The Mind-Blowing Machines that Stamp Millions of Metal Parts - Smarter Every Day 288

Oh and also glad to see anydesk doing well. They were my first big corporate purchase when I had my own IT company (before I got wise and went into the trades). Phenomenal software.

Evan Jones

I work doing process tool install and demolition at Intel out in Oregon. I think it's a pretty interesting process, if you're ever interested in seeing how the silicon sausage is made let know and I'll get you in touch with the people who can make that happen.

Evan Jones

So excited for this series! I was into the "How It's Made" show when I was a kid, now I get to dive deeper with an intelligent engineer asking the right questions! If it is possible, it would be amazing if you could record binaural audio for the Sound Traveler channel when you visit these factories, I would love to feel like I was there after learning about what is going on.

Greyson Gillett

Outstanding video — only wish my father-in-law were still here to watch it. He was an industrial designer and worked in manufacturing for over 50 years. During the pandemic, we bought him a tablet and I got him watching your videos — loved the tour of the rocket factory! Unfortunately, he passed in the summer of 2021. Sad that he spent the last year of his life locked indoors. Your videos were a bright spot in every conversation I had with him that last year. Thank you!

What a great video! I knew such machines existed, but couldn't picture how they work until I saw your vid! Very cool!

Tall Steve

Dude, this video was amazing. Really looking forward to this manufacturing series!

Rasmus

Destin, I've been a long time fan and really deeply appreciate every video you've done. Maybe it's not worth the comment, but your statement at the beginning of the video about 'getting back to the humanities' is out of place. It could be that you're using the word in the 'classical' sense, but the vernacular 'humanities' are at fault for producing the situation you hope to remedy with these videos. These videos are about showing the empowerment, joy, and meaning that can result from things like working in manufacturing which are thought to be mundane and uninspiring. The humanities (what you'll learn at college studying) are largely a subversion of much STEM related progress. As an overeducated BS and current STEM PhD candidate, I want to see more technologically capable people that have an understanding and appreciation for rhetoric and philosophy. Especially in light of the acceleration of tech development today, we need to shift the distribution of the workforce into STEM and healthcare. Maybe we're saying the same things, I'm just more likely to complain about it.

Another excellent video Destin, thank you! I really enjoy how thoughtfully and lovingly you walk us through worlds that not many folks get to see, especially people like me who are doing more white-collar work. Both the mechanisms and machines, and the people themselves doing the work. I'm aware it's a little touchy politically, and not the *direct* goal of this series, but I hope at some point you can talk about trade unions as they exist in the manufacturing world. A HUGE amount of the dignity and security that historically came with American manufacturing was driven by labor unions, and to this day they is a big reason that these jobs pay well, are stable, compensate for injuries, and generally provide some human dignity. Especially in the context of what Wes said, about creating value within the US rather than shunting it off to the cheapest global labor possible. Trade unions have done an enormous amount of good for raising the standard of living for folks everywhere, even outside the industry in question (for example, winning weekends off and 8-hour days), and I don't think the manufacturing industry can be understood fully without them.

Calvin Airport

Thank you for making this! I am a younger cnc machinist and there are so few guys my age in this field. There definitely needs to be a bigger push for skilled trades!

You mentioned emphasizing logic, teaching students how to think again, instead of just teaching skills. As a Phil and logic student in undergrad, I've always valued the ability to form a logically sound argument, as apposed to just making conclusions and letting myself off the hook of PROOVING those conclusions. What do you think we can do today for new generations to help them WANT to learn to think better and better use their intelligence? We're all smart, but thinking isn't always easy. Thanks as always!

Cousin Vinnie

Kind of a modern, automated blacksmith working.

Rick Corbitt

Thanks a ton for making this video! I'm a journeyman tool and die maker at a facility that runs full scale production on automotive and aerospace braking components in Connecticut! It was incredible to see the work I do day in and day out be brought to such a large audience! If you ever find yourself in Connecticut let me know and we can show you how we do things here in the Connecticut River Valley, the birthplace of American metal stamping manufacturing!

Great video. if you ever find yourself in Flint, Michigan, you might appreciate taking a tour of General Motors’ Flint Metal Center. It’s where they stamp the side panels of Silverado truck beds, and other smaller parts. The presses for the truck side panels are ENORMOUS. My father-in-law retired from there a while back. He took me on a tour one time. I remember seeing one of the class-C presses when I first walked in. I believe the class-C is the one about 20 seconds into this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=difNjF6pCZE. 3 stories tall and as big as a small house. I made a comment about how big it was and my father-in-law just laughed. He said “That’s the smallest press in the whole building. Wait until you see the class-AA presses”. I can’t find a video of the Class-AA’s but they are the size of probably 4 or 5 houses and they had to do a ton of foundation work under them to handle the forces of stamping the truck panels. Here’s a picture of the foundation work under the press. Everything in the picture is under the press. You can see the level of the plant floor in the top right of the picture: https://www.mlive.com/genesee-general-motors/2009/11/post_3.html. And they crank out, I forget the exact number, but something like one panel every few seconds. It’s worth a visit just to feel how the ground trembles every time the press hits.

You never really explained that thumbnail in the video.

Greg