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24x06 - Scuba Diving Lights, Interchangeable Sandals, Race Car Somulators, Fibreglass ...

Episode transcripts for the TV show, "How It's Made". Aired: July 6, 2005.*
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Television series that documents how various everyday products are made.

24x06 - Scuba Diving Lights, Interchangeable Sandals, Race Car Somulators, Fibreglass ...

Post by bunniefuu »

Narrator: a dive light is essential
when scuba diving at night,

But can also be used
for daytime dives

To explore
underwater caves and shipwrecks.

The deeper you dive,
the more water absorbs

Certain colors
in the light spectrum.

When you use
an artificial light,

You can see the underwater world
in true color.

The dive light is waterproof
to a depth of 295 feet.

It's brighter
than a car headlight,

With six outer l.e.d. Lights
for floodlighting

And three inner l.e.d.s
for alternate spotlighting.

The dive light begins
as a conceptual drawing.

The mechanical designer
sketches out its basic features

And a few proposed shapes.

Then the company
creates foam models.

Scuba divers test these models

And provide feedback
on the comfort of each shape.

This market research
results in the final design...

A compact,
hand-mounted dive-light

With a user-friendly
operating switch

And three l.e.d.
Battery-life indicators.

The housing's components are
made of durable plastic pellets,

Reinforced with glass fiber.

Workers load the pellets into
an injection molding machine.

The machine melts them
and shoots the molten plastic

Into the proper mold for
the component they are making.

The machine then cools
the plastic to a solid state

And injects
the newly formed part.

This is the reflector.

It combines the light
from the six outer l.e.d.s

Into a single beam.

It's coated in aluminum

To increase
the amount of light it reflects.

A 3-d printer
produces prototypes

For all of the parts
before they are manufactured.

Guided by a computer,

The printer shoots out plastic
to build the part

In three dimensions
from the bottom up.

Once the prototype is approved,

They make a mold
for mass production.

This part is called
the light pipe.

It has oval covers for the three
l.e.d. Battery-life indicators

And a waterproof seal.

Once all the housing parts
are molded, assembly can begin.

They insert the light pipe into
the main body of the housing.

Then they attach a switch,

Which turns the light
on and off.

It also toggles the light

Between spotlight
and floodlight modes.

They don't need to pierce the
housing to connect the switch.

The switch slides a magnet over
the outside of the housing.

The magnetic field communicates
through the housing

To sensors inside.

Next they insert and connect
the circuit board...

...then the lithium-ion
rechargeable battery.

They plug its connector
into the circuit board.

This cover holds the internal
parts in correct alignment.

A silicone o ring
forms a watertight seal

Between the main body
and the light head.

They snap the reflector over
the nine l.e.d.s,

Which are attached
to a round circuit board.

The circuit board is metal

So that it will absorb the heat
the l.e.d. Lights generate.

The screw-on aluminum bezel

Makes contact
with the circuit board,

Transferring the heat
out of the housing

And into the water.

They conduct the first
quality-control test in water.

The dive light is turned on

To verify that it will run
for 65 minutes on a full charge.

In the second
quality-control test,

They submerge the dive light
in a pressurized tank.

This simulates the pressure
the light would be subjected to

At an underwater depth
of about 300 feet.

That's over twice
the diving depth

Of a typical recreational dive.

If the light doesn't spring
a leak, it passes the test.

They fully recharge the battery,

Which takes
two and a half hours.

At full charge,

All three indicators
light up green.

As the charge drains,

The indicators change
from green to orange to red,

Then to flashing red,

So scuba divers
are never in the dark

About how much juice
is left in their light.

Narrator:
interchangeable sandals
come with numerous ties

That can be used to customize
the look of a pair of heels.

The mix-and-match possibilities
are endless.

The wearer can try out
many different styles

On a small budget.

With interchangeable footwear,

You can change the look without
actually changing your shoes.

With a variety

Of cloth and leather strappings
to choose from,

A pair of sandals
can be made to look different

Each time you wear them.

To make a pair
of interchangeable sandals,

They start with
a piece of hardwood,

Like cherry, walnut, or maple.

The employee cuts the wood
to a workable size.

Then computer-driven routers

Carve the rough shape
of the sandals' heels,

Making two heels
from a single block.

The router sculpts
a cup for the wearer's heel

And carves
a supportive structure

For the arch of the foot.

The router then shaves
the sides of the heels

And exposes
the grain of the wood.

Then a worker takes over,

Cutting away excess wood
with a band saw.

She rounds the back of the heels

And further refines
the structure.

She now has a pair of heels.

Another team member brushes
rubber cement onto the soles.

They are made of both
natural and synthetic rubber.

She applies glue
to the heels, too.

She presses the heels
to the rubber soles.

The glue takes


Faux leather,
backed by cushy padding,

Is used to make the footbed.

This material is similar

To what is used to make
flip-flops.

The worker
transfers the footbeds

To a silk-screen work station.

She lowers a stencil
with the company's logo on it.

She applies acrylic ink

And squeegees the ink
across the stencil

To transfer the imagine
to the faux-leather footbeds.

Another employee
threads strong nylon cording

Through the holes
in the footbeds

To create loops
for the interchangeable ties.

He presses rivets
into the footbed

To hold the loops in place.

Then he attaches
the second part of the rivets

To the protruding shafts.

Using the special press,

He flattens the rivets
to secure them to the footbed.

The loops are now
firmly attached

And should hold up
to frequent tying.

Another worker now glues the
footbeds to the soles and heels.

Next, she glues
the rubber heel caps

To the bottoms of the shoes.

The caps provide tread
and make the shoe more durable.

A worker then sands
the sides of the sandals,

Blending
all the layers together.

He buffs the sides
against a fine grit abrasive

To give the surface
a nice sheen.

Then he rubs an oil-based sealer
into the wooden heels.

This protects the wood
from moisture

And also accentuates the grain.

It's time to test the ties.

She threads the ribbons
through the loops.

They're good to go.

With many colorful ties
to choose from,

These interchangeable sandals
are many shoes in one.

Narrator:
racecar simulators

Help train racecar drivers
off the track.

They provide realistic
visuals and sensations...

Bumps, jolts, swerves...

Whatever movement you'd feel

If you were sitting
in the driver's seat

Of a real racecar.

This racecar simulator
can be programmed to produce

A range of racing scenarios
and weather conditions.

It can replicate
any car on any track.

First, a computer-guided laser

Cuts many of the simulator's
parts from steel sheets.

After workers
sand the rough areas,

A machine reads the final shape
with a laser

To make sure the part
meets specifications.

If a part requires bending,
it is done with a press.

This is one of the side brackets
for the driver's seat.

The simulator's main structure

Is made primarily
of steel tubing.

They saw the lengths required.

Then a computer-guided mill
drills holes

For the bolts
that will later be used

To attach
the simulator's components.

Once all the steel tubes
are ready,

A welder puts them in a jig

To align them correctly
for assembly.

The structure's tubular parts
are welded together.

Then the worker adds the
simulator's sheet-steel parts

And sprays the structure
with industrial-grade paint.

Now they mount
an audio speaker and amplifier

For the vibration system.

Motion controllers that move

The steering wheel
and driver's seat

Are also added.

They install
the power distribution block

And a sub-controller
for each of the two actuators.

They install the cables required
for the simulator's components

And plug them into a usb hub.

Then they install the computer

And plug it into the usb hub,
as well.

They cover the top
of the structure

With a textured aluminum panel.

They bolt the bottom of
the actuators to the structure

And plug them
into the sub-controllers inside.

Then they mount
the driver's seat

And bolt the top of the
actuators to the back of it.

A worker installs the seat belt,

Along with the spring mechanism
that yanks the belt back

When you hit the brakes.

They close in the sides
of the main structure

With aluminum panels.

Next they assemble
the simulator's three pedals...

Gas, brakes, and clutch...

And mount
the clutch mechanism to it.

The pedal assembly is installed

To the base
of the steering frame.

They mount the dashboard
to the top of the frame.

It's made of carbon fiber

And contains the computer
and audio controls.

They attach the steering frame
to the main structure.

Then they assemble
the steering wheel.

Inside its base
is a circuit board

That controls the buttons
on the wheel and gear shift.

It's called the shift paddle.

They mount the shift paddle
to the base...

...then flip it over
to attach the wheel.

Next workers assemble
the display frame.

It holds the simulator's
three monitors

And three front speakers.

Then they roll in
the rest of the simulator

And plug the monitors
and speakers into the computer.

Finally, the steering wheel
is mounted to the dash.

It snaps in and out,
allowing the driver

To easily switch
between steering wheel models.

The simulator is run through
several days of test drives

Before it ships out.

Amusement parks
also purchase these simulators

To offer visitors
a racecar driving experience.

They can even link
multiple simulators together

To race against each other
in virtual replicas

Of the world's
most famous racetracks.

Narrator: in the 1980s,

Fiberglass doors
came on the market.

They were well-insulated

And didn't warp
in humid conditions

Like wood doors.

However, they lacked the beauty
and texture of real wood.

That's now changing
with technology

That can make fiberglass doors
look much more inviting.

Fiberglass doors trick
the eye and fool visitors.

Even up close,
they look like real wood.

It's an illusion made possible
with the help of technology.

A wood-grain fiberglass door
starts with a real wood door.

A computerized cutter
carves various panels.

An employee sands away
any marks left by the cutter.

He gently scrapes the wood

With a wire brush
to expose the grain.

He then assembles the panels

Of the door within
a special fixture.

Another team member scans
the wood door with a laser

To confirm
its dimensional accuracy.

With that confirmation,

They're ready to use
this wood door

To make a fiberglass one.

Next the worker pours a special
silicone mixture onto the wood

And leaves it to cure overnight.

This step was demonstrated using
a smaller section of the door.

The silicone picks up all the
definition of the wood grain,

Creating
an exact copy of the door.

Next an employee injects
a different silicone mixture

Into a thin gap

Between the recently created
silicone copy

And a sheet of steel.

The second silicone door copy
is thinner,

Allowing for a better transfer
of heat during the next process.

They load the door copy,
still on the steel sheet,

Into a chemical deposition
chamber.

The chemical heats
the steel and the silicone,

Causing a nickel-vapor shell
to form.

The nickel shell
has all the detail

Of the original wood door.

An employee files the edges

And adds
a protective fiberglass cover

Over the top of the shell.

Workers then lower the
nickel shell into a mold base.

They remove the protective cover

And are ready to use
the nickel shell

To mold fiberglass door veneers.

There are many nickel molds

And a variety of door styles
at this factory.

The fiberglass material now
unwinds into a cutting station.

A worker slices it
into uniform strips.

The fiberglass has a dough-like
consistency at this stage.

He places a stack of fiberglass
strips on the nickel door mold

And lowers a hot press.

The press squeezes and melts
the fiberglass.

It flows into the crevices
of the mold.

The fiberglass
solidifies quickly.

An employee removes it
from the press

And sands the ragged edges.

Another member of the team

Confirms that the width
and thickness of the panel

Are on target.

They stain every
first-run fiberglass panel

To expose
the transferred wood grain.

This is a test.

If the grain is good,

It means there are no defects
in the nickel door mold.

It's time to assemble
the fiberglass door.

Rollers apply glue
to external framing wood.

The team builds a frame around
the fiberglass door skin.

They join the wood
to plastic casing

At the top and bottom
of the door.

They place a second
fiberglass door skin on the top.

Then they feed
the door through rollers

That squeeze it together.

This activates the glue
for a strong assembly.

The glue takes
over 24 hours to dry.

Next they load
the hollow fiberglass doors

Into an insulating press.

The press closes, holding
the doors tightly in place.

A worker fills the hollow doors

With polyurethane
insulating foam.

When foam begins to overflow
through the vent holes,

The worker knows
the doors are full.

He caps the fill hole...

...and runs a finger along the
doors to remove any excess foam.

Energy-efficient and stable,

Fiberglass doors
are a great alternative to wood.

With eye-catching wood grain,
they're convincing imitations.

If you have any comments
about the show,

Or if you'd like to suggest
topics for future shows,

Drop us a line at...