Eyeglass Lenses, Granite, Potato Chips, Microprocessors

1Eyeglass Lenses, Granite, Potato Chips, Microprocessors

21 minSep 7, 2002Now viewing

The manufacturing processes behind prescription eyeglass lenses, finished granite products, mass-produced potato chips and microscopic computer processors are examined.

2Honey, Fiber-Optics, Bricks, Pipe Organs

21 minSep 14, 2002

Bees and beekeepers produce and harvest honey, glass is drawn into extremely fine optical fibers, clay is molded and fired into bricks, and thousands of specialized components are assembled into pipe organs.

3Personal Watercraft, Wine, Office Furniture, Ice Skates

21 minSep 21, 2002

Personal watercraft are molded and mechanically assembled, grapes are fermented and aged into wine, particleboard is transformed into office furniture, and shaped steel blades are fitted to ice-skate boots.

4Winter Jackets, Animation, Mushrooms, Gold Rings

21 minSep 28, 2002

Insulated materials are cut and sewn into winter jackets, drawings are developed into animated sequences, mushrooms are cultivated under controlled conditions, and gold alloys are formed and polished into rings.

5Hydroponic Lettuce, Construction Wood, Recycling, Fishing Flies

21 minOct 12, 2002

Lettuce is grown without soil in a hydroponic system, logs are processed into construction lumber, discarded materials are sorted and prepared for reuse, and feathers and fibers are tied into artificial fishing flies.

6Diamond Cutting, Wood Doors, Paintballs, Newspapers

21 minOct 19, 2002

Rough diamonds are evaluated and precisely cut, lumber is shaped and joined into wooden doors, gelatin shells are filled to create paintballs, and news pages are printed and assembled at high speed.

7Carpets, Drinking Water, Laser Eye Surgery, Acoustic Guitars

21 minOct 26, 2002

Yarn is tufted and finished into carpet, municipal water is filtered and disinfected, lasers are used to reshape the eye during corrective surgery, and selected woods are fashioned into acoustic guitars.

8Fiberglass Boats, Clothes Dryers, Bubble Gum, Fireworks

21 minNov 2, 2002

Fiberglass layers are molded into boat hulls, metal cabinets and rotating drums become clothes dryers, gum base is mixed and flavored to make bubble gum, and pyrotechnic compounds are assembled into fireworks.

9Steel Safes, False Teeth, Airplanes, Maple Syrup

21 minNov 9, 2002

Reinforced steel is fabricated into security safes, dental impressions are used to create fitted dentures, aircraft structures and systems are assembled, and maple sap is collected and concentrated into syrup.

10Gummies, Aluminum Cans, Fish Farming, Bronze Sculptures

21 minNov 16, 2002

Gelatin mixtures are molded into gummy candies, aluminum sheet is formed into beverage cans, fish are raised in controlled aquaculture facilities, and artists use molds and molten metal to cast bronze sculptures.

11Aluminum Pots and Pans, Artificial Limbs, Peanut Butter, High Intensity Light Bulbs

21 minNov 23, 2002

Aluminum is pressed and finished into cookware, prosthetic limbs are designed and fitted to individual patients, roasted peanuts are ground into peanut butter, and specialized components are assembled into high-intensity light bulbs.

12Cars, Grocery Carts, Rapid Tooling and Prototyping, Collectible Coins

21 minNov 30, 2002

Automobile bodies and mechanical components come together on an assembly line, steel wire is shaped into grocery carts, computer-assisted techniques create rapid prototypes and tooling, and commemorative designs are struck into collectible coins.

13Ball Bearings, Electrical Wires, Lost Wax Process Casting, Automated Machines

21 minDec 7, 2002

Steel components are ground and polished into precision ball bearings, conductive metal is drawn and insulated to produce electrical wire, wax models are used to cast complex metal objects, and a compilation examines automated manufacturing machinery.