Original subtitles

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,"

THE GLIDER, AN AIRCRAFT WITH A BATTLEFIELD PEDIGREE,

SUPER GLUE, HOW THE QUEST FOR BETTER GUN SIGHTS

LEADS TO THE PERFECT DOMESTIC ADHESIVE.

THE AGA OVEN, THE LUXURIOUS STOVE

WITH A WORLD WAR II SPY CONNECTION.

WE REVEAL THE AMAZING HISTORY AND ENGINEERING SCIENCE

BEHIND THESE INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS.

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

CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS

FLYING SILENTLY THROUGH THE AIR,

THE MODERN GLIDER IS A TRANQUIL WAY

TO ENJOY THE EXPERIENCE OF FLIGHT.

BUT DID YOU KNOW THE GLIDER

PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE DURING WORLD WAR II?

FOR CENTURIES, MAN LOOKS TO THE SKIES

AND DREAMS OF FLYING

BUT HAS NO IDEA HOW.

VARIOUS STRANGE AND WACKY CONTRAPTIONS

ARE CREATED WITH LITTLE SUCCESS.

♪♪

EVEN GREAT MINDS SUCH AS LEONARDO DA VINCI

ATTEMPTED TO DESIGN A FLYING MACHINE

WITHOUT SUCCESS.

TECHNICALLY, A GLIDER DOES TO REQUIRE AN ENGINE TO FLY.

IT'S SUPPORTED IN FLIGHT BY THE REACTION OF AIR

AGAINST ITS LIFTING SURFACES.

THE FIRST GLIDERS TO CARRY PEOPLE

ARE DESIGNED BY SIR GEORGE CAYLEY

BETWEEN THE END OF THE 18th

AND BEGINNING OF THE 19th CENTURIES.

ALTHOUGH THEY ONLY MANAGE A FEW BRIEF HOPS IN THE AIR,

THEY CERTAINLY PAVE THE WAY FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT.

OTTO LILIENTHAL IS THE FIRST PERSON

TO MAKE REPEATED SUCCESSFUL GLIDING FLIGHTS

AT THE END OF THE 19th CENTURY

AND CONVINCES THE PUBLIC THAT FLYING MACHINES

MAY ONE DAY BECOME A REALITY.

THEN IN THE EARLY 20th CENTURY

COMES THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL HIGH-ALTITUDE GLIDER FLIGHT

BY DANIEL MALONEY

FOLLOWED BY THE WORK OF THE FAMOUS WRIGHT BROTHERS.

BY THE 1930s, GLIDERS THAT RESEMBLE THE ONES

WE KNOW TODAY ARE USED FOR SPORT.

HOWEVER, THEY ALSO HAVE A BIG ROLE TO PLAY

DURING WORLD WAR II.

THE NAZIS TRAINING PILOTS FOR THE LUFTWAFFE,

FORBIDDEN TO HAVE THE AIRCRAFT BY THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES,

USED GLIDERS TO TRAIN THEIR PILOTS.

THEN COME 1940,

THE GERMANS WERE TOWING THEIR GLIDERS

BEHIND THEIR TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT.

THEY HAD 10 MEN. AND THEY USED THESE GLIDERS

TO ATTACK EBEN-EMAEL, THE GREAT FORTRESS,

AS THE BLITZKRIEG ROLLED THROUGH BELGIUM.

AND THEY WERE VERY SUCCESSFUL.

Narrator: THE ALLIES ALSO FIND AN IMPORTANT USE FOR GLIDERS

BY CARRYING HEAVY EQUIPMENT AND TROOPS TO THEIR TARGETS

WHILE LANDING QUIETLY.

♪♪

ALTHOUGH NO LONGER USED BY THE MILITARY TODAY,

THIS VERSATILE AIRCRAFT STILL TAKES ON MANY FORMS

FROM HANG GLIDERS TO SAILPLANES

AND IS FLOWN BY THOUSANDS OF ENTHUSIASTS EVERYWHERE.

PIPISTREL, A SLOVENIAN-BASED LIGHT-AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURER

THAT HAS BEEN PRODUCING GLIDERS SINCE THE 1980s.

THE PRODUCTION OF A GLIDER

BEGINS WITH RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.

FIRST, 3-D MODELS OF THE AIRCRAFT ARE CREATED.

THIS ALLOWS THE R&D TEAM

TO RUN SIMULATIONS ON THE PLANES.

TESTS INCLUDE VIRTUAL WIND TUNNELS,

WHICH SHOW HOW AERODYNAMICALLY EFFECTIVE THE GLIDER WILL BE.

THE SHAPE DEVELOPED IN THE R&D STAGE

IS PROGRAMMED INTO AN EIGHT-AXIS CNC CUTTER.

SOFT MATERIALS, SUCH AS POLYSTYRENE

OR WOOD, ARE THEN CUT.

THESE SHAPES CAN BE EITHER POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE.

AN POSITIVE SHAPE CAN BE DIRECTLY USED

TO FORM THE SHAPE OF THE AIRCRAFT.

AND A NEGATIVE SHAPE IS USED AS A MOLD.

THESE MOLDS AND SHAPES

ARE THEN TURNED INTO REAL-LIFE AIRPLANES

USING MANY COMPOSITE MATERIALS

SUCH AS FIBERGLASS FOR THE WINGS

AND CARBON FIBER FOR THE FUSELAGE.

THE FUSELAGE IS ALSO REINFORCED

WITH KEVLAR THAT PROTECTS THE GLIDER'S PASSENGERS

BY PREVENTING THE CARBON FROM SHATTERING

IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT.

THE SANDING, PAINTING, AND SHAPING

OF THE MOLD IS ALL DONE IN A VACUUM VENTILATION CHAMBER.

THE TECHNICIANS THEN APPLY

UP TO 30 LAYERS OF FIBER INTO THE MOLD

OR ONTO THE SHAPE

AND LAMINATE THIS WITH EPOXY RESIN.

COMPOSITE MATERIALS, SUCH AS CARBON FIBER,

ARE CREATED BY WEAVING CARBON

OR GLASS FIBERS INTO A MAT

THAT CAN BE EASILY MOLDED OR SHAPED.

WHEN THE EPOXY RESIN IS APPLIED,

THEY TURN INTO HARD AND STRONG REINFORCED MATERIALS

WITH AN AMAZING WEIGHT-TO-STRENGTH RATIO,

MAKING THEM IDEAL FOR AIRCRAFT SUCH AS GLIDERS.

EVERY AIRCRAFT CONSISTS OF AROUND 5,000 DIFFERENT PARTS

FROM OVER 400 SUPPLIERS.

INSPECTIONS ARE VITAL.

ALL PARTS ARE CHECKED ON ARRIVAL AND RECEIVE A BAR CODE.

THESE BAR CODES ARE UNIQUE TO EACH PART

AND EVEN CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION,

SUCH AS THE WEIGHT.

DURING THE FINAL ASSEMBLY,

ALL THE SYSTEM AND SUBSYSTEMS OF THE AIRCRAFT

ARE ASSEMBLED AND FITTED.

THESE RANGE FROM PEDALS TO THE PARACHUTE

RESCUE SYSTEM, AS WELL AS THE ENGINE,

IN THE CASE OF SELF-PROPELLED GLIDERS.

USING THE BAR CODES, A CENTRAL COMPUTER

TOTALS UP THE WEIGHT ADDED BY EACH PART,

ENSURING THE GLIDER WON'T BE OVER THE MAXIMUM TAKE-OFF WEIGHT

OF 945 POUNDS.

EVERY GLIDER IS CUSTOM ORDERED.

SO THE EXACT COMPONENTS USED DIFFER ON EACH.

THEY CAN RANGE FROM A FEW BASIC INSTRUMENTS,

SUCH AS HEIGHT AND SPEED INDICATORS,

TO MUCH MORE SOPHISTICATED EQUIPMENT.

THE CUSTOMER CAN ALSO SPECIFY THE LOCATION OF EACH INSTRUMENT.

SO THE WORKERS DRILL HOLES TO FIT THESE.

AT THE END OF THE ASSEMBLY,

ALL THE AIRCRAFT ARE GIVEN A FINAL GROUND CHECK.

WHALES AND TALE SURFACES ARE FITTED TO THE FUSELAGE

AND ALIGNED WITH LASER MEASUREMENTS.

THE GLIDER'S WEIGHT IS COMPARED TO THE TOTAL WEIGHT COMPUTED

FROM THE DIFFERENT BAR CODES.

IF THIS WEIGHT IS ACCURATE,

THE GLIDER CAN THEN BE TESTED.

EACH AIRCRAFT IS FLOWN FOR AT LEAST 5 HOURS

BY A HIGHLY TRAINED TEST PILOT.

THESE PILOTS WILL PERFORM A WIDE RANGE OF TESTS

TO ENSURE ALL SYSTEMS ARE WORKING CORRECTLY.

THE AIRCRAFT IS THEN SERVICED AGAIN

IN ORDER TO RETURN TO ITS ZERO-HOUR CONDITION.

WHEN THIS IS COMPLETE, THE GLIDER IS READY

TO BE SENT OFF TO THE SKIES.

THE GLIDER, TRULY AN INCREDIBLE INVENTION.

A SMASHED VASE OR BROKEN TOY?

CHANCES ARE YOU'LL NEED SUPER GLUE.

THE STORY OF THIS INCREDIBLE INVENTION AFTER THE BREAK.

Narrator: THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THAT AT SOME POINT IN YOUR LIFE,

YOU'VE NEEDED TO USE SUPER GLUE.

IT'S AN ESPECIALLY HANDY ADHESIVE TO USE

ON A NUMBER OF BROKEN OBJECTS.

WHILE SUPER GLUE, ALSO KNOWN AS CYANOACRYLATE,

IS A COMMON HOUSEHOLD ITEM TODAY,

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED HOW IT WAS DEVELOPED?

AND DID YOU KNOW THAT IT HAS A WORLD WAR II CONNECTION?

♪♪

ADHESIVES HAVE BEEN MADE

FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS FROM BIRCH TAR.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE SUPER STICKY GLUE WE KNOW TODAY?

LIKE SO MANY GREAT INVENTIONS,

IT'S DISCOVERED BY ACCIDENT.

IN 1942, THE SCIENTIST HARRY COOVER JR.

RESEARCHES MATERIALS TO MAKE A CLEAR PLASTIC GUN SCOPE.

IN THE PROCESS, HIS RESEARCH GROUP DISCOVERS A FORMULA

FOR A VERY CLEAR SUBSTANCE

THAT WOULD STICK TO ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING.

ALTHOUGH IT CAN'T BE USED FOR THE SCOPE,

COOVER NEVER FORGETS ABOUT HIS NEW ADHESIVE.

BECAUSE IT WASN'T WHAT HE WAS LOOKING FOR,

HE LEFT IT TO THE SIDE AND DIDN'T DO ANYTHING

UNTIL ABOUT 1951

WHEN KODAK, OF THE KODAK CAMERA FAME,

REDISCOVERED IT AND REALIZED

IT COULD ACTUALLY HAVE A POTENTIAL USE AS A GLUE.

IN 1951, EASTMAN KODAK TOOK A LOOK AGAIN AT THIS PRODUCT

THAT THEY HAD MADE AND DECIDED THAT THIS PRODUCT,

WHICH STUCK TO EVERYTHING ELSE,

COULD BE COMMERCIALIZED INTO A GLUE FOR COMMERCIAL USE

WITHIN THE HOUSEHOLD AND POTENTIALLY OTHER USES.

Narrator: THE PRODUCT THAT STICKS TO EVERYTHING

FINALLY GETS TO MARKET IN 1958.

NOW, LET'S HAVE A CLOSER LOOK

AT THIS GAME-CHANGING ADHESIVE'S CHEMICAL PROPERTIES.

CYANOACRYLATE CONSISTS OF MONOMERS

OF CYANOACRYLATE MOLECULES.

IT IS AN ACRYLIC RESIN

THAT POLYMERIZES IN THE PRESENCE OF WATER,

FORMING LONG CHAINS THAT BOND SURFACES TOGETHER.

BECAUSE OF ITS REACTION TO MOISTURE,

IT TURNS INTO PLASTIC IN JUST A FEW SECONDS.

THAT REACTION IS WHAT MAKES THE SUPER GLUE

MUCH MORE FAST-ACTING

AND STRONGER THAN OTHERS.

SUPER GLUE WORKS AND DOESN'T STICK TO ITSELF IN THE BOTTLE

BECAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY A REACTION

WITH THE CYANOACRYLATE AND WATER.

AND THIS REACTION REQUIRES WATER TO WORK.

IF YOU KEEP IT IN A BOTTLE THAT HAS NO WATER, IT WON'T WORK.

IT'LL STILL SIT AS A LIQUID.

THIS IS WHY IF YOU TAKE SUPER GLUE,

PUT IT ON PLASTIC BAGS,

SOME OF THE OLDER-STYLE ONES, AND STICK THEM TOGETHER,

YOU CAN PULL THEM APART AFTER A FEW MINUTES

BECAUSE THERE'S NO WATER ON THE SURFACE.

Narrator: BUT DID YOU KNOW THAT SUPER GLUE HAS ALSO SAVED LIVES?

IT'S TRUE. DURING THE VIETNAM WAR,

SOLDIERS USED IT AS A QUICK-FIX SOLUTION

FOR TENDING BATTLE WOUNDS.

Gazard: THE ARMY USED SUPER GLUE

TO STICK WOUNDS TOGETHER IN THE VIETNAM WAR.

IT'S NOT ADVISABLE TO DO THIS.

IT WAS USED AS A STOPGAP BECAUSE IN THE VIETNAM WAR,

IF YOU WERE OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE JUNGLE AND WERE SHOT,

THE MOST COMMON REASON

FOR YOU TO DIE WAS BECAUSE YOU BLED OUT.

IT WASN'T ACTUALLY THE ACTUAL INJURY ITSELF.

SO YOU NEEDED A MEANS TO SORT OF CLOSE UP THE WOUND

AND HOLD IT TOGETHER BEFORE THE OPERATION COULD BE DONE

WHEN YOU WERE TRANSPORTED TO A BETTER MEDICAL CARE.

DR. COOVER OF EASTMAN KODAK,

HE WORKED OUT HOW TO APPLY IT AS A SPRAY.

AND SPECIALLY TRAINED SURGICAL TEAMS

WERE INVOLVED WITH USING THAT

IN THE WAR TO SAVE LIVES.

Narrator: AND THAT'S NOT THE ONLY INTERESTING SUPER GLUE STORY.

THERE ARE SOME MISUSES OF SUPER GLUE.

IF YOU REMEMBER THAT SUPER GLUE'S

ACTUALLY VERY QUICK TO FORM THE BOND,

SO YOU WANT IT TO GLUE FAST --

THERE WAS A CASINO GAMBLER WHO WENT INTO THE TOILETS,

SAT DOWN TO DO HIS BUSINESS,

AND FOUND THAT HE WAS STUCK TO THE SEAT

BECAUSE SOMEONE HAD PUT SUPER GLUE ON THE SEAT.

AND WHEN HE SAT DOWN, IT WASN'T VERY LONG,

AND HE WAS STUCK TO THE SEAT.

HE THEN HAD TO WANDER OUT INTO THE CASINO

WITH PART OF THE TOILET ATTACHED TO HIM

TO TRY TO GET SOME HELP.

Narrator: MISHAPS ASIDE, WHEN SUPER GLUE IS USED CORRECTLY,

THERE REALLY AREN'T MANY BETTER WAYS TO FIX THINGS FAST.

VERY FEW ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERIES

ARE SO SIMPLE YET SO VERSATILE.

SUPER GLUE, THE INCREDIBLE INVENTION THAT STICKS.

STICK AROUND, AND WE'LL SHOW YOU

HOW SUPER GLUE CAN BE USED IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CRIME

WHEN "INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS" RETURNS.

Narrator: SUPER GLUE MAY HAVE AMAZING STICKING QUALITIES.

BUT CAN IT HELP SOLVE CRIME? WELL, MAYBE.

THERE'S BEEN A BURGLARY.

BUT THE THIEF LEFT BEHIND SOME SUNGLASSES.

WE CAN'T SEE ANY FINGERPRINTS.

SO IT'S UP TO OUR INTREPID DETECTIVE

TO FIND THE THIEF'S PRINTS USING A COFFEE PERCOLATOR

AND THE POWER OF SUPER GLUE.

IT'S CALLED FINGERPRINT FUMING.

BUT HOW DOES IT ACTUALLY WORK?

TO BEGIN, THE MATERIALS -- A COFFEE PERCOLATOR,

A METAL TIN LID,

A TUBE OF SUPER GLUE, AND THE THIEF'S SUNGLASSES.

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT YOU SHOULDN'T REALLY DO THIS AT HOME

AND THAT THE GLUE IS TOXIC AND CAN EASILY STICK TO SKIN.

♪♪

WE TAKE THE TIN LID,

PLACE A FEW DROPS OF SUPER GLUE ONTO ITS SURFACE,

AND CAREFULLY POP IT INTO THE POT.

WE THEN ADD THE PIECE OF EVIDENCE TO THE POT --

IN THIS CASE, THE SUNGLASSES --

MAKING SURE IT DOESN'T TOUCH THE GLUE.

NOW, WE TURN ON THE PERCOLATOR...

♪♪

...SIT BACK, AND WAIT FOR THE RESULTS.

YOU NEED TO BE PATIENT AS THE PERCOLATOR

GENTLY WARMS UP THE CONTENTS OF THE COFFEE POT.

WHILE WE WAIT, LET'S EXPLAIN THE SCIENCE

BEHIND FINGERPRINT FUMING.

THE HEAT IN THE COFFEE POT

WILL EVENTUALLY CAUSE THE DROPS OF SUPER GLUE TO VAPORIZE.

FINGERPRINTS ARE ACTUALLY COMPOSED OF SWEAT,

AMINO ACIDS, FATTY ACIDS PROTEINS,

POTASSIUM, AND SODIUM.

AND THE GLUE IS HIGHLY ATTRACTED TO THESE SUBSTANCES.

SO ITS FUMES STICK TO THE PRINTS

AND WILL REVEAL THE TRACE OF THE PRINTS,

OR SO WE HOPE.

YOU CAN SEE THAT PROCESS IN ACTION.

AND THERE YOU GO.

WE CAN NOW FIND OUT WHO THE VILLAIN IS.

SO LET'S GO GET HIM.

EVERYBODY NEEDS TO COOK.

BUT SOME ENJOY IT MORE THAN OTHERS.

WHICHEVER CAMP YOU'RE IN,

LET'S AGREE THAT IT CAN SOMETIMES BE,

WELL, TRYING.

LUCKILY, KITCHEN APPLIANCES HAVE EVOLVED TO MAKE

THE COOKING EXPERIENCE MORE ENJOYABLE AND EASIER.

BUT DID YOU KNOW ONE KITCHEN INVENTION

COMES FROM A MISHAP DURING A SCIENCE EXPERIMENT

AND IS LATER USED BY A WORLD WAR II SPY?

THIS IS THE AGA OVEN.

THE AGA IS ONE OF THE GREATEST REVOLUTIONS

IN KITCHEN APPLIANCES DURING THE 20th CENTURY.

ITS INVENTOR, NOBEL PRIZE-WINNER GUSTAF DáLEN, IS BLINDED IN 1912

WHEN A PRESSURE TEST GOES TRAGICALLY WRONG.

AFTER THE ACCIDENT, DáLEN UNDERGOES

A LONG PERIOD OF RECOVERY AT HOME

WITH HIS WIFE BY HIS SIDE.

HE REALIZES HOW EXHAUSTING COOKING IS FOR HER.

DESPITE HIS BLINDNESS, HE RESOLVES TO DESIGN A STOVE

THAT WILL MAKE THE JOB EASIER.

HE ASKS HIS WIFE WHAT THE PROBLEMS WERE IN THE HOUSEHOLD.

AND SHE SAID, WELL, THE FACT

SHE'S ALWAYS GOT TO TEND TO THE RANGE COOKER.

I MEAN, WORKING ON A RANGE COOKER,

EVEN IF YOU'RE DOING IT TODAY, IT IS A FULL-TIME JOB.

YOU HAVE TO KEEP IT KIND OF FIRED WITH COAL.

YOU HAVE TO WATCH FOR TEMPERATURE CONSTANTLY.

SO HE HAD BEEN WORKING ON "RADIAL HEAT"

AND CAME UP WITH THIS DESIGN FOR AN OVEN

WHICH WOULD CONTAIN THE HEAT,

WHICH, ONCE THE HEAT WAS IN IT, WOULD STAY THERE

AND STAY AT AMBIENT TEMPERATURES.

SO THIS IS WHERE THE AGA CAME FROM.

IT WAS THE FIRST, LIKE, RADIAL HEAT OVEN.

Narrator: DáLEN DEVELOPS A UNIT WITH TWO OVENS

AND FOUR STOVE PLATES.

THE AGA IS INVENTED.

IT'S INTRODUCED IN ENGLAND DURING THE 1930s

UNDER AGA RAYBURN AND STANLEY BRANDS.

AT FIRST, PEOPLE USED CHARCOAL FOR STEADY HEAT.

AND SOON ENOUGH, THE OVEN BECOMES POPULAR

FOR ELITE HOUSEHOLDS AT THE TIME.

AND ITS CONNECTION TO WORLD WAR II?

MASTER ADVERTISER DAVID OGILVY BEGINS SELLING AGAs

DURING HIS EARLY 20s

AND QUICKLY MAKES QUITE A NAME FOR HIMSELF.

WHEN WORLD WAR II BREAKS OUT,

OGILVY FINDS HIMSELF WORKING

FOR BRITISH INTELLIGENCE IN THE U.S.

AND IT'S THE FORMER AGA SALESMAN'S

GROUND-BREAKING RESEARCH INTO HUMAN BEHAVIOR

THAT IS ADOPTED BY ALLIED SPIES

ALL OVER EUROPE DURING THE WAR.

TODAY, THE AGA OVEN IS STILL SEEN

AS A SYMBOL OF STYLE AND LUXURY EVERYWHERE.

VERY FEW APPLIANCES HAVE HAD THE SAME LASTING IMPACT

ON THE WAY WE COOK.

AND FOR THAT REASON ALONE,

IT REALLY IS AN INCREDIBLE INVENTION.

♪♪

BUT JUST HOW IS SUCH AN INCREDIBLE INVENTION

LIKE THE AGA OVEN BUILT?

FIND OUT WHEN WE RETURN.

Narrator: AT THE COALBROOKDALE FOUNDRY IN SHROPSHIRE, ENGLAND,

THE PROCESS OF BUILDING THE AGA

BEGINS WITH FULLY RECYCLED AND RECLAIMED SCRAP IRON,

SUCH THINGS AS BRAKE DISKS AND CAST COLUMNS

AND EVEN OLD AGAs THEMSELVES.

THE SCRAP IS COLLECTED, MIXED WITH ALLOY ELEMENTS,

AND FED INTO THE FURNACE WITH COAL FUEL

TO REACH TEMPERATURES OF MORE THAN 3,000 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

THE FURNACE CAN MELT 5 TONS OF CAST IRON PER HOUR.

ONCE MELTED, THE MOLTEN IRON

IS TAKEN TO TWO OF THE LINES IN A CONTAINER OR LARGE LADLE.

♪♪

THE MOLTEN IRON INSIDE

IS STILL AT A BLISTERING 2,500 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT.

USING A MIXTURE OF SAND, CLAY, AND WATER,

THE MOLDING MACHINE CAN CREATE MOLDS OF ANY OVEN PART,

DOOR FRONT, OR TOP.

♪♪

THE MOLDING MACHINE MAKES SAND MOLD NEGATIVES

OF A PATTERN, WHICH ARE THEN SPLIT IN HALF

SO THAT WHEN THE TWO HALVES ARE PUT TOGETHER,

THEY CREATE A CAVITY FOR THE MOLTEN METAL TO BE POURED INTO.

THE TWO HALVES ARE CLAMPED TOGETHER

AND SENT ALONG THE PRODUCTION LINE,

WHERE THE MOLTEN METAL IS POURED

BY AN AUTO-POUR FURNACE.

♪♪

ONCE THE MOLD HAS BEEN FILLED,

IT IS MOVED ALONG THE CONVEYOR BELT,

WHERE THE METAL INSIDE QUICKLY COOLS.

ONCE COOLED SUFFICIENTLY,

IT IS TIME TO RETRIEVE THE CASTINGS.

EACH MOLD IS SENT DOWN THE VIBRATING GRID,

BREAKING OPEN THE SAND MOLD, AND THE CASTINGS ARE REVEALED.

THEY ARE INSPECTED, AND ANY REMAINING MOLD

IS BROKEN OFF BY HAND, THEN PLACED INTO BINS

TO COOL DOWN FURTHER TO ROOM TEMPERATURE.

♪♪

THE FRESH CASTINGS ARE SENT TO A SHOT BLAST,

WHERE STEEL SHOT IS FIRED AT THE CASTINGS

TO REMOVE ANY REMAINING SAND PARTICLES.

THE BRAND-NEW OVEN PARTS ARE SENT TO A WORKSHOP ON-SITE.

THERE, USING HAND-HELD AND PEDESTAL GRINDERS,

WORKERS REMOVE ANY BLEMISHES AND ROUGH EDGES

TO GIVE THE OVEN PARTS A NICE, SMOOTH FINISH.

♪♪

THE FINISHED PARTS ARE THEN SENT TO THE TELFORD FACTORY,

WHERE THEY ARE PREPARED

FOR AGA's FAMOUS ENAMEL FINISH AND ASSEMBLY.

THE CAST-IRON PARTS ARE COATED

WITH A PRIMARY UNDERCOAT AND TRANSPARENT ENAMEL,

WHICH WILL PROTECT THE PIECES IN THE FURNACE.

ENAMEL IS MADE UP OF TINY PARTICLES OF GLASS

AND IS SPRAYED ONTO THE CAST IRON.

IT IS THEN BAKED IN A FURNACE UNTIL IT IS RED-HOT.

THIS FUSES THE ENAMEL ONTO THE CAST IRON,

A PROCESS THAT IS REPEATED THREE TIMES

TO PRODUCE A SMOOTH, HIGH-GLOSS FINISH,

WHICH IS VERY EASY TO KEEP CLEAN.

THE DOOR PARTS AND TOPS ARE ALL COLOR-MATCHED

FOR EACH INDIVIDUAL MODULE.

NEXT, IT IS ON TO THE ASSEMBLY LINE.

THE FINISHED OVEN PARTS ARE BOLTED TOGETHER.

AND HEAT-PROOF SEALANT IS USED TO LINE THE EDGES

OF EACH COMPONENT.

♪♪

THE OVEN STARTS TO TAKE SHAPE

AS ALL THE UNITS ARE FITTED INTO PLACE.

THE TWO HOT PLATES, WHICH SIT AT THE TOP OF THE OVEN,

ARE FITTED WITH INSULATED CAST IRON

AND CHROME LIDS TO STOP THE WARMTH

FROM ESCAPING THE COOKER WHEN NOT IN USE.

THE HEATING ELEMENTS, GAS OR ELECTRIC,

ARE FIXED ON THE INSIDE.

THE OVENS ARE THEN INSULATED WITH SILICATE WOOL

BEFORE THE ENAMELED OUTER SHELL IS FITTED.

AND FINALLY, THE FAMOUS ENAMEL DOORS ARE ADDED

TO COMPLETE THE OVEN BEFORE IT IS INSPECTED

AND TESTED PRIOR TO PACKAGING AND SENT OFF TO THE CUSTOMER.

THE AGA OVEN, A REAL INCREDIBLE INVENTION.

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT -- A GLANCE THROUGH THE HIDDEN HISTORY

AND SUPER SCIENCE OF SOME AMAZING PRODUCTS

WE USE EVERY DAY -- THE GLIDER,

SUPER GLUE, AND THE AGA OVEN.

THEY MAY SEEM COMMON AND ORDINARY.

HOWEVER, THESE PRODUCTS HELPED CHANGE THE WORLD

ONE INCREDIBLE INVENTION AT A TIME.