EVEN THOUGH
YOU'RE IN THE FIELD,
YOU'RE STILL PLUGGED IN.
FROM SCANNING BAR CODES
TO READING PARKING METERS,
HANDHELDS PROVIDE INFORMATION
ON LOCATION.
THEY START WITH THE KEYBOARD
ELECTRONICS PANEL.
THEY TEST EACH CONTACT
FOR CONDUCTIVITY.
THEN THEY TRANSFER
THE TRACKING NUMBER
FROM THE ELECTRONICS PANEL
TO THE INNER CASING,
SO IT WILL BE VISIBLE
IF IT NEEDS SERVICING.
THEY GLUE THE ELECTRONICS PANEL
TO THE CASING WITH SILICONE
FOR A WATERPROOF SEAL.
THE RUBBER KEYPAD GOES ON NEXT.
THEN THEY GLUE A PROTECTIVE
PLASTIC PLATE OVER IT.
NEXT, THEY CUT A SILICONE LINER
TO THE SIZE
OF THE COMPUTER SCREEN.
IT WILL HELP SEAL THE UNIT,
PREVENTING WATER AND DUST
FROM GETTING IN.
THEY PLACE THE LINER
IN A BRACKET BEHIND THE SCREEN
AND THEN USE THIS JIG
TO ALIGN THE SCREEN
TO THE COMPUTER CASING.
A DAB OF THREADLOCKER GLUE
TO THE SCREWS
HELPS TO HOLD IT ALL TOGETHER.
THE TOP CASING FOR THIS HANDHELD
COMPUTER IS NOW ASSEMBLED.
THEY MOVE ON TO THE BACK CASING
AND INSTALL A SPEAKER.
THEY APPLY A LAYER OF SILICONE
TO A CIRCUIT BOARD ASSEMBLY,
AGAIN, TO RESIST WATER AND DUST
FROM SEEPING INTO IT.
THIS CIRCUIT BOARD ASSEMBLY GOES
INTO A HOLE IN THE BACK CASING.
IT WILL ALLOW THE UNIT
TO COMMUNICATE
WITH A CENTRAL COMPUTER.
IN THE NEXT STEP,
THEY WIRE THE SPEAKERS
TO THE CIRCUIT BOARD,
AND NOW THE HANDHELD
HAS A SOUND SYSTEM.
MORE SILICONE
ON THESE CONNECTIONS.
THEN THEY INSTALL TRIGGERS
TO THE SCANNER,
ONE ON EACH SIDE.
THEY INSTALL A LINER ON THE DOOR
FOR THE MEMORY CARD
COMPARTMENT.
THEN THEY RUN THE TOP ASSEMBLIES
FOR THREE HOURS
IN EXTREME TEMPERATURES.
ONCE THE INNER WORKINGS
HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY INSTALLED,
THEY ATTACH THE TOP ASSEMBLIES
TO THE BOTTOM ONES.
THEY TUCK THE BATTERY PACK
INTO ITS COMPARTMENT
AND INSTALL THE END CAP.
IT HAS AN ANTENNA
FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATION.
NOW THEY INSTALL
A SMARTCARD READER,
BECAUSE THIS PARTICULAR
HANDHELD COMPUTER WILL BE USED
FOR SECURITY CHECKS
ON PERSONAL I.D. CARDS.
THEY TEST THE LASER SCANNER,
THEN ACTIVATE SECURITY SOFTWARE
WHICH READS FINGERPRINTS,
ALLOWING THIS HANDHELD COMPUTER
TO DO SECURITY
OR CRIMINAL CHECKS ON THE SPOT.
WHEN AN UNREGISTERED PERSON
PRESSES A FINGER
ONTO THE PRINT READER,
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS.
OF COURSE,
MOBILE COMPUTERS ARE DESIGNED
TO RETURN TO A HOME BASE,
WHERE THEY UPLOAD INFORMATION
TO A MAIN COMPUTER.
BUT FIRST, RANDOMLY SELECTED
UNITS GET ROUGHED UP
IN A SERIES OF TESTS.
THEY TOSS THIS UNIT
INTO A TUMBLER
AND IT GETS THROWN AROUND.
THEN THEY DROP IT FROM A HEIGHT
OF 6 1/2 FEET.
THEY PLUNGE IT
INTO A TANK OF WATER.
IN THE REAL WORLD,
THINGS CAN BE EVEN TOUGHER.
THIS COMPUTER ENDED UP
IN A FIRE.
AND THIS ONE WAS RUN OVER.
BUT EVEN WHEN IT SEEMS
THAT THEY'VE BEEN
COMPLETELY DESTROYED,
INFORMATION CAN STILL
BE SALVAGED.
HERE, THEY TRANSFER
THE MEMORY BOARD
FROM ONE OF THE WRECKED UNITS
TO AN UNDAMAGED ONE.
THEY HOOK IT UP
TO A CENTRAL COMPUTER
AND RETRIEVE THE INFORMATION.
THESE ARE TOUGH COMPUTERS
FOR THOSE ON THE GO.
IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS
ABOUT THE SHOW,
OR IF YOU'D LIKE TO SUGGEST
TOPICS FOR FUTURE SHOWS,
DROP US A LINE AT...
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
Narrator:
TODAY ON "HOW IT'S MADE"...
PRO HOCKEY STICKS.
BRONZED BABY SHOES.
TREADMILLS.
AND HANDHELD COMPUTERS.
TODAY'S CUTTING-EDGE
HOCKEY STICKS
ARE MADE PRIMARILY OF GRAPHITE,
A STRONG YET LIGHTWEIGHT
MATERIAL WOVEN FROM CARBON.
PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY PLAYERS
HAVE THEIR GRAPHITE STICKS
CUSTOM-MADE.
EACH PLAYER HAS THE CURVE
AND ANGLE OF THE BLADE TAILORED
TO PRECISE SPECIFICATIONS
THAT HE BELIEVES ENHANCE
HIS PERFORMANCE ON THE ICE.
TO CONSTRUCT THE STICK'S
HOLLOW SHAFT,
WORKERS LAYER 15 SHEETS
OF GRAPHITE,
EACH IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION TO
MAKE THE SHAFT UNIFORMLY RIGID.
HEAT-ACTIVATED RESIN
MOLDS THE LAYERS TOGETHER.
THIS MACHINE,
CALLED A FLEX TESTER,
MEASURES HOW MUCH FORCE IT TAKES
TO BEND THE SHAFT ONE INCH.
IF THE FORCE IS WITHIN
A CERTAIN RANGE,
THE SHAFT HAS THE CORRECT DEGREE
OF STIFFNESS FOR THAT MODEL.
THE BLADE STARTS
WITH THE PLASTIC CORE.
IN THE CENTER,
THERE'S A PIECE OF HARD FOAM
WRAPPED IN GRAPHITE.
IT ABSORBS THE IMPACT
OF THE PUCK.
LATER, THEY'LL MOLD THE CORE
TO THE SHAFT,
BUT FOR NOW, THEY GLUE
AND CLAMP THEM TOGETHER.
WHEN THE GLUE DRIES,
THEY COVER THE CORE
IN A GRAPHITE SOCK.
THE SOCK FIBERS RUN DIAGONALLY.
THE FIBERS OF SUBSEQUENT LAYERS
RUN IN OTHER DIRECTIONS,
BUILDING A COMBINATION
OF CRISSCROSS FIBERS
THAT CREATES UNIFORM STIFFNESS
THROUGHOUT THE BLADE.
NOW THE CORE GOES
INTO A GLUE APPLICATOR.
THIS HEAT-ACTIVATED PLASTIC
RESIN PERMEATES THE GRAPHITE.
ONCE IT CURES,
IT WILL FORTIFY THE MATERIAL.
ON THE NEXT TWO LAYERS
OF GRAPHITE ARE STRIPS.
ON ONE,
THE FIBERS RUN VERTICALLY.
ON THE OTHER,
THEY RUN DIAGONALLY.
THEY'RE STIFFER BECAUSE THEY'VE
ALREADY HAD A RESIN APPLICATION.
THEY RUN THROUGH
THE GLUE APPLICATOR
AND GO ONTO THE CORE.
THIS IS HOW THE FACTORY
BUILDS ITS GRAPHITE BLADES,
WHETHER MASS PRODUCING
AMATEUR STICKS
OR MAKING A FEW SPECIAL-ORDER
STICKS FOR A PRO PLAYER.
AT THIS POINT,
RETAIL STICKS HEAD
INTO LARGE-SCALE
AUTOMATED PRODUCTION.
WORKERS CONTINUE MAKING
PRO STICKS BY HAND.
INITIALLY, THEY PRODUCE
A CUSTOMIZED WOODEN MOLD
FOR EACH PLAYER'S STICK
AND GIVE IT AN IDENTIFICATION
NUMBER TO PREVENT MIX-UPS.
THEY INSTALL THIS TWO-PIECE MOLD
ON A PRESS.
THE PRESS SHAPES THE BLADE
TO THE PLAYER'S
PRECISE SPECIFICATIONS,
FOR THE FACE, OR VERTICAL ANGLE,
AND THE CURVE.
THIS MOLDING PROCESS ALSO
COMPRESSES THE GRAPHITE LAYERS
INTO A SINGLE UNIT
AND BONDS THE BLADE
TO THE SHAFT PERMANENTLY.
THE PLASTIC BAG OVER THE BLADE
PREVENTS EXCESS RESIN
FROM OOZING ALL OVER THE PRESS.
USING A ROUTER, THEY PROFILE
THE BLADE TO A SPECIFIC SHAPE.
EACH PRO PLAYER ORDERS HIS OWN
PERSONAL TEMPLATE.
IT CAN BE ANY SHAPE, PROVIDED
IT ABIDES BY NHL REGULATIONS.
MAXIMUM CURVE -- HALF AN INCH,
MAXIMUM HEIGHT -- 3 INCHES,
MAXIMUM LENGTH -- 12 1/2 INCHES.
NOW, A GOOD SANDING.
AND A THOROUGH BUFFING.
THEY DIP THE BLADES IN URETHANE,
A COLORLESS COATING THAT
FILLS IN TINY IMPERFECTIONS
ON THE SURFACE.
ONCE THAT DRIES,
A MACHINE SPRAYS SILVER PAINT
AT THE BASE OF THE SHAFT.
FINALLY, ANOTHER COAT
OF URETHANE
TO SEAL AND PROTECT THE PAINT.
FOR THE RETAIL MARKET,
THIS COMPANY MASS PRODUCES SIX
MODELS OF GRAPHITE HOCKEY STICKS
IN A RIGHT-HANDED
AND LEFT-HANDED VERSION.
THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME
BLADE SHAPE,
BUT DIFFERENT CURVES.
YOU CAN PEEL OFF THE REMOVABLE
MODEL-NAME DECAL
AND WRITE YOUR OWN NAME
ON THE SHAFT INSTEAD.
NOT NEARLY AS PERSONALIZED
AS A MADE-TO-ORDER PRO STICK,
BUT AT LEAST YOU WON'T LEAVE
THE ARENA
WITH SOMEONE ELSE'S
HOCKEY STICK BY MISTAKE.
Narrator: THE PITTER-PATTER
OF LITTLE FOOTSTEPS
IS A WELCOME SOUND
IN ANY HOUSEHOLD.
BUT CHILDREN GROW
BY LEAPS AND BOUNDS.
BRONZING BABY SHOES IS ONE WAY
TO PRESERVE THE MEMORY
OF THOSE FIRST STEPS.
THE TRADITION WAS STARTED
BACK IN THE 1930s.
IN THESE SHOES,
A CHILD LEARNED TO STAND
ON HIS OR HER OWN TWO FEET.
THE BABY SHOES HAVE JOINED
A PILE OF OTHERS.
THEY'RE ALL ABOUT TO BE
PRESERVED FOREVER.
THEY RECORD INFORMATION
ABOUT THE SHOES' OWNERS
INCLUDING PERSONAL DETAILS
FOR ENGRAVING.
THEY ASSIGN A TRACKING NUMBER
TO EACH PAIR.
WITHOUT IT, SOME SHOES MIGHT NOT
FIND THEIR WAY BACK
TO THEIR OWNERS.
THEY STAMP THAT NUMBER
ONTO INSOLES.
THERE'S A SPECIAL COATING
ON THE INSOLES
THAT WILL PREVENT THE METAL
PLATING FROM STICKING TO THEM,
SO THIS NUMBER WILL BE VISIBLE
THROUGHOUT PROCESSING.
THEY STAPLE DOWN THE INSOLES
AND THEN DIP THE SHOES
IN A SPECIAL FORMULA.
IT CHEMICALLY SEALS THEM
AND WILL ALSO HELP STIFFEN THEM
AS THEY DRY LATER.
BUT FIRST THEY HANG THEM TO
ALLOW EXCESS LIQUID TO DRIP OFF.
THEY STUFF EACH SHOE
WITH PLASTIC
TO GIVE IT SOME SHAPE.
THEY PUSH A ROLLED PLASTIC FORM
INTO EACH SHOE
TO COMPLETE THE SHAPING.
THEY TIE THE LACES,
POSITIONING THE BOWS FLAT
AGAINST THE SHOES
SO THEY WON'T BREAK OFF DURING
THE REST OF THE PROCESS.
AS AN EXTRA PRECAUTION,
THEY WRAP A RUBBER BAND AROUND
EACH BOW AND THEN GLUE IT DOWN.
WITH THE SHAPING PLASTIC REMOVED
AND THE SHOES DRIED
AND STIFFENED,
THEY DRILL HOLES
INTO THE BOTTOMS OF THE SOLES.
THIS WILL ALLOW THEM TO BE HUNG
ON PRONGS DURING PLATING LATER.
BUT BEFORE THAT HAPPENS,
THEY STIR UP A MIX OF WATER,
COPPER, AND OTHER INGREDIENTS.
THEY CAREFULLY SUBMERGE
A RACK FULL OF BABY SHOES
INTO THE COPPERY LIQUID.
THIS ISN'T THE FINAL COATING.
IT'S A KEY PREPARATION STEP.
IT MAKES THE SHOES
ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE
SO THAT THEY CAN BE
ELECTROPLATED.
THEY HANG THE SHOES TO DRY
AND DRIBBLE A LITTLE MORE
OF THE LIQUID ONTO THEM
TO COVER ANY BARE SPOTS.
THEY ALLOW THE FINISH TO DRY
FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.
THEN A WORKER LOWERS THEM
INTO THE ELECTROPLATING TANK.
AN ELECTRICAL CURRENT
RUNS THROUGH TO THE SHOES,
ATTRACTING COPPER IN THE TANK
TO PLATE THEM.
USING A SPECIAL POLISHING WHEEL,
THEY LIGHTLY SCRATCH THE BRIGHT
COPPER FINISH ON THE SHOES.
THIS PREPARES THEM
FOR THE NEXT STEP.
THEY SPRAY A BLACK FINISH
ONTO THE SHOES.
AND THEN WIPE IT OFF,
RUBBING SOME INTO THE CREVICES
TO GIVE THEM
AN ANTIQUE APPEARANCE.
NEXT, THEY SPRAY THEM
WITH A PROTECTIVE LACQUER.
YOU CAN STILL SEE THE
IDENTIFICATION NUMBER CLEARLY
ON THE INSOLE, SO THEY HAVEN'T
LOST TRACK OF THE OWNER.
THEY ATTACH THE ENGRAVING PLATE
ONTO A WOOD BASE
AND SCREW THE SHOES ONTO IT.
NOW THEY WON'T BE
GOING ANYWHERE,
EXCEPT DOWN MEMORY LANE.
AND IT SEEMS THERE'S NO END
TO THE BRONZE KEEPSAKES
THAT CAN ALSO TAKE YOU THERE,
FROM COWBOY BOOTS
TO BURGERS ON A BUN.
Narrator: TREADMILLS WERE
INVENTED BACK IN THE 1800s
FOR THE FARM TEAM.
FARMERS PUT ANIMALS
ON TREADMILLS
TO POWER BUTTER CHURNS
AND THRESHING MACHINES.
IT WASN'T UNTIL THE MIDDLE
OF THE 20th CENTURY
THAT PEOPLE STARTED WORKING OUT
ON TREADMILLS,
AND AS A FITNESS CONCEPT,
IT'S BEEN A SUCCESS.
IN THESE HIGH-TECH TREADMILLS,
COMPUTER PROCESSORS ACCESS
YOUR LEVEL OF FITNESS
AND PLOT YOUR WORKOUT PROGRAM.
TO MAKE ONE, THEY PUNCH HOLES
IN ALUMINUM-FRAME SIDE PIECES.
THESE HOLES WILL BE USED
TO ATTACH OTHER PARTS.
BUT FIRST, THEY WELD JOINTS
TO THE SIDE PIECES.
AND THEY WELD BRACKETS
ONTO THE PLATFORM
THAT WILL HOLD
THE TREADMILL'S MOTOR.
THEY POSITION THE PLATFORM
BETWEEN TWO ALUMINUM SIDE PIECES
AND SCREW IT INTO PLACE
TO COMPLETE THE FRAME.
NEXT, THEY ATTACH
THE ELEVATION MECHANISM.
THIS PIECE WILL RAISE
THE TREADMILL BELT.
THEY FASTEN WHEELS TO THE FRAME
THAT WILL ALLOW THE TREADMILL
TO BE ROLLED AWAY FOR STORAGE.
THEY TURN OVER THE TREADMILL
FRAME AND WORK ON THE UNDERSIDE.
THEY ATTACH BRACKETS
FOR THE ROLLERS
THAT GO INSIDE THE BELT.
THEN THEY POSITION THE BELT
AND DECK OVER THE FRAME.
THEY SLIDE IN
THE STEEL ROLLERS...
AND ATTACH THE DRIVE BELT.
THEY BOLT A BIG SHOCK ABSORBER
TO THE DRIVE MOTOR
TO DAMPEN ITS VIBRATION.
THEY INSTALL A STROBE DISK
AND THEN PLACE
AN OPTICAL SENSOR OVER IT.
WITH THE HELP OF THIS SENSOR,
THE STROBE WILL MONITOR
THE MOTOR SPEED
16 TIMES PER SECOND.
THEY MOUNT THE DRIVE MOTOR
FOR THE TREADMILL BELT
ON THE SPECIAL PLATFORM
AND BOLT IT INTO PLACE.
AT THIS POINT, THEY ATTACH ONE
OF THE COMPUTER BOARDS.
IT RECEIVES INFORMATION
FROM THE OPTICAL SENSOR
ABOUT THE TREADMILL'S SPEED
AND RELAYS IT TO THE COMPUTER
IN THE CONTROL PANEL.
THIS WILL ENSURE THAT EVERYTHING
IS IN SYNC.
HERE, THEY SLIDE A PROTECTIVE
CASING OVER THE FRAMEWORK.
THEY CAP THE ENDS,
THEN TURN OVER THE MACHINE
ONCE MORE
TO INSTALL THE MECHANISM
THAT ALLOWS THE TREADMILL
TO BE FOLDED UP
WHEN THE WORKOUT IS OVER.
THEY SCREW A PLASTIC COVER
ONTO IT TO PROTECT THE BOTTOM.
AND IT'S OVER
TO THE CONTROL SYSTEM.
THEY STICK THE CONTROL MEMBRANE
ONTO THE PLASTIC HOUSING
AND ATTACH A SAFETY SWITCH
TO THE BACK.
THEN THEY INSTALL THE
TREADMILL'S OTHER COMPUTER BOARD
IN THIS HOUSING.
THEY PLUG A LEAD WIRE
INTO THE SAFETY SWITCH
AND INSTALL A RECEIVER TO PICK
UP THE RUNNER'S HEART RATE.
THEY SECURE THE HANDLEBAR
ASSEMBLY TO THE CONTROL HOUSING
AND PLUG IN
THE UPPER CIRCUIT BOARD.
NOW THEY CLOSE THE BACK
OF THE CONTROL SYSTEM,
AND IT'S TIME FOR THE TWO
ASSEMBLIES TO COME TOGETHER.
THEY CONNECT THE UPPER
AND LOWER COMPUTER BOARDS
SO THEY CAN COMMUNICATE.
AND THEN THEY GIVE THE TREADMILL
A LITTLE TEST RUN
TO MAKE SURE IT'S IN TOP FORM.
THEY PUT IT THROUGH A RANGE
OF ELEVATIONS
AND CHECK THE BELT TO DETERMINE
IF IT'S RUNNING IN THE MIDDLE.
THEY ADJUST THE BELT TO CENTER
IT A LITTLE BETTER.
AND NOW THIS TREADMILL
HAS PASSED INSPECTION.
SO THEY WIPE AWAY
THEIR FOOTPRINTS
AND PRESS THE BRAND LABEL
ONTO THE HOOD.
THEY LOWER THE HOOD
ONTO THE MOTOR.
AND NOW, THIS TREADMILL IS READY
TO GIVE YOU A GOOD WORKOUT.
Narrator: HANDHELDS,
AS THEY'RE CALLED,
ARE RUGGED COMPUTERS DESIGNED
FOR WORKERS ON THE MOVE.
YOU SEE THEM ON DELIVERY TRUCKS,
POLICE CRUISERS,
FORKLIFT TRUCKS,
AND IN LARGE WAREHOUSES.
THEY PROCESS DATA IN VIRTUALLY
ANY CONDITION,
FROM BAD WEATHER TO ROUGH ROADS.
SO EVEN THOUGH
YOU'RE IN THE FIELD,
YOU'RE STILL PLUGGED IN.
FROM SCANNING BAR CODES
TO READING PARKING METERS,
HANDHELDS PROVIDE INFORMATION
ON LOCATION.
THEY START WITH THE KEYBOARD
ELECTRONICS PANEL.
THEY TEST EACH CONTACT
FOR CONDUCTIVITY.
THEN THEY TRANSFER
THE TRACKING NUMBER
FROM THE ELECTRONICS PANEL
TO THE INNER CASING,
SO IT WILL BE VISIBLE
IF IT NEEDS SERVICING.
THEY GLUE THE ELECTRONICS PANEL
TO THE CASING WITH SILICONE
FOR A WATERPROOF SEAL.
THE RUBBER KEYPAD GOES ON NEXT.
THEN THEY GLUE A PROTECTIVE
PLASTIC PLATE OVER IT.
NEXT, THEY CUT A SILICONE LINER
TO THE SIZE
OF THE COMPUTER SCREEN.
IT WILL HELP SEAL THE UNIT,
PREVENTING WATER AND DUST
FROM GETTING IN.
THEY PLACE THE LINER
IN A BRACKET BEHIND THE SCREEN
AND THEN USE THIS JIG
TO ALIGN THE SCREEN
TO THE COMPUTER CASING.
A DAB OF THREADLOCKER GLUE
TO THE SCREWS
HELPS TO HOLD IT ALL TOGETHER.
THE TOP CASING FOR THIS HANDHELD
COMPUTER IS NOW ASSEMBLED.
THEY MOVE ON TO THE BACK CASING
AND INSTALL A SPEAKER.
THEY APPLY A LAYER OF SILICONE
TO A CIRCUIT BOARD ASSEMBLY,
AGAIN, TO RESIST WATER AND DUST
FROM SEEPING INTO IT.
THIS CIRCUIT BOARD ASSEMBLY GOES
INTO A HOLE IN THE BACK CASING.
IT WILL ALLOW THE UNIT
TO COMMUNICATE
WITH A CENTRAL COMPUTER.
IN THE NEXT STEP,
THEY WIRE THE SPEAKERS
TO THE CIRCUIT BOARD,
AND NOW THE HANDHELD
HAS A SOUND SYSTEM.
MORE SILICONE
ON THESE CONNECTIONS.
THEN THEY INSTALL TRIGGERS
TO THE SCANNER,
ONE ON EACH SIDE.
THEY INSTALL A LINER ON THE DOOR
FOR THE MEMORY CARD
COMPARTMENT.
THEN THEY RUN THE TOP ASSEMBLIES
FOR THREE HOURS
IN EXTREME TEMPERATURES.
ONCE THE INNER WORKINGS
HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY INSTALLED,
THEY ATTACH THE TOP ASSEMBLIES
TO THE BOTTOM ONES.
THEY TUCK THE BATTERY PACK
INTO ITS COMPARTMENT
AND INSTALL THE END CAP.
IT HAS AN ANTENNA
FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATION.
NOW THEY INSTALL
A SMARTCARD READER,
BECAUSE THIS PARTICULAR
HANDHELD COMPUTER WILL BE USED
FOR SECURITY CHECKS
ON PERSONAL I.D. CARDS.
THEY TEST THE LASER SCANNER,
THEN ACTIVATE SECURITY SOFTWARE
WHICH READS FINGERPRINTS,
ALLOWING THIS HANDHELD COMPUTER
TO DO SECURITY
OR CRIMINAL CHECKS ON THE SPOT.
WHEN AN UNREGISTERED PERSON
PRESSES A FINGER
ONTO THE PRINT READER,
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS.
OF COURSE,
MOBILE COMPUTERS ARE DESIGNED
TO RETURN TO A HOME BASE,
WHERE THEY UPLOAD INFORMATION
TO A MAIN COMPUTER.
BUT FIRST, RANDOMLY SELECTED
UNITS GET ROUGHED UP
IN A SERIES OF TESTS.
THEY TOSS THIS UNIT
INTO A TUMBLER
AND IT GETS THROWN AROUND.
THEN THEY DROP IT FROM A HEIGHT
OF 6 1/2 FEET.
THEY PLUNGE IT
INTO A TANK OF WATER.
IN THE REAL WORLD,
THINGS CAN BE EVEN TOUGHER.
THIS COMPUTER ENDED UP
IN A FIRE.
AND THIS ONE WAS RUN OVER.
BUT EVEN WHEN IT SEEMS
THAT THEY'VE BEEN
COMPLETELY DESTROYED,
INFORMATION CAN STILL
BE SALVAGED.
HERE, THEY TRANSFER
THE MEMORY BOARD
FROM ONE OF THE WRECKED UNITS
TO AN UNDAMAGED ONE.
THEY HOOK IT UP
TO A CENTRAL COMPUTER
AND RETRIEVE THE INFORMATION.
THESE ARE TOUGH COMPUTERS
FOR THOSE ON THE GO.
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