An Inside Look at How a Tape Measure Is Made

A leveled clip from the Science Channel series Machines: How They Work offers an inside look at how tape measures are made. Narrator Omri Rose visits a U.K. tape measure factory to find out how this coiled roll of steel can be outstretched, accurately measure something and be retracted, all without breaking.

The humble tape measure is cleverer than you might think. How does it squeeze 16 feet of precision engineered steel in a package that fits in your pocket? Under a toughened plastic case, 26 components work together. a tightly wound metal blade with super-accurate markings, a rocker that can lock the blade without breaking it, and a tightly wound spring
that retracts the blade in a fraction of a second.

While the workers happily explain how these construction necessities are fabricated, CGI animation gives viewers a chance to really look inside the device.

via The Awesomer