KITCHEN IMPOSSIBLE - From Custom Made To Mass Produced | Full Documentary

built-in kitchens made in germany a success story that continues today 1.3 million kitchens leave here for destinations around the world each year from niche existence to the focal point of domestic life the kitchen has taken on a new role compared to way back when when it was just a separate room the choice of kitchen a lifetime decision and a question of money mass produced from the assembly line or custom made from the workshop the kitchen between workspace and status symbol you want to be able to tell that it's wood when you feel it that's very much in the premium segment six figures of course trees are turned into chipboards the building blocks of kitchen cabinets whether handcrafted or mass-produced only during installation will it become apparent if the jigsaw puzzle fits together perfectly whatever doesn't fit is made of it it's often a matter of millimeters [Music] the kitchen is arriving today one of 5 700 that are delivered and installed each day somewhere in germany a routine job for the kitchen installers but a very special day for the customer the old kitchen has already been removed the installers immediately get started before they begin with the assembly the kitchen installers check the plan to see where the new cabinets should go later on like all modern custom fitted kitchens this one also consists of several modules floor standing and wall mounted units plus sink appliances skirts or plinths and as the connecting element the countertop great care is required when carrying in the various components even the professionals can accidentally nick or drop things at times can't to ensure that all the floor units are the same height later on the kitchen installers attach height adjustable feet [Music] the kitchen consists of two rows of units and goes around a corner a so-called l-shaped kitchen the longer road begins with a tall pantry cabinet it will be fitted next to an existing refrigerator the only item left over from the old kitchen after one hour the room is already looking like a kitchen but then that's what gets it'll be a bit loud now but that's normal as soon as the units are in place the kitchen installers remove the drawers and doors again in order to align and connect them they need access to the side panels does it slide off so does one thing you often think it isn't that much work but it turns out to be more than you originally imagined so first thing the actual assembly begins now in fact production of the kitchen began months earlier a forest near nuremberg the raw material used to make kitchen cabinets has been growing here for centuries felling the trees is the job of this four-wheeled monster the 250 horsepower giant cuts up the pines and spruces in a matter of minutes first the harvester grasps the tree with its felling head it then cuts the stem with its hydraulically driven chainsaw and brings it down [Music] it takes skill on the part of the operator because he must avoid damaging any other trees during felling the saw operates at 16 000 revolutions per minute feed rollers in the harvester head drag the trunk past five blades they remove bark and branches the rollers stop every eight meters and the trunk is sewn through [Music] the machine is eight meters long and three meters wide it weighs as much as 15 compact cars the chains ensured that its enormous weight is more evenly distributed thereby protecting the delicate forest floor the trees the foresters select for felling are always those growing close to others and thus robbing them of light and nutrients thinning out the trees is one of the routine tasks in the forest the branches of the felled trees are left in the forest they serve to fertilize the soil most of the nutrients are in the needles and beneath the bark these branches are relatively thin so the proportion of bark is very high so we leave them in the forest to minimize the quantity of nutrients removed by the timber harvesting after filling the next monster goes into action this all-terrain vehicle the forwarder collects and sorts the trunks according to timber type around two-thirds of each tree go to sawmills they process the lower sections of trunk into boards and beams all of the trunks are first brought to collection points and stacked into log piles the upper third of the trunk is unsuitable for construction lumber it ends up in paper mills or particle board factories the diameter decreases significantly the higher the tree the wood there is generally fairly bent and very naughty it's still healthy wood though so although too bent for lumber it's perfect for making particle boards but not all of the straight and thicker trunks are suitable for making lumber like this one that's hollowed out due to heart rot it's still usable though [Music] the starting material for most fitted kitchen units europe's largest particle board mill is in neumacht in the upper palatine the plant covers an area the size of 32 soccer pitches 900 000 cubic meters of particle board are made here each year that's roughly 86 000 container loads up to 180 trucks a day supply the mill with fresh timber tree trunks that don't make the grade for the sawmill end up on this conveyor belt they're primarily conifers such as pine and spruce from here the trunks enter the drum chipper the machine cuts them up into three centimeter long wood chips in a matter of seconds [Music] the shredding takes place inside this machine these massive steel blades cut the logs into small pieces a chain conveyor system transports the chips to the storage silos each silo contains chips of a certain size later on some of the wood chips have to be cut up even smaller this is done by knife ring flakers that work like enormous coffee grinders inside is a rotating ring fitted with blades it chops the wood up to the desired size a single knife ring weighs 300 kilograms however most of the wood is delivered in the form of chips or sawdust it comes from wood processing plants where it's a waste product from the manufacture of boards chipped recycled wood from old furniture also ends up here up to 3600 tons of wood in different chip sizes arrives here each day it's stored in the silos before being processed into particle board [Music] the mixture first enters one of the four rotary drum dryers heating coils heat the rotating chips to 180 degrees celsius this drives out the moisture a single drum can evaporate off 15 tons of water an hour at the end of the process the moisture content of the chips is under two percent [Music] vibrating and oscillating screens then separate them according to size undesired elements such as metal or stones are trapped and rejected in the process the wood chips are then stored in dry silos like these until needed then they head to the factory this 130 meter long machine churns out particle boards non-stop up to 1 200 cubic meters a day in this plant alone to create a solid board from the loose chips each grade of chip is first treated in a so-called blender inside it nozzles spray the chips with a binder consisting of resin hardener and wax a closed conveyor belt system then transports the chips to these mat-forming machines they evenly distribute the resin-coated particles on a conveyor belt each particle board is constructed like a sandwich the top and bottom are made of fine layers with coarser ones in between here the lower face is formed from fine particles coarser flakes are placed on top the composition determines the later pliability and load-bearing capacity of the board the process is reminiscent of how layered sheets of dough are made in an industrial bakery finally another layer of fine particles forms the outer face the sheet panel is now pre-compressed and densified by rollers this is followed by the main pressing process the finished sheet is fed by conveyor through several rollers where it's subjected to pressure and heat the panel is compressed to the desired board thickness at a pressure of four and a half tons per square meter and temperatures of up to 250 degrees celsius the resin and wax coated particles fuse together to form a continuous board in the process at the end of the machine it's then cut into individual six meter long boards by an automatic inline saw the particle board's temperature is still up to 180 degrees celsius to cool them down they're placed in the so-called cooling wheel they spend around 45 minutes here as soon as the board is in the slot the cooling wheel rotates one section and accepts the next board the boards have cooled down once they've passed through all four wheels the advantage compared to solid wood particle boards can be manufactured in all sizes thanks to the even distribution of the particles they remain dimensionally stable and are uniformly hard these properties make them the ideal material for making furniture here some of the boards are coated with melamine impregnated decorative paper the factory processes around 9000 tons of it a year the decorative paper is available in a variety of designs wood-like finish such as walnut or beach or individual colors there are even marble and concrete like particle board finishes available this machine first places the lower sheet in position it removes a sheet from the pile using vacuum suction cups a conveyor system simultaneously delivers the particle board a vacuum transfer system places it precisely on top of the decorative film then the upper layer is placed on top now the board and plastic layer have to be firmly bonded together that takes place in this press it works like an oversized iron under high pressure and a temperature of 180 degrees the resin in the decorative paper bonds with the particle board after 30 seconds the laminate is hard pressure plates can even create a textured surface each laminate is checked for cracks or unevenness then it heads off to the shipping department high quality particle boards form the basis of many kitchen units modern fitted or built-in kitchens would be unimaginable without particle boards luna in westphalia head office of the company nolte one of the largest kitchen manufacturers in germany over 1 800 raw particle boards arrive by truck each day each weighs approximately 120 kilograms the boards are first brought into the warehouse for its kitchens the company requires particle boards with different finishes and thicknesses they're used to make the elements for the kitchen units this machine automatically cuts a so-called standard blank from the large format boards this creates the basic shape of the later element whether for a shelf insert fixed shelf or side panel the dimensions of each finished element are stored in the automatic saw unit the number one priority when cutting as little off cut as possible in this production line the cut edges are then re-milled and sealed with the appropriate decorative trim the machine has the edge material that matches the design of the surface for every component [Music] first it heats up the milled edges then a film of adhesive is applied finally the machine presses the decorative strip onto the edge the plastic prevents moisture from penetrating the wood afterwards protruding edge material is milled flush next stop is the so called through feed drilling machine here a machine drills holes in the boards at the moment elements for sink cabinets are being processed a computer program tells the machine where and how deep to drill adhesive is then injected into the holes finally wooden dowels are driven in all of the parts are mass produced in the same colors and sizes they're bundled on pallets and packed for transport other components for kitchen units are made in a similar fashion in parallel side panels base panels skirts plinths and much more an automated transport system ensures the warehouse is constantly resupplied with components as soon as a rack space is empty it goes into action it uses sensors to navigate and can even stack the goods autonomously one thousand elements enter and leave the warehouse each day foston near munich in this carpenter's workshop they create entire kitchens all hand crafted they only build to order it can take up to a year for the customers wishes and initial ideas to become a workable construction plan it takes architects room planners carpenters and kitchen installers all working as a team all of the cabinets are made from wood a hand-built kitchen generally costs between 80 000 and 200 000 euros but the sky's the limit everything here is made to measure in contrast with the at times complicated design phase production is proceeding relatively quickly it takes two to three months depending on the project in this newly constructed munich penthouse the craftsmen have spent the last three weeks installing a luxury kitchen it's due to be completed in a few days this is how the room is supposed to look afterwards the electrical appliances and building services will be hidden in a cube made from walnut the row of cabinets is in part made from solid wood in addition to the prestigious main kitchen there's a hidden kitchenette where things can look a bit disorderly now and again a kitchen that integrates seamlessly with the living quarters restrained and elegant this project is costing the customer a six-figure sum matin vap is the project manager today he wants to check if his design is being realized according to plan every unit is tailor-made and thus a one-of-a-kind the countertop is made of natural stone it folds down over the edge and merges with the front the stove fittings are embedded into the stone a novel downdraft extraction system ensures that cooking fumes are sucked away directly beside the stove the fumes are channeled down behind the unit where they pass through an activated charcoal filter so i'm not standing in the cooking fumes there's no ugly hood above my head and the fumes are extracted directly next to the pot the understated precious wood fronts conceal a few small refinements here for instance is an electrical mechanism that opens and closes the flap a gentle push is all it takes to activate it that's just a sensor which is connected to the motor inside when you press it this here opens and closes get this done oven too the heart of the open kitchen is the rectangular room divider in the center it's covered with slatted panels made of walnut there are risks with custom-made elements however even the smallest of errors during measurement or inaccuracies during manufacturing can result in the many elements not fitting together properly the kitchen installers have been struggling to attach the wooden panel to the wall for over half an hour so far without success it's not all the way down it's partially engaged but it's not sliding down the last four to five millimeters there's something not quite right with this element the kitchen installers have to make adjustments their plan to insert a spacer beneath the mounting rail they quickly repurpose a strip of expensive rosewood veneer [Music] it needs to be half a millimeter further out so that the rails slide into the tracks more easily the next attempt the panel clips easily onto the upper rail but the middle one is still not cooperating a second spacer should solve the problem the kitchen installers clamp it between the wall and the panel [Music] and sure enough this does the trick [Music] we push this out by a millimeter and that's what's made the difference it's often a matter of millimeters the kitchen installers now install the fronts they're veneered with walnut on one side it's been applied in such a way that the natural grain of the wood continues unbroken across the units and is not interrupted by any seams the result is a harmonious uniform appearance the fronts in the cooking area are finished with a special plastic it should prevent fingerprints from being visible [Music] elements subject to heavy use like drawers are made from solid wood not even the handles are off the shelf they're made of machined black steel this is nissan the handles are specially manufactured for us by an ornamental iron craftsman each item is a one-off and custom-made according to our design specification the kitchen installers have three days to finish the job [Music] back in before state near bremerhoffen here the two kitchen installers have just 10 hours to install a new built-in kitchen it's about to get dusty they need to make a cutout at the back of the sink unit for the plumbing when working with the jigsaw kitchen installer florian costa has to get it right the first time you make mistakes sometimes cutting in the wrong place or some splinters in a place where you can see it but nothing's damaged here and the plumbing isn't in the way anymore meanwhile his colleague niels gaichin is working on the sink it needs holes too for the fittings and drain with natural stone sinks the holes are knocked out with artificial stone they're cut out you can see how easily it spins and if you were to hit it with a hammer there's a good chance the whole sink would break so that the countertop lies flat the kitchen installers carefully adjust all of the base units to make them perfectly level floors are often uneven especially in old buildings the kitchen installer can compensate for this using the height adjustable feet then he connects all the base units together niels kitchen is dealing with the drainage system for the sink a weak spot that's prone to leakage here the kitchen installer swears by plastic as when am i cut off when you drain potatoes for example the water is boiling it's good to use plastic in the kitchen because it's far less susceptible to expansion than metal by speed's vision tie now the ideal position for the sink has to be decided the kitchen installers need the exact measurements in order to cut the required hole in the countertop the customer must now make an irrevocable decision in the middle of the cabinet or shifted further over here bear in mind that the stove is situated in this unit here yeah yes exactly and i don't know whether you want a small surface here that wouldn't be a bad idea that would be good so about where it is at the moment yes i'd leave it here that way you can still get at the faucet if it needs replacing okay up next the countertop as with many fitted kitchens it's made from laminated particle board it's four centimeters thick you only get one attempt so you have to get it right because the countertop will go around a corner it consists of two sections so that no water can later permeate the cut edge the kitchen installer smooths it and seals it with silicone doing so prevents the countertop from swelling now they'll see if everything fits as the customer ordered it fits great that's how it should be fine but only at first glance unfortunately there's a gap between the wall and countertop wasn't measured quite right sashimi they simply shift the entire cabinet row a bit to the right yep it fits sauce it's fine like that a splash guard made from white glass that matches the new kitchen units is attached to the wall where the sink will later be choosing a new kitchen always a far-reaching decision it has to be functional robust and look good and ideally you should be able to cook in it too showroom kitchens are just there to give you ideas the dream kitchen is designed on a computer given the necessary room dimensions every kitchen can first be pieced together virtually our planning software allows you to move units around we can swap out cabinets and the end result is a layout in price that the customer can work with a kitchen is something very dear to many people on average each german purchases a new one every 15 years and spends 6 thousand seven hundred euros on it the kitchen is almost always made in germany nowadays open plan kitchens are the norm for new buildings the kitchen is open to the dining room and living room so the kitchen takes on a whole new significance compared to way back when when it was just a separate room in lower saxony this is where kitchen manufacturer nolte has its cabinet factory around 850 fitted kitchens are produced here each day from here they ship to over 60 countries around the world the production process is largely automated this is the domain of computers and robots the front panels are one of the few elements beside electrical appliances that are bought in the manufacturer offers 174 decorative finishes from all over europe as soon as the fronts for an ordered kitchen arrive construction can begin this picking cart locates the matching fronts for every ordered kitchen it moves around completely autonomously by way of a laser guided navigation system the picker just needs to follow behind the system indicates where he needs to pick using a laser each picker covers around 10 kilometers a day the machine doesn't assist the human the human is the machine's gopher machines are responsible for assembling the fronts too these here will become cabinet doors first a scanner reads the drilling code on the label this tells the system the dimensions to which the front has to be processed first holes are drilled then recesses for the hinges in the next step the machine installs the hinges doors in a single round trip and each one with individual measurements here the front panels for drawers are drilled and temporarily stored from the scanned-in barcode the system knows which order each front is for and calculates the optimal storage location the fronts only remain there until their drawer carcass is built usually less than an hour carcasses for base units are being built on these production lines they all consist of the same individual parts and differ only in terms of color and size sides bottom cross bars and rails for future drawers side and bottom panels are pre-drilled and processed on parallel lines [Music] here the side panels are fitted with rails for the drawers [Music] all of the parallel production lines then merge together [Music] side panels crossbars and bottom panels are made into a complete carcass everything is timed so that each part is at the right spot at the right time customized mass production [Music] from now on the carcass is considered a new unit and is therefore assigned a shipping label then the back panel is fitted this job is performed by hand for a change but the next step is once again automated this machine securely attaches the back panel to the carcass all that's missing are the drawers they're made here as with the cabinets each is custom-built and still mass-produced a bottom made from particle board forms the basis of each one a machine first pre-drills the holes [Music] then metal sides are fitted to the bottom panel a job performed by this two-armed robot [Music] finally the back panel is attached to the drawer at the same time the matching fronts travel from their interim storage location to the production line as if by magic they even use an elevator then a robot grabs the panels and places them in front of the drawers one after the other the length and finish of the fronts vary constantly depending on what the customer ordered in this way every drawer is individually designed the drawers with the narrow fronts are now finished they disappear for the time being drawers with large fronts on the other hand need some manual intervention here too some of the drawers are fitted with rails side panels or glass inserts always as ordered by the customer all work steps are precisely timed like a swiss watch now it's time for the so-called marriage every drawer finds its matching base unit for once the robots are not involved 7 400 cabinets are built in this factory each day while base units wall units side cupboards and other units are made here too despite technical advances the principle of the fitted kitchen consisting of interconnected functional units has remained almost unchanged since the mid-1920s an unparalleled success story finally all the kitchen units are packaged many have a long journey ahead of them the manufacturer ships to over 60 countries around the world back in foston near munich in this workshop they build custom-built luxury kitchens work for a current order is in the final phase here the last of the drawer inserts are being manufactured [Music] every insert every cutlery tray is handmade according to the customer's specification like the drawers the inserts are made from solid wood we attach great importance to the moving parts that are used on a daily basis like drawer inserts being manufactured to the highest of quality standards we make them from solid wood they're always specially manufactured this includes painting in the desired color in this age of automation many customers don't want to accept the run-of-the-mill and they're prepared to spend a lot of money for something different a custom-built kitchen can easily cost more than a sports car it's not about impressing friends with the great halt kitchen you have but rather the pleasure it brings you personally these fronts aren't laminated with melamine resin rather real wood veneer oak and walnut are popular with customers before application the sheets are first trimmed the wood is still delicate and can tear once pressed onto a substrate however it becomes a robust surface that feels pleasant to the touch you want to be able to tell that it's wood when you feel it and not some substitute it's a millimeter thick but it's pretty robust the veneer is glued and pressed onto the substrate a number of such slatted panels are being made for the current open plan kitchen they're used to cover a room divider and concealed the air conditioning system the slats are made from solid walnut and are bonded to a backing board as you can see there's a groove here and this makes the connection to the backing board we glue it into the groove and then glue it onto the counterpart on the backing board then they're pressed together with the machine some of the fronts for the luxury kitchen are covered with linoleum it's robust and ideally suited for units that see a lot of use in order to compensate for tension in the wood both sides of the fronts are covered doing so later prevents warping linoleum is very interesting because of its unbeatable haptic properties it feels warm and soft to the touch and it's nevertheless a solid surface and it doesn't leave any fingerprints on fronts with no handles back at one of germany's largest kitchen manufacturers this production line makes the connecting element of every kitchen the countertop it's cut from 5.5 meter long laminated particle board blanks this plant is simply called the processing center here the robot is a kind of surgeon that automatically cuts the blank to the desired shape the machine operator is just there to monitor and check the surgeon is assisted by two automatic tool changers that hand him the required instruments he uses them to work the board into the desired shape [Music] if two sections have to be connected at a corner the machine mills out the tongue or groove too a preview shows the machine operator which cuts have to be sealed now and then he loads the machine with the matching melamine edging material the seal also acts as a vapor barrier against steam that can be released when opening a dishwasher for example it prevents moisture from entering and causing the board to swell at the end the machine operator checks the boards for cracks or scratches and smooths the edges then the countertops are packaged before heading to the temporary warehouse until being dispatched all of the units from the various assembly lines end up on the same conveyor belt their destination is the logistics center a kind of shunting yard for kitchen cabinets everything follows an invisible and fully automated plan [Music] the journey for each unit ends at one of the many truck loading bays this is where all the components that make up a kitchen come together for the first time countertop electrical appliances and accessories such as handles and fittings in addition to the cabinets although all the parts come from different production lines or suppliers after roughly five hours every kitchen is complete and waiting at the correct terminal around 15 kitchens fit in a truck loading is done according to the last in first out principle from here the kitchens first go to the dispatch warehouses of kitchen studios and furniture stores from there they're collected by freight forwarders or kitchen installers who fit them for the customers before state nearby mahafen the kitchen installers florian costa and nia's getchen are nearly finished with today's installation it's now time for the new refrigerator the cable must be made accessible before installation otherwise they won't be able to get to it later and the refrigerator will have no power the customer has kept her old appliance there are now two refrigerators in the new kitchen now the other appliances will be installed the new oven isn't yet connected but the lady of the house is already looking forward to it with eager anticipation i can just imagine a nice roast in there time to connect the oven always a tricky moment for the kitchen installers most customers don't know that there are three fuses usually only one is disconnected for this reason the kitchen installers prefer to rely on their multimeter the stove uses high voltage current anyone accidentally touching a live cable risks electrocution it tingles a bit more the customer is getting a tingly sensation too the new kitchen is almost finished the moment of truth has also arrived in the new penthouse in munich after 16 months of planning and construction company boss tobias petri takes a first look at the new luxury open plan kitchen the central element is a wood paneled room divider with walnut fronts it serves several purposes an enormous flat screen tv will later be hidden behind this door when the doors are opened they slide inwards this allows them to disappear out of sight this needs to be adjusted a bit it's a bit stiff and sticks a little the alignment isn't quite right either the carpenters will have to rework this part the cabinet next to it will later house the air conditioning system the wooden slats allow cool air to escape and warm air to be drawn in the fireplace underneath works with gas it will later be lit by remote control rather than a lighter but at the moment there is no gas in the apartment [Music] people choose gas when they want to fire but don't want the dirt dust and smell that comes with wood it's for city cowboys behind the multi-function cube is the kitchenette the countertop is made from stone and folds down the front the drawers are made from solid walnut everything here is perfect well almost everything the custom-made solid wood inserts will later hold the cooking utensils and table cutlery all of the drawers are dovetailed for increased stability kitchen appliances can be stored behind this flap this keeps the countertop tidy and uncluttered the stone slab extends into the cupboard when the door is open thereby extending the work surface okay it's still sticking a bit we still have to adjust it many useful features only become apparent at second glance such as the hidden sockets for kitchen appliances in our experience things like this always go over well especially in large open plan kitchens like this the customers haven't just chosen high-end when it comes to cabinets the same goes for the appliances this new extractor sucks cooking fumes downward before they can disperse into the room is it already connected yeah it's already connected it's lowering the fan is running the air is cleaned filtered and returned so no smells are produced the fronts are made from a special linoleum that doesn't show any fingerprints the refrigeration system consists of two xxl appliances with many extras and special air filtering cost around 25 000 euros somewhat hidden away is a second kitchen the backstage kitchen people can work here without anyone noticing if you've got dirty dishes or want to prepare something and have guests you might want to do it here or maybe the staff can work here out of sight also hidden back here a wine refrigerator for expensive grand cru wines a few corrections and the customer can move into his new open plan kitchen living room but most people can't afford custom work like this the sky's the limit we make a lot between 80 and 200 000. something like this here is pretty complex definitely in the premium segment six figures of course understated elegance custom built luxurious and expensive and almost too good to cook in [Music] in before that near bremerhoffen the kitchen installation is in the final stages the l-shaped kitchen cost around 10 000 euros including fitting after 10 hours of installation work they're finished but is everything the way the customer wanted it mrstelius yes your kitchen is finished great from placing the order to production and installation in two and a half months and this is the result [Music] fantastic really cool the new kitchen should last for at least 15 years because statistically that's how long it will be until the next fitted kitchen is due

Channel: WELT Documentary

Views: 209,371

Keywords: full documentary, full documentaries, hd documentary, hd documentaries, free documentary, welt documentary, welt documentaries, full length documentaries, documentary film, top documentaries, reports, factual film, kitchen, kitchen impossible, kitchen builders, manufactor, modern kitchen, Custom Made, kitchen factory, factory, wood, cabinet, kitchen concept, family, home, Cooking, eating, socializing, kitchen kings, kitchen nightmares, kitchenaid

Id: DBqMQ0kFwyc

Length: 47min 52sec (2872 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 21 2021