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.
ON "INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS," HOT AIR BALLOONS,
AND HOW THEY IDEA OF USING ONE TAKES FLIGHT
ON THE WAR-TORN BATTLE FIELDS OF EUROPE,
SYNTHETIC RUBBER,
THE CONNECTION BETWEEN WORLD WAR II,
AND THE TIRES WE USE TODAY...
METAL DETECTORS, HOW AN INSTRUMENT
USED TO FIND HIDDEN TREASURES HAS BEEN
SAVING LIVES FOR DECADES.
WE REVEAL THE AMAZING HISTORY
AND ENGINEERING BEHIND THESE
"INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS."
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
Narrator: AGAINST THE DARK BACKDROP OF THE NIGHTTIME SKY,
SKY LANTERNS ADD MAGIC
TO ANY CELEBRATION WITH THEIR FIERY GLOW.
BUT DID YOU KNOW THAT THESE TINY HOT AIR BALLOONS
WERE ACTUALLY USED IN WARFARE? IT'S TRUE.
THEY WERE USED TO SEND BATTLE ORDERS TO CHINESE TROOPS
DURING THE 3RD CENTURY A.D.
THE PRINCIPLE BEHIND THE HOT AIR BALLOON
IS BASIC PHYSICS.
TO CREATE LIFT, THE BALLOON FILLS UP
WITH A LIGHTER-THAN-AIR GAS, SUCH AS HYDROGEN,
OR HELIUM OR, MORE COMMONLY, WITH HOT AIR.
THEIR FIRST USE WAS FOR WARFARE BY THE FRENCH
DURING THE BATTLE OF FLEURUS IN 1794.
THAT'S WHEN THE NEW REPUBLICAN FRENCH TROOPS
SENT UP A BALLOON TO DIRECT ARTILLERY
AND SPY ON THE ENEMY.
THEY WERE EVEN USED DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR.
ALTHOUGH IT WAS A LITTLE DANGEROUS FOR THE OPERATOR.
Man: CAN YOU IMAGINE BEING AN OBSERVER IN A WICKER BASKET
HANGING UNDERNEATH A BALLOON
AT THE BATTLE OF THE MARNE,
THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME?
YOU MUST BE READY TO LEAP FOR YOUR LIFE.
THESE GUYS WERE GUTSY, BUT THEY WERE VITAL.
Narrator: BY THE SECOND WORLD WAR,
BALLOONS ARE BEING USED TO KEEP AN EYE ON ENEMY AIRCRAFT.
Hicks: THE SECOND WORLD WAR, OF COURSE,
YOU HAVE THEM AS THE BARRAGE BALLOONS
TO PREVENT PLANES COMING TOO LOW
TO DO THEIR DAMAGE ABOVE IMPORTANT SITES.
THE INTRODUCTION OF THE HOT AIR BALLOON
AS A MILITARY PIECE OF EQUIPMENT
REALLY DID OPEN UP A NEW DIMENSION OF WARFARE
BECAUSE YOU TOOK YOUR OBSERVERS,
FIRST OF ALL, HIGH UP INTO THE AIR.
IT IS A MASSIVE STEP FORWARD
FOR THE MILITARY MACHINES OF THE WORLD.
Narrator: THE HOT AIR BALLOON, TRULY AN INCREDIBLE INVENTION.
CAMERON BALLOONS IN ENGLAND
HAVE BEEN MAKING HOT AIR BALLOONS SINCE 1971.
THEY ARE THE LARGEST MANUFACTURER
OF HOT AIR BALLOONS IN THE WORLD.
THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS AN AVERAGE HOT AIR BALLOON
BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL INDIVIDUAL AND BESPOKE.
BUT I SUPPOSE IT TAKES US
BETWEEN 6 AND 12 WEEKS
TO MAKE A BALLOON,
SOMETIMES A BIT LONGER IF A COMPLICATED SPECIAL SHAPE.
AND WE MAKE PROBABLY BETWEEN 90 AND 120 BALLOONS A YEAR.
♪♪
THE HOT-AIR-BALLOON-MAKING PROCESS STARTS
WITH ACTUALLY SITTING DOWN
AND DISCUSSING WHAT THE PERSON ACTUALLY WANTS.
ONCE WE'VE GOT THAT ESTABLISHED,
WE CAN THEN PUT IT INTO PRODUCTION.
THERE'S QUITE A LOT OF DESIGN AND PLANNING
AND ARTWORK SET UP THAT HAPPENS.
AND THEN IT CAN GO INTO CUTTING
WHERE ALL THE FABRIC AND THE TAPES
AND ALL THE MATERIALS ARE GOT TOGETHER
FOR THE FABRIC PART OF THE BALLOON.
Narrator: THE MATERIAL THAT WILL MAKE THE BALLOON ITSELF
IS CUT INTO ALL THE DIFFERENT SHAPES
THAT WILL BE REQUIRED.
DIFFERENT MATERIALS ARE USED
IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE BALLOON.
Cameron: THE MAIN ONES WE USE FOR HOT AIR BALLOONS
ARE ONE CALLED HYPERLAST
WHICH IS USED AT THE TOP OF THE BALLOON.
IT'S A VERY SLIPPERY, STRONG FABRIC,
VERY HEAT RESISTANT,
AND IN THE MIDDLE SECTION OF THE BALLOON,
WE USE A RIPSTOP NYLON,
WHICH IS VERY LIGHT, VERY STRONG,
AND IT'S EVEN LIGHTER THAN YOUR NORMAL COMPUTER PAPER AT HOME.
AND AT THE BOTTOM OF THE BALLOON, WE USE A FABRIC
THAT'S VERY SIMILAR TO RACING-CAR-DRIVER SUITS.
IT'S VERY HEAT-RESISTANT BECAUSE, OF COURSE,
THAT'S WHERE THE RADIANT HEAT FROM THE BURNER IS.
Narrator: THE DIFFERENT PIECES ARE SORTED
INTO SECTIONS FOR EASY IDENTIFICATION LATER ON.
MEANWHILE, THE BURNERS THAT SUPPLY THE HOT AIR
TO THE BALLOON ARE BUILT FROM SCRATCH IN THE FACTORY.
TO BETTER SUIT THE NEEDS OF A HOT AIR BALLOON,
CAMERON BALLOONS HAVE DEVELOPED DIFFERENT MATERIALS OVER TIME.
MATERIALS NEED TO BE LONG LASTING,
SO THEY'RE CONSTANTLY TESTED DURING THE PRODUCTION PROCESS
TO ENSURE THEY MEET QUALITY AND SAFETY STANDARDS.
THE MATERIAL PIECES ARE SOWN TOGETHER,
INCORPORATING THE LOAD STRAPS
THAT FORM THE STRUCTURE OF THE BALLOON
AND BEAR THE WEIGHT OF THE BASKET,
BURNERS, AND PASSENGERS.
Cameron: THE OVERALL CONSTRUCTION
OF A HOT AIR BALLOON IS ACTUALLY QUITE SIMPLE.
THERE'S A LOAD RING A THE VERY TOP OF THE BALLOON.
FROM THAT POINT, THERE CARRIES SOME TAPES
WHICH COME DOWN TO A LOAD RING AT THE BURNER.
SO THE FABRIC JUST HOLDS IN THE HOT AIR.
THE LOAD TAPES CARRY THE LOAD,
AND THE RING AT THE TOP AND THE RING AT THE BOTTOM
ACTUALLY HELP SUSPEND ALL OF THAT.
Narrator: DESPITE THE DEVELOPMENTS
OF NEW ALTERNATIVES, THE BASKETS
ARE STILL MADE FROM TRADITIONAL MATERIALS.
DEPENDING ON CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS,
THEY ARE FITTED OUT WITH LEATHER-COVERED
PADDING AND TRIM.
Cameron: WE NOT ONLY HAVE TO APPLY
ALL THE CUSTOMER'S REQUIREMENTS
FOR DIFFERENT COLOR TRIM AND CUSHIONS AND SO ON,
BUT THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE THE PASSENGERS
AND THE FUEL TANKS WILL BE.
IT HAS TO PERFORM UNDER DURESS, AND, IN FACT,
IT HAS TO DO DROP TESTS AND VARIOUS CRUSH TESTS.
♪♪
Narrator: ONCE FINISHED, THE BALLOON
IS THOROUGHLY TESTED BY THE TEAM BEFORE DELIVERY TO THE CUSTOMER.
Cameron: WE CONTINUALLY INSPECT OUR WORK
AS WE GO ALONG,
AND THEN WE GO TO A FINAL TEST
AND INSPECTION STAGE.
AND THIS WE DO ALL TOGETHER
ON EVERY PART OF THE BALLOON
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE 100% HAPPY WITH IT,
SO WE CAN, HAND ON HEART,
GIVE IT TO OUR CUSTOMERS WITH FULL CONFIDENCE.
♪♪
Narrator: SIT TIGHT -- AFTER THE BREAK,
WE RETURN TO EARTH TO DISCOVER THE SECRETS
OF AMAZING SYNTHETIC RUBBER.
♪♪
Narrator: OUR DAILY LIVES ARE MADE EASIER
BY ANY NUMBER OF AMAZING INNOVATIONS,
BUT THERE IS ONE THAT IS ARGUABLY THE GREATEST
OF ALL TIME, AND THAT'S THE WHEEL.
THE WHEEL'S ORIGIN MAY BE A BIT LOST IN TIME,
BUT THE RUBBER AROUND A CAR TIRE
IS DIRECTLY LINKED TO WORLD WAR II.
HOW?
WELL, IT ALL BEGINS WITH NATURAL RUBBER.
RUBBER COMES FROM THE RUBBER TREE,
AS IT IS CALLED -- THAT'S A TREE
ORIGINALLY FOUND IN SOUTH AMERICA.
AND WHAT YOU DO IS YOU TAKE THE TREE.
YOU CUT THE BARK,
AND SAP SLOWLY RUNS OUT OF IT.
THIS SAP IS A MILKY MIXTURE OF WATER AND LATEX.
LATEX CONTAINS RUBBER AND LATEX MOLECULES,
AND WHAT'S THEN DONE IS IT'S PROCESSED
WITH A BIT OF ACID,
AND THE RUBBER ITSELF CAN COME OUT.
THE PEOPLES OF SOUTH AMERICA USED IT FOR MANY THINGS
INCLUDING WATERPROOF COATS, SHOES,
AND BALLS TO PLAY THEIR BALL GAMES
THAT THEY'RE QUITE FAMOUS FOR IN ANCIENT CULTURES.
Narrator: NATURAL RUBBER MAY BE A USEFUL MATERIAL,
BUT IT DOES HAVE IT'S LIMITS.
Gazard: IT HAS ONLY A CERTAIN
TEMPERATURE RANGE OVER WHICH IT WILL WORK.
IN COLD WINTERS, IT WILL FREEZE ROCK SOLID
AND BECOME AFFECTED LIKE A ROCK,
NOT VERY USEFUL FOR IT'S ELASTIC PROPERTIES.
WHEN IT GETS TOO WARM, IT WILL MELT,
WHICH OBVIOUSLY DOESN'T WORK VERY WELL
IF YOU'RE TRYING TO USE IT AS A TIRE IN A HOT COUNTRY.
Narrator: IN 1839, CHARLES GOODYEAR
ACCIDENTALLY STUMBLES ON THE WAY
TO IMPROVE THE VERSATILITY OF NATURAL RUBBER.
IT'S CALLED VULCANIZATION.
AND BY ADDING SULFUR AND LEAD TO NATURAL RUBBER
AND HEATING IT,
THE PROCESS CROSS-LINKS THE NATURAL RUBBER FIBERS
AND MOLECULES MAKING THE MATERIALS MORE DURABLE.
WHEN A COMPOUND MELTS,
ITS MOLECULES SLIDE PAST EACH OTHER.
IF RUBBER IS CROSS-LINKED,
THAN THE COMPOUND LOOSES THAT ABILITY,
SO IT RETAINS THE STRETCHINESS OF RUBBER
OVER THE GREATER RANGE OF TEMPERATURES.
THIS NEW, IMPROVED RUBBER HAS MANY USES.
SO, THE WORLD GOES CRAZY FOR RUBBER TIRES,
BUT WHAT IS THE WORLD WAR II CONNECTION?
WHEN THE JAPANESE INVADE SOUTHEAST ASIA IN 1941,
THE MAJORITY OF THE WORLD'S RUBBER RESOURCES
FALL UNDER ITS CONTROL,
CREATING A DIFFICULT SITUATION FOR THE U.S.
THE U.S. WAS ENTERING THE WAR,
AND IT NEEDED SUPPLIES OF RUBBER IN ORDER
TO MAN THE BATTLE SHIPS, THE DESTROYERS,
AND EVERY THING IN PARTS AND MUNITIONS IN THE WAR EFFORT.
THE PROBLEM WAS THEY HAD A MILLION TONS' WORTH OF RUBBER
AND WERE GOING THROUGH IT AT A RATE OF ABOUT
600,000 TONS A YEAR,
SO, A YEAR AND A HALF SUPPLY AT MOST.
THEY FORMED THE RUBBER RESERVE COMMITTEE
SO THAT ALL SCRAPS OF RUBBER
COULD BE TAKEN IN AND RECYCLED
AND MANUFACTURED AND REUSED.
ABOUT 3 YEARS LATER, TOWARDS THE END OF THE WAR,
THEY WORKED OUT ENOUGH FACTORIES
TO PRODUCE 70,000 TONS PER MONTH
INSTEAD OF 231 TONS PER YEAR.
AND THIS OBVIOUSLY GREATLY INCREASED THE ABILITY
FOR THE U.S. TO HELP THE ALLIES TO FIGHT THE WAR.
Narrator: SYNTHETIC RUBBER KEEPS THE U.S. WAR MACHINE MOVING
DURING THE DARK DAYS OF THE EARLY 1940s.
BUT WHAT'S THE SECRET BEHIND THIS WAR-WINNING TECHNOLOGY?
SYNTHETIC RUBBER WAS ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED
BY WILLIAM TILDON IN 1879.
HE WORKED OUT THAT HE COULD TAKE ISOPRENE AND POLYMERIZERS.
LATER ON, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT ADDING SODIUM
TO THE MIXTURE YOU COULD INCREASE THE POLYMERIZATION,
AND THUS PRODUCE SYNTHETIC RUBBER QUITE QUICKLY.
Narrator: AFTER ITS SUCCESS IN WORLD WAR II,
SYNTHETIC RUBBER NEVER LOOKS BACK.
AND TODAY, IT'S USED FAR MORE
WIDELY THAN ITS COUSIN, NATURAL RUBBER.
AN AMAZING 70 PERCENT OF ALL ROAD TIRES TODAY
ARE MADE FROM SYNTHETIC RUBBER.
SO, THE NEXT TIME YOU TAKE A TRIP
IN YOUR CAR OR A RIDE ON THE BUS,
REMEMBER THAT YOU'RE BEING CARRIED ALONG BY MATERIAL
THAT WAS DEVELOPED TO WIN WORLD WAR II.
COMING UP NEXT, A SPECIAL EXPERIMENT
TO SHOW THE EXTRAORDINARY FORCES
AT WORK ON AN ORDINARY TIRE.
♪♪
Narrator: SYNTHETIC RUBBER MAY BE AN OUTSTANDING INVENTION,
BUT THE DIFFERENT FORCES ACTING ON CAR TIRES
MAKE THIS WONDER MATERIAL EVEN MORE IMPRESSIVE.
TO BEGIN, OUR TESTER TAKES TWO CATALOGS
AND BEGINS TO INTERWEAVE THEIR PAGES.
THE EXPERIMENT WILL WORK BEST
IF YOU USE TWO SOFTBACK CATALOGS
AND TRY AND SANDWICH AS MANY PAGES AS YOU CAN.
ALTHOUGH, A FEW PAGES AT A TIME WILL STILL GIVE YOU A RESULT.
SOMETIME LATER, AND THE TWO WEIGHTY CATALOGS
HAVE MOST OF THEIR PAGES RESTING IN BETWEEN EACH OTHER.
NOW THEN, TRY PULLING THEM APART.
IT'S NOT SO EASY, AND IT'S ALL BECAUSE OF FRICTION.
FRICTION IS THE FORCE THAT OPPOSES MOTION
WHEN TWO SURFACES COME INTO CONTACT.
PLACE A SHEET OF PAPER ON TOP OF ANOTHER,
AND IT'S EASY TO SLIDE THEM APART.
BUT WHEN YOU HAVE HOARDS OF PAPERS ALL ACTUALLY TOGETHER,
THEN THE FORCE IS IMMENSE.
SO, HOW MUCH FORCE IS NEEDED TO PRY THE TWO BOOKS APART?
THIS CALLS FOR AN EXPERIMENT.
THE MATERIALS: WOOD, WEIGHTS, WIRE, PULLEYS, CLAMPS,
AND AN ASSORTMENT OF SCREWS.
OUR TESTER CONSTRUCTS A RIG THAT WILL ALLOW WEIGHTS
TO BE SUSPENDED FROM EACH BOOK
SO WE CAN FIND OUT HOW MUCH WEIGHT
WILL MAKE THE BOOK SLIP APART.
LET'S SEE IF WE CAN BEAT MOTHER NATURE'S FRICTION.
GRADUALLY, OUR TESTER ADDS THE WEIGHTS.
THE WIRES GO TAUT UNDER THE STRING,
BUT THE BOOKS REFUSE TO BUDGE.
HOW MUCH WEIGHT CAN THE PAGES TAKE?
WELL, QUITE A BIT ACTUALLY.
IN THE END, OUR TESTER IS DEFEATED
WITH JUST ABOUT 154 POUNDS,
THE SIZE OF A HUMAN,
TRYING TO PULL THE TWO BOOKS APART.
WE HAVE TO STOP THE EXPERIMENT AS OUR RIG THREATENS
TO BREAK UNDER THE TESTING CONDITIONS.
AND OUR CONCLUSION IS NEVER UNDERESTIMATE
THE POWER OF FRICTION.
THE PROSPECT OF FINDING OF BURIED GOLD
AND PRECIOUS METALS DRAWS THOUSANDS AROUND THE WORLD
TO THE HOBBY OF DETECTING.
DETECTORISTS, AS THEY'RE CALLED TODAY,
HAVE FOUND FABULOUS HOARDS OF ANCIENT TREASURES
THAT HAVE SAT UNDETECTED FOR CENTURIES.
IN 1919, THEIR MISSION GETS A MAJOR UPGRADE
WITH THE INVENTION OF THE METAL DETECTOR.
♪♪
IT ALL BEGINS WITH TWO ELECTROMAGNETIC COILS.
Man: IN YOUR METAL DETECTOR,
YOU'RE SENDING AN ELECTRICAL CURRENT
THROUGH THE CENTER COIL.
THE CHANGING OF THAT ELECTRICAL CURRENT CREATES
A CHANGING MAGNETIC FIELD,
A MAGNETIC PULSE, IN THE DETECTOR.
THIS PULSE GOES INTO THE GROUND,
AND WHERE IT IS PICKED UP THE MAGNETIC OBJECT,
THE MAGNETIC CHANGING MAGNETIC PULSE CAUSES
A CURRENT TO BE GENERATED IN THE METAL,
AND THAT CURRENT THEN GENERATES,
IN TURN, A MAGNETIC RESPONSE
THAT YOUR METAL DETECTOR
IS NOW PICKING UP THROUGH THE RECEIVER COIL.
AND THAT THEN, IN TURN,
GENERATES A CHANGING CURRENT IN A METAL DETECTOR
THAT IS USED TO SIGNAL
THAT YOU HAVE FOUND AN OBJECT IN THE GROUND.
Narrator: IT MAY SURPRISE YOU TO LEARN
THAT THE FIRST USE OF THESE DEVICES
IS NOT TO FIND TREASURE OR PRECIOUS METALS,
BUT TO CLEAR THE BATTLE FIELDS OF FRANCE AFTER WORLD WAR I.
BY WORLD WAR II, A LIGHTER,
MORE USER-FRIENDLY DESIGN IS INVENTED.
AND IN 1942, AFTER THE GERMAN ARMY
IS DEFEATED AT EL ALAMEIN IN NORTH AFRICA,
THE ALLIES ARE IN HOT PURSUIT.
CLOSING IN ON THE ENEMY,
THE ALLIES ARE STOPPED IN THEIR TRACKS
BY A DEADLY MINEFIELD.
BUT ARMED WITH A NEWLY DESIGNED MINE DETECTOR,
ALLIED TROOPS LOCATE AND DISARM THE EXPLOSIVES.
METAL DETECTORS TODAY HAVE MANY APPLICATIONS.
THEY PLAY THEIR PART IN THE WAR ON TERROR
BY SCANNING PASSENGERS
FOR HIDDEN WEAPONS AT AIRPORTS.
THEY'RE ALSO USED IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN.
BUT, OF COURSE, METAL DETECTORS AREN'T
JUST USED FOR SECURITY AND IN WAR.
Man: ANOTHER INTERESTING USE IS THE LOCAL DALLAS AQUARIUM.
THEY HAVE A BIG PENGUIN TANK WITH A NUMBER OF PENGUINS
WHERE YOU CAN WATCH THEM SWIM, AND AS IT WOULD BE,
PEOPLE INVARIABLY WANT TO THROW THINGS INTO THE WATER.
THE PENGUINS WILL INGEST THESE THINGS.
SO THE ZOO THERE WILL ACTUALLY TAKE THOSE PENGUINS
AND LINE THEM UP AND SCAN THEIR LITTLE BODIES
WITH THE HAND SCANNER TO SEE IF ANYTHING'S IN THEIR BELLIES.
AND THEY FOUND QUITE A FEW METALLIC OBJECTS THE PENGUINS
HAVE INGESTED THAT MIGHT HAVE OTHERWISE KILLED THEM
IF THEY WERE NOT REMOVED QUICKLY.
Narrator: AS THE TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPS AND IMPROVES,
IT'S INCREASINGLY LIKELY THAT THE EARTH
WILL GIVE UP MORE OF ITS METAL TREASURES,
SOME OF THEM BURIED FOR MILLENNIA.
HOLD ON TO YOUR BOOTY! AFTER THE BREAK,
WE'LL VISIT A FACTORY TO SEE HOW A METAL DETECTOR IS MADE.
Narrator: TODAY, GARRETT METAL DETECTORS IN HOUSTON, TEXAS,
IS ONE OF THE LEADING PRODUCERS OF METAL DETECTORS.
CHARLES GARRETT, AN AVID TREASURE HUNTER,
BEGAN BUILDING HIS PROTOTYPE
METAL DETECTOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS AGO.
STILL VERY MUCH A FAMILY-RUN BUSINESS TODAY,
GARRETT HAS GROWN INTO ONE OF THE LEADING
METAL DETECTOR MANUFACTURERS IN THE WORLD.
THE PRODUCTION PROCESS BEGINS WITH MAGNETIC MODELING.
THIS HELPS THE ENGINEERS TO MONITOR
THE DETECTORS PERFORMANCE AND DESIGN THE STYLE
AND SHAPE OF THE ALL-IMPORTANT DETECTION COIL.
THE PLASTIC CASING OF THE METAL DETECTOR
IS THEN DESIGNED USING COMPUTER AIDED DESIGN,
OR CAD, SOFTWARE.
THIS ALLOWS THE ENGINEER TO LOOK
AT THE STRESS PATTERNS OF THE PLASTIC
AND ENABLES HIM TO PRODUCE THE MOST DURABLE, FUNCTIONAL,
AND ERGONOMIC DESIGN POSSIBLE.
THE COMPONENT PARTS, CONNECTING WIRES
AND OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE CIRCUIT BOARD,
ARE THEN MAPPED OUT.
ONCE THIS IS DONE, IT IS THEN TIME
TO PUT THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ONTO THE CIRCUIT BOARD.
FIRST, THE SOLDER PASTE
IS PRINTED ONTO THE CIRCUIT BOARD,
READY FOR THE BOARD TO BE MOVED ONTO THE PICK AND PLACE MACHINE.
THE MANY DIFFERENT COMPONENTS THAT MAKE UP
THE METAL DETECTOR'S CIRCUIT BOARD
ARE PICKED FROM A REEL BY A HIGH-SPEED
PICK-AND-PLACE MACHINE AND PLACED ONTO THE BOARD.
AUTOMATED PROCESSES SUCH AS THESE ALLOW
FOR EXTREME HIGH ACCURACY
AND FASTER PRODUCTION OF THE CIRCUIT BOARDS.
THE BOARDS ARE THEN PLACED THROUGH A RE-FLOW OVEN
IN WHICH THE SOLDER PASTE IS HEATED,
WHICH FUSES IT TO THE COMPONENTS AND THE BOARD.
THE KEY ELEMENT OF ANY METAL DETECTOR
IS THE SEARCH COIL.
THE COIL IS MADE BY WINDING COPPER WIRE ON A PLASTIC BOBBIN.
IT'S CUSTOM-DESIGNED AND COMPUTER-CONTROLLED,
SO THAT THE NUMBER OF WINDINGS, LOCATION OF THE WIRES
AND THE TENSION CAN BE CONSISTENT.
THE COIL IS THEN PASSED ON TO THE COIL WIRING LINE.
THE CIRCUIT BOARD,
FRESHLY SPUN MAGNETIC COILS
AND CABLES ARE ALL PUT INTO THE PLASTIC SHELL
AND THEN SECURED WITH HEATED GLUE.
NOW THAT THE COILS HAVE BEEN PLACED INTO THE SHELL,
AND THE WIRES HAVE BEEN CONNECTED,
THEY'RE ALL ENCAPSULATED IN EPOXY RESIN
USING AN AUTOMATED MIXING AND DISPENSING MACHINE.
WITH THE SEARCH COIL COMPLETE,
THE ALUMINUM TUBES OF THE METAL DETECTOR,
WHICH WILL FORM IT'S STEM AND HANDLE, ARE BENT TO SHAPE.
THIS BENDS THE METAL TO EXACTLY THE RIGHT SHAPE,
DEPENDING ON THE MODEL OF METAL DETECTOR BEING PRODUCED.
HOLES ARE THEN PUNCHED INTO THE FRESHLY BENT METAL STEMS
TO ALLOW FOR THE PLASTIC CASINGS TO BE FITTED TO THEM.
THE METAL DETECTOR
IS THEN FINISHED ON THE FINAL ASSEMBLY LINE.
THE CIRCUIT BOARDS ARE FIRST PLACED INTO A PROGRAMMER
THAT INSTALLS THE DETECTOR'S SOFTWARE.
ONCE THIS IS COMPLETE, THE BOARD IS CALIBRATED
USING TEST OBJECTS SUCH AS COINS
THAT SPIN OVER THE DETECTION COIL.
THIS SENDS SIGNALS TO THE BOARD THAT ALLOWS THE OPERATOR
TO CALIBRATE IT AS WELL AS SIGNALING
THAT EVERYTHING IS WORKING AS IT SHOULD BE.
WITH THE BOARD COMPLETE, BATTERY CONTACTS AND SPEAKERS
ARE FITTED INTO THE PLASTIC CONSOLE CASING.
THE CIRCUIT BOARD AND FRONT PANEL ARE ADDED.
THE CASING'S LABEL IS STUCK INTO PLACE
BEFORE IT IS PASSED DOWN THE LINE
TO BE SCREWED AND SECURED, BATTERIES ADDED,
AND THEN BRANDED.
NOW, A TORQUE WRENCH
IS USED TO SECURE THE NUTS FOR THE CONNECTORS.
ONE CONNECTOR IS FOR THE SEARCH COIL,
AND THE OTHER IS FOR THE HEADPHONES.
THE FRESHLY POWDER-COATED STEMS
ARE NOW ATTACHED TO THE CONSOLE
AS WELL AS THE CUFF ASSEMBLY.
THE DETECTOR IS ATTACHED TO ITS SEARCH COIL,
AND DIFFERENT METALS ARE AGAIN PASSED OVER IT IN ORDER
TO VERIFY THAT THE DETECTOR
IS DETECTING WITH THE CORRECT SENSITIVITY.
FINAL ASSEMBLY COMPLETE AND ALL TESTS PASSED,
THE METAL DETECTOR IS THEN BOXED UP
AND SHIPPED OFF,
READY TO DISCOVER INCREDIBLE NEW TREASURES.
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT,
A GLANCE THROUGH THE HIDDEN HISTORY
AND SUPER SCIENCE OF SOME AMAZING PRODUCTS
THAT YOU USE EVERY DAY:
HOT AIR BALLOONS,
SYNTHETIC RUBBER,
AND METAL DETECTORS.
THEY MAY SEEM COMMON AND ORDINARY.
HOWEVER, THESE PRODUCTS HELPED CHANGED WORLD,
ONE INCREDIBLE INVENTION AT A TIME.