Inside the Factory Season 4 Episode 9 Pencils

Inside the Factory is a British television series that takes a close look at how everyday products are made in factories. In the ninth episode of season four, entitled "Pencils," viewers step inside the world of pencil production, to see how this seemingly simple writing tool is actually a feat of engineering and manufacturing.

The episode is hosted by Gregg Wallace, a seasoned presenter who has hosted a number of popular food and drink shows. In this episode, he is joined by Cherry Healey, a journalist and television presenter who brings a fresh perspective to the factory floor.

At the start of the episode, viewers are introduced to the pencil, which Wallace describes as "an everyday object that's been around for hundreds of years." He explains that while pencils may seem simple, they are actually made up of a number of different components, each of which has to be manufactured to precise specifications.

The episode takes viewers to one of the world's largest pencil factories, the Staedtler factory in Nuremberg, Germany. Here, the team gets a behind-the-scenes look at how pencils are made, from the raw materials all the way through to the finished product.

At the heart of the pencil is the graphite that makes up the "lead." The team follows the manufacturing process, starting with the graphite powder that is mixed with clay, water, and other additives to create a "slurry" that can be shaped into thin rods. These rods are then baked in an oven at over 1000 degrees Celsius, causing the clay to harden and the graphite to fuse together.

Next, the rods are cut into shorter lengths and sorted by hardness. The team learns that pencils are graded according to their hardness, with harder pencils having more graphite and less clay. They also learn about the various letter and number codes that are used to indicate the pencil's hardness and quality.

The next step in the manufacturing process is to prepare the wood that will become the pencil's casing. The team visits a sawmill in the UK where they see how logs are cut into thin, flat sheets of wood that are then cut again into strips. These strips are then combined with a layer of glue and rolled into long, thin cylinders that will become the pencil casings.

At the Staedtler factory, the team watches as the pencils are assembled, with the lead rods inserted into the wooden casings using a complex machine that does everything from shaping the lead to sharpening the tip. They also see how the pencils are painted and stamped with the company's logo and other information.

Throughout the episode, the team highlights the various challenges and innovations that are involved in pencil production. For example, they show how the Staedtler factory uses a unique system for recycling wood waste, turning it into fuel that is used to power the factory's kilns and boilers.

The episode also touches on the history of the pencil, exploring the origins of graphite and the many innovations that have made this writing tool the ubiquitous object that it is today. Viewers will learn how pencils have been used for everything from drawing and writing to marking up musical scores and developing graphical user interfaces.

Overall, "Pencils" is a fascinating look at a seemingly simple object that is actually the result of a complex and highly engineered manufacturing process. Whether you're a fan of engineering and manufacturing, or simply curious about the world around you, this episode is sure to be both informative and engaging.