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--captions by vitac--
Www.Vitac.Com
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Captions paid for by
Discovery communications, inc.
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Narrator:
Today on "How it's made"...
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00:00:26,482 --> 00:00:28,344
Balloons...
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...Wallpaper...
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...Frozen french fries...
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...And incandescent light bulbs.
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Balloons are used
To mark special occasions
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00:00:55,344 --> 00:00:58,241
Or to brighten up a day
For young and old people alike.
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00:00:58,241 --> 00:01:00,793
But balloons weren't always
So delightful.
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00:01:00,793 --> 00:01:03,965
In earlier days, they were made
Of dried animal bladders --
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00:01:03,965 --> 00:01:05,931
A bit of an unpleasant concept.
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00:01:05,931 --> 00:01:07,344
In the 19th century,
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Someone invented
A rubber balloon
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Which we still use today.
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They started mass-producing
Balloons in the 1930s,
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And today they're everywhere.
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To make balloons, they pour dye
Into a tank of latex.
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They filter it through
Cheesecloth to remove any lumps.
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Agitators at the bottom
Of the tank
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Mix it up for 15 or 16 hours.
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This distributes the color,
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00:01:43,379 --> 00:01:46,862
And it also keeps the latex
Active so it doesn't congeal.
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Balloons come
In 53 different shades.
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Nozzles spray hot water
Onto balloon forms
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To clean them as they move
On a system of rollers.
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00:02:07,344 --> 00:02:10,000
A fixture then flips
And dips the forms
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Into a tank of coagulate
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That carries
An electrochemical charge
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00:02:14,206 --> 00:02:16,793
Which will attract
The colored latex.
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On top of this fixture
Are balloon forms
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Freshly dipped in blue latex,
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While below
A tank full of latex rises,
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Coating more forms
On the underside.
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The job done,
The fixture flips back,
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Moving the balloon forms
To an upright position,
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While below another tray of
Balloon forms takes the plunge.
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The latex dries quickly
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As a conveyor moves
The balloon forms forward
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00:03:09,827 --> 00:03:12,344
Toward spiraling brushes.
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The brushes roll up the bottoms
Of the balloons creating lips.
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The lips will make it possible
For people to grip the balloons
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In order to inflate them.
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The fixture flips again,
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And the balloons nose-dive
Into a hot-water bath.
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They soak for up to 16 minutes.
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This step is critical.
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It leaches out
All the impurities,
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Including a protein
That causes latex allergies.
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00:03:51,275 --> 00:03:54,689
The hot bath
Also triggers vulcanization,
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00:03:54,689 --> 00:03:56,793
Or rubberizes the latex.
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The balloons travel
To another station.
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Here, the fixture dips them in a
Mix of talcum powder and water.
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This will allow them to be more
Easily stripped off the form.
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And now it's time for the forms
To shed their latex skins.
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As the forms
Pass through this station,
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Air jets inflate the balloons.
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Rollers at the top
Grab the balloons
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As they fill with air and pull
Them away from the forms.
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The rollers
Shoot the balloons upward,
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And they topple
Onto a conveyor belt.
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Next, a worker
Piles the balloons
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Into an industrial
Washing machine
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00:04:59,310 --> 00:05:01,310
And adds a cleaning solution.
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The machine heats to
A steamy 160 degrees fahrenheit,
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00:05:10,965 --> 00:05:14,068
While the balloons tumble
And nozzles spray water into it.
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This doesn't
Just clean the balloons.
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It completes the vulcanization
Of the latex.
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00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:25,172
Now it's time to see if they can
Stand the test of inflation.
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A machine blows air into
A huge, heart-shaped balloon,
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And the heart swells
But doesn't break.
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She holds it against a light
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To check for imperfections
Like blisters.
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Now it's time to blow some up.
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They're sure
To brighten up your day.
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Narrator:
We've been using wallpaper
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To add color to our homes
For a long time.
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The use of wallpaper dates back
To 15th-century england.
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At first, it was seen
As a cheap substitute
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For tapestry and panels.
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But over time,
Wallpaper gained wider appeal.
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Even today,
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Wallpaper is a popular
Alternative to plain paint.
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When it comes to variety
And design,
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Wallpaper has really
Got it covered.
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To make
The vinyl base for wallpaper,
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They pour water
Into a giant mixing bowl,
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Add stabilizing powder
And a lot of plastic pellets.
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They add solvent
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Which helps to dissolve the
Plastic pellets into the mix.
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Big beaters stir it all up.
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It starts to look
A lot like pancake batter.
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And just as if
They were making pancake batter,
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They add ingredients
Incrementally --
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A little more powder
To thicken the mix...
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And more plastic pellets
For good measure.
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When the mix
Reaches the right consistency,
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They pour it between rollers
Onto one side of special paper.
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An applicator roller spreads the
Vinyl mix evenly onto the paper.
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A jumbo reel rolls it up
And then unwinds it again.
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Here, nozzles fill trays
With paste.
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Rollers pick it up and apply it
To the backside of the paper.
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Electrically powered rollers
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Pull the wallpaper through
A gas oven, drying the paste.
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Then they wind up the paper
Again, creating a giant reel.
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A circular blade now slices
Through the center of the paper.
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This turns the one roll
Into two,
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Each one of them
21 1/2 inches wide.
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They pull off a sample piece
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And tear the paper away
From the vinyl.
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They're checking the adhesion
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And if the vinyl
Is durable and smooth.
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Meanwhile,
Away from the production line,
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Stylists experiment with paint.
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They brush colors on a design
That they've selected.
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They select five to six
Different color combinations
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Because this design
Will be printed in many hues.
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Each color requires
A separate print roller.
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The design is engraved
Into each roller.
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A worker applies some ink
Onto one of the print rollers.
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As the wallpaper turns
On a big drum vinyl-side up
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The print roller transfers
The image onto the paper.
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00:08:59,448 --> 00:09:02,482
Each cylinder
Layers it in a different color,
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Building up the design.
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Darker colors are achieved
By deeper engravings
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On the print cylinder
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Because they transfer more ink
To the wallpaper.
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00:09:11,241 --> 00:09:14,551
Conversely, shallower engravings
Produce lighter tones.
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00:09:30,724 --> 00:09:32,827
When they have the final proof,
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00:09:32,827 --> 00:09:35,172
They compare it
To the original artwork.
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If the colors look right,
The design goes into production.
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There's no turning back now.
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The ink is ready,
And the paper roll travels
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00:09:43,827 --> 00:09:46,000
Through a web
Of print cylinders.
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Here, print cylinders
Build a dolphin design
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Onto the vinyl side
Of the paper.
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To dry the ink,
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00:09:58,862 --> 00:10:01,724
The paper travels
Through a hot-blower system.
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00:10:01,724 --> 00:10:03,827
This is the view from below.
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00:10:12,620 --> 00:10:15,103
Photos are taken
And viewed on a monitor
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To get a close look at the
Quality of the wallpaper print.
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If it passes inspection,
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They roll the wallpaper
Onto a big reel.
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00:10:26,206 --> 00:10:28,275
Some wallpaper
Has a flat finish,
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00:10:28,275 --> 00:10:31,206
But they often emboss it,
Making raised designs.
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00:10:31,206 --> 00:10:33,103
This creates texture.
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00:10:35,931 --> 00:10:38,965
Blades from above and below
Cut the wallpaper
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00:10:38,965 --> 00:10:41,931
Into 32.8-foot rolls.
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00:10:46,724 --> 00:10:49,379
A conveyor system
Transports the wallpaper
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To a machine
That shrink-wraps it,
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00:10:51,620 --> 00:10:53,482
And then it's off
To the showroom,
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Where you can pick
Your favorite design.
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Narrator: most food historians
Believe french fries
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Are actually
A belgian invention.
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00:11:11,586 --> 00:11:15,172
One theory says they originated
In the 1680s with poor people
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Who'd resort to frying potatoes
Instead of fish.
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During world war I,
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Fries were popular
With north american soldiers
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Stationed in belgium's
French-speaking areas,
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Which may be how they came
To be called french fries.
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This company makes its frozen
Fries from russet potatoes.
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Russets are oval,
So they produce longer fries
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Than a rounder-shaped
Variety would.
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Russets are also sufficiently
Crunchy when fried,
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And their
Lower-than-average sugar content
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Means their flesh
Stays white longer.
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00:11:51,068 --> 00:11:54,310
When the potatoes arrive
At the factory,
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They travel along rollers that
Rub off any foreign matter --
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Things such as soil,
Small rocks, and plant parts.
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The rollers
Also scrape off the eyes.
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00:12:05,413 --> 00:12:09,000
The potatoes
Then enter the washing station.
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00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:10,965
As they spin
In a revolving cage,
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Water jets spray their surface,
Cleaning them thoroughly.
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00:12:18,482 --> 00:12:19,827
Next stop --
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A sorting machine that divides
The potatoes by size.
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It's made up of successive
Levels of vibrating grids.
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00:12:26,965 --> 00:12:28,827
The shaking
Forces the smaller potatoes
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00:12:28,827 --> 00:12:30,068
Through the grid openings,
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Separating them
From the larger potatoes.
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Big potatoes become classic,
Strip-shaped fries.
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Small ones become ring-shaped
Or cube-shaped fries.
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After sorting, the potatoes drop
Into a collection bin.
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00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:04,241
Once full,
Its bottom hatch opens,
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00:13:04,241 --> 00:13:07,034
Releasing the potatoes
Into a giant steamer.
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00:13:07,034 --> 00:13:10,172
After about 10 seconds
In the pressurized steam,
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00:13:10,172 --> 00:13:12,172
The skins are soft enough
To come off
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With just a little pressure.
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That happens next in
This machine called the peeler.
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00:13:17,379 --> 00:13:19,379
It looks like
A giant clothes dryer,
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00:13:19,379 --> 00:13:21,724
Except that the drum
Is lined with brushes.
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As the drum tumbles,
The bristles rub off the skins.
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00:13:38,034 --> 00:13:40,896
As the skinless potatoes
Exit the peeler,
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00:13:40,896 --> 00:13:42,379
Workers inspect them,
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00:13:42,379 --> 00:13:45,000
Tossing any that have green
Or rotten parts
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00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:47,413
Or pieces of skin
Still stuck to them.
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00:13:47,413 --> 00:13:51,241
The type of fries in production
Determines which of two systems
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00:13:51,241 --> 00:13:52,551
To do the chopping.
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00:13:52,551 --> 00:13:57,000
A series of rotary,
Mechanical slicers...
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00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:59,965
Or a hydraulic system
In which running water
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00:13:59,965 --> 00:14:03,000
Thrusts the potatoes
Against cutting blades.
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00:14:09,724 --> 00:14:13,655
The freshly cut potato pieces
Drop into a canal.
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00:14:13,655 --> 00:14:16,206
Flowing water transports them
To a conveyor belt
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00:14:16,206 --> 00:14:19,448
That will move them
Through the next phases.
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00:14:26,379 --> 00:14:28,965
Now for a high-tech
Quality check.
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00:14:28,965 --> 00:14:31,827
Each and every piece
Passes by a camera
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00:14:31,827 --> 00:14:35,137
In which a computer
Analyzes size and color.
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00:14:35,137 --> 00:14:37,310
Any substandard fry-to-be
Is flagged,
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00:14:37,310 --> 00:14:41,965
And an air jet blows it
Off the production line.
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00:14:41,965 --> 00:14:44,655
The good pieces
Fall into a water tank.
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00:14:44,655 --> 00:14:47,620
As they soak,
Sugar leaches out of the flesh
211
00:14:47,620 --> 00:14:51,724
So that they'll all turn out the
Same color once they're cooked.
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00:14:51,724 --> 00:14:54,172
Then a process
Known as blanching --
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00:14:54,172 --> 00:14:57,068
The pieces go into hot water
Then cold water.
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00:14:57,068 --> 00:14:58,551
This firms up the flesh
215
00:14:58,551 --> 00:15:01,344
And makes the potato flavor
More pronounced.
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00:15:03,655 --> 00:15:05,034
Then it's into the fryer.
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00:15:05,034 --> 00:15:07,206
The potatoes cook
For about two minutes
218
00:15:07,206 --> 00:15:10,275
In non-hydrogenated
Vegetable oil.
219
00:15:12,931 --> 00:15:15,275
As the french fries
Leave the fryer,
220
00:15:15,275 --> 00:15:18,689
Excess oil drains down through
Holes in the conveyor belt
221
00:15:18,689 --> 00:15:20,275
To a collection pan below.
222
00:15:20,275 --> 00:15:24,275
The fries now pass
Through the freezer area
223
00:15:24,275 --> 00:15:27,482
Which is between 5 and
Negative-13 degrees fahrenheit.
224
00:15:27,482 --> 00:15:30,172
They take
About 10 minutes to freeze.
225
00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:33,379
Once they do,
226
00:15:33,379 --> 00:15:36,724
An oscillating conveyor belt
Deposits them into chutes.
227
00:15:36,724 --> 00:15:39,965
Each chute has a built-in scale
Set to the package weight
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00:15:39,965 --> 00:15:42,620
Which, for this production run,
Is 8.8 pounds.
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00:15:42,620 --> 00:15:46,310
Once that quantity accumulates,
The bottom of the chute opens,
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00:15:46,310 --> 00:15:49,275
And the fries drop
Into a plastic bag.
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00:15:51,482 --> 00:15:54,758
All the customer has to do is
Drop these frozen french fries
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00:15:54,758 --> 00:15:57,137
Into boiling oil
For two or three minutes,
233
00:15:57,137 --> 00:15:59,413
And they're ready to serve.
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00:16:14,758 --> 00:16:18,000
Narrator: the incandescent light
Bulb is a rather simple device.
235
00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:19,620
Its base has two metal contacts
236
00:16:19,620 --> 00:16:21,551
Which connect
To a metal filament.
237
00:16:21,551 --> 00:16:23,310
The electric current's electrons
238
00:16:23,310 --> 00:16:26,551
Collide with the atoms in the
Filament, making them vibrate.
239
00:16:26,551 --> 00:16:30,034
This energy heats the atoms
To 4,000 degrees fahrenheit,
240
00:16:30,034 --> 00:16:32,931
At which temperature
They emit visible light.
241
00:16:38,137 --> 00:16:40,517
The light-bulb factory
Has two production lines
242
00:16:40,517 --> 00:16:42,172
That eventually merge.
243
00:16:42,172 --> 00:16:43,586
One prepares the glass bulb.
244
00:16:43,586 --> 00:16:45,655
The other makes
What's called the mount --
245
00:16:45,655 --> 00:16:47,827
The electrical components
That go inside it.
246
00:16:47,827 --> 00:16:50,206
At the start of the mount line,
247
00:16:50,206 --> 00:16:53,413
A machine cuts glass tubing
Into pieces of specific lengths.
248
00:16:53,413 --> 00:16:57,344
The cut tubes land on
What's called a glazing wheel
249
00:16:57,344 --> 00:16:59,724
That runs them through a gas
Flame for about seven seconds.
250
00:16:59,724 --> 00:17:03,275
This heats the glass enough
To smooth the surface.
251
00:17:06,620 --> 00:17:08,413
The glazed tubes now enter
252
00:17:08,413 --> 00:17:10,758
What's called
A flare-making machine,
253
00:17:10,758 --> 00:17:13,689
Which heats each tube
Until the glass is malleable
254
00:17:13,689 --> 00:17:16,310
Then stretches one end
Into a flared shape.
255
00:17:22,931 --> 00:17:25,344
The next machine
Loads two copper lead wires
256
00:17:25,344 --> 00:17:26,931
Into the flare end,
257
00:17:26,931 --> 00:17:29,241
Then it inserts
A thin, glass cylinder
258
00:17:29,241 --> 00:17:31,206
Called the exhaust tube.
259
00:17:31,206 --> 00:17:34,620
A trip through a series
Of progressively hotter flames
260
00:17:34,620 --> 00:17:35,931
Softens the tubes.
261
00:17:35,931 --> 00:17:38,448
A press then moves in
To squash them,
262
00:17:38,448 --> 00:17:40,275
Encasing the wires in glass.
263
00:17:40,275 --> 00:17:41,758
At the same time,
264
00:17:41,758 --> 00:17:44,034
The machine makes a tiny hole in
The glass in between the wires.
265
00:17:44,034 --> 00:17:47,379
This is to later remove air
From inside the bulb.
266
00:17:47,379 --> 00:17:50,931
It will exit via the exhaust
Tube through this hole.
267
00:17:53,241 --> 00:17:56,379
Next, the machine separates
The lead wires
268
00:17:56,379 --> 00:17:58,517
And forms the ends into hooks.
269
00:18:03,206 --> 00:18:05,275
These fasten to the filament,
270
00:18:05,275 --> 00:18:07,965
A thin wire coil
Made of tungsten,
271
00:18:07,965 --> 00:18:11,551
A type of metal
That holds up well to heat.
272
00:18:11,551 --> 00:18:13,379
The machine coats the lead wires
273
00:18:13,379 --> 00:18:16,000
In a liquid form
Of another metal, zirconia.
274
00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:17,827
This lengthens their life span
275
00:18:17,827 --> 00:18:21,241
By making them more resistant
To moisture inside the bulb.
276
00:18:24,034 --> 00:18:25,517
Like the tubes we've just seen,
277
00:18:25,517 --> 00:18:28,551
The bulbs are made of
An inexpensive type of glass
278
00:18:28,551 --> 00:18:31,551
Called soda-lime glass.
279
00:18:31,551 --> 00:18:34,068
A machine stamps
The top of each bulb
280
00:18:34,068 --> 00:18:37,344
With the voltage, the wattage,
And the company logo.
281
00:18:37,344 --> 00:18:40,482
Opaque light bulbs
Are simply clear bulbs
282
00:18:40,482 --> 00:18:42,827
With an inside coating
Of synthetic silica --
283
00:18:42,827 --> 00:18:45,137
A white powder.
284
00:18:45,137 --> 00:18:49,655
The coating machine charges
The bulbs to 30,000 volts.
285
00:18:49,655 --> 00:18:52,137
Combined with
Just the right amount of heat,
286
00:18:52,137 --> 00:18:54,448
This electrical charge
Makes a thin layer of powder
287
00:18:54,448 --> 00:18:56,482
Cling to the glass.
288
00:18:56,482 --> 00:18:59,379
A series of flames
Evaporates moisture
289
00:18:59,379 --> 00:19:01,551
And bakes off any impurities.
290
00:19:07,482 --> 00:19:10,310
As the two
Production lines merge,
291
00:19:10,310 --> 00:19:13,827
A bulb goes over each mount.
292
00:19:13,827 --> 00:19:16,793
Torches then fuse
The flared end of the mount
293
00:19:16,793 --> 00:19:18,413
To the neck of the bulb.
294
00:19:20,586 --> 00:19:22,379
Arms move in and mold the neck
295
00:19:22,379 --> 00:19:24,862
To fit inside
The bulb's aluminum base.
296
00:19:27,758 --> 00:19:30,793
The next machine vacuums out
All the air in the bulb
297
00:19:30,793 --> 00:19:33,862
And replaces it
With pressurized argon gas.
298
00:19:33,862 --> 00:19:36,551
This inert gas
Will resist heat buildup,
299
00:19:36,551 --> 00:19:38,862
Helping the filament
Last longer.
300
00:19:41,896 --> 00:19:44,206
After bending the lead wires
Out of the way,
301
00:19:44,206 --> 00:19:46,793
Torches melt and seal off
The glass exhaust tube,
302
00:19:46,793 --> 00:19:49,620
Locking the argon gas inside.
303
00:19:49,620 --> 00:19:51,827
The bulb would now be
Fully functional
304
00:19:51,827 --> 00:19:54,068
If connected
To an electric current.
305
00:19:54,068 --> 00:19:55,931
But it needs a base
306
00:19:55,931 --> 00:19:58,448
In order to screw into
The socket of a light fixture.
307
00:19:58,448 --> 00:20:01,379
The base is made of aluminum.
308
00:20:05,137 --> 00:20:08,310
This machine inserts
One of the bulbs' lead wires
309
00:20:08,310 --> 00:20:11,655
Through the middle
And solders it in place.
310
00:20:14,827 --> 00:20:17,931
It then spot-welds
The other wire to the side.
311
00:20:17,931 --> 00:20:19,275
The result --
312
00:20:19,275 --> 00:20:22,448
Two base contacts to line up
With two socket contacts.
313
00:20:30,965 --> 00:20:32,620
On their way to packaging,
314
00:20:32,620 --> 00:20:35,620
The bulbs undergo
What's called flash testing --
315
00:20:35,620 --> 00:20:39,000
Repeated light-ups, using
A higher voltage each time.
316
00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:41,172
This strengthens
The filaments inside,
317
00:20:41,172 --> 00:20:44,000
Making it less likely
To break during shipping.
318
00:20:46,034 --> 00:20:48,137
This factory
Tests light bulbs regularly
319
00:20:48,137 --> 00:20:50,344
To make sure
The light output and wattage
320
00:20:50,344 --> 00:20:52,241
Are what they should be.
321
00:20:56,551 --> 00:20:59,965
One last illumination
To make sure nothing broke
322
00:20:59,965 --> 00:21:02,689
Between flash testing
And packaging.
323
00:21:02,689 --> 00:21:04,517
The automated
Packaging equipment
324
00:21:04,517 --> 00:21:07,206
Is designed to cushion
And protect the fragile bulbs
325
00:21:07,206 --> 00:21:10,482
So they don't break
During transport.
326
00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:20,172
If you have any comments
About the show,
327
00:21:20,172 --> 00:21:22,862
Or if you'd like to suggest
Topics for future shows,
328
00:21:22,862 --> 00:21:25,379
Drop us a line at...
26512
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