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15x01 - Kelp Caviar/Luxury Sailboats/Dental Crowns/Engines

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.

15x01 - Kelp Caviar/Luxury Sailboats/Dental Crowns/Engines

Post by bunniefuu »

Narrator:
Caviar is made

By processing the unfertilized
eggs of certain species of fish.

For those who love the taste
but not the price,

There's simulated caviar
made of kelp, a type of seaweed.

A fraction of the cost,

It looks, smells, and tastes
similar to the real thing.

Unlike fish caviar, the source
of kelp caviar is a plant,

So it's fat-free,
cholesterol-free,

And has zero calories.

This company makes
its kelp caviar plain,

Which is vegetarian,

As well as in several flavors.

Kelp is chock-full of vitamins
and minerals

And is especially rich
in iodine.

Being a marine plant, it's quite
different from land plants

In that its consistency
is gelatinous,

Which makes it ideal for
producing little rubbery ba*ls

That resemble fish eggs.

At the kelp caviar factory,

They begin production with kelp
that's been dried naturally,

Then ground into a fine powder.

The other ingredients are salt,
citric acid,

And, if they're making
a flavored variety,

Natural flavoring
in liquid form.

They add the ingredients
one at a time to water.

The mixer blends them thoroughly
for about an hour,

Producing
a thick, gelatinous liquid.

They transfer the mixture
into a pot

Connected
to an extrusion machine.

The machine pumps the mixture

Through what looks
like a showerhead,

Only instead of outputting
a steady stream,

It squeezes out droplets,

Producing tiny kelp ba*ls
called pearls,

Which look
exactly like fish eggs.

The pearls drop into
a coagulation solution.

Besides providing
a soft landing,

This solution helps
hold the pearls' shape.

The pearls roll down a chute
into waiting containers.

The water drains out the bottom.

Workers empty the containers
into large colanders.

Then they rinse
and strain the pearls

To ensure they're all
a certain minimum size.

Pearls that are too small

Simply fall
through the colander's holes.

They weigh out
a specific quantity

And mix in
an all-natural stabilizer

Required to maintain the pearls'
texture and round shape.

The factory's
quality-control lab

Tests a sample from the batch

To make sure the ph level
is just right.

Careful ph control,
coupled with pasteurization,

Is why this product doesn't
require any preservatives.

At the packaging station,
workers fill glass jars,

Then twist a tin lid
onto each one.

Then the jars go into
a pasteurization machine.

It heats the caviar
to a high temperature

For a specific period of time,

Which kills off any bacteria.

This ensures a two-year shelf
life without refrigeration.

Once opened, the product
stays fresh in the fridge

For three months.

After printing each lid
with a lot number

For tracking purposes,

All that's left to do is dress
the jar in a cardboard label.

Kelp caviar contains no
artificial colors or flavors.

Unlike certain types of caviar,

It doesn't bleed color
to the surrounding food,

Even when baked.

And while real caviar

Is typically either black
sturgeon roe or red salmon roe,

Kelp caviar comes
in additional flavors,

Such as truffle, cognac,
and wasabi.

Narrator: Luxury sailboats
evoke thoughts of freedom

And sunsets on the ocean,

But in the factory,
it's all about hard work,

Because luxury sailboats
are still mostly made by hand.

Just a few hundred units
are produced every year,

Each boat requiring
up to 3,000 hours of work.

Sailboats have come a long way

Since they were first used
on the nile river

Some 6,000 years ago.

These luxury sailboats
are designed

Using computer-aided
design software,

Which allows the engineers
to optimize the hull shape

For stability and speed

Before actually
building the boat.

They build the hull
from fiberglass,

Which comes as knitted fabric

And as mats of random strands
pressed together.

These two layers are hybridized

To form a light
but very strong material.

Huge molds are used to build
the hull of this 45-foot boat.

Workers unroll the fiberglass
and spray it with resin.

Then they unroll the next layer
of fiberglass,

Which overlaps the previous one,

Making for a very strong
construction.

The resin hardens as it cures.

Boat parts are so large
and heavy

That they must be moved
with cranes.

This part is called the transom.

It will be attached to the hull
with fiberglass

While it and the hull
are still in the molds,

Creating what's called
a monaco construction.

This hull surface will receive
the structural grid,

Which will support the engine,
mast, fuel tank,

And water tanks.

Meanwhile, carpenters fashion
the wood components.

This door is made of solid teak,

A durable hardwood
that doesn't rot.

The wood parts are then put
into a curing oven

At 122 degrees fahrenheit.

Air is circulated to cure
the varnish in about 11 minutes.

Bright lights also help
cure the varnish.

It's time to put the divisions
in place.

The hull liner has slots

Designed to receive
the various wood components.

Each part is fitted twice --

First to check the fit,

Then permanently
with high-strength adhesive.

It's time to install the engine.

With its 54 horsepower,
the boat can cruise at 8 knots,

Even when the wind
isn't blowing.

This stainless-steel structure
serves to reinforce the rudder.

It's attached with epoxy glue.

After closing the rudder mold,
they insert a paper cone

To completely fill the rudder
with urethane foam.

The foam expands as it cures.

They finish by carefully sanding
the edges of the rudder,

Which is now attached
underneath the hull.

To build the boat's deck,

Molds for the top and bottom
parts must be aligned.

High-strength bonding material
is applied at specific spots.

The two molds are
carefully fitted together.

When the parts are perfectly
joined, the mold is removed.

The deck is now ready
to be fitted on the boat.

Workers carefully line
everything up.

Luxury sailboats have
enough space for many rooms

And can be customized
with appliances and electronics

That suit the customer's needs
and tastes.

All that's needed now
is a dip in the test pool

For a check of the engine,
generator,

And other mechanical systems.

After about three months
of hard work,

The boat is now ready to set
sail for offshore adventures.

Narrator: Dental work dates back
to ancient egypt,

When people used animal teeth
and pieces of bone

To replace their own teeth.

It couldn't have been pretty,

But today,
high-tech dental crowns

Can transform damaged teeth
into pearly whites

That look
just like all the rest.

A dental crown starts with a
plaster impression of the mouth.

It goes to a laboratory,
where they cut it into segments

To isolate the tooth
in need of restoration.

They scan it into a computer

And send the dimensions
electronically to the factory.

There, machinery pumps
liquid plaster into molds

To create cylinders
called blanks.

The plaster blanks take
about 10 minutes to harden,

Then move on to cure
for an additional 12 hours.

At the next station,

A robot installs a blank
in a milling machine.

A computerized cutting tool
sculpts the blank,

Guided by the scanned data
of the plaster replica.

It makes a duplicate
that's 20% to 30% larger

To allow for material shrinkage
later in production.

Next, a device dips the plaster
tooth in liquid ceramic,

Which hardens
into a nonstick glaze.

The next robot
orients the tooth,

Along with several others,

In a circular holder,

Ready for the next phase
of production.

Nozzles funnel ceramic powder
into molds

Arranged in a matching
circular configuration.

A robot then inserts
the tooth replicas

In the corresponding molds.

A worker stacks several
of the mold platters

And threads them together
with a metal rod.

He transfers the rack of mold
platters to the next worker,

Who plunges it into
a water-filled chamber.

He closes the lid and activates
a pressurizing system.

As the liquid pressurizes,

It compresses the ceramic
powder, solidifying it.

This process
takes just 10 minutes.

Another automated tool now
chisels away the excess ceramic,

Following the profile
of the plaster tooth replica

That's still inside.

This creates the ceramic shell
of the dental crown,

Called the coping.

It's removed
from the plaster replica,

Thanks to the nonstick glaze.

Baking the coping
at a very high temperature

Toughens the ceramic.

It also shrinks the crown shell
to the final size.

They carve a plastic copy
of the tooth,

Using the same data scanned
into the computer earlier.

They use this plastic replica to
test the fit of the ceramic one.

A technician inspects
the ceramic for chips or cracks,

Then packages it for shipping.

This tooth-like shell is now
on its way to the laboratory,

Where it will get
the finishing touches

That will transform it
into a crown.

When it arrives at the lab,

A technician paints several
layers of porcelain onto it.

The color will change
to a more-realistic hue

Once they fire it
in a special furnace.

The furnace pumps out air
or other gases

That would hinder the transfer
of heat

As it bakes the porcelain
to a very dense consistency.

After all the layers
have been applied,

A technician textures
the surface with a sharp tool.

Then, she sculpts it
to give it tooth-like contours.

Finally, she brushes on
a clear ceramic glaze,

Which mimics the look
of tooth enamel.

Ceramic crowns like these
take about five days to make.

They'll look and function
just like any other tooth,

And no one
need ever know the secret

Behind that beautiful smile.

Narrator:
High-performance engines

Are technology-packed marvels

That are the result
of exacting design,

Modern engineering, and
a constant need for innovation.

Producing them
requires the skills

Of many highly trained
technicians.

It's the lucky few that will
get to enjoy the performance

And thrills
these engines can provide.

Under the hood of this car
is the latest

In a long line
of performance engines,

Legendary as much
for their power as their looks.

Each generation of engine
delivers an increase in power

And a reduction in weight,

Meaning today's engines consume
less fuel and produce less co2.

At the heart of every engine
is the engine block.

It begins with a set of molds

Cast from a mixture
of special sand and resin.

Technicians glue the mold parts
together.

Using a hand file,
they make final adjustments

By sculpting the sand mold down
to the finest detail.

An automated machine releases
molten aluminum into the mold.

After a cooling period,

The machine releases the part
from the mold.

They must remove
all of the sand,

Which formed the hollow spaces
inside the engine.

They spray-wash
the cylinder head

To clear away
any remaining debris.

Technicians now begin to
pre-assemble the cylinder head

And intake manifold.

Every part of the engine,
such as this cylinder head,

Is made from aluminum --

Expensive but lightweight.

Here, robots immerse
valve guides in liquid hydrogen.

This causes them to contract

So they can be easily inserted
into the cylinder heads.

As the valve guides warm up,
they expand slightly,

Which holds them in place
permanently.

One set of valves
lets fuel into the cylinder.

The other lets exhaust out.

With a blast of pressurized air,

Workers verify that the
manifold's air-intake passages

Have been properly formed.

Using a specially made tool,

They verify the exact dimension
of each valve.

They visually inspect
each cylinder head for debris

And minor faults.

If it passes, a worker tags it
with an I.D. Plate.

Here technicians insert
the valves into position,

Then test their movement.

Next,
they machine the crankshaft

Down to its final
specifications,

And the entire assembly is
positioned in the engine block.

A technician lubricates
the cylinder liners...

...Then inserts them
into the cylinders.

They tap the liners into
position with a rubber mallet.

Then, using a bit of lubricant,

They insert the pistons
and connecting rods

Into each cylinder.

With the aid
of an automatic torque g*n,

Technicians secure
the connecting rods

To the crankshaft,

Then verify
the crankshaft spacing.

Next, workers position
and bolt in the valve cover.

Then they install
the air-intake manifold

On top of the engine

And attach
the fuel-injection system.

They hook up the finished engine

To a machine
called a dynamometer,

Which measures every aspect
of engine performance

Down to the smallest detail.

And now for the ultimate test --
the road test.

[ engine revs ]

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