How It's Made (2001–…): Season 9, Episode 12 - Bacon/Snowblowers/Luxury Cars - full transcript

Find out how bacon, snow blowers, and luxury cars are made.

>> Narrator: TODAY ON

"HOW IT'S MADE"...

BACON...

SNOWBLOWERS...

AND A SPECIAL 2-PART REPORT ON

THE MAKING OF THE ROLLS-ROYCE.

WHEN IT COMES TO BREAKFAST,

BACON IS ONE OF OUR FAVORITE

SIDE ORDERS.

ITS POPULARITY ACTUALLY GOES

BACK CENTURIES TO THE DAYS WHEN



PEOPLE CURED AND SMOKED MEATS IN

THEIR OWN HOMES.

BUT, TODAY, A QUICK TRIP TO THE

STORE, AND ANYONE CAN BRING HOME

THE BACON.

BACON IS NOW PROCESSED AND EVEN

PRECOOKED IN FACTORIES.

IT ALL STARTS WITH A LOAD OF

PORK BELLIES.

THEY'RE TOSSED INTO A BIG

TUMBLER.

THE ACTION SOFTENS THEM, SO IT

WILL BE EASIER TO REMOVE THE

SKINS.



EACH PORK BELLY GOES SKIN-SIDE

DOWN ON A CONVEYOR BELT.

THIS CONVEYOR TAKES THE PORK

BELLIES TO A LONG, AUTOMATED

BLADE THAT SLICES THE SKIN AWAY

FROM THE MEAT.

THE SKINS DROP ONTO ANOTHER

CONVEYOR BELT TO BE PROCESSED

INTO PORK RINDS.

MEANWHILE, THE MEAT PIECES HEAD

TOWARD A FLIPPING DEVICE THAT

TURNS THEM BACKSIDE UP, SO

WORKERS DOWN THE LINE CAN TRIM

OFF ANY REMAINING PIECES OF

SKIN.

NEXT, THEY MIX UP A BRINE

SOLUTION WHICH WILL CURE THE

PORK.

SALT IS FUNNELED INTO A TANK OF

WATER.

IT'S MIXED THOROUGHLY UNTIL THE

SALT DISSOLVES.

THEN, LIQUID SMOKE AND OTHER

FLAVORINGS ARE ADDED.

THE PORK BELLIES NOW PASS UNDER

AN INJECTOR HEAD.

ITS NEEDLES REPEATEDLY INJECT A

CURING SOLUTION INTO EACH PORK

BELLY.

A METAL HANGER, CALLED A COMB,

IS PRESSED INTO EACH OF THE PORK

BELLIES SO THEY CAN BE HUNG ON A

RACK.

THEN, IT'S INTO THE DRENCH

CABINET FOR A SHOWER OF LIQUID

SMOKE.

AS LIQUID SMOKE BOMBARDS THE

MEAT, IT ADDS FLAVOR AND COLOR

TO THE SURFACE.

THE PORK BELLIES ARE TRANSFERRED

TO A BIG OVEN.

THEY'LL COOK FOR FIVE HOURS AT A

LOW TEMPERATURE.

THAT ALLOWS THE FLAVORING TO

PERMEATE THE MEAT.

NOW IT'S INTO A BLAST FREEZER

FOR A QUICK CHILLDOWN, THEN INTO

ANOTHER COOLER FOR A COUPLE OF

DAYS.

THE COOLING FIRMS THE MEAT,

WHICH MAKES IT EASIER TO SLICE.

THE PORK BELLIES HEAD TO A

SIZING STATION, WHERE THEIR

SIDES GET A QUICK TRIM.

THEY ALSO PASS UNDER A METAL

DETECTOR TO CONFIRM THAT NO

PIECE OF THE METAL HANGER HAS

GOTTEN LODGED IN THE MEAT.

AFTER THAT, THE PORK BELLIES ARE

STACKED AND WRAPPED, THEN STORED

IN THE FREEZER UNTIL THEY'RE

READY TO BE SLICED INTO BACON.

THIS IS CALLED THE SLICE LINE.

HERE, WORKERS LOAD THE MEAT

SLABS INTO CHUTES.

THE CHUTES SWAY BACK AND FORTH

OVER A BLADE, WHICH SLICES THE

MEAT INTO BACON-SIZED PIECES.

THE BACON FALLS NEATLY ONTO A

CONVEYOR BELT.

ANOTHER CONVEYOR BELT ROLLS OVER

THE BACON SLICES TO SECURE THEM

FOR COOKING IN A BROWNING

MICROWAVE.

AS THE FAT COOKS OFF THE BACON,

IT DRAIN INTO A TROUGH.

THESE DRIPPINGS WILL BE USED TO

MAKE GRAVY AND PET FOODS.

THE COOKED BACON NOW EXITS THE

MICROWAVE OVEN AND COMES UNDER

THE WATCHFUL EYE OF AN

INSPECTOR.

SHE DISCARDS SLICES THAT ARE

BROKEN OR NOT UP TO PAR.

THESE WHEELS THEN ROLL THE BROWN

BACON SLICES ONTO PARCHMENT

PAPER.

A TINY ELECTRONIC EYE KEEPS

TRACK OF THE NUMBER OF SLICES.

FINALLY, THE BACON IS STACKED

FOR PACKAGING.

NOW, THAT'S A JOB WELL DONE.

TIME TO PUT THE COFFEE ON AND

SCRAMBLE UP SOME EGGS.

WHEN WE RETURN, MAKING THE

MACHINE THAT MAKES SNOW

SHOVELING OBSOLETE.

>> Narrator: SNOWBLOWERS FIRST

CAME ON THE MARKET IN THE 1950s,

AND BEFORE LONG, THIS

ALTERNATIVE TO SHOVELING REALLY

TOOK OFF.

TODAY'S MACHINES COME IN A RANGE

OF SIZES, FROM SMALLER MODELS

WITH 26cc ENGINES TO 50cc

MACHINES 3 FEET WIDE FOR PLOWING

THROUGH EVEN THE DEEPEST SNOW.

AT THE HEART OF A SNOWBLOWER ARE

ROTATING BLADES CALLED AUGERS.

THE LEFT AND RIGHT AUGERS SPIRAL

IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS IN ORDER

TO MOVE SNOW TOWARD THE MIDDLE.

THERE, A FAN CALLED AN IMPELLER

SWALLOWS THE SNOW AND BLOWS IT

OUT A CHUTE.

EACH AUGER STARTS OUT AS A

BLANK -- A PARTIALLY FORMED

STEEL DISK A LITTLE LESS THAN

1/8 INCH THICK.

THIS PRESS FINALIZES THE SHAPE

WITH ABOUT 200 TONS OF PRESSURE.

THE BIGGER THE SNOWBLOWER, THE

BIGGER ITS AUGERS.

THE PRESS FORMS THE LEFT AND

RIGHT AUGERS AT THE SAME TIME.

THEN, A BLAST OF AIR EJECTS THEM

ONTO SEPARATE CONVEYOR BELTS.

NEXT STEP, WORKERS TAKE A STEEL

TUBE, CALLED A HUB, AND MOUNT IT

UPRIGHT ON AN ASSEMBLY JIG.

THEN, THEY TAKE AN AUGER AND

CENTER IT ON THE HUB.

THE HUB AND AUGER THEN TRAVEL

DOWN A CONVEYOR BELT TO A

ROBOTIC WELDER.

THE ROBOT FUSES THE TWO PIECES

INTO A SINGLE UNIT.

ELSEWHERE IN THE FACTORY,

WORKERS CONSTRUCT THE STEEL

HOUSING THAT WILL ENCASE THE

AUGERS.

THIS HOUSING CONSISTS OF FOUR

PARTS -- A CUP TO HOLD THE

IMPELLER, A BACKPIECE WITH A

HOLE FOR THE CUP, AND TWO SIDE

PLATES.

THIS BAR ALIGNS THE PIECES IN A

HOLDER.

FIRST, EVERYTHING TURNS

UPSIDE DOWN SO THE ROBOT CAN

ACCESS THE BACK AND WELD THE CUP

TO THE BACKPIECE.

THEN, IT FLIPS RIGHT-SIDE UP

AGAIN, AND THE ROBOT WELDS ON

THE SIDE PLATES.

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION TIME --

55 SECONDS.

THE HOUSINGS NOW UNDERGO AN

ELECTROSTATIC PAINT PROCESS.

POWDER PAINT LACED WITH A

POSITIVE ELECTRICAL CHARGE IS

DRAWN LIKE A MAGNET TO THE

HOUSINGS, WHICH HAVE BEEN

NEGATIVELY CHARGED.

WORKERS INSPECT THE COAT OF

PAINT AND DO ANY NECESSARY

TOUCH-UPS.

THEN, THE HOUSINGS SPEND 15

MINUTES IN AN OVEN WHICH BAKES

ON THE PAINT.

IN ANOTHER PART OF THE FACTORY,

WORKERS HAVE BOLTED A

GAS-POWERED ENGINE TO A PAINTED

STEEL FRAME.

INSIDE THIS FRAME, THEY ASSEMBLE

THE TRANSMISSION -- THE GEAR

SYSTEM THAT TRANSFERS POWER FROM

THE ENGINE TO THE SNOWBLOWER'S

WHEELS AND AUGERS.

AFTER BOLTING ON THE IMPELLER,

THAT BLACK COMPONENT IN THE

BACK, THEY ATTACH A LARGE, STEEL

AXLE TO THE TRANSMISSION-DRIVEN

SPROCKET.

THEN, THEY SLIDE THE NOW-PAINTED

AUGER AND HUB UNITS ONTO THIS

AXLE.

NOW THE HOUSING ARRIVES.

WORKERS BOLT THE AUGER ASSEMBLY

INTO IT.

THE IMPELLER SLIDES INTO THE CUP

THAT'S CENTERED AT THE BACK OF

THE HOUSING.

THEN, THEY SCREW THE HOUSING TO

THE TRANSMISSION FRAME.

THE LAST COMPONENT IS THE

SNOWBLOWER'S HANDLE, WHERE THE

CONTROL PANEL IS MOUNTED.

THERE'S A LEVER FOR SELECTING

DIFFERENT SPEEDS AND CLUTCH

LEVERS THAT CAN BE LOCKED DOWN

TO DIRECT THE WHEELS AND AUGERS.

THERE'S ALSO A HEADLIGHT SO THAT

YOU'LL BE VISIBLE TO ONCOMING

CARS WHILE CLEARING SNOW AT

NIGHT OR ON A SNOWY DAY.

AND, OF COURSE, THERE'S A LEVER

THAT LETS YOU CHOOSE THE

DIRECTION YOU WANT TO BLOW THE

SNOW.

COMING UP, BEHIND THE SCENES AT

ONE OF THE MOST LUXURIOUS

PRODUCTION LINES IN THE WORLD.

>> Narrator: IF YOU HAVE ONE OF

THESE CARS, YOU MAY ALSO HAVE A

CHAUFFEUR AND A PRETTY BIG BANK

ACCOUNT.

THIS ROLLS-ROYCE COSTS MORE THAN

AN AVERAGE HOUSE IN SOME CITIES.

BUT A HOUSE IS JUST A PLACE TO

LIVE, AND YOU CAN REALLY LIVE IT

UP IF YOU HAVE A CAR LIKE THIS.

SINCE THE COMPANY'S INCEPTION IN

1906, ROLLS-ROYCE HAS BEEN GOING

THE EXTRA MILE WHEN IT COMES TO

PERKS AND PERFORMANCE.

FOR MANY PEOPLE, THE CAR THEY

DRIVE IS A MEASURE OF THEIR

PERSONAL SUCCESS, AND YOU DON'T

GET MUCH MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN

THIS.

EACH ROLLS-ROYCE STARTS WITH A

HAND-WELDED ALUMINUM BODY SHELF

THAT'S RIGID YET LIGHTWEIGHT.

THEN, WORKERS HANDCRAFT THE

COMPONENTS FOR A LAVISH

INTERIOR.

THIS GADGET STITCHES TOGETHER

SHEETS OF WOODEN VENEER.

THE VENEERS HAVE BEEN CUT FROM

THE SAME PIECE OF WOOD.

WORKERS MATCH THE GRAIN SO EACH

SIDE IS A MIRROR IMAGE OF THE

OTHER.

THE TECHNIQUE IS CALLED

BOOK-MATCHING, AND THE LOOK IS

SEAMLESS LUXURY.

THERE ARE 40 OR MORE SOLID,

WOODEN PARTS IN THE INTERIOR OF

THIS ROLLS.

THESE ARE FOR THE DASHBOARD.

EACH OF THESE PARTS IS

HAND-FINISHED.

WORKERS METICULOUSLY POLISH THE

WOOD WITH A SPECIAL PASTE THAT

ENHANCES THE GRAIN.

A LACQUER JOB PUTS A SHINE ON

THE WOODWORK.

INSPECTORS SCRUTINIZE THE

LEATHER FOR ANY NATURAL DEFECTS

AND MARK THEM IN WHITE.

THEY'LL WORK AROUND THOSE

BLEMISHES SO NO IMPERFECTIONS

WILL BE VISIBLE ON THE CAR'S

UPHOLSTERY.

IT WILL TAKE AS MANY AS 18 HIDES

TO MAKE ALL THE SEATS, PANELS,

AND CONSOLES.

LEATHER PIECES ARE CAREFULLY

STRETCHED ONTO VARIOUS

COMPONENTS.

THE FIT IS SET WITH A DRYER.

ENSURING THE SEWN LEATHER PARTS

CONFORM TO ALL THE CURVES AND

CREVICES ON THE DOOR PANELS CAN

BE TRICKY.

BUT THESE WORKERS, SOME OF THEM

FORMER SADDLEMAKERS, ARE EXPERTS

AT THE JOB.

THEY MOUNT THE UPHOLSTERED

LEATHER PARTS TO THE CAR'S

INTERIOR AND SECURE THEM TIGHTLY

WITH SCREWS.

THEY FIT HANDLES AND CONTROL

PANELS INTO THE TAILORED SLOTS.

NEXT, THEY ATTACH SWITCHES,

WIRING, AND OTHER CONTROLS TO

THE INSTRUMENT PANEL.

THIS FRAMEWORK HAS BEEN CRAFTED

FROM A SINGLE PIECE OF MAGNESIUM

SO THERE AREN'T ANY SQUEAKY

JOINTS.

THE IMPRESSIVE RADIATOR GRILLE

HAS A PURPOSE BESIDES BRINGING

IN COOL AIR.

IT HOUSES THE ROLLS' SIGNATURE

HOOD ORNAMENT AND ITS AUTOMATED

PLATFORM.

WORKERS TEST THE PLATFORM TO

CONFIRM THAT IT RISES AND

RETRACTS SMOOTHLY.

THEN, THEY MOUNT IT UNDER AN

OPENING AT THE TOP OF THE

GRILLE.

THEY CHECK THE SPACING AROUND

THE OPENING'S COVER TO MAKE SURE

THERE'S ENOUGH ROOM FOR THINGS

TO RUN SMOOTHLY.

THE ROLLS-ROYCE MASCOT IS CALLED

THE SPIRIT OF ECSTASY.

WITH THE MASCOT NOW LOCKED IN

PROUD POSITION, WORKERS ARE

READY TO ASSEMBLE THE CAR'S

MECHANICS.

SO STAY TUNED.

>> Narrator: THIS ROLLS-ROYCE IS

LOOKING GOOD.

THE BODY SHELL HAS THE LONG

LINES OF LUXURY.

IT'S BEEN EQUIPPED WITH FLAWLESS

LEATHER UPHOLSTERY AND ELEGANT

WOODEN PANELING.

PLUSH AND POSH, THIS CAR IS NOW

READY FOR SOME SERIOUS ENGINE

POWER.

IT'S BUMPER-TO-BUMPER OPULENCE

AT THIS FACTORY AS THESE CARS

ARE LINED UP TO RECEIVE THEIR

ENGINE COMPONENTS.

WORKERS INSTALL SOUNDPROOFING

MATERIAL ON THE FLOOR OF THE CAR

TO MUFFLE ENGINE NOISE.

THEN, THEY RUN THE WIRING LOOM

ALONG THE LENGTH OF THE VEHICLE.

THIS IS THE CAR'S NERVOUS

SYSTEM.

IT TRANSMITS HUGE AMOUNTS OF

INFORMATION THAT HELP RUN THE

ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, EVEN THE

CAR'S ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM.

NEXT, THE ENGINE AND

TRANSMISSION SYSTEM ARE HOISTED

ONTO A METAL PLATFORM.

THIS V-12 ENGINE HAS 400-PLUS

HORSEPOWER.

WORKERS COMPLETE THE ASSEMBLY

AND MAKE SOME FINAL ADJUSTMENTS.

THEN, IT'S TIME FOR THE ENGINE

AND CAR BODY TO BECOME ONE.

THEY CALL THIS THE MARRIAGE.

THE PLATFORM ROLLS THE ENGINE

DOWN AN AISLE TO BE JOINED WITH

THE AWAITING CAR BODY.

THEN, IT LIFTS THE ENGINE INTO

THE CAVITY OF THE CAR.

IT'S SECURED WITH BOLTS.

THEN, THE PLATFORM MOVES AWAY TO

GET THE NEXT ENGINE FOR THE NEXT

CAR.

WORKERS DOUBLE-CHECK THE

INSTALLATION AND MARK PARTS WITH

YELLOW TO CONFIRM THAT THEY'VE

BEEN FITTED.

THE ENGINE IS NOW INSTALLED, BUT

THERE ARE STILL A NUMBER OF

STEPS BEFORE THE CAR IS

COMPLETE.

THE INSTRUMENT CONTROL PANEL IS

MOUNTED TO THE DASHBOARD AND

GETS AN UPHOLSTERED LEATHER

CUSHION.

VENEER PANELING IS FITTED AROUND

THE DASHBOARD CONTROLS.

AND THE HEADLINING, MADE OF

CASHMERE AND WOOL, GOES INTO

PLACE.

WORKERS CHECK THE HYDRAULIC CUP

HOLDERS IN THE REAR OF THE CAR.

THEN, THEY INSTALL TWO

BATTERIES -- ONE FOR THE ENGINE,

THE OTHER FOR THE CABIN

CONTROLS.

A ROCKER COVER IS FASTENED TO

THE ENGINE TO STIFLE ANY NOISE.

THEY HOOK UP A LARGE AIR-INTAKE

SYSTEM BECAUSE OPTIMUM ENGINE

FUNCTION REQUIRES A LOT OF

AIRFLOW.

THERE WILL BE NO FINGERPRINTS ON

THIS WINDSHIELD.

AFTER IT'S WIPED CLEAN, WORKERS

USE A PULLEY SYSTEM WITH SUCTION

CUPS TO LOWER IT ONTO THE CAR.

IT'S TAPED INTO PLACE TO ALLOW

THE ADHESIVE TO SET, THEN IT'S

MEASURED TO ENSURE A PERFECT

FIT.

NEXT, THE WHEEL-ARCH LINERS ARE

INSTALLED.

THESE HEFTY GUARDS WILL PROTECT

THE CAR BODY FROM MUD, GRAVEL,

AND DEBRIS.

FINALLY, THE WHEELS ARE MOUNTED,

AND THIS ROLLS-ROYCE IS READY TO

ROLL.

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY
COMMUNICATIONS, LLC

IT TAKES SEVERAL WEEKS TO

ASSEMBLE A ROLLS-ROYCE, COMPARED

TO THE DAY OR TWO IT TAKES TO

MANUFACTURE AN ORDINARY VEHICLE.

THAT'S PART OF THE REASON WHY

ONE OF THESE WILL SET YOU BACK A

PRINCELY SUM.

BUT IF YOU WIN THE LOTTERY, THIS

COULD BE ONE WAY TO SPLURGE.

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