♪♪
Narrator:
the bead is the lip of the tire
That fits to a wheel rim.
High-tensile steel wires
inside the bead
Pull the tire tightly
and uniformly to the rim.
These bead wires
provide stability
So the wheels can start turning.
These bronze-coated steel wires
Are the muscle
in the bead of a tire.
They're a source
of hidden strength
That we
don't usually think about.
But without them, tires
wouldn't properly grip the rim,
And riding on wheels
would be dangerous.
Production starts with coils
of high-carbon steel.
A forklift slides the coils
onto metal cones.
A worker cuts the ties
around the wire.
Then the cone moves
into an upright position
On the carousel.
A motorized system
Uncoils the wire and pulls it up
through the cone.
At the top,
A guide positions the wire
to enter a descaler.
The device
has a revolving sandpaper belt
Which smoothes and refines
the wire.
Next, the wire travels
Through a channel
filled with powdered soap,
Which acts as a dry lubricant.
Then, the system pulls the wire
through a series of dies,
Each with progressively smaller
openings.
The process is called drawing
Because it draws
down the diameter of the wire,
Stretching it longer
and thinner.
The process reduces the wire's
diameter by almost half.
A carriage
lifts the thinner wire
Onto a spool that winds it up.
The table the spool
sits on turns
To deliver the wire
to the next operation.
The spool of wire is one of 40
That now unwind simultaneously
at a controlled speed.
Large cones keep them separate
So they'll be ready
for the next stage
Of the journey --
A trip through a long oven.
♪♪
It's heated
to an incredible 1,800 degrees.
Inside, intense heat
Recrystalizes the microstructure
of the wires.
This reduces brittleness.
Then spools take up the wires.
The wires take a dip in a tank
Filled with hot water
and phosphate solution.
A floating foam blanket
keeps the solution hot.
The phosphate solution
and a subsequent rinse lubricate
The bead wire
for the next process --
A second drawing
That squeezes the wire
even longer and narrower.
The holes in a series of dies
become progressively narrower
To reduce the wire's diameter
even further.
After each trip through a die,
A drum winds up the wire.
Each drum turns a little
faster than the one before it.
That's because longer wires
Need to be wound up quicker
to prevent slack in the system.
This final drawing process
Brings the wire's diameter
down to less than 1 millimeter.
The bead wires
are now at the correct width.
Next, the bead wires
receive their bronze coating.
Bronzing the steel wires
Allows them to adhere
to the tire rubber.
After the bronze solution dries,
Two rollers
straighten the wires.
Then a spool
winds up the bead wire.
They produce bead wire
in different thicknesses
And metal coatings
for a variety of tire sizes.
They test the wires
before they leave the factory.
If it can withstand up
to 1,500 pounds of force
Before it breaks,
Then it's ready to be shipped
to the tire factory.
Once they're installed
in rubber tires,
These bead wires will be
An important source
of strength, doing their part
To keep your vehicle
moving forward safely.
♪♪
Narrator: mini pepperoni
makes a great portable snack.
It's made of red meat
or poultry.
This protein-packed snack
Can alleviate even the most
serious hunger pains.
The meat sticks
are fermented and dehydrated,
So they don't need
to be refrigerated.
This brand of mini pepperoni
is made entirely of pork.
It comes
in a variety of flavors,
Each made
with different seasonings.
First,
they prepare the raw meat.
They combine different cuts
in specific proportions
To attain
their target meat-to-fat ratio.
The meat comes from the pig's
back, shoulder, and belly.
♪♪
The butcher loads the pork
into an automated grinder.
It grinds the pork
Until it's the right texture
for mini pepperoni.
The meat was frozen,
Then partially thawed
before entering the machine.
As a result,
the pork grinds cleanly.
The seasoning recipe includes
paprika, cayenne pepper,
Dextrose, anise, and salt.
They also mix in sodium nitrate,
A preservative
that prevents bacterial growth
And gives the meat
a cured flavor.
They load the ground pork
into a mixer
And pour in some lactic acid
bacterial culture,
Which will kick-start
fermentation later.
Next, they add the seasoning mix
And a premeasured amount
of concentrated liquid paprika.
They continue mixing
for a couple of minutes,
Distributing the ingredients
evenly.
Then they transfer the ground
pork from the mixer
To a meat buggy.
They roll the meat buggy over
to the filling machine...
...and empty the contents.
A worker loads a tube
of sausage casing.
The casing is made
of bovine collagen.
The filling machine pumps
out 1.6 ounces of ground pork
Then twists the casing
between each one to form a link.
♪♪
The machine feeds 25-link chains
onto a hanging line.
The line spaces them out
to preserve
Their perfect sausage shape.
One casing tube makes 100 links.
Next, they ferment, smoke,
and dry the meat.
Workers hang three dozen 25-link
chains on each smokehouse rack.
Then they roll the rack
into the smokehouse.
First, they humidify
and heat the links
To approximately 77 degrees,
triggering fermentation.
The lactic acid
bacterial culture
Starts feeding on the dextrose
in the seasoning.
The process increases
the acidity in the meat,
Preventing harmful bacteria
from growing.
It also produces a fermented
flavor.
After about 14 hours,
they lower the temperature
And humidity
to halt fermentation.
Next, they start up
the smoke generator,
Which they've loaded
with maple and beechwood chips.
They run several smoking cycles
until the links change color
And acquire a slightly sweet
and smoky taste.
Then they raise the heat again
to cook the meat thoroughly.
Finally, they dry the links
in a temperature
And humidity-controlled room
for a couple of days.
Workers separate the links
And put 10 into the bottom
of each tray.
The trays go
into a vacuum-packing machine,
Which sucks out the air
then seals the top with plastic.
The pepperoni is tested by an
in-house lab before packaging.
They confirm that the moisture
content is sufficiently low
And the acidity reading
is sufficiently high.
If it is, the final product
is considered shelf-stable,
Meaning that it isn't perishable
And doesn't require
refrigeration.
♪♪
Narrator:
where mother nature fails,
A center-pivot irrigation system
can succeed.
If you can't afford
to wait on the rain,
These systems
can water your crops.
They're essentially
a huge sprinkler
On wheels that pivots
around a central point
In a slow, circular path.
Developed in the 20th century,
Center-pivot sprinklers have
become a staple on large farms.
They can be up to a half-mile
in length
And sprawl across fields,
Ensuring there isn't a dry spot
in sight.
They custom-design
each sprinkler for the field
It will be irrigating.
Then, they transform flat,
high-strength steel
Into a water pipe
for the sprinkler system.
The steel travels
Between forming tools
and then a series of rollers.
They curve the steel upwards,
taking it from flat
To cylindrical.
More rollers squeeze the pipe
to close the gap.
Then an automated induction
welder can fuse the joint.
A carbide blade trims excess
metal from the welded seam.
The metal is collected
on a spool to be recycled.
Next, they douse the pipe
with coolant.
A plasma torch
then moves along the pipe
To cut it into 40-foot sections.
The pipes fall off
the cutting line and roll
Into a holding area.
After the pipes
have been inspected for flaws,
A team clamps flanges
to the ends.
These flanges will be used
to link the water pipes
In the field.
They weld the flanges
to the pipes.
Next, the welder
uses a plasma torch to cut
Outlets for sprinkler heads.
He welds a threaded fitting
onto each outlet.
The water pipe is complete.
They'll use dozens
of these pipes
For a single irrigation system.
Next, a progressive die stamps
hook plates from steel.
Hook plates hold the spans
of the sprinkler together.
They also keep the sprinkler
flexible as it moves.
Robots weld mounting plates
and other parts to a pipe,
Creating a base
for the sprinkler
System's wheeled towers.
Then they dip all the parts
in molten zinc.
The zinc hardens
as it cools to give the pipes
A glossy, rust-proof finish.
Next, an employee
assembles the sprinkler heads.
She screws a weight
to the plastic sprinkler body
To stabilize it.
Then she snaps on
a spray nozzle.
The nozzles come
in various sizes
For different applications.
Finally,
she adds a pressure regulator.
The next member of the team
Lubricates the wheel rims
with soapy water.
Then he installs the rubber
tires.
The tire size and tread
Are selected based
on expected field conditions.
These tires
Should allow the sprinkler
system to rotate freely.
They ship the parts
of the sprinkler system
To the field.
They arrange the pipes
on the ground
In the correct configuration...
...and set all the structural
components beside them.
Then they start assembling
the immense sprinkler system,
Beginning with the triangular
supports for the water pipes.
They hoist the ends of two pipes
onto the supports
And bolt them at the flanges.
They repeat this process
until the structure
Stretches across the field.
A crew member screws
the sprinklers to hoses.
He connects the hoses
to u-shaped fittings
Screwed into the pipes.
Next, they
complete the electrical wiring.
Then they roll the wheels
to the end towers
And bolt them
to the gear motor hubs.
It takes a full day to assemble
a center-pivot sprinkler system
In the field.
By tapping
into an underground source,
The system can pump out water
through the sprinkler heads.
During a drought,
this irrigation system
Can provide a long, cold drink
for crops on a hot summer day.
♪♪
Narrator: gloves have long been
a part of human history.
Up until the middle ages,
Most people
ate with their hands.
So, ancient romans wore silk
or linen gloves
To protect their hands
from hot food.
Today, leather gloves are
mainly used to provide warmth,
But they can also
make a fashion statement.
These gloves are made
of high-quality lambskin.
The tanneries process the hides
to make the leather smooth,
Supple, and very durable.
The gloves are then handcrafted
in france.
Making a fine pair
of leather gloves
Starts with a master
glove-cutter.
Cutting expertise
is just as important
As the quality
of leather they use.
First, he adds water
to make the leather supple.
Then he stretches the skin
in a single direction.
This prevents the glove from
stretching and losing its shape
After it's made.
He uses a rectangular template
To make indentations
in the leather,
Then cuts them with shears.
He produces two rectangles,
one for each glove in the pair.
He stretches the leather again.
A master glove-cutter
knows how to optimize
The natural stretch in the skin.
He deliberately leaves room
in certain areas
For comfort and eliminates
Stretch in other areas
to preserve the glove's fit.
Using the template again, he
marks and makes his final cuts.
The rectangle is for the section
of the glove
That covers the hand,
called the trank.
He marks the glove size
with a white pencil.
He follows the same procedure
to cut pieces of leather
For the other parts
of the glove.
They include the thumb,
The pieces
that go in between the fingers
Called the fourchettes,
And the decorative trim.
He uses a die to cut each part.
There's a separate die for
each part of every glove model.
There's also a different die
for each size.
The cutter places a few pieces
into a trank die.
Then, he covers the leather
with a resin block
To prevent damage
from the press.
The press
quickly cuts the pieces.
Then, all the cut pieces are
sent to the sewing department.
The head seamstress
makes a paper pattern.
This model has three rows
of stitching
And three circular openings
on the back of the hand.
She places the pattern
on the leather
Then uses talc
to transfer the design.
She uses specialized tools
to punch out the openings
And perforate the stitch holes.
Then another seamstress
sews the glove together.
She starts with the three rows
of decorative stitching.
They form three raised lines
And stretch the round openings
into ovals.
The rest of the glove
is machine-sewn.
The seamstress turns the trank
inside out
And stitches the fourchettes
to the fingers.
Then she sews on the thumb
and the trim on the cuff.
She finishes off the cuff
with an engraved rivet.
Another seamstress
Attaches a silk jersey lining
to the inside of the glove.
There are also linings
made of cashmere, wool,
Fur, and polar fleece.
She hand stitches the lining to
the leather in each fingertip.
She turns the glove
right-side out,
Using a wooden tool
to gently push out the fingers.
A final seamstress slips the
gloves onto heated hand forms.
She rubs the leather
with a downward motion
To manually iron out
all the wrinkles.
The packager wears a pair
of cotton gloves to ensure
The leather remains pristine.
These leather gloves
Were artisan-crafted
using century-old techniques
And nothing more advanced
than a simple sewing machine.
Now they're ready to stylishly
warm up even the coldest hands.
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