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," 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.