How It's Made

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

Narrator: BIT BY BIT,

THE SCREWDRIVER MAKES THE LIFE OF A HANDYMAN

A WHOLE LOT EASIER.

THE SCREWDRIVER FIRST SHOWED UP

IN THE EARLY PART OF THE 19th CENTURY.

IT EVOLVED FROM A FLAT-BLADED BIT USED IN A CARPENTER'S BRACE,

AND ITS INVENTION WAS A DEFINITE TURNING POINT.

THESE TRUSTY TOOLS COME WITH DIFFERENT BITS

TO FIT A VARIETY OF SCREWHEADS,

SO ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS APPLY THE RIGHT TORQUE,

AND IT'S MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

THE JOB OF MAKING SCREWDRIVERS

STARTS WITH COILS OF SPECIALLY FORMULATED STEEL.

WHEELS STRAIGHTEN A THICK WIRE,

AND THEN IT TRAVELS THROUGH AN APERTURE.

ON THE OTHER SIDE, A MACHINE ROCKS BACK AND FORTH

AS IT CUTS THE WIRE TO LENGTH AND FORCES IT THROUGH FOUR DIES.

THE FIRST DIE NARROWS THE STEEL TO THE REQUIRED DIAMETER.

THE OTHERS FORM A HEXAGONAL BOLSTER PARTWAY DOWN.

THIS BOLSTER WILL ALLOW A WRENCH TO BE APPLIED TO THE SCREWDRIVER

TO INCREASE ITS TURNING POWER.

A QUICK SHOWER WASHES AWAY THE LUBRICANT,

AND THESE SCREWDRIVER SHAFTS ARE READY FOR INSPECTION.

THE TECHNICIAN EXAMINES THEM FOR DEFECTS

AND MEASURES THE LENGTH AND THE DIMENSIONS

OF THE HEXAGONAL BOLSTER.

ONCE HE CONFIRMS THAT EVERYTHING IS TO SPECIFICATION,

THE SCREWDRIVER SHAFTS HEAD INTO A MACHINE

THAT WILL TRANSFORM THE TIPS INTO A SLOTTED SHAPE.

AT THE FIRST TWO STATIONS, THE PRESS FLATTENS THE TIP.

THE THIRD ONE TRIMS IT AND STAMPS THE PART NUMBER ONTO IT.

THE FLAT BLADE IS PROBABLY THE MOST COMMON OF SCREWDRIVERS.

ITS CHISELED TIP TURNS A STANDARD SLOTTED SCREW.

AFTER THE SCREWDRIVERS ARE HEAT-TREATED

TO INCREASE THEIR HARDNESS,

THEY SAND THE TIPS TO SHAVE OFF .1 OF A MILLIMETER.

THEY CONFIRM THAT WITH THIS SLOTTED GUIDE.

THEN THEY INSERT THE SCREWDRIVERS

INTO A DIFFERENT SLOTTED DEVICE.

THIS ONE SHUTTLES THEM OVER TO A GRINDING WHEEL.

THIS WHEEL TRIMS THEM TO THEIR FINAL DIMENSIONS.

VISUALLY, THE CHANGE IS SUBTLE,

BUT THIS FINE-TUNING WILL MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE

IN THE SCREWDRIVERS' PERFORMANCE.

NOW THEY TWIRL IN A MACHINE

THAT BLASTS THE TIPS WITH MILD ABRASIVE.

THIS TEXTURIZES THE SURFACE

TO ALLOW THIS SCREWDRIVER TO REALLY GRIP A SCREWHEAD.

THE TEXTURIZED TIP IS THE ONE ON THE RIGHT.

OVER AT ANOTHER STATION,

A DIFFERENT KIND OF SCREWDRIVER IS TAKING SHAPE.

THIS IS A PHILLIPS.

ITS TIP HAS A BEVELED CROSS POINT

TO CORRESPOND WITH A PHILLIPS SCREW.

THIS MACHINE CARVES RIDGES INTO THE BEVELS OF THE CROSS POINT

TO GIVE IT EXTRA GRIPPING POWER.

A PRESS THEN SLAMS INTO THE OTHER END OF THE SCREWDRIVER

TO CREATE FLANGED GROOVES.

THESE GROOVES WILL ALLOW THEM

TO LOCK THE SCREWDRIVER SHAFT INTO ITS HANDLE.

IT'S TIME FOR SOME POSITIVE VIBRATIONS.

THIS VIBRATING FEEDER

CAUSES THE SCREWDRIVERS TO CHAFE AGAINST EACH OTHER,

AND THE ACTION REMOVES ANY WASTE MATERIAL.

AFTER THEY TEXTURIZE THE CROSS-POINT TIP,

IT'S OVER TO A LASER MACHINE.

IT ETCHES THE PART NUMBERS ONTO THESE POLYURETHANE HANDLES.

AND NOW FOR THE GRIPPING PART.

THE ASSEMBLER ATTACHES THE HANDLE TO THE SCREWDRIVER BLADE.

HE THEN PLACES THE SCREWDRIVER IN A MACHINE

THAT APPLIES MECHANICAL FORCE

TO SOLIDLY ENTRENCH THE SHAFT IN THE HANDLE.

WITH THE SCREWDRIVERS NOW ON A TRAY,

THEY MOVE THROUGH A CURTAIN OF PLASTIC.

A MACHINE HEAT-SEALS THE PLASTIC AROUND THE EDGES.

THE LOOSELY WRAPPED TRAY THEN ENTERS A SPECIAL FURNACE,

AND THE HEAT SHRINKS THE PLASTIC AROUND THE TRAY

TO NEATLY WRAP UP THIS JOB.

IT HAS TAKEN SEVERAL DAYS TO MAKE THESE SCREWDRIVERS,

AND NOW THEY'RE READY FOR THE TWISTS AND TURNS OF ANY JOB.

TOOLS LIKE THESE SCREWDRIVERS

ARE REALLY AN EXTENSION OF THE HUMAN HAND.

A QUALITY TOOL WILL ENABLE YOU TO WORK WITH MORE PRECISION,

BUT, OF COURSE,

YOU HAVE TO GRASP THE FUNDAMENTALS OF YOUR PROJECT.

AND DEPENDING ON WHAT KIND OF HANDYMAN YOU ARE,

THAT COULD BE A WHOLE OTHER STORY.

Narrator: COMPACT TRACK LOADERS MOVE MATERIALS LIKE DIRT,

GRAVEL, AND EVEN SNOW

INTO A DUMP TRUCK OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF MACHINERY.

THE RUBBER TRACKS GIVE THEM THE TRACTION TO WORK HARD

WHILE TREADING LIGHTLY OVER SOFT GROUND CONDITIONS LIKE GRASS.

COMPACT TRACK LOADERS CAN BE USED YEAR ROUND.

COMPACT TRACK LOADERS GIVE A SMOOTH AND STABLE RIDE

OVER ALL SORTS OF TERRAIN.

THEIR RUBBER TRACKS AND SUSPENSION

ALLOW THEM TO TURN ON A DIME

AND WORK IN PLACES WHERE OTHER MACHINES CAN'T.

TO START, TECHNICIANS ATTACH FOUR SETS OF MID WHEELS

TO A FRAME RAIL.

THE WHEELS ARE MADE OF PLASTIC AND RUBBER.

THEN THEY ASSEMBLE THE AXLE SUSPENSION

USING RUBBER CORDS SO THE WHEELS CAN FLEX UP AND DOWN.

THEY TIGHTEN THE BOLTS AND MARK THEM AS DONE.

AFTER THEY ATTACH TWO MORE SETS OF MID WHEELS,

WHAT'S CALLED THE FRAME-RAIL ASSEMBLY IS COMPLETE.

TECHNICIANS THEN ATTACH A TURNBUCKLE TO THE FRAME RAIL.

THE TURNBUCKLE WILL BE USED

TO TIGHTEN OR LOOSEN THE RUBBER TRACK.

NEXT, THEY PUT TOGETHER THE DRIVE SPROCKET ASSEMBLY --

THE PART THAT DRIVES THE TRACK.

THEY PUT A DRIVE MOTOR INTO A HOUSING,

ADD THE SPROCKET ASSEMBLY, THEN PUT ON A HEAVY-DUTY BEARING.

FINALLY, THEY INSTALL A SUPPORT PLATE

WHICH COMPLETES THE DRIVE-MOTOR ASSEMBLY.

A TECHNICIAN THEN MOUNTS THE DRIVE-MOTOR ASSEMBLY

ONTO THE FRAME-RAIL ASSEMBLY.

TECHNICIANS INSTALL THE RUBBER TRACK

ONTO THE FRAME-RAIL ASSEMBLY.

A LITTLE LUBRICATION MAKES THE TRACK GO ON EASIER

UNTIL ITS MOLDED LUGS INTERLOCK

WITH THE DRIVE-SPROCKET ASSEMBLY.

NEXT COMES A LARGER IDLER WHEEL,

WHICH THEY INSTALL AT THE END OF THE TRACK,

SECURING IT ON THE AXLE.

HE TIGHTENS THE TURNBUCKLE

TO GIVE THE RUBBER TRACK THE CORRECT TENSION,

COMPLETING THE UNDERCARRIAGE ASSEMBLY.

THE TRACK LOADER WILL RIDE ON TWO OF THESE UNDERCARRIAGES.

A TECHNICIAN INSTALLS THE MACHINE'S MAIN SUSPENSION

ONTO THE CHASSIS, THEN CONNECTS THE HYDRAULIC-VALVE ASSEMBLY.

IT'S THE HUB TO WHICH THEY CONNECT ALL THE HYDRAULIC LINES

AND HOSES USED TO CONTROL THE MACHINE.

USING A CRANE,

THE TECHNICIAN MOUNTS THE ENGINE TO THE CHASSIS.

ONCE THE ENGINE IS SECURE,

HE PUTS ON THE INTEGRATED FUEL TANK.

HE INSTALLS A HYDRAULIC CYLINDER

AND CONNECTS ITS TWO FLUID LINES.

ONE CYLINDER GOES ON EACH SIDE OF THE MACHINE.

THEY ARE USED TO MOVE THE LOADER BUCKET UP AND DOWN.

HE THEN CONNECTS THE UNDERCARRIAGE ASSEMBLY

TO THE CHASSIS USING AN UNDERCARRIAGE PIN

AND PNEUMATIC WRENCH TO SECURE IT IN PLACE.

A TECHNICIAN NOW INSTALLS THE LOADER ASSEMBLY --

THE PART THAT HOLDS THE BUCKET OR OTHER ATTACHMENT.

ONCE INSTALLED, THIS MACHINE CAN LIFT MORE THAN 3 TONS.

HE SECURES THE ASSEMBLY IN PLACE USING HEAVY-DUTY PINS.

THEN TECHNICIANS INSTALL THE OPERATOR'S STATION

THAT HELPS PROTECT THE DRIVER FROM THE ELEMENTS

AND FROM DEBRIS.

A TECHNICIAN MAKES SURE THE LOADER ARM WORKS PROPERLY,

THEN DRIVES THE TRACK LOADER ON A TREADMILL

TO TEST ALL THE SYSTEMS.

HE RUNS THE ENGINE AT FULL SPEED