- 6/4/2025
How it Works -
- Bicycle tyres
- Spring rolls
- Ski goggles
- Oak barrels
- Bicycle tyres
- Spring rolls
- Ski goggles
- Oak barrels
Category
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TVTranscript
00:00The show that reveals how extraordinary items in our world are designed, constructed and produced.
00:07See the engineering, the technology and big ideas that make the world go around.
00:12Find out how it works.
00:30Coming up, we can't get enough of the popular Chinese spring roll, but how does one factory manage to produce 130,000 identical rolls every single day by hand?
00:48The latest ski goggles are high-tech marvels tested almost to destruction, just in case you try to test your limits.
00:56And the traditional wooden barrel is made from the mighty oak.
00:59We'll find out how they're put together and why you then have to set fire to them.
01:08But first, if you've ever ridden your bike over a really hard curb, then you might like to know that it's a combination of rubber, nylon and bulletproof Kevlar that's protecting your sensitive side.
01:19So how are tyres put together?
01:21Invented in 1888 by John Dunlop, the tyre is made up of several important parts.
01:29The inner carcass gives the tyre structure.
01:32Threads at the edges, known as beads, help keep it on the rim, and the tread provides the grip.
01:39Until World War II, bicycle tyres were organic.
01:42The rubber they were made out of came from trees, but poor supply forced inventors to come up with an alternative.
01:47By 1960, synthetic rubber became the standard, and modern bicycle tyres have been made from it ever since.
01:58Making tyre rubber is like making a cake.
02:01It's a recipe you have to follow to get the mix spot on.
02:04The right amount of the artificial rubber is weighed out and sent through heavy-duty rollers to be mixed with the other ingredients.
02:10You can see what happens in this handy demonstration.
02:14Tyres are usually black, but that's not so you don't have to wash them.
02:18Black suit is added to the white rubber, which improves the grip.
02:21This is pretty important if you want to keep your bike upright.
02:25It has to be mixed up really well, so the rubber will be passed through the rollers a few times.
02:30Once it's ready, the tyre chef can add all the other ingredients.
02:37Things like mineral oil, silica, zinc oxide, and sulfur are thrown into the mix.
02:42It sounds quite technical, but basically they improve the tyre's elasticity, density, and durability.
02:49This whole process is exactly the same on the larger rollers, just on a far bigger scale.
02:55When the mix is complete, fresh tyre rubber emerges, ready for the next stage.
03:04So, you've got your rubber, but there's far more to tyres than that.
03:09To create the carcass, nylon matting is added to make it stronger.
03:13Enormous rolls of nylon are threaded up onto these machines to be combined with the rubber mixture.
03:19It needs to be spread out like pastry, so the workers feed it back onto the rollers.
03:24This will create a big sheet of rubber, and the nylon can then be added in.
03:30This rubber-nylon sandwich is what makes up the basic material for the tyre's carcass.
03:37When you're building a tyre, you always start with the carcass.
03:41This foundation is expertly wound around a tyre-sized barrel and glued into place.
03:46Now, remember the Kevlar?
03:48Well, that's this bit.
03:49These threads are made from the same bulletproof material used to protect bodyguards and the police.
03:54It's very strong but light, and it holds the tyre on the rim.
03:59It's wound around the carcass, and once it's in place, the barrel is expanded, which actually forces the Kevlar into the rubber.
04:05The sides of the carcass are then folded over, and the threads now make it completely bulletproof, assuming you get shot just on the very edge of your tyre.
04:16And that's the tyre's structure, but to be honest, if you try to ride a bike on a tyre like this, it wouldn't be very comfortable or give you much grip.
04:28The grip comes from the tread.
04:33It's made from the combination of two layers of hard-wearing rubber.
04:38An expert continually measures the width of the two layers, otherwise the composition wouldn't be right and your tyre wouldn't grip.
04:45The raw tread is sent off to be added to the tyre carcass.
04:49A layer is wrapped around the drum and firmly stuck down.
04:52But it's still not ready to be put on the rim just yet.
04:55First, it needs to be cooked.
04:58This cooking process is known as vulcanisation.
05:06The combined elements are loaded into a machine that heats them up to 180 degrees Celsius for three minutes.
05:12This melts everything together, and at the same time it expands the rubber into the treaded grooves.
05:18When the timer goes ping, the machine opens up, and the finished tyre is removed.
05:24Next, the workers will take a random selection of tyres from each batch and run some rigorous tests.
05:39Hitting a kerb with a weak tyre could hurt you and even damage your wheel.
05:45So the tyres spend three days on this machine.
05:47It's like hitting 50,000 kerbs in a row.
05:50And how annoying can a puncture be?
05:53So all the tyres have to pass the puncture simulation test.
06:01And what if you put too much air into the tyre?
06:04They all have to survive at least eight pounds per square inch of pressure.
06:08This one manages almost 20.
06:10So next time you hit a kerb, just remember your bulletproof tyre is taking the strain, so you don't have to.
06:18The takeaway Chinese is the most popular ethnic food in Britain.
06:38More of us munch on a chow mein than a curry or a kebab.
06:41But the most popular Chinese treat is the spring roll.
06:45So how are they put together?
06:48At this factory in northern China, spring rolls are produced in their thousands by hand.
06:59The most important part of a spring roll is vegetables, including leeks, onions and plenty of green cabbage.
07:06The workers have to blanch the leaves for 90 seconds in boiling water.
07:10This kills any germs and helps the leaves keep their fresh green colour.
07:18Although most of the work in this factory is done by hand, some of the processes are automated.
07:23Once the leaves have been thoroughly cooked, they're shredded.
07:26Big leaves in, tiny pieces out.
07:29This is important because the spring roll casing is just pastry and quite fragile.
07:33The leaves are then spun to remove any excess moisture.
07:38As each vegetable is prepared, it's added into the mixer.
07:46The recipe also calls for sesame oil, sugar and salt for flavouring.
07:50Spring rolls do also come with meat, but the traditional variety is vegetarian.
07:57And finally, no spring roll would be complete without glass noodles.
08:00When all the ingredients are in, the machine is switched on and the blades get to work.
08:08The crispy outer layer is next.
08:10It's a mixture of flour, oil and salt, which is mixed up like pancake batter.
08:15As the heated drum rotates, this batter is smeared onto it where it will cook to perfection.
08:20Sesame oil prevents the batter from sticking to the drum and fans help cool down the finished pastry.
08:26It emerges from the machine in pre-sliced form, but needs to be cut again to get spring roll-sized pieces.
08:46When it comes to putting the rolls together, that's where the expertise comes in.
08:51Every roll must be the same weight, size and shape as the last one.
08:55And the women that put them together are experts.
08:58Their well-trained eye can estimate 30 grams of filling almost every time.
09:04The rulers are only being used here just to show our cameras just how good these workers actually are.
09:09They can measure out the right amount and fold it perfectly time after time,
09:14which is vital if the rolls are to fit into the packaging.
09:18Next stop, the frying room.
09:20The rolls will now be fried in palm oil at 170 degrees Celsius for 40 seconds.
09:27But surely that isn't going to be long enough for them to cook properly.
09:30When you buy a box of spring rolls, you finish the cooking off yourself.
09:35But the dip in the oil kills any bacteria that may be hanging around
09:38and gives them their traditional golden color.
09:40Strict food hygiene standards mean the part-cooked rolls must be continually monitored.
09:54The filling must have reached between 80 and 85 degrees Celsius
09:57and the factory workers check this regularly.
10:00After their hot bath, the rolls will cool off with a quick trip through the deep freeze.
10:06They will then be ready to be packaged and shipped out to stores all over the world, including the UK.
10:12A 30-minute journey through the freezer at minus 35 degrees Celsius
10:16prepares the golden snacks for their global journey.
10:19So the handmade treat from China ends up in the hands of hungry families all over the world.
10:24Coming up after the break.
10:42Modern ski goggles get rubbed up the wrong way
10:45and shot at to make sure you're protected when you wipe out.
10:49And vintage wines need a very special cask.
10:52We'll find out why the shape and the type of wood are important when making a traditional wine barrel.
11:13Skiing is popular.
11:15And like all extreme sports, safety gear is vital.
11:18The skier that does this will not only be left at by his mates,
11:22but will also need some really good protection for his eyes.
11:26Every year, one and a half million Britons go skiing,
11:29so there's a lot of people who need goggles.
11:31And getting the right look is important.
11:35Now, most people's heads are roughly the same size.
11:39So the designer makes up an average-sized template from polystyrene.
11:42Using this basic shape, he creates the space where the lenses would sit.
11:48Using a wax strip to shape the lens gap,
11:51he adds layers of putty to build up the rest of the model.
11:54He has to work quickly, though, because the putty dries fast.
11:57When it's dried, the wax is removed, leaving a frame for the lenses in the model.
12:07The designer can now sand down the dried putty to realize the final style he's looking for.
12:12The designer also uses state-of-the-art technology to map out the goggles.
12:19This will help him make any last-minute adjustments to improve the look or the performance.
12:24It's also useful for the next stage of the production process, the molding casts.
12:30Goggle frames are made using a process called injection molding.
12:34Inside each block, there is a hollow space the same shape as the new goggle design.
12:38Molten plastic is forced in, and when it cools, it will solidify into a new pair of goggles.
12:45Workers load this machine with granulated plastic, which is superheated to 180 degrees Celsius.
12:51It's now ready to be injected into the cast.
12:56The machine is heated, which keeps the plastic liquid.
13:00The designer only wants it to solidify once it's in the mold.
13:03Once it's in place, cold water will be pumped in, which rapidly cools and hardens the plastic.
13:09A new pair of goggle frames can then be pulled out.
13:14With fashion on the slopes a high priority, the designer has to get the color scheme just right.
13:20So it's time for the frames to get a fresh coat of paint.
13:22Each set is airbrushed by hand using a micro-fine lacquer.
13:36The frames are then sent to the oven to dry.
13:39A six-minute journey seals the paint into place.
13:44The next stage is the lenses.
13:47Modern goggles are made out of a combination of several layers treated with different chemicals.
13:51The inner layer is cut from a sheet of tinted plastic.
13:55The color helps the human eye to recognize contours and edges.
14:00The outer lens, meanwhile, is treated with an anti-fogging agent.
14:04The combination of body heat and cold outdoor temperatures mean lens fogging is a big problem for skiers.
14:11Without this treatment, a hard session in the cold would cause the lenses to fog up completely,
14:16and you wouldn't be able to see a thing.
14:17So, skiers get hot, but they also want to look cool.
14:23If you're wearing a large pair of goggles, you can't wear shades.
14:27And as it's often sunny when you ski, that's a problem.
14:30So the goggles are sprayed with several layers of silicon and chrome,
14:34which reflect the sun and protect the eyes.
14:37It also looks pretty cool.
14:39Now that all the chemical layers have been added to the lens,
14:42a precision cutter can shape it to fit perfectly into the frames.
14:57Remember the colored layer from earlier?
14:59Well, whilst the lens was being treated and cut,
15:02the colored layer was being bent so it would match.
15:04Five minutes at 60 degrees and this machine is just right.
15:14So, now we've got all the bits that we need,
15:16all that's left is to put them together.
15:18To combine the lenses, a foam layer is stuck between the outer layer and the tinted inner layer.
15:30This creates a thermal effect similar to double glazing in a home.
15:37The next stage is to make them look good.
15:40Any shiny bits or add-ons are stuck on here,
15:44as well as the straps so they'll stay on your head.
15:46The lens is finally put into the waiting frames.
15:50All the hard work from design to construction has come together
15:53and what's left is the latest ski goggles ready for the slopes.
15:58Almost.
15:59They're well made and they look good,
16:02but there are a few tests to be run first.
16:05Whether in your pocket or during a crash,
16:08the lens has to resist scratching.
16:10And because they've been made with the toughest materials possible,
16:13they can even resist a heavy-duty scouring pad.
16:16In the event of a serious accident,
16:20the goggles must be able to withstand a heavy impact.
16:23Steel ball bearings are fired at up to 160 kilometers per hour.
16:28If the lens breaks, the goggles fail.
16:31And where do you use goggles?
16:33In the freezing cold conditions you'd find on a mountain.
16:36So they're stuck in a freezer at minus 20 degrees Celsius for at least two hours.
16:41Whether you're a bunny slope beginner or an off-piste animal,
16:45these goggles will protect you come snow or shine.
16:48In 2005, UK residents drank over a billion liters of wine.
17:10It may have reached their table in a bottle, but it began life in a barrel.
17:13At this traditional German barrel manufacturer,
17:18they're making one that can hold about 225 liters.
17:22The cooper who makes the barrel will need three lengths of wood.
17:25He'll split them into four pieces and use that to make the planks he needs.
17:30Now, making a barrel isn't just about sawing wood into planks and sticking them together.
17:35You'll end up with a square barrel for a start.
17:37Another problem with just sawing up your wood is the tree's pores.
17:44When the tree was growing, they would help carry nutrients to the leaves and branches.
17:49However, once it's cut down, the pores become just holes in the wood.
17:53The planks must therefore be cut with the grain of the wood
17:56to stop the barrel's contents leaking out over time.
17:59Traditionally, oak is used to make barrels because it's strong
18:06and the chemicals it releases help it to improve the quality and flavor of the wine.
18:14To make stage from the planks, they're sanded down first.
18:22The ends are then sawn off at an angle to help shape them.
18:29If you want a proper barrel shape, the staves must be wider in the middle
18:33and narrower towards the ends.
18:36It takes a master cooper years of experience to be able to achieve this by hand.
18:47Now, although they're not all exactly the same,
18:49traditional wine barrels have a diameter of 56 centimeters.
18:53To get this right, the cooper must use between 25 and 30 staves.
18:57But as they're all slightly different,
19:00he has to keep trying until he gets the right combination,
19:03which can be a little bit hit and miss.
19:09When he's got the ones he needs, he'll attach two of them to a metal hoop.
19:13They'll form the structure to which all the others will be added.
19:16Once the last one is ready to be put in, the hoop can be tightened up.
19:24And voila, one perfectly formed wine barrel.
19:27Well, not exactly.
19:30You can see the beginnings of a barrel shape,
19:32but you couldn't really store any wine in it just yet.
19:35First, the staves need to be bent.
19:37The cooper lights a small fire in the center of the barrel
19:41and the staves are brushed with water.
19:45This combination of the heat and the humidity makes the wood flexible,
19:49so we can bend it.
19:51But it's not just a case of bending them in by hand.
19:54A large vise is attached and slowly tightened up.
19:57It's very, very slow.
19:59After about two hours of tightening,
20:08you can actually see the barrel shape,
20:10even though it doesn't have a top or bottom yet.
20:15Next, the cooper will toast the interior.
20:18What the cooper is doing here will have a really big impact
20:20on the flavor of the wine stored in this barrel.
20:24A small fire is lit to singe the wood.
20:26More singeing will mean a richer, smokier flavor for the wine.
20:30But he has to be careful not to burn the barrel too much.
20:33That would ruin the wine.
20:37Having spent ages making it watertight,
20:39the cooper now drills a hole in the side
20:41so he can get the wine out.
20:44He also needs to give it a top and bottom
20:46so a lip is cut into the inside.
20:53The cooper then measures out the diameter
20:55using a pair of compasses.
21:00He can then transfer the size to the boards he's using
21:03to make the bottom with.
21:11It's then time to turn on his trusty saw
21:13and cut out a perfect circle for the bottom of the barrel.
21:16To fit it, the hoops that have been holding it together
21:25have had to be removed.
21:27He inserts the disc and then replaces the hoops
21:29and tightens it all up again.
21:31Then, just to be sure it really will be waterproof,
21:44he sticks straw into the gaps between each stave.
21:47Now he's got the barrel into shape,
21:54but it still looks a little bit shabby around the edges,
21:56so the cooper can now give it a bit of a makeover.
21:59Sanding down the exterior used to be done by hand,
22:02but it was long, slow and very hard work.
22:05The modern cooper is far smarter.
22:08He gets his assistant to do the work,
22:10using a machine to spin the barrel for him.
22:13First, he planes down the wood,
22:15watching out for enormous splinters as he goes.
22:20And the barrel is then given the once-over
22:22with some fine sandpaper to finish it.
22:26All that remains is for the barrel to be fitted
22:28with some fresh steel hoops.
22:30The cooper marks up the steel
22:31and cuts it on his custom guillotine.
22:33He then splays the steel so that it's tight against the barrel
22:37and gets the best grip possible.
22:39It's then all riveted together for strength.
22:47The hoops are now fitted to the barrel
22:49and hammered firmly into place.
22:53And the final addition is the cooper's seal.
22:56Well, okay, his stamp.
22:58So the next time you taste oak in your glass of Chardonnay,
23:01check that there aren't any splinters still floating around.
23:04The End
23:08The End
23:09The End
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