Narrator: AROUND THE WORLD, THE RACE TO WIN WARS
AND EXPLORE THE UNIVERSE HAS CREATED SOME
OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE PRODUCTS EVER DESIGNED
AND WE USE THEM EVERY DAY,
UNAWARE OF THEIR AMAZING ORIGINS.
[ STATIC CRACKLES ]
ON "INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS"...
THE COMPUTER,
DEVELOPED BY WORLD WAR II MILITARY ENGINEERS,
BUT SO SIMPLE EVEN A CHILD CAN USE IT.
THE FRISBEE,
HOW A PIE TIN IS TRANSFORMED BY A FIGHTER PILOT.
SILVERWARE,
HOW USEFUL TOOLS AND WEAPONS ARE ADAPTED FOR DINING.
WE REVEAL
THE AMAZING HISTORY AND ENGINEERING
BEHIND THESE INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS.
♪♪
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
♪♪
[ STATIC CRACKLES ]
COMPUTERS HAVE BECOME SUCH AN EVERYDAY PART OF OUR WORLD,
IT'S DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THAT JUST 50 YEARS AGO
THEY WERE ONLY AVAILABLE TO A SELECT FEW.
AND THEIR CALCULATING POWER
WAS JUST A FRACTION OF TODAY'S
SIMPLEST CELL PHONES.
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE WORD "COMPUTER"
HAS A DIFFERENT POPULAR MEANING TODAY
THAN IT DOES OVER HALF A CENTURY AGO.
THE WORD "COMPUTER" IS FIRST INTRODUCED
IN THE 17th CENTURY
AND LITERALLY MEANS, "ONE WHO COMPUTES,"
IN OTHER WORDS, MAKES CALCULATIONS.
MECHANICAL COMPUTING MACHINES
COME INTO EXISTENCE AS EARLY AS THE 19th CENTURY,
BUT ELECTRONIC DEVICES WE KNOW TODAY
DON'T EMERGE UNTIL WORLD WAR II.
THAT'S WHEN ALAN TURING AND HIS TEAM
AT THE SECRET BLETCHLEY PARK DECODING SITE IN ENGLAND
IS TASKED WITH DECODING THE GERMAN ENIGMA MACHINE
TO GAIN AN EDGE IN THE ATLANTIC AGAINST HITLER'S U-BOATS.
Halliday: HE WAS PROBABLY THE FIRST PERSON
TO REALIZE THAT BY SETTING UP A MACHINE,
WE'D BE ABLE TO COMBAT OR BE ABLE TO PRODUCE SOMETHING,
WHICH WOULD PRODUCE THE RESULTS,
WHICH WOULD EQUAL FAR MANY MORE BRAINS, ET CETERA.
BUT, SO IN A WAY, THIS WAS THE ORIGINS OF THE FIRST COMPUTER.
Narrator: THIS LEADS TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COLOSSUS,
THE WORLD'S FIRST PROGRAMMABLE ELECTRONIC COMPUTER.
IT CAN DECIPHER EVEN THE MOST COMPLEX CODES,
KEEPING THE ALLIES ONE STEP AHEAD OF THE NAZIS.
FAST FORWARD 50 YEARS,
AND SIT IN FRONT OF ANY COMPUTER OR LAPTOP.
YOU PROBABLY TAKE FOR GRANTED
THE INCREDIBLE POWER BEHIND MICROPROCESSORS
BUZZING INSIDE THE DEVICE.
MICROPROCESSOR TECHNOLOGY MEANS
THAT CREDIT-CARD-SIZED COMPUTERS
CAN NOW BE PRODUCED WITH A PROCESSING POWER
THOUSANDS OF TIMES
BETTER THAN THOSE USED IN THE WAR
AND THOUSANDS OF TIMES CHEAPER, TOO.
THESE ADVANCEMENTS ARE PERFECTLY HIGHLIGHTED
BY THE BRITISH MADE RASPBERRY PI,
A SINGLE-BOARD COMPUTER
CREATED TO TEACH BASIC COMPUTER SCIENCE IN SCHOOLS.
WHAT MAKES THE RASPBERRY PI COMPUTER
SO UNIQUE IS IT'S SIMPLICITY,
WHICH MEANS THEY CAN BE PRODUCED RAPIDLY.
AMAZINGLY, ONE RASPBERRY PI IS BUILT EVERY 7.5 SECONDS.
THE IDEA BEHIND THE PRODUCTION PROCESS IS SIMPLE.
YOU ATTACH COMPONENTS TO A PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD,
OR PCB FOR SHORT,
WITH SOLDER IN ORDER TO CREATE A MECHANICAL
AND ELECTRONICALLY CONDUCTED JOINT.
THE PCBS ARE MOUNTED ON A PANEL
OF SIX RASPBERRY PIs.
THIS ENSURES MINIMAL CONTACT
WHEN HANDLING AND PROVIDES
A WASTE EDGE AROUND THE BOARDS,
THAT THE MACHINES CAN USE
TO CLAMP THE PANEL FIRMLY INTO PLACE.
THE BAR LAMINATED PCBs ARE SCREEN PRINTED
WITH SOLDER PASTE USING A HUNDRED MICRON STENCIL.
WHEN THE STENCIL IS REMOVED,
TINY PRINTS OF SOLDER ARE LEFT ON THE BOARD.
THE MACHINE PERFORMS AN AUTOMATED OPTICAL CHECK
IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE PRINTING VIA A GRAYSCALE COMPARATOR.
IF ANY PRINTS ARE MISSING,
THE PIECE CAN BE EASILY REMOVED AND THE PCB REPRINTED.
AFTER THE PRINTER HAS BEEN VERIFIED,
THE BOARDS ARE MOVED INTO AN SMT MOUNTING MACHINE
WHERE THE SURFACE-MOUNT COMPONENTS OF THE PI ARE ADDED.
SMT STANDS FOR SURFACE MOUNT TECHNOLOGY
AND IS A METHOD FOR PRODUCING ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS.
EACH OF THE TINY PARTS ARE IN POCKETS ON THE REEL OF TAPE.
A VACUUM NOZZLE PICKS THEM, THEN SPINS ROUND
AND PLACES THEM ON THE PCB.
ONCE THE PARTS HAVE BEEN PLACED,
EVERYTHING MUST BE SOLDERED INTO POSITION.
THIS IS DONE IN AN AIRFLOW OVEN,
WHICH BAKES THE BOARDS
AND HEATS THE TINY BALLS OF SOLDER
TO FUSE THEM TO THE COMPONENT,
THE PCB, AND EACH OTHER.
ANOTHER AUTOMATIC OPTICAL INSPECTION IS NOW CARRIED OUT.
HIGH-RESOLUTION CAMERAS CHECK THE PCBs
AND ARE THEN MOVED INTO ANOTHER SMT LINE
WHERE THE PROCESS IS REPEATED
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BOARDS.
AFTER ONE MORE JOURNEY INTO THE AIRFLOW OVEN
AND ANOTHER OPTICAL INSPECTION,
IT IS NOW TIME FOR THE BOARDS
TO BE MOVED ONTO THE HAND MOUNTING LINE.
HERE, ALL THE LARGER THROUGH-HOLE COMPONENTS
ARE DELICATELY ADDED BY HAND TO THE RASPBERRY PI's PCB.
THEY INCLUDE USB AND ETHERNET SOCKETS.
THE BOARDS ARE THEN PASSED THROUGH
A WAVE SOLDERING MACHINE,
WHERE THE COMPONENTS ARE PERMANENTLY SOLDERED
TO THE BOARD.
THIS MOLTEN-LAVA LOOKING SOLDER IS HEATED
AND PASSED UNDER THE BOARD IN WAVES OF METALLIC LIQUID.
THE HEIGHT OF THE WAVE IS CAREFULLY MANAGED
TO ENSURE A QUALITY JOINT.
GREAT SKILL AND EXPERT JUDGEMENT
ARE NEEDED TO GET THIS EXACTLY RIGHT.
WITH THIS DONE, THE PIs ARE FULLY ASSEMBLED
AND READY FOR MANUAL INSPECTION.
THIS TAKES ABOUT 30 SECONDS PER BOARD.
THE BOARDS ARE THEN PASSED OVER TO THE TEST STATION
WHERE THE PIs ARE TESTED
USING IN-HOUSE-DEVELOPED CUSTOM TESTING EQUIPMENT.
HERE, THE BOARDS ARE BROKEN OUT OF THE PANEL
AND PLACED ONTO THE TESTING UNIT.
EACH STATION HAS TWO UNITS
THAT ARE USED FOR LOADING AND UNLOADING,
AND THE OTHER IS USED TO RUN THE TEST
AND ALSO PROGRAM THE VARIOUS SET-UP CODES,
INCLUDING THE MODEL NUMBER AND PLACE OF ORIGIN.
I THINK RASPBERRY PI IS A GOOD EXAMPLE
OF WHERE COMPUTERS ARE GOING. AND COMPUTERS
ARE BECOMING CHEAPER. COMPUTERS ARE BECOMING SMALLER.
COMPUTERS ARE CONSUMING LESS POWER.
THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT RASPBERRY PI 2,
WHICH WE JUST LAUNCHED AND WHICH IS ABOUT SIX TIMES
AS POWERFUL AS THE ORIGINAL RASPBERRY PI,
IS THAT IT ACTUALLY CROSSES OVER THAT LINE
INTO BEING A USABLE GENERAL-PURPOSE PC.
YOU CAN IMAGINE BUYING ONE OF THESE
INSTEAD OF A PC TO BE THE MACHINE
THAT YOU HAVE AT HOME TO SURF THE WEB
OR CHECK E-MAIL OR WATCH VIDEOS OFF.
Narrator: EVERY RASPBERRY PI IS PLACED INTO AN ANTISTATIC BAG ALONG
WITH THE CUSTOMER'S SPECIFIC PACKAGING.
AND THE FINISHED COMPUTERS ARE SENT OFF TO BE DISTRIBUTED
TO THE GROWING MILLIONS OF USERS AROUND THE GLOBE.
FROM THE COMPLEX WORLD OF COMPUTING
TO THE SIMPLE PLEASURES OF A CLASSIC AMERICAN TOY,
WHEN WE RETURN.
[ STATIC CRACKLES ]
Narrator: THE BIG OUTDOORS -- OPEN SPACES,
CONTACT WITH NATURE, SOCIALIZING WITH OTHERS.
WE HAVE ALWAYS LOVED TO SPEND TIME
IN BEACHES, PARKS, AND WOODS
WITH OUTDOOR GAMES DEVELOPED FOR OUR ENTERTAINMENT.
ONE OF THOSE GAMES HAS BEEN HUGELY POPULAR
SINCE THE END OF WORLD WAR II.
INSPIRED BY A BAKING TOOL,
DESIGNED IN A PRISON CELL
AND ENJOYED BY MILLIONS OF BEACH AND PARK GOERS EVERYWHERE,
THIS IS THE FRISBEE.
THIS WONDERFUL INVENTION ACTUALLY STARTS LIFE
AS AN IMPROVISED PLAY THING.
STUDENTS AT YALE TOOK THE FRISBEES
OF THE FRISBIE PIE COMPANY.
THEY WERE BEING THROWN AROUND CAMPUS AND YELLING,
"FRISBIE" IN ORDER TO HAVE FUN.
IT WASN'T REALLY COMMERCIALIZED.
IT WAS JUST SIMPLY THE USE OF A TIN.
Narrator: IN 1938, THE COMMERCIALIZATION OF THE FRISBEE BEGINS
WHEN A YOUNG AMERICAN NAMED FRED MORRISON
AND HIS WIFE-TO-BE, LUCILE,
ARE OFFERED 25 CENTS FOR A CAKE PAN
THAT THEY ARE THROWING BACK
AND FORTH AT A BEACH IN SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA.
AT THE TIME, THE CAKE PAN COST ONLY 5 CENTS.
THE FACT THAT PEOPLE WERE WILLING TO PAY 25 CENTS
FOR IT GOT FRED MORRISON TO THINKING.
BUT IT'S DURING WORLD WAR II
THAT THE IDEA FOR THE FRISBEE REALLY TAKES FLIGHT.
FRED MORRISON FINDS HIMSELF PILOTING P-47s
DURING THE ALLIES' ADVANCE
THROUGH ITALY, BUT HE IS SHOT DOWN.
ALTHOUGH HE SURVIVES, HE IS TAKEN PRISONER OF WAR.
WITH PLENTY OF TIME ON HIS HANDS,
MORRISON PUTS HIS KNOWLEDGE OF AERODYNAMICS TO WORK
BY DREAMING UP THE PERFECT FLYING DISC.
WHEN THE WAR ENDS, MORRISON RETURNS HOME TO THE US
AND DEVELOPS SEVERAL PROTOTYPES
OF WHAT WE KNOW TO BE THE FRISBEE
BEFORE PRODUCING THEM IN 1948.
SO HOW DOES THE FRISBEE ACTUALLY WORK?
A FRISBEE USES THE SAME AERODYNAMIC PRINCIPLES
AS AN AIRCRAFT WING TO ACHIEVE LIFT,
WHICH IS THE FORCE THAT ALLOWS THE DISK TO FLY.
BECAUSE OF THE FRISBEE'S CURVED SHAPE AND RIM,
THE AIRFLOW ABOVE IT MUST TRAVEL
AT A HIGHER SPEED THAN THAT UNDERNEATH,
WHICH CREATES LOW PRESSURE ABOVE
AND HIGH PRESSURE BELOW THE DISK.
THE AIR RUSHING OVER THE TOP IS A LOWER PRESSURE,
AND IT'S ACTUALLY SUCKED UP BY THAT.
BUT IT'S ALSO BECAUSE IT'S BEEN SUCKED UP THE AIR UNDERNEATH,
WHICH IS OF A HIGHER PRESSURE, IS PUSHING THE FRISBEE UPWARDS.
Narrator: BUT THAT IS NOT THE WHOLE STORY.
THE SECRET TO THE FRISBEE'S SUCCESS
IS THE SPINNING ACTION.
THE MORE THE SPIN, THE BETTER IT WILL FLY.
A FRISBEE WILL FLY BEST WITH THE LEADING EDGE
SLIGHTLY RAISED IN RELATION TO THE GROUND.
THIS IS CALLED THE ANGLE OF ATTACK.
SIMPLY PUT, THE GREATER THE ANGLE OF ATTACK,
THE GREATER THE LIFT GENERATED.
BUT THERE IS A TRADE-OFF.
THE GREATER THE ANGLE OF ATTACK,
THE MORE DRAG THE OBJECT WILL CREATE,
SO EVENTUALLY, IT WON'T BE ABLE TO FLY.
THIS IS CALLED ASTORE.
THE FORCES OF DRAG, LIFT, AND GRAVITY
DO NOT ALL ACT CONSISTENTLY ON THE CENTER OF THE FRISBEE,
WHICH WOULD MEAN A WOBBLY PATH AND FLIGHT.
LAUNCHING THE DISK WITH A LARGE SPIN
CREATES GYROSCOPIC INERTIA.
THIS OVERCOMES THE INCONSISTENT FORCES
AND STABILIZES THE FRISBEE IN FLIGHT.
THE GREATER THE SPIN, THE MORE STABLE THE DISK
AND THE BETTER IT FLIES.
IN 1957, MORRISON SELLS THE RIGHTS
TO THE FLYING DISK TO WHAM-O.
AND IN JUNE OF THAT YEAR, THE DISC IS RENAMED THE FRISBEE.
HUGELY POPULAR AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE,
IT'S NOT LONG BEFORE OFFICIAL FRISBEE EVENTS POP UP
ALL OVER AMERICA,
AND WHAM-O RELEASES THE OFFICIAL PRO FRISBEE MODEL.
THE FLYING DISC, OR FRISBEE,
IS STILL ONE OF THE MOST
POPULAR OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES TODAY.
THERE IS EVEN A WORLD FLYING DISC FEDERATION RESPONSIBLE
FOR THE ORGANIZATION OF THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS.
ITS WORLDWIDE APPEAL
HAS EVEN BROUGHT IT TO THE ATTENTION
OF THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITTEE.
SO IT MIGHT BE ONLY A MATTER OF TIME
BEFORE THE CAKE-PAN-INSPIRED INVENTION
IS AN OFFICIAL PART OF THE OLYMPIC GAMES.
NOW, THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE INVENTION.
COMING UP NEXT,
HOW TO MAKE YOUR FLYING PROJECTILE
FROM ORDINARY HOUSEHOLD ITEMS.
[ STATIC CRACKLES ]
♪♪
Narrator: SO IS THE FRISBEE THE ONLY UNUSUALLY SHAPED,
GYROSCOPICALLY STABLE FLYING PROJECTILE?
NO. AND YOU CAN MAKE ONE YOURSELF
OUT OF HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE.
TO BEGIN, TAKE AN EMPTY 1-LITER PLASTIC BOTTLE,
MAKING SURE IT HAS PERFECTLY STRAIGHT SIDES.
NEXT, WE NEED TO MAKE A TEMPLATE
TO CREATE 5 FINS FOR OUR DISCARDED FLYER.
TAKE A PIECE OF PAPER LARGE ENOUGH
TO WRAP AROUND THE BOTTLE.
MARK UP THE PAPER INTO FIVE EVENLY SPACED SECTIONS
AND FOLD THEM INTO A CONCERTINA.
THE FIN NEEDS TO BE A SERIES OF NICE, SMOOTH CURVES,
SO AFTER MAKING THE CENTER POINT
AND A LINE ABOUT AN INCH FROM THE TOP OF EACH SECTION,
SKETCH A CURVE SO THAT WHEN THE PAPER UNFOLDS,
EACH CURVE BLENDS INTO THE NEXT.
NOW, CAREFULLY CUT THROUGH ALL FIVE SECTIONS
TO REVEAL A TEMPLATE OF 5 FINS.
WRAP THE TEMPLATE AROUND THE BOTTLE
AND USE A PEN TO MARK THE SHAPE INTO THE PLASTIC.
NOW, TAKE A PAIR OF SCISSORS
AND CUT OUT YOUR FLYER TO REVEAL YOUR PERFECT FINS
AND COVER THE BOTTLE TO COMPLETE THE SHAPE.
NOW THE TRICKY PART, TAKE OFF YOUR TEMPLATE
AND GO AROUND THE LEADING EDGE,
GENTLY PINCHING THE PLASTIC TO CREATE A HALF-INCH LIP.
START SLOWLY AT FIRST,
AND THEN PRESS DOWN UNTIL YOU HAVE A DEFINITIVE FOLD.
REINFORCE THIS LIP WITH PIECES OF DUCT TAPE.
YOU SHOULD NOW HAVE A RIGID, CIRCULAR EDGE.
YOUR DURACYCLE PLASTIC-BOTTLE FRISBEE CHALLENGER IS NOW READY,
BUT WILL IT WORK?
LIKE A FRISBEE, THROW TECHNIQUE IS ALL IMPORTANT,
WITH THE SECRET BEING TO ADD A NICE SPINNING ACTION
ON THE THROW, AND THERE YOU GO.
WITH A FRONT PROFILE
THAT AFFORDS LOW AIR RESISTANCE
AND SPINNING SIDES GENERATING LIFT
AND GYROSCOPIC STABILITY IN A SIMILAR WAY TO THE FRISBEE,
WE REALLY HAVE TAKEN RECYCLING TO A NEW LEVEL.
WHETHER IT BE CARVING THE SUNDAY ROAST
OR THE TURKEY AT THANKSGIVING,
WE ALL NEED THE PROPER UTENSILS.
THESE SIMPLE EVERYDAY IMPLEMENTS HAVE DEFINED
AND REFINED THE WAY WE EAT OUR MEALS.
CUTLERY HAS ITS ORIGINS IN EUROPE,
AND IT IS SHAPED BY THE KINDS OF FOODS EATEN THERE.
Hurd: EUROPE HAS CERTAINLY BEEN
ONE OF THE CENTERS OF CUTLERY,
AND ITS PREDOMINANCE WITHIN SOCIETY
IS BASICALLY BECAUSE THE KIND OF FOOD
WE EAT WARRANTS THE USE OF CUTLERY.
WE'VE TRADITIONALLY ALWAYS EATEN
A LOT OF LARGE PIECES OF WHOLE MEAT,
WHOLE VEGETABLES, WHEREAS IN OTHER CULTURES
WHERE THEY CHOP IT DOWN, IT'S SLIGHTLY FINER.
YOU THINK OF THINGS LIKE HOW THE MEAT IS PREPARED IN CHINA
WHERE IT'S KIND OF BROKEN DOWN INTO FIBERS AND STUFF,
THIS CAN BE PICKED UP QUITE EASILY WITH CHOPSTICKS.
THE EUROPEAN DIET HAS ALWAYS WARRANTED
THE USE OF A KNIFE AND A FORK AND A SPOON.
Narrator: BUT THE BASIC DESIGN WE RECOGNIZE TODAY
TOOK SOME TIME TO ACHIEVE.
WHEN WE RETURN, THE FASCINATING HISTORY OF SILVERWARE
AND THE SECRETS OF HOW IT'S MADE.
[ STATIC CRACKLES ]
Narrator: IN 1912, AS WORLD WAR I APPROACHES IN EUROPE,
THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ACTIVELY SEARCHES
FOR BETTER QUALITY MATERIALS
TO USE INSIDE THEIR GUN BARRELS.
CONSTANT EXPOSURE TO HIGH TEMPERATURES
MEANS THAT THE EXISTING GUN BARRELS ERODE QUICKLY.
A BRITISH INVENTOR NAMED HARRY BREARLEY HAS THE ANSWER.
HE CREATES A METAL THAT, AS A BYPRODUCT,
CHANGES THE FACE OF CUTLERY PRODUCTION.
WHAT BREARLEY DOES IS TO INCREASE
THE AMOUNT OF CHROMIUM IN STEEL COMPOSITION.
UNLIKE ORDINARY MINED STEEL,
THE CHROMIUM STEEL MIX FORMS A BONDED,
PROTECTED LAYER OF CHROMIUM OXIDE
ON THE SURFACE THAT PREVENTS OXYGEN
PENETRATING IT AND FORMING CORROSION.
THE METAL BREARLEY DEVELOPS IS CALLED STAINLESS STEEL.
DID YOU KNOW THAT THE FORK AND KNIFE YOU USE
HAS SUCH A COMPLEX PAST
AND THAT, TODAY, EVERYONE USES THEM DIFFERENTLY?
Hurd: IN AMERICA, YOUR FORK WILL BE IN YOUR LEFT HAND,
AND YOUR KNIFE WILL BE IN YOUR RIGHT HAND.
ONCE YOU CUT THE MEAT WITH YOUR KNIFE,
YOU'LL PLACE THE KNIFE AWAY
AND THEN SWAP THE FORK TO THE RIGHT HAND TO EAT.
IN EUROPE, IT'S THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
WE KEEP OUR FORK IN OUR LEFT HAND
AND OUR KNIFE IN OUR RIGHT HAND THE WHOLE WAY.
WHEN WE PUT IT DOWN ON THE PLATE,
THAT'S THE INDICATION THAT WE'VE FINISHED EATING
WHEREAS THE AMERICAN'S WOULD PUT IT AT,
LIKE, A 10-TO-2 ANGLE.
Narrator: DINING ETIQUETTE BECOMES EVEN MORE IMPORTANT
AS GOING OUT TO EAT BECOMES MORE POPULAR.
Hurd: WHEN RESTAURANTS BECAME PREDOMINANT,
THERE NEEDED TO BE SOME KIND OF CODE.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE AN ARISTOCRAT
SAT IN A SALON RESTAURANT IN PARIS,
YOU DON'T WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT WAITER
OR THAT MAITRE D',
THE WAY YOU POSITION YOUR KNIVES
AND FORKS ON THE PLATE TELLS THE WAITER,
"I'M STILL EATING," "I'M NOT EATING.
TAKE IT AWAY," OR, "IT WAS RUBBISH."
SO CUTLERY IS KIND OF THE UNSPOKEN LANGUAGE
OF THE RESTAURANT.
Narrator: SO THE NEXT TIME YOU ARE OUT FOR A MEAL,
TAKE A LONG HARD LOOK AT YOUR FORK AND SPOON.
AND BEFORE YOU DIG IN,
REMEMBER YOU HAVE GUN DESIGN
TO THANK FOR ITS CREATION.
LIBERTY TABLETOP HAS BEEN MAKING CUTLERY
IN SHERRILL, NEW YORK, SINCE 2005.
SHERRILL, NEW YORK, IS PRETTY MUCH
IN THE GEOGRAPHIC CENTER OF NEW YORK STATE.
WE TRY TO SOURCE AS MUCH OF OUR RAW MATERIALS,
SUPPLIES, PACKAGING,
EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN IN THE UNITED STATES.
WE REQUIRE THAT OUR STEEL IS MELTED HERE.
Narrator: IT'S THE ONLY CUTLERY PRODUCER IN NORTH AMERICA,
PRODUCING APPROXIMATELY 30,000 PIECES EVERY WEEK.
DEPENDING ON THE COMPLEXITY OF THE PIECE,
IT CAN TAKE ANYWHERE FROM 2 TO 4 WEEKS
TO GO FROM START TO FINISH THROUGH THE FACTORY.
Narrator: A 2,000-POUND COIL OF STAINLESS STEEL
IS HOISTED ONTO A MACHINE VIA A FORKLIFT TRUCK.
THE FLAT STEEL SHEET IS FED INTO THE BLANKING PRESS
WHERE THE STEEL IS CUT INTO ROUGH SHAPES.
THOSE BLANKS CAN ACTUALLY BE ROLLED
AND CUT INTO DIFFERENT SHAPES,
WHICH WOULD MAKE FORKS AND SPOONS OF DIFFERENT OUTLINES.
Narrator: THE BLANKING PRESS TAKES ONE SECOND
TO PRODUCE EACH BLANK,
WHICH CAN THEN BE MADE INTO SPOONS OR FORKS.
THE BLANKS ARE SENT TO A ROLLING MILL
WHERE THEY ARE STRETCHED OUT
BETWEEN TWO HARDENED STEEL ROLLS.
THE ROLLS HAVE A SPECIFIC PRECISION GROUND PROFILE,
SO THAT THE BALLS OF THE SPOONS AND THE PRONGS OF THE FORK
WILL BE THINNER THAN THE HANDLES.
IT'S ACTUALLY SORT OF SIMILAR
IN PROCESS TO ROLLING OUT PIE DOUGH.
YOU ROLL IT OUT SO THAT YOU CAN CUT OUT
THE CUT-OUT COOKIES, FOR EXAMPLE.
SO THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE DO
IN THAT PART OF THE PROCESS.
Narrator: AFTER THE BLANKS PASS THROUGH THE ROLLS,
THEY AUTOMATICALLY FALL INTO A PUNCH PRESS
WHERE THEY ARE CUT INTO AN OUTLINED SHAPE.
NEXT, THE PIECES ARE PUT INTO AN EALING FURNACE,
WHICH SOFTENS UP THE METAL
TO ENABLE FURTHER STAMPING AND SHAVING.
THE FURNACE HEATS THE METAL
TO A TEMPERATURE OF 1,900 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.
♪♪
THE FORKS AND SPOONS
ARE NOW PUT THROUGH A COINING PRESS
WHERE THE PATTERNS ARE STAMPED INTO THE HANDLES.
THEY ARE THEN FED INTO ANOTHER COINING PRESS
WHERE THE BALL OF THE SPOON OR THE PRONGS OF THE FORK
ARE BENT INTO THE CORRECT SHAPE.
WE BEND THE BOWL OR THE FORK TINES.
IT'S BASICALLY THE PIECES --
LOOKS JUST LIKE A FORK OR SPOON THAT YOU WOULD USE,
EXCEPT IT'S NOT POLISHED.
Narrator: ALL ITEMS ARE THEN POLISHED
IN A SERIES OF SHANKING AND EDGING MACHINES.
THREE SHANKING MACHINES PROGRESSIVELY GRIND
AND POLISH THE SHANK AREA.
THAT'S THE PART OF THE CUTLERY WHERE THE BALL AND HANDLE MEET.
NOW THEY GO THROUGH AN EDGING MACHINE
WHERE THE HANDLES ARE ALSO GROUND AND POLISHED.
IN THE FINAL PROCESS,
THE CUTLERY IS BUFFED TO A MIRROR FINISH.
WE START WITH THE BOWL, MOVE ONTO THE HANDLE,
AND THEN WE GO BACK TO THE BOWL AGAIN,
USING TWO TYPES OF BUFFING COMPOUND.
ONE IS A ROUGHING COMPOUND THAT SMOOTHS THE SURFACE
AND THEN THE FINAL BUFFING COMPOUND,
LIQUID BASED, VERY FINE GRAIN.
THEN THE PIECE COMES OUT.
I THINK IT LOOKS LIKE A PIECE OF JEWELRY.
Narrator: FINALLY, THE CUTLERY IS INSPECTED
AND INDIVIDUALLY WRAPPED FOR DELIVERY.
Roberts: WE HAVE ACTUALLY 100% INSPECTION
OF ALL OF OUR FLATWARE.
WE LOOK AT IT ONE AT A TIME,
AND WE WIPE IT BY HAND
WITHOUT USING ANY HARSH CHEMICALS.
YOU JUST WIPE THE COMPOUND OFF, PUT IT IN A BAG,
AND IT'S READY TO GO TO THE CUSTOMER.
Narrator: SILVERWARE -- TRULY AN INCREDIBLE INVENTION.
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT, A GLANCE THROUGH THE HIDDEN HISTORY
AND SUPER SCIENCE OF SOME AMAZING PRODUCTS
THAT YOU USE EVERY DAY.
THE COMPUTER,
THE FRISBEE,
AND SILVERWARE,
THEY MAY SEEM COMMON AND ORDINARY.
HOWEVER, THESE PRODUCTS HELP CHANGE THE WORLD
ONE INCREDIBLE INVENTION AT A TIME.