How It's Made

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

Narrator: MOUNTAIN BIKE TIRES ARE TRUE TRAILBLAZERS,

SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR OFF-ROAD RIDING.

WIDER THAN REGULAR ROAD TIRES,

MOUNTAIN BIKE TIRES HAVE RAISED KNOBS OR LUGS

THAT ADD STABILITY ON UNEVEN TERRAIN.

BUILT TO WITHSTAND THE TRAIL, THESE TIRES CAN HANDLE IT ALL.

WHEN THE RUBBER HITS THE DIRT, IT'S ALL ABOUT CONTROL.

MOUNTAIN BIKE TIRES ARE DESIGNED TO GRIP THE GROUND

AND PROVIDE TRACTION OFF-ROAD.

FIRST, DESIGNERS USE A COMPUTER MODEL OF A TIRE

TO SIMULATE THE EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT RUBBER COMPOUNDS.

CONSTRUCTION BEGINS WITH RUBBER COMPOUNDS

BEING MIXED TOGETHER TO CREATE PARTS OF THE TIRE.

INGREDIENTS INCLUDE SYNTHETIC AND NATURAL RUBBERS,

SULFUR, AND OTHER CHEMICALS.

ROTATING SPIRAL BLADES BREAK DOWN THE MATERIALS.

FRICTION FROM THE MIXING HEATS AND SOFTENS THEM.

THIS TRANSFORMS THE INGREDIENTS

INTO A DOUGH-LIKE RUBBER COMPOUND.

POWERFUL ROLLERS SQUEEZE THE COMPOUND INTO THICK LONG SHEETS

AND BLADES CUT THE ROLLED RUBBER INTO NARROW STRIPS.

THEN THE RUBBER TRAVELS THROUGH MORE ROLLERS

THAT SQUEEZE IT DOWN TO THE DESIRED THICKNESS.

THE RUBBER SHEETS LAND ON A CART, READY FOR USE.

TECHNICIANS INCASE STEEL BEAD WIRE

WITH ONE OF THESE COMPOUNDS.

THE BEAD WIRE IS THE PART OF THE TIRE

THAT CONNECTS TO THE WHEEL'S RIM.

AS STEEL WIRE TRAVELS THROUGH AN APERTURE,

THE RUBBER IS EXTRUDED TO FORM THE CASING.

THE MACHINE DELIVERS THE BEAD WIRE

TO A SPINNING DISK.

THE DISK WINDS THE BEAD WIRE,

SHAPING IT INTO RINGS WHICH FIT TO A WHEEL RIM.

TO MAINTAIN THE DIAMETER OF THE WIRE,

THE TECHNICIAN TAPES THE ENDS TOGETHER,

HOLDING THE SHAPE UNTIL THE NEXT STAGE OF PRODUCTION.

NEXT, RUBBER SHEETS WITH VARYING CHARACTERISTICS

ENTER AN EXTRUDER.

USING HEAT AND PRESSURE,

THE EXTRUDER FORCES THE RUBBER THROUGH DIES.

THIS PROCESS MERGES THEIR CHARACTERISTICS

INTO A SINGLE SHEET.

THE SHEET WILL BE USED TO MAKE THE BICYCLE'S TREAD.

THE TREAD RUBBER TRAVELS THROUGH A CHANNEL OF COOL WATER.

MEANWHILE, ROLLERS COAT FABRIC WITH RUBBER

TO MAKE PLIES FOR THE TIRE CASING.

A MOVING BLADE CUTS IT INTO STRIPS.

THIS RUBBER IS NATURALLY TACKY,

SO THE PIECES CAN BE EASILY SPLICED.

THE SYSTEM FEEDS THE STRIPS TO TIRE-BUILDING MACHINE.

A SKILLED ASSEMBLER WRAPS THE STRIPS TO THE MACHINE DRUM

TO FORM THE TIRE CASING

AND SPLICES THE RUBBER WHERE THE ENDS MEET.

NEXT, ROBOTS SLIDE TWO WIRE BEADS AROUND THE CASING.

THE ENDS OF THE DRUM FOLD THE SIDES OF THE CASING

OVER THE BEAD WIRES.

THE TECHNICIAN APPLIES RUBBER-COATED FABRIC

TO THE BEAD WIRES, STRENGTHENING THE AREA.

THE TREAD RUBBER IS PLACED IN THE CENTER.

A ROLLER APPLIES PRESSURE AS THE DRUM SPINS

TO WIND THE TREAD AROUND THE CASING.

THEN THE ENDS ARE PRESSED TOGETHER MANUALLY.

AND ONE MORE TURN OF THE DRUM SECURES THE TREAD RUBBER

TO THE CASING.

ONCE VENT HOLES HAVE BEEN CUT IN THE RUBBER,

IT'S OVER TO AN EXPANDING MOLD, WHERE THE TIRE TAKES SHAPE.

THE TECHNICIAN INSERTS A RUBBER CURING BLADDER

TO MAINTAIN THE SHAPE OF THE TIRE.

THEN HE PLACES THE MOUNTAIN BIKE TIRES IN CURING MOLDS.

THESE INDIVIDUAL MOLDS

WILL STEAM-COOK THE TIRES UNDER PRESSURE

TO FURTHER SHAPE THEM.

THIS PROCESS FORMS KNOBS AND OTHER PROTRUSIONS

ON THE TIRE SURFACE

THAT ARE DESIGNED TO GRIP A RUGGED TERRAIN.

LIKE A BIG WAFFLE IRON, THIS MOLD HAS COOKED

AND FORMED THE MOUNTAIN BIKE TIRE.

THE TIRE IS THEN PLACED ON A RACK TO COOL.

NEXT, THE BIKE TIRE UNDERGOES A DURABILITY TEST

WHILE A COMPUTER MEASURES ROLLING RESISTANCE.

THAT'S THE ENERGY LOST WHEN THE TIRE ROTATES

AND AN INDICATION OF HOW EASILY THE TIRE WILL ROLL.

THIS MOUNTAIN BIKE TIRE

IS NOW CLEARED TO TRAVEL OFF THE BEATEN PATH.

Narrator: A LEAF AND DEBRIS VACUUM

AUTOMATICALLY COLLECTS ALL TYPES OF FALLEN DEBRIS.

INSTEAD OF SPENDING HOURS RAKING,

THIS DEVICE QUICKLY DOES IT ALL,

MAKING YARD WORK EASIER THAN EVER.

A LEAF AND DEBRIS VACUUM

IS POWERED BY A GAS OR DIESEL ENGINE.

THE ENGINE SPINS AN IMPELLER,

WHICH CREATES THE SUCTION AND ALSO SHREDS THE LEAVES.

THE MACHINE IS COMPRISED OF ABOUT 100 DIFFERENT PARTS,

ALL CUT FROM 0.11-INCH-THICK SHEETS OF STEEL

USING THIS COMPUTER-GUIDED PUNCH PRESS.

THIS PART IS THE REAR FLANGE FOR THE IMPELLER HOUSING.

TO MAKE THE SIDE WALL OF THE HOUSING, CALLED THE WRAP,

A TECHNICIAN BENDS THIS STEEL STRIP

WITH A PINCH ROLLER.

ANOTHER TECHNICIAN POSITIONS THE WRAP ON THE REAR FLANGE

AND TACK WELDS THEM TOGETHER.

THE CRAFTSMAN PLACES THE HOUSING'S FRONT FLANGE

ON TOP OF THE WRAP,

ALIGNS ITS NOTCHES WITH THE WRAP'S TABS,

AND TACK WELDS THE PARTS TOGETHER.

HE COMPLETES THE HOUSING WITH THIS RECTANGULAR PIECE.

THE SHREDDED LEAVES EXIT THE HOUSING

THROUGH THIS OPENING.

NEXT, THE PARTS ARE PLACED ON A ROTARY WELDING TABLE,

AND THE TACKED JOINTS ARE WELDED TOGETHER.

THE FUSED SEAMS ENSURE THE HOUSING IS AIRTIGHT.

A COMPUTER GUIDES THIS FIBER-OPTIC LASER CUTTER,

SLICING OUT THE IMPELLER BLADES

FROM A SHEET OF ABRASION-RESISTANCE STEEL.

THIS STEEL IS FOUR TIMES THICKER

THAN THE STEEL USED FOR THE BODY PARTS.

EACH IMPELLER HAS FOUR BLADES WITH SHARP EDGES

THAT HELP SHRED THE LEAVES.

THE WELDER MOUNTS THE IMPELLER COMPONENTS ONTO A FIXTURE.

EACH BLADE HAS ALIGNMENT TABS

WHICH FIT INTO NOTCHES ON A BACKING PLATE.

AFTER CLAMPING EACH BLADE IN POSITION,

HE FUSES THEM TO THE BACKING PLATE.

NEXT, HE WELDS STEEL REINFORCEMENT STRAPS

BETWEEN EACH OF THE FOUR BLADES.

THE STRAPS ADD STRENGTH AND STABILITY,

THEREBY INCREASING THE LIFE-SPAN OF THE IMPELLER.

THE TECHNICIAN COMPLETES THE ASSEMBLY

BY BOLTING A COMPRESSION HUB TO THE CENTER.

THE HUB HOLDS THE ENGINE CRANKSHAFT TOGETHER,

WHICH ROTATES THE IMPELLER.

THEN HE INSERTS A SIMULATED CRANKSHAFT

AND TIGHTENS THE COMPRESSION HUB.

HE PLACES THE IMPELLER ON THIS MACHINE TO BALANCE IT.

SINCE THE IMPELLER CAN SPIN AT A SPEED

OF MORE THAN 3,000 REVOLUTIONS PER MINUTE,

THIS STEP IS CRITICAL FOR THE MACHINE TO RUN SMOOTHLY.

TO MAINTAIN STABILITY, THE WELDER ADDS BEADS OF WELD

TO THE LIGHTER SIDE UNTIL THE IMPELLER BALANCES.

THEN HE REMOVES THE SIMULATED CRANKSHAFT.

MEANWHILE AN ASSEMBLER MOUNTS THE 29-HORSEPOWER GAS ENGINE

TO THE ENGINE DECK OF THE TRAILER FRAME.

THE CRANKSHAFT POKES THROUGH A HOLE IN THE FRAME'S FACEPLATE.

HE BOLTS THE IMPELLER HOUSING, WHICH HAS BEEN PAINTED,

TO THE FACEPLATE.

THE TECHNICIAN INSTALLS THE IMPELLER ON THE CRANKSHAFT

WITH A SHEAR KEY.

THEN HE BOLTS A PROTECTIVE STEEL COVER PLATE

AND ATTACHES EVERYTHING WITH A CENTRAL BOLT.

NEXT, HE APPLIES A BRAND DECAL ON THE HOUSING'S FRONT COVER...

...AND BOLTS THE COVER TO THE HOUSING.

WHEN READY FOR USE, THE DEBRIS CHUTE, THE HOSE,

AND THE INTAKE HOSE ARE ATTACHED TO THE FRONT END.

AS THIS DEMONSTRATION SHOWS, THE IMPELLER CAN SHRED LEAVES

INTO PARTICLES SMALL ENOUGH TO BE USED AS COMPOST.

Narrator: WITH SO MUCH ON THEIR PLATES,

BUSY PEOPLE RELY ON SHORTCUTS TO HELP PREPARE MEALS.

NOWADAYS, YOU CAN STOCK YOUR PANTRY

WITH CANS OF PRECOOKED MEAT

SO THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING ON HAND TO USE IN SANDWICHES,

STEWS, STIR-FRIES, AND OTHER TASTY DISHES.

THIS CANNED MEAT IS METICULOUSLY HAND PRODUCED

BY A CRAFT CANNERY AND MADE IN SMALL BATCHES.

IT CONTAINS NO ARTIFICIAL INGREDIENTS OR PRESERVATIVES,

JUST MEAT AND SEA SALT.

WHEN A SHIPMENT OF MEAT ARRIVES AT THE CANNERY,