How It's Made

The programme examines the manufacturing methods used to produce dinnerware, air‑brake tanks and frosted cereal, tracing how each process has evolved over the years. It highlights advances in moulding, metal‑forming and coating techniques, and the material innovations that have reshaped production.

The programme is an episode that brings together three seemingly unrelated product lines – dinnerware, air‑brake tanks and frosted cereal – to give viewers a behind‑the‑scenes look at how each is made. It’s presented as a straightforward, factual slice of manufacturing life, without any dramatisation. In the main segment the show walks through the steps required to produce each item. It explains the sequence of operations that turn raw material into a finished plate, a pressure‑tested tank for vehicle brakes, or a bowl of sweetened, frosted flakes. The narration sticks to the mechanics of shaping, forming and finishing, keeping the focus on the actual processes used on the factory floor. The episode also tracks how those processes have changed over time. It points out the shifts in technique, the introduction of new equipment and the gradual move towards greater efficiency that have characterised each industry’s evolution. By comparing past and present methods, the programme highlights the incremental improvements that have been made since the early days of production. Finally, the show ties the three case studies together, showing that despite their different end uses, the three sectors share a common story of technological advancement. It underscores how continual refinement in manufacturing has helped each product become the reliable, everyday item we now take for granted.