- 44 minutes ago
Everyday items including umbrellas, silver cutlery, tape measures, and outboard motors are examined to discover how they are made.
有没有想过雨伞, 舷外发动机, 银制餐具和卷尺是如何制造的？
有没有想过雨伞, 舷外发动机, 银制餐具和卷尺是如何制造的？
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TVTranscript
00:22Today, on How It's Made, Umbrellas.
00:32Outboard Motors, Silver Cutlery, and Tape Measures.
00:53It provides shelter from the rain, protection from the sun, and it's a chic fashion accessory.
00:59The umbrella originated in ancient China some 1700 years ago.
01:04Since then, it's evolved from the original parasol to the modern-day collapsible canopy.
01:15Unlike mass-produced models, this quality umbrella is meticulously crafted by hand.
01:22Production begins with a birch wood shaft, which an artisan stains to match the umbrella's
01:27handle.
01:28He narrows down the shaft so it will fit perfectly into the handle.
01:34After buffing the handle to a shine, he glues it onto the shaft.
01:42Next, the artisan forms two springs from wire made of nickel silver, a metal that can withstand
01:48extreme tension.
01:53He bends one end of the wire into a triangular shape, and hammers it flat to ensure a neat
02:00fit.
02:02He cuts two slots in the shaft, one at the top and one at the bottom.
02:08Then he pierces each slot, creating a hole for the spring to hook into.
02:11With a bit of stain, he hides the exposed wood.
02:18For the umbrella to open and close easily, the springs must fit snugly.
02:22So the end of the spring gets a right-angle bend.
02:25This shape sets the correct tension.
02:32With a tap of the hammer, the springs now rest firmly into the slide.
02:40After trimming the spring, the artisan forms it into the perfect shape by purposely overbending,
02:46then correcting the position.
02:48A small pin inside the shaft prevents the spring from opening fully.
02:54This brass runner is what you slide up the shaft to open the umbrella.
02:59A stop pin limits the runner's travel, preventing the canopy from blowing inside out.
03:08The artisan fits a length of tying wire around a slot in the runner, then threads the canopy's
03:14eight ribs onto it.
03:16The ribs are made of a type of steel that's strong yet flexible, so they curve into a dome
03:21shape when the umbrella's open, then straighten out again when it's closed.
03:30The ribs' other ends are wired to what's called a notch.
03:35Once they're in place, they'll rest just below the handle line.
03:40At the spot where the notch will sit on the shaft, a hole is drilled.
03:44This will hold the pinning wire in place.
03:51Workers cut eight triangular-shaped panels called gores from durable nylon.
03:56They attach a label, then assemble the canopy by sewing all eight gores together.
04:04Next, eight metal tips are inserted into a machine that wraps them in fabric.
04:09Then they're stitched to eight locations inside the canopy.
04:18These smaller pieces of fabric, called prevents, stop the canopy from chafing against the frame.
04:26This decorative rosette hides the point at which the runner and ribs meet.
04:31Next, the canopy is draped over the shaft and hand-sewn tightly over the notch.
04:39A tip is attached over the end of each rib.
04:43Then each rib is aligned with a canopy seam.
04:51After checking the fabric for imperfections, a worker secures the ribs in position by sewing them to their respective seams.
05:02They roll up the umbrella to check that the fastening button and band, attached earlier, are in the right place.
05:10A decorative ring goes over the notch.
05:17Then the top of the shaft is crowned with a ferrule, a brass cap with a protective steel tip.
05:25This company embellishes its shaft with a steel-plated band, ideal for engraving the owner's initials.
05:35After a quick wash, the canopy is ironed for a neat, crisp finish.
05:41The final touch is a matching cover, which you can slide off in an instant if you're caught in a
05:46sudden shower.
05:51When we return, an inside look at the outboard motor.
05:59Generally smaller than their inboard counterparts, outboard marine motors come in a variety of sizes and horsepowers,
06:05ranging from single-cylinder models to powerful eight-cylinder configurations.
06:10They can run on gas, diesel, or electricity.
06:13And they can provide power for a quiet day of fishing or an exhilarating offshore drag race.
06:22Outboard motors have an engine on top and a gear case below.
06:26This aluminum engine block is the skeleton that houses the cylinders, the heart of the engine's internal combustion system.
06:33Under a stream of cutting fluid, machines hone the cylinders to precise dimensions.
06:40Minuscule Xs are carved into the steel that lines the cylinder walls.
06:44Oil will settle into these Xs, keeping the walls well lubricated for the piston.
06:51Workers assemble each piston manually.
06:54First, they build a ridged bearing and insert it into the loop at the end of a connecting rod.
07:00Then they fit the rod into a piston head, securing it with a pin.
07:10The pistons are placed in the cylinders.
07:16Then they lower the engine's crankshaft into place and attach it to the loops at the ends of the connecting
07:21rods.
07:24The crankshaft's bearings are lubricated and capped off.
07:32Then this part of the engine is sealed with an aluminum cover.
07:35To get the cover's positioning just right, the first bolt is driven into place manually.
07:41A precision torque wrench does the rest.
07:46Now the top is screwed on.
07:53A magneto system is mounted onto the crankshaft.
07:57As it spins, it generates electricity for the engine's electronics and pumps.
08:05Meanwhile, on another assembly line, the gear case takes shape.
08:10This machine locks the case's forward gear to a shaft that'll turn the motor's propeller.
08:15The propeller shaft connects the lower driveshaft.
08:19The factory buys these pieces ready-made from a supplier, but still has to refine the dimensions so that everything
08:26fits together perfectly.
08:28This machine analyzes the shaft.
08:31It concludes that this one needs to be a fraction of an inch longer.
08:35So workers add the required number of steel discs, called shims.
08:41They insert this drive shaft into the gear case, then attach the propeller shaft with the forward gear.
08:51Now the gear case is linked to the drive shaft, which connects to the propeller shaft, which turns the propeller.
09:00The next piece to go into place is the middle section of the motor, the part in between the engine
09:05and the gear case.
09:07First, workers attach the gear case, now fitted with a shift rod for switching gears, and an upper drive shaft,
09:13which transfers power from the engine to the propeller.
09:18Next, the unit gets a coat of paint that's saltwater resistant.
09:27When the paint's dry, workers bolt the engine on top of the assembly.
09:32The engine is plugged into a master computer, which automatically uploads an operating system onto the engine's internal computer.
09:40Then using a scanner, they input information about each cylinder.
09:44The motor is now fully operational.
09:53Workers insert a propeller onto the propeller shaft, then lower the motor into a test tank.
10:02This factory tests every motor it produces.
10:06They run the engine for about 10 minutes, while a computer analyzes the performance data.
10:19After drying the engine thoroughly, workers apply the finishing touches, starting with the two-part cover that encases the lower
10:26portion of the motor.
10:34Then they latch another cover over the engine, and stick on decals.
10:43Both covers are made of heavy-duty plastic coated in paint that won't fade, even after a lifetime of sun,
10:50wind, and water.
10:58Up next, turning out the silverware that turns an ordinary dinner into something special.
11:07Cutlery dates back to the Stone Age, some 300,000 years ago.
11:11Prehistoric people made the first cutlery from splinters of stone, shells, horn, and wood chips.
11:18During the Bronze Age, humans found a better material, metal.
11:23Forks came along much later, originating in ancient Greece.
11:31Whether cutlery is sterling silver, silver-plated, or stainless steel, the production process is the same.
11:40It all starts with thin sheets of metal.
11:45As workers manually feed the sheet through a press, a die inside punches out utensil shapes, called blanks.
11:54Fork blanks go into a piercing tool, which slices away three strips of metal.
11:59This creates four prongs with a support bar across the top, for now.
12:05Meanwhile, spoon blanks go into a machine called the cross roller, which expands the spoon head sideways, thinning out the
12:12metal at the same time.
12:14Then, it's into a clipping tool, which trims the spoon head to precisely the right size and shape.
12:24Both spoon and fork blanks now go into a grinding machine that smooths away rough edges by vibrating them against
12:31small plastic cones.
12:34Elsewhere in the factory, a specialized tradesman sculpts the steel die that'll stamp the pattern on the cutlery handles.
12:42Working from a designer's illustration, he has to interpret the pattern in three dimensions.
12:47This requires tremendous skill, because the depth of the design varies throughout the handle.
12:52He measures these minute variations with a tool called a micrometer.
13:02In the press, the die does three things.
13:05Emboss the pattern, gently bend the handle, and mark the back of the utensil with the manufacturer's name.
13:15Now, back to the head of the utensils.
13:17The forks go into a press that bends the prongs to the right curve.
13:22Now that support bar can finally come off.
13:30Spoons, meanwhile, go into a press fitted with what's called a bowling die.
13:34It strikes the spoon's flat head into a bowl shape.
13:44Every time you strike metal, it hardens a bit.
13:47So repeatedly during the shaping process, workers have to heat the blanks to soften them again.
13:54Making knives is more complicated than making spoons and forks.
13:58Each knife handle is constructed from two halves.
14:01A press punches them out and stamps the pattern.
14:04Then a clipping machine removes excess metal around the perimeter.
14:11Now workers coat the edge with flux, a chemical cleanser.
14:15The surfaces have to be spotless to bond properly.
14:23The two halves are wrapped together with string.
14:29Then, powdered metal is poured into the cavity.
14:32It immediately sticks to the flux on the edges.
14:35The excess is discarded.
14:37Then the handles are run through a mini furnace for 12 minutes.
14:41The 1600 degree heat liquefies the metal powder, soldering the two halves together and burning off the string.
14:49After polishing, the solder line will be invisible.
14:59Workers pour cement into the center of a centerviews machine and load the hollow handles all around.
15:08As the machine spins, it fills each handle with cement.
15:14Now, each handle gets a stainless steel blade.
15:18The blade's stem goes directly into the wet cement.
15:22And a clamp holds the parts together during the hardening process.
15:31A 12-minute bath in hot water cures the cement, making the handle blade connection rock-solid and giving the
15:38handle weight.
15:43For worker safety, it's only now near the end of production that they sharpen the blades.
15:53A good polishing, and this elegant silverware is ready for even the most sophisticated dinner party.
16:07Coming up, a factory that goes the whole nine yards.
16:16A popular tool in any utility closet, the spring-driven retractable tape measure was invented in the middle of the
16:2319th century.
16:24But it didn't really become popular until the 1940s.
16:28Today, any handyman without one just doesn't measure up.
16:39Measuring tapes take the guesswork out of any job.
16:42And if you don't use one, you'll soon see the error of your ways.
16:48Production begins with a three-dimensional computer design.
16:52To bring that vision to life, a machine first pulls hardened strips of steel, five at a time, across a
16:58network of rollers that coat them with primer.
17:01Then comes the paint.
17:09After the paint dries, the strips are rewound in preparation for printing.
17:15Printing cylinders roll the measurement markings onto the steel strips.
17:22They use black ink for millimeters and red for meters.
17:35Next, they heat the measuring tape.
17:38This ensures that the protective plastic film, applied by this machine, will stick well to the steel.
17:50Rollers then give the tape a concave contour so that it can be extended rigidly.
17:57Every few seconds, the presses grind to a halt, and a blade cuts the tape to the correct length.
18:03At the same time, it punches a hole for the end hook, which is then riveted into place.
18:11Another machine rolls up steel to make springs.
18:15The spring enables the measuring tape to retract into the casing.
18:28The end of the spring is clipped to an automatic winding machine.
18:32A worker places the lower half of the tape measure's casing into position.
18:36The machine then rewinds the steel spring and transfers it into the casing.
18:46The spring gets a little lubricating oil.
18:48Then workers install the control brakes, which can be used to lock and unroll tape in place.
18:55Assembling the rest of the casing is a snap.
18:58Everything is screwed together.
19:03The measuring tape is attached to the spring.
19:09And then it's time to test that spring action.
19:15This factory makes some longer measuring tapes from glass fibers, which are far lighter than steel.
19:21Multiple strands of glass are pulled through a tub of white liquid plastic so that they'll stick together.
19:30The fibers then enter a machine that coats them with more plastic, melted down from hard pellets like these.
19:41This process transforms the glass fibers into a strong yet flexible tape, the type commonly used for surveyors' tape measures.
19:53A computerized printer transfers measurements to the tape a meter a second.
19:59Lights illuminate the tape so a camera can check for printing defects.
20:05An inspector double-checks the print job and also examines each tape for accuracy.
20:11Some tapes are more accurate than others because of varying standards in different industries and different countries.
20:18She grades each tape and marks it so that it can be tracked back to the operator.
20:27A laser then moves over the tapes to check the accuracy level again.
20:31If the reading is off by even a few thousandths of a millimeter, then the tape is rejected.
20:43Winding a surveyor's tape is a manual job.
20:46No spring system here because that would make the tape measure too heavy and unwieldy.
20:55After winding, the tape is cut and the end hook is fastened into place.
21:04And finally, these measuring tapes are ready to roll.
21:12If you have any comments about the show, or if you'd like to suggest topics for future shows, drop us
21:18a line at sciencechannel.com forward slash howitsmade.
21:21How it's made.
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