How It's Made

Narrator: TODAY ON "HOW IT'S MADE"...

CARS POWERED BY ELECTRICITY

WERE BEING DEVELOPED AS EARLY AS THE 1820s.

IN RECENT YEARS,

LEGISLATIVE INITIATIVES IMPROVED BATTERIES,

AND ACCESSIBLE METHODS OF RECHARGING

HAVE MADE ELECTRIC VEHICLES MORE POPULAR.

CHARGING STATIONS PROVIDE ELECTRICITY TO CUSTOMERS

WITH ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

IT'S SIMPLY A MATTER OF SWIPING AN ACCESS CARD

ACROSS THE READER,

VERIFYING THE CUSTOMER'S ACCOUNT,

AND THEN PLUGGING THE CHARGING STATION CONNECTOR

INTO THE VEHICLE.

THE CHARGING STATION

PROVIDES ELECTRICITY TO THE CHARGER IN THE VEHICLE.

IT CAN TAKE ONE TO SIX HOURS BEFORE IT'S FULLY RECHARGED.

THE BLINKING LIGHT STOPS,

CHARGING IS UNDER WAY.

A LASER CUTTER

AUTOMATICALLY SLICES THROUGH OXIDIZED ALUMINUM SHEETS.

IN A MATTER OF MINUTES,

THE PRE-PROGRAMMED CUTS ARE COMPLETE.

A WORKER CAREFULLY REMOVES THE CUT PIECES OF ALUMINUM.

UNUSED PIECES WILL BE RECYCLED.

ANOTHER WORKER BENDS THE ALUMINUM ON A BENDING POST.

HE PLACES THE ALUMINUM PIECE IN A BENDING MACHINE.

THEN, HE POSITIONS THE BENT PIECE

IN A PRE-PROGRAMMED ROBOTIC WELDING MACHINE.

IT AUTOMATICALLY AND QUICKLY

WELDS THE PIECES OF ALUMINUM TOGETHER.

THE WORKER POLISHES THE WELDED JOINTS USING A SOFT CLOTH

TO MAKE CERTAIN THEY'RE SMOOTH TO THE TOUCH.

POLISHING AWAY ROUGH EDGES MAKES THE FINISHED FACE PLATE

SAFE FOR USE BY CUSTOMERS.

A WORKER ASSEMBLES THE PAINTED FACE PLATE

AND THE HEAD OF THE CHARGING STATION.

HE SCREWS THE FACE PLATE TO THE HEAD

AND ATTACHES THE USER INTERFACE PROTECTION,

WHICH IS MADE OF TEMPERED GLASS.

HE PLACES A FLEXIBLE STRIP OF LIGHT-EMITTING DIODES

AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE LIGHT DIFFUSER.

DIFFERENT COLORED LIGHTS TELL THE CUSTOMER

WHETHER THE STATION IS AVAILABLE

AND WHETHER VEHICLE CHARGING IS UNDER WAY.

HE THEN PLACES THE PROTECTOR CAP CONTAINING THE LIGHT STRIP

AND THE ANTENNA ON THE HEAD OF THE CHARGING STATION.

NEXT, HE CONNECTS THE VARIOUS COMPONENTS HOUSED IN THE HEAD

OF THE CHARGING STATION.

THESE INCLUDE CIRCUIT BOARDS, THE ANTENNA CONNECTION,

DIGITAL DISPLAY, AND CARD READER.

HE INSERTS THE CONTROL CIRCUIT BOARD,

WHICH HAS THE CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT,

THE ANTENNA INTERFACE,

DIGITAL DISPLAY, AND CARD READER ON THE OTHER SIDE.

HE USES A FLAT CABLE TO CONNECT THE 40 SMALL CONNECTORS

OF THE CONTROL-PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD

TO THE POWER-PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD.

HE INSERTS IT INTO THE HEAD OF THE CHARGING STATION,

ON TOP OF THE CONTROL-PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD.

HE FINISHES ATTACHING THE QUICK CONNECTERS.

A WORKER SEALS THE EDGES OF THE CHARGING STATION HEAD

WITH RUBBER STRIPPING

TO PROTECT THE COMPONENTS INSIDE FROM THE ELEMENTS OUTSIDE.

HE POSITIONS THE ALUMINUM BACK PLATE

ON THE CHARGING STATION HEAD,

AND ONCE THAT'S IN PLACE,

HE ATTACHES THE CHARGING CABLE ASSEMBLY

TO THE CONNECTOR MODULE.

THE WORKER SLIPS THE CHARGING CABLE WIRES

INTO THE FRAME OF THE CONNECTOR MODULE

AND SECURELY TIGHTENS THEM.

THEN, HE POSITIONS THE CONNECTOR MODULE DOOR

AGAINST THE FRAME THAT HOLDS IT IN PLACE.

HE ATTACHES THEM SECURELY TO EACH OTHER,

USING QUICK-CONNECT CONNECTERS,

HE ATTACHES PART OF THE PLUG THAT LINKS THE CHARGING STATION

TO THE VEHICLE.

TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS WORKING PROPERLY,

THE WORKER TESTS THE DOOR SENSOR AND THE DOOR LOCKING SYSTEM.

HIS TEST CONFIRMS THE SENSOR IS FUNCTIONING,

AND THE DOOR LOCKS CORRECTLY.

HE NOW ATTACHES THE CONNECTOR MODULE

TO THE HEAD OF THE CHARGING STATION.

THEN, HE PLACES THE HEAD OF THE CHARGING STATION

ONTO ITS PEDESTAL BASE.

WHETHER IT'S BEING REMOVED OR ATTACHED TO A VEHICLE,

ONE SAFETY FEATURE IS THAT THE CONNECTOR IS NEVER ENERGIZED

WHEN BEING HANDLED BY A CUSTOMER.

ONCE THE CHARGE IS COMPLETE, THE VEHICLE IS READY TO ROLL.

Narrator: GRAPPA IS AN ITALIAN BRANDY,

TRADITIONALLY AN AFTER DINNER DRINK.

IT'S MADE FROM POMACE,

WHAT'S LEFT OF GRAPES

AFTER THEY'VE BEEN PRESSED TO MAKE WINE.

DISTILLERIES FERMENT THE POMACE

TO CONVERT THE SUGARS INTO ALCOHOL,

THEN DISTILL IT TO TRANSFORM THE ALCOHOL AND OTHER COMPOUNDS

INTO GRAPPA.

TRADITIONAL GRAPPA IS COLORLESS.

IT CAN ALSO BE AGED IN WOODEN BARRELS

TO PRODUCE DIFFERENT VARIETIES,

WITH A SPECIFIC COLOR, TASTE, AND AROMA.

YOU CAN'T MAKE GRAPPA WITHOUT SOMEONE FIRST MAKING WINE,

BECAUSE WINE-MAKING LEFTOVERS ARE THE SOLE INGREDIENT.

IN ITALY, THE WINE HARVEST

BEGINS IN LATE SUMMER OR EARLY FALL,

DEPENDING ON THE WEATHER AND REGION OF THE COUNTRY.

THE HARVESTED GRAPES GO DIRECTLY FROM THE VINEYARD TO THE WINERY.

THERE, THE FIRST MACHINE PULLS THEM OFF THE STOCKS,

WHICH ARE LATER COMPOSTED INTO FERTILIZER

FOR FARMS AND NURSERIES.

THE DESTOCKED GRAPES ENTER A CYLINDRICAL PRESS.

THEY'RE CRUSHED AGAINST THE WALLS

WITH AN AIRBAG-LIKE DEVICE

TO EXTRACT THE JUICE AND PULP FOR MAKING WINE.

WHAT'S LEFT BEHIND IN THE PRESS,

ONCE THE JUICE AND PULP DRAIN OUT,

ARE THE SKINS, SEEDS, SOME RESIDUAL JUICE, AND PULP.

THIS IS CALLED POMACE.

THE WINERY SELLS IT TO DISTILLERIES

THAT PRODUCE GRAPPA.

THIS SMALL ARTISANAL DISTILLERY PRODUCES PREMIUM QUALITY GRAPPA

BY USING ONLY POMACE FROM GRAPES PRESSED THAT VERY SAME DAY.

THE POMACE GOES INTO TEMPERATURE CONTROLLED FERMENTATION TANKS

AS SOON AS IT ARRIVES.

LARGE INDUSTRIAL DISTILLERIES OPERATE DIFFERENTLY,

TYPICALLY WAREHOUSING POMACE PRIOR TO PROCESSING,

SOMETIMES FOR MONTHS.

THIS DELAY PRODUCES HIGH LEVELS OF POTENTIALLY TOXIC METHANOL,

WHICH THE DISTILLERY THEN HAS TO REMOVE

USING AN ADDITIONAL PROCEDURE.

THE DISTILLERS MONITOR PH AND ALCOHOL LEVELS TO DETERMINE

WHEN THE CONVERSION OF SUGARS TO ALCOHOL IS COMPLETE.

THE PROCESS TAKES FROM THREE DAYS TO A WEEK,

DEPENDING ON THE VARIETY

OF GRAPE AND OTHER FACTORS, SUCH AS THE OUTDOOR TEMPERATURE.

WHEN THE POMACE IS READY,

THEY TRANSFER IT TO WOOD-CLAD COPPER STILLS.

THEY HEAT THE STILLS WITH STEAM,

BRINGING THE POMACE TO THE BOILING POINT,

WHICH TRANSFORMS THE ALCOHOL AND OTHER COMPOUNDS INTO STEAM.

THIS ALCOHOL STEAM INSIDE THE STILL RISES TO THE TOP

AND EXITS THROUGH A SIDE HOLE.

IT TRAVELS THROUGH COPPER PIPES AND OTHER EQUIPMENT,

ULTIMATELY TO A CONDENSATION SYSTEM,

WHICH COOLS THE STEAM BACK TO LIQUID.

THIS LIQUID IS GRAPPA.

AS IT EXITS DISTILLATION,

THE MASTER DISTILLER METICULOUSLY

MONITORS THE TEMPERATURE AND ALCOHOL LEVEL.

SHE DISCARDS THE INITIAL AND FINAL FLOWS,

CAPTURING ONLY THE PERFECTLY PURE MID FLOW,

REFERRED TO AS THE HEART OF THE GRAPPA.

ITS ALCOHOL LEVEL AT THIS POINT IS 70% TO 77%.

CERTAIN VARIETIES NOW GO TO THE CELLAR,

INTO SMALL WOODEN BARRELS TO AGE.

OVER TIME, BOTH THE GRAPPA

AND THE WOODEN BARRELS EXCHANGE COMPOUNDS,

WHICH INFLUENCE TASTE, AROMA, AND COLOR.

FOR EXAMPLE, A BARREL MADE OF CHERRY WOOD WILL PRODUCE

DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS THAN ONE MADE OF OAK.

THE DISTILLERIES' EXPERTS

ANALYZE AND TASTE SAMPLES FOLLOWING DISTILLATION