Original title
Ultimate Factories
Released
11/9/2006
Origin country
US, GB
Genre
Documentary
Production companies
Hoff Productions
Status
Ended
Number of seasons
8
Number of episodes
84
Ultimate Factories also known as Megafactories is an American documentary television series that premiered in 2006 on the National Geographic Channel. The program explores the inner workings of factories worldwide. Each episode profiles the machinery and manpower behind each factory's main product, featuring close-ups, breakdowns, interviews, and side stories to show the sequence of events to produce the product in the factory. Hoff Productions was one of the principal producers of this highly successful series. It also airs in non-US markets as Megafactories.
They are a must if you are a world leader, but now even mums are starting to use them. Discover how cars are modified for maximum protection. Actually, this is "Science of Armored Cars", an "Inside"-episode, but it was shown on NatGeo UK as part of Megafactories.
The soon-to-be-released Chevy Volt electric car just might redefine the automotive world: It can go from 0 to 60 in less than nine seconds, hit a top speed of 100 miles per hour and is good for 40 miles of zero-emission, pure electric driving. Our cameras got rare behind-the-scenes access to the preproduction factory for this revolutionary vehicle. AKA Megafactories: Chevy Volt, this seems to have only aired in the UK
An army of engineers in three different countries constructs the awesome Typhoon, which can reach speeds of over 2000 KPH.
Our cameras go inside the Audi R8 factory in Neckarsulm, Germany and follow the crafting of a road car modeled after a champion racecar. With the introduction of the R8, Audi breaks out of its elegant sedan image to create a sportscar that rivals the likes of Porsche and Lamborghini. Modeled after the R8 racecar that dominated at LeMans, the Audi R8 road car is a mid-engine two-seater with explosive power and a smooth ride. Audi has combined all of its engineering innovations over the last few decades into this one sportscarall wheel drive, an ultra-light aluminum spaceframe and high-tech fuel injection. Since its launch in 2007, the super sleek R8 has appeared in many films and TV shows, including: Iron Man, Transformers, Dirty Sexy Money, CSI: Miami, Chuck, and 17 Again. This car is grabbing the attention of sports car fanatics, photographers and automotive journalists all over the world.
As simple as it is successful, LEGO is without doubt one of the most popular toys of all time. This eye-opening trip to the company's high-tech factory reveals how robots and tricky test markets are behind the company's ever-popular police station set.
Made to a 150-year-old recipe in Europe's largest brewery, raise a toast to the men and women at the beer giant's Zoeterwoude home - where some 11 million hectolitres of thirst-quenching lager can be produced every year.
A look behind-the-scenes at Aston Martin HQ in Warwickshire to reveal how the customised and coveted One-77 is designed and manufactured.
With a 75-year legacy of jaw-dropping design to protect, find out how space-age techniques borrowed from the aerospace industry aid the construction of the brand new XJ in the car firm's futuristic Castle Bromwich plant.
The Bugatti Veyron is a "super" super car - part automobile and part airplane. And with a base price of $1,750,000, it is the most expensive production car in the world. Designed with materials and construction techniques normally found in the aerospace industry, this remarkable engineering achievement is one of the fastest street-legal cars ever built. Now, NGC takes an insider look at the Bugatti factory to see how this modern engineering masterpiece is built.
Only a privileged few ever get behind the wheel of the slick, sexy Koenigsegg and, similarly, only a privileged few play a role in its lovingly hand-built construction. Enter their artistic Swedish factory. Discover how each powerful Koenigsegg car is lovingly hand-built, in a Swedish factory that looks more like an art studio than a car production plant. The basic concept of the Koenigsegg is simple: a road car body that incorporates a Formula One racing car chassis. Koenigseggs are among the most exclusive super cars in the world with unparalled levels of performance. The combination of uncompromising quality in both finish and function and the use of space age materials make these super cars among the very best in automotive history. Koenigseggs are built to excel on the road or racetrack, yet are still highly comfortable for long distance travelling.
Visiting factories around the world to witness the processes involved in manufacturing the biggest, fastest and most powerful machines
Inside Ferrari's closely-guarded factory in Maranello, Italy, you'll see how the newest, most powerful model is created from start to finish, learn its design secrets -- and take a test drive at 200 mph.
NGC takes you into the factories responsible for completely rebuilding the decades-old Abrams M-1 tank into one of the world's most powerful land weapons systems.
At the Peterbilt factory in Denton, Texas, the world's most sophisticated trucks are built from scratch. Discover Peterbilt's history and drag race a big rig.
What's the secret to Budweiser's success? NGC takes you inside the Anheuser-Busch brewery in St. Louis to learn the steps, secrets and science behind this legendary concoction.
Harley Davidson is a legendary machine that is a symbol of freedom, adventure and the open road. Go behind the scenes of the 10-acre flagship factory in Kansas City to witness the birth of the latest model, the V-Rod, as it's built from the ground up.
Covering more than 300,000 square metres, the John Deere factory houses more than 2000 employees, 49 robotic welders, eight laser cutters and 14 kilometres of overhead track, all of which help stamp, press, cut and weld 60,000 tons of steel into the John Deere STS Combine a harvesting mega-machine. To begin the process, extremely precise laser cutters are used to create a majority of this mini-factory on wheels 17,000 parts. Assemblers then create the combines 450 kilogram cylinder and its massive grain tank. The factory uses nearly 400 tonnes of welding wire each year enough wire to circle the globe. When the combine has been assembled and is ready for painting, it undergoes a seven-hour process to receive the trademark John Deere green colour. When John Deere decides to update its tractors design, the modification is first tested in the factorys state-of-the-art virtual reality lab to measure the potential impact to the assembly line process, saving both time and money. With its 21st century technology and human innovation, the John Deere mega factory shows the raw power behind one of agricultures most vital machines.
NGC heads to the Boeing plant in Mesa, Arizona -- where cameras are rarely allowed -- for an in-depth look at the world's most lethal attack helicopter and its sophisticated technology.
The name BMW is synonymous with performance, precision, engineering, a fastidious quality. Obsessively designed, owners drive the "ultimate driving machine" for the sheer pleasure of controlling a mechanical marvel on the open road and feeling G-forces in their gut. Now, NGC takes viewers inside the creation of BMW's newest sports cars: the Z4 Roadster. See first-hand how this $45,000 ultimate roadster, with its unique styling and flawless quality, is built by three ultimate factories.
NGC takes you to Bowling Green, Kentucky, where GM is developing the new Corvette Z06, a high-performance street machine that is fantastically aerodynamically efficient.
Winnebago's motor homes, or RVs, have set the standard since the 1960s. But now they have upped the ante with their newest cross-country colossus, the Vectra. Offering 400 square feet of living space, the Vectra even includes a giant basement. From the chassis factory in Gaffney, SC, to the "Big Bertha" mega-plant in IA, visit the Ultimate Factories that create the ultimate home away from home on the open road.
Millions depend on UPS. Step inside the largest package delivery company on the planet, delivering 4 billion packages a year.
Go inside fire trucks mammoth 800,000 sq.ft. operation, where over 1,500 highly skilled workers mix muscle and high-tech tools to create made-to-order rigs in approximately 45 days.
Lamborghinis factory in SantAgata Bolognese, Italy [ALT: 20 miles/30 kilometers north of Bologna) is building its fastest car ever the Murcielago SV, of which just 350 will be made. The $450,000 Murcielago SV launches from 0 to 62 miles per hour in just 3.2 seconds and can achieve a top speed of 212 miles per hour. The factory builds the car almost entirely by hand including its engine and body. The car is also painted and assembled by hand, including installation of the famous Lamborghini scissor doors. Every car is custom-built to order, and only 2.7 cars are completed per day.
The Phantom is the first Rolls-Royce motorcar to be introduced since the company was acquired by BMW in 1998. Each Phantom is a unique combination of state-of-the-art technology and old-world craftsmanship, constructed with meticulous attention to detail. Manufacture of the Phantom begins in Unterhallerau, Germany, where its strong, stiff and lightweight space frame chassis is built. Each space frame and body shell assembly is then sent to BMWs factory in Dingolfing, Germany for corrosion-resistance treatment and primer paint. Next, each Phantom is shipped to a manufacturing facility constructed by BMW specifically to build the new generation of Rolls-Royce motorcars. It takes an average of 450 hours and the skills of hundreds of dedicated craftspeople, artisans, designers, engineers, mechanics, painters, sewing machinists and others to hand-build each car. At a base price of $380,000, the Phantom comes equipped with an impressive list of standard amenities including 90 square yards (75 sq meters) of A-grade Bavarian leather upholstery and book matched interior wood trim, hand-crafted from exotic veneers, all of which are fashioned right in the main assembly building of the Goodwood plant. With the Rolls-Royce customization, or bespoke program, however, the options are limited only by the boundaries of the buyers bankroll and imagination.
What does it take to build a classic car with 21st century technology? Now, after nearly a decade off the factory line, Chevy is reintroducing the 2010 Camaro SS. NGC visits the 10-million-square-foot factory, one of the largest auto plants in the world, where the car is stamped from cold raw steel and assembled by high-tech precise robots and nearly 5,800 employees, to create the car's specially designed "unibody" construction.
Get inside the famous House of Porsche and see how they create the Porsche 911, one of the most influential and recognizable vehicles in the world. Every distinctive element is manufactured at the Zuffenhausen factory in Stuttgart, Germany, a historical industrial monument. We'll examine the Porsche factory's innovative system of lifts, elevators and bridges, which conveys car bodies 50 feet above a public highway.
In 36 countries, in 296 stores IKEA represents a distinct design and an affordable price. Each year nearly 600 million customers choose IKEA. From teaspoons to living rooms, the entire contents of a home are designed, manufactured and supplied in a huge variety of styles, colors and models... almost 10,000 items. To get the job done, suppliers in 54 countries carry out IKEAs vision. In Zbaszynek, Poland, IKEAs largest wood production plant in the world, creates 2 million tables, chairs, sofas and recliners each year. Nearby, in Nowe Skalmmierzyce, IKEAs the companys textile supplier builds over 500 pieces of upholstered furniture daily. In southern Sweden, three ultimate factories create IKEA staples. In Almhult, the prototype for every product is born and an advanced mass produced carpentry factory creates state of the art kitchens. In Kattilstorp, the classic Billy Bookcase is manufactured. And in Hultsfred, the foundation of most IKEA furnishings, the strong, hardwearing particle board is born.
The Caterpillar 797B is so large that assembly takes place at six different locations. Tour all of the factories that build this mining Goliath.
Join us as we follow the creation of the car that moves millions. The R-160 Subway car is the newest member of the New York City Transit fleet -- bringing 21st Century safety and technological innovations to a mass transit system over 100 years old. These innovations include LCD screen maps, a passenger emergency intercom system, soundproofing and a braking system that actually generates electricity and returns power to the third rail. It starts as sheets of metal in Sao Paulo, Brazil where human skill, fire, and steel come together to build the body shell. After a month-long voyage, the body arrives in Hornell, NY for final assembly, motor installation, and testing. Once assembled the R-160 weighs nearly 85,000 lbs and contains 24 miles of wiring. This car is built to last 40 years, to withstand the force of 1.6 billion riders per year, and survive in one of the worlds toughest environments New York City.
The Season 4 opener spotlights the 2011 Dodge Challenger. The hour includes a tour of an assembly plant in Canada and a Mexican factory, where its famed Hemi engine is built.
An exotic car built to push performance to the edge while blending Italian elegance is crafted inside Maserati's ultimate factory. It takes 22 days for a Maserati to be assembled and considered road ready and the Maserati GranTurismo Convertible, a $135,000 convertible that tops out at more than 170 mph, is the new pinnacle of performance and comfort.
The hand-built production car, the Dodge Viper, is born, bred and built in Detroit, Michigan. Now NGC takes a unique insider's look at the Viper factory in the current model's last year of production. This ultimate factory is comprised of craftspeople who spend two and a half days building each Viper, which is packed with 600 horsepower that can take it from zero to 60 mph in under four seconds. Without any robots on this assembly line, every Viper is truly hand-crafted.
A Mercedes-Benz factory in Germany is visited for a look at the making of the 571-horsepower 2010 SLS.
It's been 50 years since Rolls Royce created a new Bentley fit for royalty and rock stars, and it's a challenge for Bentley's ultimate factories to construct the Mulsanne, a new design of the luxury car. It takes more than 550 hours and nine weeks for artisans and technicians to create this masterpiece. Precision robots ensure that this two-and-a-half-ton luxury car's body is flawlessly molded, but the finest leather is hand-sewn for Bentley's lavish upholstery.
The Jack Daniel's Distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee is visited to see how the famous whiskey is made.
A BMW plant in South Carolina is visited for a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the X3 in the Season 5 opener.
A Porsche factory in Leipzig, Germany, is visited for a look at the making of the Panamera, the company's first four-dour high-performance sports sedan.
A Mack Truck factory in Macungie, Pa., is visited for a look at the making of the Titan, which features a high level of customization, making automating the production process nearly impossible
As simple as it is successful, LEGO is without doubt one of the most popular toys of all time. This eye-opening trip to the company's high-tech factory reveals how robots and tricky test markets are behind the company's ever-popular police station set.
A Frito-Lay factory in Perry, Ga., is visited for a look at the making and distribution of potato chips, cheese puffs and tortilla chips.
The building of a Ford F-150 is documented at the Dearborn Truck Plant in Michigan, which churns out more than 1200 trucks a day
The making of Bacardi rum is observed at a distillery in San Juan
A Ducati factory in Italy is visited for a look at the making of the Multistrada 1200 sport bike
A tour of Heineken's 250-acre flagship brewery in Zoeterwoude, Netherlands
The construction of the Eurofighter Typhoon, an advanced multi-role combat aircraft, is chronicled in three factories across three countries.
With unprecedented access to the Williams F1 futuristic development factory, we reveal the ins and outs of the phenomenal FW33 F1 Car.
Enter the EA factory in Burnaby Canada and find out how the brilliant minds behind FIFA 12 took football off the field and turned it into a virtual masterpiece FIFA 12 is featuring on this weeks National Geographics Megafactories, with the documentary paying a visit to EAC to peak behind the curtain
At the Victorinox factory in Switzerland, raw steel is fashioned into the most iconic multi-purpose tool invented – the Swiss Army Knife.
A look behind the scenes at the biggest dark beer brewery in the world, the 48-acre St James Gate Brewery, located right in the middle of Dublin
The inner workings of modern factories, beginning with the Oxfordshire plant where the Mini Coupe is manufactured, exploring the process of the vehicle's construction
How the popular Boeing 747 is being upgraded to challenge new models such as the Airbus A380, which has proved tough competition for the American company
The construction of the Learjet 60XR in Kansas, a multimillion-pound private plane that combines jet-fighter performance with yacht-style luxury
Designing tyres for everything from cars and motorcycles to jumbo jets and the space shuttle, Michelin’s latest goal is to create a new tyre that will increase fuel mileage for cars.
Australia's Howard and Sons have been making fireworks for almost 100 years, now the reigns have been handed down and they are breaking with tradition.
Sir Ratan Tata is a man on a mission: to make India's roads safer by getting people off motorbikes and into the world's cheapest car - the Tata Nano.
Learn how the Italian company use cutting-edge technology to produce 37,500kg of coffee a day, and export to 140 countries worldwide.
The 'Giant Inverted Boomerang' roller coaster currently has only 5 installations in the world and speeds riders to over 100 kph over loops, drops and banks. This episode follows the construction of this roller coaster at the Jinjiang Action Park, Shanghai China.
Follows the production of the "Automotrice à grande vitesse" (Alstorm AGV); the standard gauge high-speed electric multiple unit train designed and built by Alstorm, running all around Europe.
Explore the production process of Lamborghini’s staggering Aventador LP 700-4, a ground-breaking speedster capable of doing 0-100kph in less than three seconds.
For 20 years, Lexus has been synonymous with quiet, efficient, luxury. Now they have launched their first petrol sucking supercar - the Lexus LFA. 325kph and 0-100kph in 3.8 seconds, it's anything but understated. This is the construction story behind the ultimate Japanese supercar. Hand built at the LFA Works in Toyota City, Japan, this car is 65% carbon fibre and powered by the highest revving production engine on the road. At $375,000 it's also the most expensive Japanese road car ever.
Purchased by a father and son team, the company is now betting its future on a brand new motorcycle design. MV Agusta is one of the most famous Italian motorcycle brands ever but its most recent history has had many ups and downs. But now the company is back and betting its future on a brand new machine called the F3. Its design, engineering and manufacturing is key to whether the MV brand can not only survive but return to glory.
Megafactories takes us inside the Wargaming.net online gaming company. Players around the globe connect to state of the art game servers and turn the clocks back on history, fighting in virtual battles. Using tank warfare, a staggering 60 million players try to rewrite history in in the company's flagship game, World of Tanks, by annihilating the opposition and conquering their rightful territories.
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