Original subtitles

Narrator: THE SECRETS OF A WORLD-FAMOUS SNACK ARE REVEALED.

ROBOTS AND HUMANS ARE WORKING IN TANDEM

TO CREATE THIS SOPHISTICATED LUXURY SPORTS CAR.

MODERN TECHNOLOGY IS BRINGING CHARACTERS

FROM A POPULAR ANIME TV SERIES TO LIFE.

AND THIS EUROPEAN MANUFACTURER IS FLUSHING OUT THE COMPETITION

BY PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF DESIGN AND ENGINEERING.

THESE GROUNDBREAKING INNOVATIONS ARE ALL TAKING PLACE

INSIDE SOME OF THE MOST INCREDIBLE FACTORIES

ON THE PLANET.

-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

LOCATED IN PERRY, GEORGIA, IS THE FRITO-LAY FACTORY,

THE WORLD'S LEADING SUPPLIER OF POTATO CHIPS.

IT'S HERE WHERE THE COMPANY'S FAMOUS CHIP BRANDS, DORITOS,

CHEETOS, FRITOS, AND LAYS

ARE PRODUCED IN OVER 160 FLAVOR VARIETIES.

Russell: POTATO CHIPS ARE MASSIVE, AND LAYS ARE A BIG PLAYER IN THIS.

LAYS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR ABOUT 80 YEARS.

Narrator: TODAY, FRITO-LAYS IS ONE OF THE MOST RECOGNIZABLE

CHIP BRANDS IN THE WORLD,

CONTROLLING 35% OF THE SNACK CHIP MARKET.

BUT THIS BUSINESS GREW FROM VERY HUMBLE BEGINNINGS.

SO WHO INVENTED THE POTATO CHIP? GOOD QUESTION.

SOME SAY IT WAS A CHEF NAMED GEORGE CRUM

IN NEW YORK STATE IN THE 1850s.

SO WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT HERMAN LAY STARTED

PEDALING CHIPS OUT OF HIS MODEL A FORD IN 1931.

SOON HE HAD HIS FIRST FACTORY, AND THE REST IS HISTORY.

Narrator: FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS,

THE PERRY FACILITY HAS BEEN

A MAJOR PART OF THE COMMUNITY

IN THIS PART OF THE STATE.

AT NEARLY 990,000 SQUARE FEET,

THE FACTORY SITS ON 1,500 ACRES OF LAND.

IT'S ALSO THE FIRST FACILITY IN GEORGIA TO BE AWARDED

A LEAD CERTIFICATION,

RECOGNIZING IT AS AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY SITE.

BUT THE KEY TO THIS FACTORY'S SUCCESS

IS NOT ONLY ITS UNIQUE FACILITY,

IT'S ALSO WHAT'S BEING MANUFACTURED INSIDE.

AT FRITO-LAY, QUALITY BEGINS AT THE FARM,

THIS FACTORY IMPORTS POTATOES FROM 120 FARMS

ACROSS 25 DIFFERENT STATES.

JUST LIKE THEIR BUILDING STANDARDS,

QUALITY CONTINUES THROUGHOUT THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS

THROUGH VITAL VISUAL INSPECTIONS,

Maxwell: ALL OUR POTATOES GET A QUALITY CHECK.

WE'RE LOOKING AT APPEARANCE. WE'RE LOOKING AT SIZE.

COLOR, TEMPERATURE, AND WE HAVE SPECIFICATIONS

FOR ALL OF THOSE THINGS,

Narrator: ONCE THEY PASS INSPECTION,

THE POTATOES ARE WASHED AND PEELED

USING SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT.

HERMAN LAY DEVELOPED THE MECHANICAL POTATO PEELER

JUST UNDER 100 YEARS AGO,

THAT WAS A GAME CHANGER.

LAYS HAVE NEVER LOOKED BACK.

Narrator: ONCE THE POTATOES ARE CLEANED,

THEY MOVE DOWN A BELT TO A SLICING MACHINE.

THE MACHINE'S RAZOR-SHARP BLADES CUT THE POTATOES INTO A VARIETY

OF DIFFERENT THICKNESSES AND SHAPES.

INSIDE THE SLICING MACHINE, THE CENTRIFUGAL FORCE CREATED

BY THE SPINNING DRUMS THROWS THE POTATOES AGAINST THE BLADES,

RAPIDLY SLICING THEM INTO VERY THIN PIECES.

NEXT, THE POTATO SLICES

ARE WASHED TO REMOVE ANY REMAINING STARCH.

THEN DRIED TO REDUCE MOISTURE.

NOW THE CHIPS ARE READY TO BE FRIED.

THE CHIPS ARE FRIED IN CANOLA OIL

IN A TEMP ABOUT 350 DEGREES.

AND THAT PROCESS, AS IT COMES, IT TAKES ABOUT THREE MINUTES

AS IT GOES FROM THE SLICING PROCESS TO THE FRYING PROCESS.

AS THEY GO THROUGH THE FRYING PROCESS,

THIS WOULD BE THE FINISHED PRODUCT.

Narrator: AFTER FRYING, THE CHIPS ARE SALTED,

FLAVORED, AND FED INTO LARGE SORTING CONTAINERS.

EACH CONTAINER AUTOMATICALLY MEASURES OUT THE CHIPS

INTO HALF POUND PORTIONS.

THEN THEY'RE DISTRIBUTED INTO INDIVIDUAL PACKAGES.

AND FRITO-LAY'S SECRET TO KEEPING THE CHIPS FRESH

CAN BE FOUND INSIDE THE BAG.

NITROGEN IS PUMPED INTO THE BAGS FOR TWO REASONS.

IT REDUCES THE AMOUNT OF OXYGEN IN THE BAGS.

AND THAT OXYGEN CAN INCREASE FOOD DECAY.

AND THEN THE SECOND REASON IS IT CREATES A CUSHION.

AND THIS MEANS THAT THE CRISPS AREN'T SMASHED TO SMITHEREENS

BY THE TIME THEY REACH YOU.

Narrator: BACK ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE,

A TECHNICIAN THOROUGHLY INSPECTS THE OUTSIDE OF EACH BAG.

I'M DOING MY QUALITY CHECK IN THE MORNING,

I'M GOING TO CHECK OUT MY BACK SEAL,

MAKE SURE IT'S SOLID.

THE SEAL'S INTEGRITY IS GOOD,

THAT I HAVE A PRICE AND DATE ON HERE,

AND THAT IT'S LEGIBLE.

AND ALSO THAT THE GRAPHICS ARE NOT TWISTED

OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

Narrator: ONCE THE BAGS ARE SEALED, THEY'RE TRANSPORTED

TO THE COMPANY'S 700,000 SQUARE FOOT DISTRIBUTION CENTER.

HERE, MORE THAN 1,250 OPERATORS WORK

WITH SPECIAL PURPOSE EQUIPMENT TO STOCK AND PROCESS ORDERS

FOR RETAILERS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY.

SO THIS WEEK ALONE,

FRITO-LAY NATIONALLY WILL MAKE HALF A MILLION SERVICE CALLS

AND WILL MAKE THOSE SERVICE CALLS OVER 15,000 ROUTES.

MUCH OF THAT PRODUCT WILL GET INTO THE MARKETPLACE

ON OVER THE ROAD VEHICLES AND OUR ENTIRE FLEET OF ASSETS

IS 23,000 IN FRITO-LAY IN THE UNITED STATES.

THE COMPANY HAS ONE OF THE LARGEST PRIVATE VEHICLE FLEETS

IN THE U.S., WHICH IT USES TO TRANSPORT

THE GOODS TO POINTS OF SALE -- GROCERY STORES AND SUPERMARKETS.

Narrator: POTATO CHIPS REPRESENT ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR SNACKS

CONSUMED ACROSS THE GLOBE.

WITH A PROJECTED MARKET VALUE

SET TO REACH $35 BILLION BY 2024,

THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT THIS SALTY SNACK

IS IN HIGH DEMAND IN THE U.S.

AND RECENT STUDIES SUGGEST THE DEMAND FROM EMERGING ECONOMIES

IS ALSO ON THE RISE.

UP UNTIL NOW, POTATO CHIPS HAVE MAINLY BEEN CONSUMED

IN THE RICHER COUNTRIES,

THE SO-CALLED DEVELOPED WORLD OF THE WEST.

BUT THAT IS LIKELY TO CHANGE IN THE FUTURE

AS DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

ARE SEEN AS BEING THE NEXT BIG GROWTH AREA.

Narrator: FOR OVER 75 YEARS,

FRITO-LAY HAS BEEN MANUFACTURING SATISFYING SNACKS

TO PEOPLE AND RETAILERS AROUND THE WORLD.

TODAY, THE PERRY FACILITY PRODUCES OVER 1.7 BILLION

BAGS OF CHIPS A YEAR.

THE WORKFORCE IS DEDICATED TO PRODUCING HIGH-QUALITY SNACKS,

AND IT'S THEIR ABILITY TO MIX PRODUCTIVITY WITH MODERNITY

THAT MAKES THIS FACTORY A SUPER FACTORY.

COMING UP, NEW TECHNOLOGY IS COMBINED

WITH ITALIAN CRAFTSMANSHIP

TO PRODUCE THE WORLD'S MOST DISTINGUISHED SPORTS CAR.

ONE OF THE KEY POINTS FOR US IS LUXURY, BECAUSE LUXURY

MEANS THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF THE MANUFACTURING.

Narrator: AND LATER, IN JAPAN,

THIS SUPER FACTORY IS OPTIMIZING PRODUCTIVITY

BY UTILIZING THE LATEST AUTOMATED TECHNOLOGIES

TO CREATE TOYS FOR ANIME FANS ALL OVER THE WORLD.

¶¶

¶¶

Narrator: SURROUNDED BY THE BUSTLING CITY STREETS

OF TURIN, ITALY,

IS A FACTORY PRODUCING A LEGENDARY SPORTS CAR.

FOR OVER A CENTURY, MASERATI HAS BEEN MANUFACTURING

BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED VEHICLES

EQUIPPED WITH A HIGH PERFORMANCE RACING ENGINE.

NOW IN ITS SIXTH GENERATION, THE QUATTROPORTE

IS MASERATI'S TOP-SELLING VEHICLE

AND IS ONE OF THE MOST LUXURIOUS CARS IN PRODUCTION

ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.

ONE OF THE KEY POINTS FOR US IS LUXURY,

BECAUSE LUXURY MEANS THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF MATERIALS,

HIGHEST STANDARDS OF THE MANUFACTURING.

Narrator: LIKE ITS PREDECESSORS.

THE QUATTROPORTE'S DISTINCTIVE SLEEK DESIGN,

HANDCRAFTED INTERIORS, AND POWERFUL RACING ENGINE

ARE WHAT MAKES IT A CUT ABOVE ITS LUXURY SEDAN COMPETITORS.

THE MASERATI BROTHERS SET UP A WORKSHOP

FOR EARLY RACING CARS IN 1914,

AND THEY DOMINATED RACETRACKS FOR THE NEXT 50 YEARS.

IN 1963, THEY UNVEILED THE QUATTROPORTE SPORTS SEDAN,

THE FASTEST FOUR-DOOR CAR IN THE WORLD.

Narrator: THE QUATTROPORTE IS DESIGNED, PRODUCED,

AND ASSEMBLED HERE AT THE TURIN MANUFACTURING HUB

LOCATED IN NORTHERN ITALY,

BUT IT'S NOT THE ONLY VEHICLE MANUFACTURED

AT THIS MASSIVE FACILITY.

IN 1993, FIAT CHRYSLER ACQUIRED MASERATI

AND FOUR YEARS LATER TURNED MANAGEMENT OF MASERATI

OVER TO FERRARI.

A LOT OF THE FAMOUS MANUFACTURERS, ROLLS-ROYCE,

DAIMLER, AND MANY ARE ACTUALLY OWNED BY CONGLOMERATES,

AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF ECONOMIES OF SCALE.

SO MASERATI ARE OWNED BY FIAT CHRYSLER,

AS ARE ALFA ROMEO AND FERRARI.

Narrator: THIS CONSOLIDATION MEANT THAT ALL THREE BRANDS

WOULD BE PRODUCED WITH THE SAME TECHNOLOGY

AND THAT MASERATI SEDANS WOULD NOW BE BUILT

WITH FERRARI RACING ENGINES.

TODAY, MASERATI

IS THE DESIGNATED LUXURY BRAND OF FIAT.

EVERY SINGLE MASERATI IS A WORK OF ART MADE BY PEOPLE.

THIS SUCH CRAFT WORK.

Narrator: TO UPHOLD THE STANDARDS OF THE MASERATI BRAND,

THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS IS DESIGNED TO ELEVATE MODERN TECHNOLOGIES

WITH DECADES OF ITALIAN CRAFTSMANSHIP.

IN MY OPINION, HERE WE HAVE THE PERFECT MARRIAGE

BETWEEN MEN AND AUTOMATION

BECAUSE THERE ARE SOMETHING THAT THE ROBOT CANNOT GIVE.

THE ATTENTION TO EACH SINGLE DETAIL,

AND ONLY A HUMAN BEING CAN DO THAT.

Narrator: HERE, ASSEMBLY STATIONS ARE ERGONOMICALLY DESIGNED

TO ENSURE EVERY PROCESS

IS EASILY ACCESSIBLE FOR THE WORKFORCE.

SO A LOT OF THOUGHT HAS GONE INTO DESIGNING

ERGONOMIC ASSEMBLY LINES

DESIGNED AND STRUCTURED SO THAT WORKERS DON'T STRETCH THEMSELVES

OR TWIST TOO MUCH AND INCUR REPETITIVE STRAIN INJURY.

THE ULTIMATE AMBITION IS TO AVOID PEOPLE

HURTING THEMSELVES AT WORK.

Narrator: MAKING A QUATTROPORTE

BEGINS WITH THE CHASSIS ASSEMBLY.

THE CHASSIS IS BUILT AROUND A RIGID AND SECURE

STEEL SAFETY STOW

MADE WITH STEEL AND ALUMINUM ALLOYS.

THE FRONT OF THE CHASSIS IS BUILT AROUND

AN ALUMINUM CASTING,

WHILE THE BACK IS MADE FROM ROLLED STEEL.

EVERY SINGLE PART OF HOW A VEHICLE PERFORMS

CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO ITS WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION.

A CAR THAT IS LIGHTER IN WEIGHT IS ACTUALLY MORE FUEL EFFICIENT.

MAGNESIUM IS PARTICULARLY GOOD AT THIS.

IT'S 36% LIGHTER THAN ALUMINUM

AND A WHOPPING 78% LIGHTER THAN STEEL.

LESS FUEL BEING USED MEANS LESS EMISSIONS.

Narrator: AS SOON AS THE CHASSIS ARRIVES ON THE PRODUCTION LINE,

THE TEAM GETS TO WORK ASSEMBLING A CAR AROUND THIS

ONE ESSENTIAL BUILDING BLOCK.

THE SECRET TO PAINTING A MASERATI

IS IN THIS TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED PROCESS.

ONCE ASSEMBLED, THE BODY IS COATED IN A FLUID

THAT PROTECTS IT FROM CORROSION AND OXIDIZATION.

NEXT, THE FRAMEWORK MOVES DOWN THE ASSEMBLY LINE

TOWARDS A DIP TANK.

SUSPENDED BY AN ELECTRICALLY CHARGED CHAIN,

THE BODY IS SUBMERGED INTO A PAINT SOLID MIXTURE

MADE UP OF SOLVENTS, RESIN, AND WATER.

AS THE BODY MOVES INTO THE FLUID,

THE PAINT IS DEPOSITED ONTO THE CAR THROUGH AN ELECTRIC CURRENT.

THIS PROCESS IS CALLED CATAPHORESIS.

AFTER IT'S TREATED, THE BODY IS HEATED

IN A GIANT 130-FOOT OVEN AT 375 DEGREES FOR 30 MINUTES.

THE EXTREME HEAT SOLIDIFIES THE PAINT

TO ENSURE MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE.

ONCE THE PROTECTIVE LAYER HAS HARDENED,

ALL REMAINING CONTAMINANTS ARE REMOVED

USING A NONTRADITIONAL BRUSH MADE OF OSTRICH FEATHERS.

YOU MIGHT WONDER WHY WE USE OSTRICH FEATHERS

WELL, OSTRICH FEATHERS HAVE AN INNATE STATIC CHARGE

NOT FOUND IN OTHER FEATHERS, WHICH MAKES THEM REMARKABLY GOOD

AT PICKING UP VERY FINE PARTICLES OF DUST.

Narrator: NOW IT'S READY TO BE PAINTED.

FIRST, AIR PAINT ATOMIZERS APPLY A CODE OF PRIME.

IT TAKES JUST A FEW MINUTES TO PAINT A TYPICAL MASERATI CAR.

AS THE CAR MOVES DOWN THE ASSEMBLY LINE,

A TOP COAT OF PAINT IS APPLIED.

AN AIR PAINT ATOMIZER USES AERODYNAMIC FORCE

TO PUSH THE PAINT ONTO THE VEHICLE.

THE PAINT PARTICLES SCATTER AROUND

AS THEY BOUNCE OFF THE SURFACE AND INTO THE AIR.

THE RESULT, A PERFECTLY SMOOTH COAT OF PAINT.

NOW A LAYER OF CLEAR LACQUER IS APPLIED

TO GIVE THE CAR AN EXTRA GLOSSY SHEEN.

BEFORE IT'S DELIVERED TO THE ASSEMBLY FLOOR,

TECHNICIANS INSPECT THE FINISH FOR ANY IMPERFECTIONS.

THE VALUES LEARNED OUT ON THE RACETRACK

ARE APPLIED ON THE FACTORY FLOOR.

HERE, AN EMPTY PAINTED SHELL WILL BECOME A MASERATI.

THIS IS THE FIRST OF 24 ASSEMBLY STATIONS,

WHERE THE PURSUIT OF LUXURY MIXES WITH EFFICIENCY.

EACH CAR SPENDS NO LONGER

THAN 37 MINUTES AT EACH STATION.

FROM THE INTERIOR FINISH TO THE LEATHER AND PAINT WORK,

EVERY QUATTROPORTE BUILT IN THIS FACTORY

IS CUSTOMIZED BASED ON THE REQUESTS OF THE CONSUMER.

THIS IS WHAT GIVES MASERATI ITS EXCLUSIVE EDGE.

Meccia: IN TERMS OF CUSTOMIZATION,

I WOULD SAY 100% CUSTOMIZABLE.

MORE THAN 1.5 TRILLION POSSIBLE DIFFERENT COMBINATION.

THAT, OF COURSE, IS TRANSFORMED FROM A COMMERCIAL STANDPOINT,

NOT SO EASY TO MANAGE IN TERMS OF MANUFACTURING,

Narrator: BUT THERE'S STILL MORE TO BE ASSEMBLED

BEFORE THIS LUXURY VEHICLE IS READY TO HIT THE ROAD.

AND TO DO SO, IT'LL TAKE BOTH MAN AND MACHINE

WORKING TOGETHER TO EXECUTE EACH STEP TO PERFECTION.

¶¶

Narrator: LOCATED IN TURIN, ITALY, IS THE MASERATI FACTORY,

THE WORLD'S LEADING MANUFACTURER OF LUXURY SPORTS CARS.

FOR OVER A CENTURY, THIS LEGENDARY COMPANY

HAS BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE INDUSTRY,

PRODUCING HIGH-PERFORMANCE VEHICLES

BUILT WITH RACING ENGINES.

ON THE ASSEMBLY FLOOR, TECHNICIANS GUIDE THE DASHBOARD

THROUGH A MECHANICAL ASSEMBLY PROCESS,

BUT THIS IS NO ORDINARY DASHBOARD.

IT'S UPHOLSTERED IN FINE LEATHER AND MADE FROM MAGNESIUM,

MAKING IT BOTH STRONG AND LIGHTWEIGHT.

ONCE THE DASHBOARD IS ASSEMBLED, TECHNICIANS CONNECT THE WIRING.

IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT THIS STEP IS ALL DONE BY HAND.

NEXT, A MACHINE INSTALLS THE WINDSHIELD.

SUCTION CUPS LIFT THE GLASS BEFORE APPLYING A SEALANT,

LASER SENSORS MEASURE THE OPENING IN THE BODY

AND PRECISELY SECURE IT INTO PLACE.

THEN THE CAR MOVES FROM THE TRIM LINE ONTO THE CHASSIS LINE.

NOW THE HEART OF THE CAR IS INSTALLED.

THIS INCREDIBLY POWERFUL 350 HORSEPOWER FERRARI ENGINE

CAN GO FROM ZERO TO 60 MILES PER HOUR

IN JUST 5.5 SECONDS.

NEXT, THE BODY OF THE CAR AND ENGINE ARE FITTED TOGETHER.

FIRST, A TEAM BUILDS THE DRIVETRAIN,

WHICH IS MADE UP OF THE ENGINE, GEARBOX,

SHOCK ABSORBERS, FRONT EXHAUST SYSTEM, AND BRAKES.

ALL COMPONENTS ARE PLACED INTO AN ASSEMBLY JIG

THAT TRANSPORTS THE MECHANICAL ELEMENTS

DIRECTLY UNDER THE BODY.

THE DRIVETRAIN IS THEN RAISED INTO POSITION

SO THE TWO SECTIONS CAN BE SECURED WITH BOLTS.

NOW, ANOTHER TEAM INSTALLS THE HEADLIGHTS,

WHEELS, TIRES, AND SEATS.

THE FINAL STAGE CONSISTS OF AN INSPECTION AND A STABILITY TEST.

THEN IT'S OFF TO THE CUSTOMER AND OUT ONTO THE OPEN ROAD.

Meccia: THE LEGEND AND THE BRAND IMAGE OF MASERATI BEGAN

WITH THE WORLD OF RACES, SO MORE THAN ONE CENTURY OF HISTORY.

AND THIS IS WHY MASERATI IS SO VALUABLE.

Narrator: MASERATI IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS ONE OF THE TOP

LUXURY CAR BRANDS IN HISTORY, AND THE SKILL AND SOPHISTICATION

FOUND INSIDE THEIR PRODUCTION FACILITY

MAKE IT ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST SPECTACULAR SUPER FACTORIES.

COMING UP, IN JAPAN, CHARACTERS FROM A BELOVED ANIME SERIES

ARE BEING MANUFACTURED FOR THE MASSES.

THE KITS ARE BASED ON A 1970s TV SERIES

CALLED "GUNDAM."

MODEL MAKERS AND ANIME FANS IN JAPAN

AND OTHER PARTS OF ASIA ARE CRAZY ABOUT THEM.

Narrator: AND LATER, THIS FACTORY PRODUCES THE ALMIGHTY

PORCELAIN THRONE

USING A VERY UNIQUE MATERIAL.

IT LOOKS LIKE CHOCOLATE, BUT I WOULDN'T TASTE IT.

¶¶

Narrator: IN TOKYO, THE WORLD'S LARGEST HUMANOID ROBOT IS ON DISPLAY,

MODELED AFTER THE FICTIONAL ROBOTS

FROM THE 1970s SCI-FI FRANCHISE "GUNDAM,"

THIS 65-FOOT-TALL REPLICA HAS BECOME POPULAR

WITH ANIME FANS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE.

BUT IT'S NOT JUST THE GIANT ROBOT STATUE

THAT'S DRAWING IN THE CROWDS.

FOR A MORE INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE,

FANS HEAD TO THE BANDAI HOBBY CENTER

AND MODELING SUPER FACTORY.

SINCE 1980,

THIS MANUFACTURING FACILITY HAS COMBINED 3-D DESIGN,

CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY, AND SKILLED CRAFTSMANSHIP

TO PRODUCE GUNDAM PLASTIC MODELING KITS.

THE KITS ARE BASED ON A 1970s TV SERIES CALLED "GUNDAM."

MODEL MAKERS AND ANIME FANS IN JAPAN

AND OTHER PARTS OF ASIA ARE CRAZY ABOUT THEM.

BANDAI IS NOW THE SECOND BIGGEST TOY COMPANY IN THE WORLD,

VALUED AT $9.6 BILLION.

Narrator: GUNDAM TOYS ARE CONSTRUCTED FROM PLASTIC FRAMES

THAT CONTAIN INDIVIDUAL PIECES CALLED RUNNERS,

THE INDIVIDUAL PIECES ARE ALL NUMBERED,

SO THE MODEL KITS CAN BE EASILY ASSEMBLED.

THE FIRST STEP IS DESIGNING A CHARACTER.

TODAY, IT'S THE GUNDAM RED FLAME.

¶¶

THE DESIGN IS BROKEN DOWN INTO INDIVIDUAL PARTS

THAT MAKE UP THE MODEL KITS.

BANDAI USES 3-D PRINTING TO CREATE MODELS

FOR OVER 400 DIFFERENT DESIGNS.

THIS STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY

HAS COMPLETELY TRANSFORMED THE TOY INDUSTRY.

3-D PRINTING, MORE COMMONLY TODAY KNOWN AS

ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING,

ACTUALLY BEGAN IN 1986.

THE FIRST PRODUCT TO BE PRINTED

WAS A SMALL PLASTIC CUP USED FOR HOLDING EYEWASH.

TODAY, 3-D PRINTERS USE A RANGE OF MATERIALS

TO PRODUCE THEIR PRODUCTS, FROM RESINS AND PLASTICS

TO CERAMICS AND EVEN ADVANCED METALS.

THE HUGE ADVANTAGE IN 3-D PRINTING

FOR INVENTORS AND ENGINEERS

IS THEY CAN MAKE A ONE-OFF, A SINGLE PRODUCT

THAT WORKS WITHOUT THE VAST CAPITAL EQUIPMENT

INVESTMENTS OF A WHOLE PRODUCTION LINE.

Narrator: NEXT, TECHNICIANS CONFIGURE THE LAYOUT

FOR THE MOLDS BY ARRANGING THE PARTS INTO KITS.

ONCE THE LAYOUT IS FINALIZED AND THE 3-D DATA IS COMPLETED,

THE DESIGN IS SENT TO THE MOLDING TEAM.

THROUGH A FABRICATION PROCESS

CALLED ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE MACHINING,

A LASER CUTS THROUGH A METAL BLOCK,

FORMING IT INTO VARIOUS SHAPES.

ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE MACHINING IS A WAY OF CUTTING METAL

USING ELECTRICITY.

MATERIAL IS REMOVED FROM A METAL BLOCK

BY A SERIES OF RAPIDLY RECURRING CURRENT DISCHARGES.

THE TWO CONDUCTORS ARE SEPARATED BY A LIQUID

AND THE RESULTING SPARKS ERODE THE METAL,

A BIT LIKE CREATING MINI LIGHTNING BOLTS

THAT CREATE INTENSE HEAT WHICH FORM THE DESIRED FINAL SHAPE.

Narrator: NOW THE CONCAVE AND CONVEX METAL SHAPES

ARE CARVED OUT OF THE SOLID BLOCK, THEN TRIMMED.

THIS STEP CAN ONLY BE DONE BY HAND.

TECHNICIANS TRIM THE CORNERS AND MAKE GROOVES.

THE METAL SHAPES ARE CONFIGURED

INTO WHAT WILL BECOME A PLASTIC FRAME.

IF ANY MISTAKE OCCURS DURING SHAPING,

THE ENTIRE MOLD HAS TO BE THROWN OUT.

A CRANE TRANSPORTS THE MOLDS TO AN INJECTION MOLDING MACHINE.

HERE, THE MOLDS ARE LOADED AND CLAMPED WITH ENOUGH FORCE

TO KEEP THEM SECURELY IN PLACE.

THEN POLYSTYRENE PELLETS, A RAW PLASTIC MATERIAL,

IS FED INTO THE MACHINE THROUGH A NETWORK OF TUBES.

PLASTICS, AS WE KNOW AND EXPERIENCE THEM TODAY,

ARE PRIMARILY DERIVED FROM NATURALLY OCCURRING MATERIALS

SUCH AS OIL AND PLANT STARCHES.

BUT ACTUALLY, EARLY PLASTICS WERE DERIVED FROM CELLULOSE,

DIRECTLY TAKEN FROM PLANT FIBERS.

Narrator: ONCE THE PELLETS ARE INJECTED INTO THE MACHINE,

THEY'RE MELTED AND PRESSURIZED.

PLASTIC IS INJECTED INTO THE MOLD VERY QUICKLY.

THE BUILDUP OF PRESSURE PACKS AND HOLDS THE MATERIAL TOGETHER.

INJECTION MOLDING MAY SEEM LIKE A 21st CENTURY

MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUE,

BUT THE PROCESS HAS A LONG HISTORY.

A VERY SIMPLE VERSION OF INJECTION MOLDING

WAS ATTEMPTED AS FAR BACK AS 1872

TO PRODUCE BILLIARD BALLS.

BUT IT REALLY TOOK OFF AFTER WORLD WAR II

WHEN THERE WAS A HUGE DEMAND FOR CHEAP, MASS-PRODUCED PRODUCTS.

INVENTOR JAMES HENDRY DESIGNED A MACHINE

THAT USED A TURNING HEATED SCREW

BOTH TO MELT THE PLASTIC AND TO INJECT THE MOLD.

IT REALLY WAS GROUNDBREAKING BECAUSE TODAY THIS DESIGN

MAKES UP 95% OF ALL INJECTION MOLDING MACHINES.

¶¶

Narrator: THE MOLTEN PLASTIC BEGINS TO COOL

AS SOON AS IT MAKES CONTACT

WITH THE INTERIOR OF THE MOLD.

AS THE PLASTIC COOLS,

IT SOLIDIFIES INTO SHAPE.

TO GUARANTEE EFFICIENCY,

BANDAI UTILIZES THEIR SIGNATURE COOLING PROCESS.

IN ORDER TO SPEED UP THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS,

THE MOLDS ARE CHILLED SO THAT WHEN THE HOT PLASTIC

HITS THE SURFACE OF THE MOLD,

IT COOLS DOWN MORE QUICKLY AND THE OBJECT SETS FASTER.

Narrator: THIS PROCESS INCREASES COOLING PRODUCTIVITY BY 20%.

DOWN THE ASSEMBLY LINE,

INJECTION MOLDING MACHINES OPERATE AROUND THE CLOCK.

NEXT, AUTOMATIC GUIDED VEHICLES TRANSPORT THE BOXES

TO A WAREHOUSE WHERE THEY'RE STORED

UNTIL THEY'RE READY TO BE DISPATCHED.

THE MODELS ARE SHIPPED TO STORES AROUND THE WORLD,

BUT NOWHERE ARE THEY MORE POPULAR THAN HERE IN JAPAN.

IN ITS TOKYO SHOP, BANDAI GIVES GUNDAM ENTHUSIASTS

A HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE

ASSEMBLING SOME OF THEIR FAVORITE ANIME CHARACTERS.

IN THE PROFITABLE BUSINESS OF MODEL MAKING,

THESE TOY ROBOTS ARE SURE TO DOMINATE THE MARKET

FOR LIGHT YEARS TO COME.

AND IT'S ALL THANKS TO THE INDUSTRIAL INFRASTRUCTURE

AND PRECISION CRAFTSMANSHIP

FOUND IN THE BANDAI SUPER FACTORY.

COMING UP, A EUROPEAN MANUFACTURER

IS FLUSHING OUT THE COMPETITION

BY PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF DESIGN AND ENGINEERING.

¶¶

Narrator: LOCATED IN STAFFORDSHIRE, ENGLAND,

IS THE ARMITAGE SHANK'S BATH APPLIANCE

AND MANUFACTURING FACILITY.

SINCE 1851, THIS FACTORY HAS BEEN PRODUCING

A WIDE VARIETY OF SANITARY WARE APPLIANCES,

INCLUDING THEIR MOST RENOWNED PRODUCT -- TOILETS.

AND WHAT MAKES THESE TOILETS UNIQUE?

THE MATERIALS THEY'RE MADE WITH.

THE PROCESS STARTS WITH A DELIVERY

OF MORE THAN 165,000 POUNDS OF IMPORTED CLAY.

¶¶

SO, YEAH, SO THIS IS A CHINA CLAY

THAT'S COME IN THIS MORNING.

THIS IS MINED IN CORNWALL.

SO WE'VE GOT TWO TYPES OF CLAY HERE, CHINA CLAY AND BALL CLAY.

THE BALL CLAY GIVES US THE STRENGTH AND VISCOSITY.

AND THEN WE'VE GOT THE CHINA CLAY.

IT'S A BIT MORE CRUMBLY BECAUSE OF THE SET CASTING TIMES.

KAOLIN OR CHINA CLAY, AS IT'S MORE COMMONLY KNOWN,

IS A RARE FORM OF DECOMPOSED GRANITE

THAT HAS A SUPERFINE POWDERY TEXTURE.

ONCE YOU MIX IT WITH BALL CLAY

TO ADD STRENGTH AND PLASTICITY,

IT'S THEN READY TO BE WORKED AND SHAPED

AND CAN BE MOLDED INTO FINE CHINA OR TABLEWARE

OR EVEN TOILETS.

Narrator: TURNING CLAY INTO PORCELAIN STARTS IN THE MIXING BAY.

TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF CLAY, SAND, AND A FEW CHEMICALS

ARE MIXED TOGETHER WITH WATER.

IT'S ALL MIXED TOGETHER IN THESE 6,000 LITER TANKS

WITH ALL THESE BLUNGERS.

IT'S BASICALLY A GIANT CAKE MIXER

MIXING ALL THE INGREDIENTS TOGETHER TO MAKE LIQUID CLAY,

WHICH IS KNOWN AS SLIP IN THE INDUSTRY.

Narrator: IN EACH MIXING VAT OR BLUNGER, WATER AND CLAY

ARE MIXED TOGETHER FOR 70 MINUTES.

ONCE MIXING IS COMPLETE,

THE LIQUID CLAY IS DISPENSED THROUGH A GIANT FILTER OR SIEVE.

THIS PROCESS REMOVES ANY IMPURITIES.

THE MACHINES IS BASICALLY A VIBRATING TANK,

IT'S FITTED WITH ONE OF THESE MEMBRANES.

AND IT SIFTS THROUGH THERE.

YEAH, I MEAN, THIS IS THE KIND OF STUFF

WE MIGHT GET OUT OF THERE.

SOME COARSE MATERIAL, SOME STONES.

WE DON'T WANT THAT IN THE FINAL PRODUCT.

Narrator: ONCE THE UNWANTED MATERIAL IS SEPARATED,

THE CLAY IS TURNED INTO A SMOOTH PASTE.

IT LOOKS LIKE CHOCOLATE, BUT I WOULDN'T TASTE IT.

Narrator: NEXT, THE LIQUID CLAY IS PUMPED AND DISTRIBUTED

INTO A 265-GALLON HOLDING TANK,

WHERE IT'S MIXED AT A CONSTANT TEMPERATURE.

SO IT'S BEEN MIXED QUITE AGGRESSIVELY.

A LOT OF ENERGY HAS GONE INTO IT.

WE NOW NEED IT TO CALM DOWN, JUST SETTLE DOWN.

IT'S BASICALLY AN AGING PROCESS.

Narrator: TRADITIONAL TOILETS DATE BACK TO 1596,

WHEN SIR JOHN HARRINGTON, AN ENGLISH COURTIER

AND THE GODSON OF QUEEN ELIZABETH I,

DESIGNED THE FIRST FLUSHABLE TOILET.

HIS DEVICE USED A 24-INCH DEEP OVAL BOWL

FED BY WATER FROM A RESERVOIR.

FLUSHING HARRINGTON'S TOILET

REQUIRED NEARLY EIGHT GALLONS OF WATER,

WHILE TODAY'S TOILETS USE LESS THAN ONE GALLON.

THE PROBLEM WITH THE DESIGN IS THAT THE BOWL WASHED

STRAIGHT INTO A CESSPOOL BELOW,

SO THE STENCH OUTWEIGHED THE CONTRAPTION'S CONVENIENCE.

HARRINGTON PROVED THAT A TOILET WITHOUT A SEWER

IS JUST A GIGANTIC CHAMBER POT.

HIS NOVEL IDEA WENT DOWN THE DRAIN.

[ FLUSHING ]

Narrator: AND IN THIS FACTORY,

ARMITAGE SHANKS HAS IMPLEMENTED ANOTHER INNOVATIVE CONCEPT

THAT DRASTICALLY CUTS DOWN ON PRODUCTION TIME.

¶¶

Narrator: FOR MORE THAN 200 YEARS, ARMITAGE SHANKS

HAS BEEN PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES OF DESIGN AND INNOVATION

TO MANUFACTURE CERAMIC SANITARY WARE PRODUCTS.

TODAY AT THIS PRODUCTION FACILITY,

THE USE OF MODERN MATERIALS

IS COMBINED WITH THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY

TO PRODUCE MORE THAN 1,500 TOILETS A DAY.

BACK ON THE PRODUCTION LINE, THE LIQUID CLAY IS READY TO BE

TRANSFORMED INTO THE FAMILIAR TOILET SHAPE.

TRADITIONALLY, THE CASTING PROCESS

REQUIRED THE MATERIAL TO BE POURED BY HAND,

BUT THANKS TO MODERN TECHNOLOGY,

AN INJECTION MOLDING MACHINE PERFORMS THE TASK.

PREVIOUSLY IT WAS PLASTER MOLDS.

SO WE HAD A BIG ROW OF PLASTER MOLDS

THAT PERHAPS LASTED TWO TO THREE WEEKS

THAT HAD TO BE REPLACED.

WE HAD TO HAVE A MOLD-MAKING DEPARTMENT

CONTINUOUSLY MAKING PLASTER MOLDS.

THE THING WITH THE OLD WAY.

IT WAS THE WASTE AND THE MAN HOURS AND MATERIALS

THAT USED TO HAVE TO GO INTO THE PLASTER MOLDS.

THESE REUSABLE MOLDS THAT ARE POROUS RESIN,

WE GET 20,000 TO 30,000 CYCLES OUT OF EACH ONE.

THE USE OF MODERN MATERIALS HAS TRANSFORMED THE PRODUCTION LINE,

IT ENABLES IT TO WORK CONTINUOUSLY 24 HOURS A DAY.

THERE'S NO STOPPING TO REPAIR BROKEN CASTS OR MOLDS.

Narrator: WHEN THE TOILET FIRST COMES OUT OF THE MOLD,

IT'S SOFT AND ALMOST JELLYLIKE.

A TECHNICIAN USES SPONGES AND KNIVES TO SMOOTH DOWN SEAMS,

SHAPE THE RIM, AND CHECK FOR ANY IMPERFECTIONS.

THIS WORK IS SO PRECISE IT MUST BE DONE BY HAND.

ANY TOILET NOT UP TO SNUFF IS RECYCLED.

ONCE THE TOILETS ARE SHAPED TO PERFECTION,

THEY'RE TRANSPORTED DOWN THE ASSEMBLY LINE

TO THE DRYING TUNNEL.

THE TOILETS GO INTO THE 195 DEGREE DRYERS

FOR EIGHT TO 10 HOURS.

TO DRY THIS WARE OUT NATURALLY,

YOU'RE LOOKING AT TWO TO THREE DAYS.

SO THIS TUNNEL DRYER IS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF THE PROCESS.

Narrator: SINCE THE DRYING PROCESS REMOVES MOISTURE,

THE SIZE OF THE TOILET SHRINKS BY 2.5%.

NEXT, EACH TOILET IS INSPECTED FOR ANY REMAINING IMPERFECTIONS,

THEN A TECHNICIAN BLENDS IN THE SEAMS,

REMOVES ANY ROUGH EDGES,

AND MAKES ONE FINAL VISUAL INSPECTION.

NOW THE TOILETS ARE READY FOR GLAZING.

ONCE THE GLAZE IS ON THE PIECE, THERE'S NO GOING BACK.

IT NEEDS TO BE PRISTINE. IT NEEDS TO BE PERFECT.

Narrator: A ROBOTIC ARM SPRAYS FOUR LAYERS OF LIQUID GLAZE

CONTAINING ALUMINUM OXIDE AND SILICA SAND.

IT MAY SOUND OBVIOUS, BUT A TOILET NEEDS TO BE WATERPROOF.

AND IF YOU JUST HAD PORCELAIN AND FIRED IT,

YOU'D HAVE A SURFACE WHICH WAS SLIGHTLY POROUS.

SO YOU NEED TO GLAZE THAT PORCELAIN.

AND ONCE GLAZED, THE LOO ACTUALLY BECOMES

THE CLEAN, HYGIENIC OBJECT WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE.

Narrator: AS A LEADER IN THE INDUSTRY,

ARMITAGE SHANKS HAS COME A LONG WAY

SINCE THE COMPANY WAS FIRST FOUNDED

MORE THAN 200 YEARS AGO.

IN THE LATE 1960s,

THE COMPANY CREATED AN AVOCADO BATH LINE,

WHICH BECAME VERY POPULAR IN COMMERCIAL

AND RESIDENTIAL HOUSEHOLDS AROUND THE WORLD.

HOWEVER, THE RETRO BATHROOM SUITE

DIDN'T STAND THE TEST OF TIME

AND FIZZLED OUT OF PRODUCTION BY THE LATE 1980s.

WE CAN DO ANY COLOR YOU WANT, AS LONG AS IT'S WHITE.

Narrator: FOUNDED IN 1817,

THE COMPANY EMERGED DURING A TIME

WHEN THE LACK OF SANITATION WAS SO BAD IN THE U.K.

THAT LIFE EXPECTANCY WAS ONLY 40 YEARS.

FLUSHING TECHNOLOGY WAS IMPROVED THROUGH THE EFFORTS

OF ALEXANDER CUMMINGS,

WHO INVENTED THE S-BEND PIPE, AND LATER, THOMAS CRAPPER,

WHO IMPROVED UPON CUMMINGS DESIGN, INVENTING THE U-BEND.

THE DIRECT PIPE THAT CONNECTED THE TOILET WITH A SEWER

WOULD FLUSH THE WASTE AWAY,

BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT WOULD ALSO LET SEWER ODORS

PERCOLATE BACK UP,

SO AN AIRTIGHT SEAL HAD TO BE CREATED.

HE MADE A U-BEND IN THE PIPE.

WATER SETTLES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE "U,"

MAKING A SEAL AND STOPPING THE SMELLS FROM COMING BACK UP.

WHEN THE TOILET IS FLUSHED AGAIN,

THE WATER IS REPLENISHED AND THE SEAL REMADE.

Narrator: THANKS TO THE INGENUITY OF THEIR ENGINEERS,

ARMITAGE SHANKS WAS THE FIRST BUSINESS TO CONNECT TOILETS

TO SEWER SYSTEMS,

RAPIDLY IMPROVING PUBLIC SANITATION.

BACK ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE,

THE GLAZED TOILETS ARE READY FOR FIRING.

FIRING IS THE PROCESS OF TURNING CLAY AND GLAZE

INTO LONG-LASTING WATERPROOF PORCELAIN USING EXTREME HEAT.

THE TOILETS ARE PLACED ON A FIREPROOF PALLET

AND HEATED AT 2,192 DEGREES.

Spink: THE FIRING PROCESS ITSELF CAUSES A CHEMICAL REACTION.

THIS CHEMICAL REACTION FUSES THE BODY OF THE CLAY TO THE GLAZE.

Narrator: AFTER 16 HOURS IN THE KILN,

THE PORCELAIN IS FINALLY SOLIDIFIED.

THE TOILETS ARE COOLED FOR EIGHT HOURS.

THEN THEY'RE CHECKED FOR CRACKS.

AND NOW 50 HOURS LATER, HERE WE HAVE IT,

A BEAUTIFUL TOILET READY FOR A LIFETIME OF SERVICE.

IT'S ONE OF THOSE BRAND NAMES

THAT JUST GETS INSIDE OF YOUR HEAD.

WHY? BECAUSE YOU HAVE TIME TO CONTEMPLATE IT ALONE.

ARMITAGE SHANKS HAS BEEN A CHARACTER IN A MOVIE

AND IN A VIDEO GAME,

PLUS THE INSPIRATION FOR SIX POP SONGS,

AND THE TITLE OF A BRITISH PUNK-ROCK BAND.

Narrator: OVER TIME, ARMITAGE SHANKS HAS RISEN

TO THE TOP OF THE INDUSTRY.

TODAY, THE COMPANY CONTINUES TO REVOLUTIONIZE THE BRAND

THROUGH THEIR USE OF MODERN MATERIALS

AND BY IMPLEMENTING THE LATEST MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS

AND TECHNOLOGIES ON THEIR ASSEMBLY LINES.

ALL THESE ELEMENTS COMBINED

MAKE THIS FACTORY A SUPER FACTORY.

[ FLUSHING ]