Education/Science/Factual Topics★ NewSubtitles
Duration
30 minutes
Series Info
Season 24 Episode 8 of 26

Quick Summary

The programme details the production methods for mosquito coils, solar‑assist tricycles, palm oil and fibreglass chopper guns, outlining each step from raw material to finished product. It also tracks the enhancements in manufacturing techniques that have been introduced over recent years, improving efficiency and quality.

About This Program

The programme is an episode that takes a practical look at the making of four seemingly unrelated products – mosquito coils, solar‑assist tricycles, palm oil and fibreglass chopper guns – and shows how each is put together from raw material to finished good. In the first part the episode walks the viewer through the step‑by‑step process used to produce each item. It explains how the powdered active ingredients are mixed and rolled into the familiar spiral shape of a mosquito coil, how solar panels and electric motors are integrated into a three‑wheeled frame to create a solar‑assist tricycle, how fresh fruit bunches are pressed and refined into palm oil, and how layers of fibreglass are moulded and cured to form the barrel of a chopper gun. The narration ties these separate factories together by highlighting the common focus on material handling, moulding and assembly. The second half of the episode shifts to the evolution of the techniques involved. It points out that early coil factories relied on manual winding, whereas modern plants use automated rollers that improve consistency and speed. Solar‑assist tricycles have moved from basic battery packs to more efficient solar‑charging systems, and palm‑oil mills now employ refined pressing equipment that extracts more oil with less waste. Fibreglass gun barrels, once crafted by hand‑laying cloth, are now produced with precision moulds that reduce defects. Overall, the episode demonstrates how incremental advances – from mechanised production lines to better quality‑control measures – have steadily raised the efficiency, reliability and output of these diverse manufacturing sectors.

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How It's Made broadcasts on Discovery Science +1 at 11:30am, Sunday, 8 February 2026. (Subtitles)

Channel Numbers:
Sky HD685Sky267Virgin379

Production Details

Runtime30 mins