How It's Made

Manufacturing processes include encoding and molding compact discs, turning milk into mozzarella cheese, knitting exceptionally fine synthetic fibers into pantyhose, and assembling fluorescent tubes with phosphor coatings, electrodes and gas.

The episode demonstrates how timber is sliced and shaped into toothpicks, acrylic sheets are heated and vacuum-formed into bathtubs, helicopters are assembled and tested, and grain, hops, yeast and water are brewed into beer.

Miniature electronic components are fitted into custom hearing aids, printed designs are cut and assembled into three-dimensional puzzles, rubber is processed into durable floor mats, and vitreous china is molded, glazed and fired to produce toilets.

Wood pulp is refined and rolled into copy paper, denim is cut and sewn into jeans, electronic components are installed and tested in personal computers, and molten raw materials are formed into smooth sheets of plate glass.

Steel wire is cut and shaped into nails and staples, impact-resistant lenses and frames become safety glasses, yarn is woven or knitted into fabric, and bicycle frames and components are assembled into finished cycles.

The program examines the molding and outfitting of kayaks, construction of reinforced safety boots, assembly and programming of electronic signs, and large-scale preparation, cooking and packaging of breakfast cereal.

Heavy truck chassis, engines, cabs and bodies are brought together on an assembly line; absorbent pads and adhesive strips become bandages; conductive pathways and components are added to printed circuit boards; and fermented ingredients are distilled and matured into liquor.

Raw materials are melted and processed into steel, apples are cleaned and pressed into juice, high-strength components are machined and assembled into aircraft landing gear, and pigments, oils and waxes are blended into cosmetics.

Laser-recorded interference patterns are used to create holograms, high-speed presses print packaging materials, laboratory techniques grow replacement skin tissue, and corn is harvested, prepared, sealed and sterilized for canning.

Plastic film is extruded, cut and sealed into bags; photovoltaic cells are connected and laminated into solar panels; durable polymers are molded into vehicle fuel tanks; and layered materials are shaped and finished into hockey sticks.

Aluminum sheet is stamped and threaded into bottle caps, cocoa ingredients are refined and tempered into chocolate, pharmaceutical compounds are measured and compressed into pills, and flour-and-water dough is mixed and formed into pasta.

Expanded foam and protective shells are combined into bicycle helmets, aluminum is extracted and processed into usable metal, friction components and hydraulic parts become automotive braking systems, and precisely layered materials are assembled into rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.