How It's Made — Season 22

Oct 201321m

Steel frames, electric motors, rechargeable batteries and upright control systems are assembled into compact stand-up vehicles. Fresh fruit is washed, prepared and rapidly frozen to preserve its quality; absorbent wood pulp is pressed, dried and printed into beer coasters; and heated metal blanks are forged, machined and finished to create decorative door handles.

Oct 201321m

Heavy steel housings, powerful drive systems and hardened crushing components are assembled into machines that reduce large rocks to smaller aggregate. Fabric is laminated, cut and attached to wire frames to produce lampshades; sweetened mixtures are extruded, dried and coloured into cake sprinkles; and heated soleplates, thermostats and water reservoirs are combined in steam irons.

Oct 201321m

Lightweight materials are shaped around hand grips and fitted with switches, displays and quick-release hubs to create specialized Indy-car steering wheels. Fresh vegetables are washed, cut, dried and combined into packaged salads, while towers, nacelles and enormous composite blades are manufactured and assembled into wind turbines.

Nov 201321m

Thick steel plates, internal reinforcement and heavy locking mechanisms are combined to produce doors capable of resisting powerful explosions. Waxes, oils and pigments are blended and moulded into lipstick; sculpted trunks and synthetic fronds become artificial palm trees; and engraved or cast brass plates are polished and finished as decorative plaques.

Nov 201321m

Synthetic fibres are stretched and heated in controlled furnaces until they become strong, lightweight carbon fibre. Conservators clean and stabilize antique picture frames before replacing damaged ornament and gilding; compact traction machines are assembled to move railway cars; and cast metal figures are polished and plated to create hood ornaments.

Nov 201321m

Durable moulded and metal components are assembled into portable sawhorses and toolboxes designed for construction work. Fruit mixtures are portioned into moulds and frozen into sorbet pops, while reinforced body panels, passenger seats, doors and safety equipment are installed on heavy vehicle chassis to build school buses.

Nov 201321m

Motors, abrasive pads and dust-control components are assembled into powered sanders. Digital geographical data guides the production of detailed solid terrain models; mineral ingredients are blended into stucco for coating buildings; and flexible door panels, tracks, sensors and high-speed motors are combined into rapidly opening industrial doors.

Dec 201321m

Measured portions of molten glass are pressed into moulds to create precisely shaped decorative and functional objects. Fibreglass shells are moulded and fitted with windows and hardware to form pickup-truck caps; alpaca fleece is cleaned, carded and spun into yarn; and sharpened blades are installed in moulded handles to produce utility knives.

Dec 201321m

Flexible moulding materials capture the contours of a living subject before plaster or resin is poured to create a detailed life cast. Burners and electric heating elements are combined with built-in ventilation systems in downdraft cooktops; specialized knitting machines produce hosiery with graduated compression; and batteries, electric motors and control electronics are installed in motorcycle frames.

Dec 201321m

Metal frames and shaped passenger bodies are built, painted and fitted to motorcycles as sidecars. Slices of bread are coated in an egg mixture, cooked and rapidly frozen into prepared French toast; electric motors and pumping mechanisms are sealed inside refrigerator compressors; and precision-machined rotors are assembled into engine superchargers.

Dec 201321m

Measurements and moulds of a patient’s leg guide the shaping of supportive shells, hinges and padding for custom knee braces. Heat-exchange coils, fans, compressors and electronic controls are assembled into ductless air-conditioning systems; thin polymer layers are coated and bonded into window film; and bent metal tubing and mufflers become motorcycle exhaust systems.

Jan 201421m

Flash-memory chips and controllers are mounted on circuit boards, enclosed and tested to create solid-state drives. Pigments and binding agents are blended and pressed into eye-shadow pans; passenger vehicles are cut, lengthened and structurally reinforced to become limousines; and hollow hammer heads are filled with loose material that absorbs rebound in dead-blow hammers.

Jan 201421m

Specialized rubber compounds and reinforcing materials are layered, moulded and vulcanized into dragster tires designed to withstand extreme acceleration. Sugar, fats and flavourings are blended into smooth icing; buoyant sections and supporting frames are assembled into floating docks; and continuous steel strips are helically formed and welded into large spiral pipes.