Inside the Factory: How Steel Bars Become 155mm Artillery Shells

[@joelonderee2872]

This is one of the most complete and comprehensive "how it's made" videos I have ever seen on KZbin. Most other channels show two guys talking a lot and showing little. Excellent work!

[@jamesrobertson9597]

These things can be fired up to 14 miles, so they have to be precision manufactured to insure consistency. At those ranges, slight manufacturing defects could result in shells missing their targets by hundreds of yards.

[@melonetankberry5211]

@joelonderee no "copper jacket is shrunk on" no "spotwelding drilling and thread cutting of the tip". i agree that it is well done. but to say "most complete" is a stretch. you understand how its made but it leaves you with questions. it's fine. 7/10

[@jamesb.9155]

There is a '1917 film of making '8" Howitzer shells' that is long and elaborate with many more steps than this mechanized process.

[@stephenmcguire7801]

The insulated robot in Step 2 is worthy of a Hollywood creature.😳

[@brianc9642]

Right out of “Terminator” machine world.

[@Canonfudder]

Thanks to all the guys and gals doing the work to defend democracies worldwide from tyranny.

[@joepeanut6827]

America IS NOT a Democracy, It is a Republic. with a Democratic society. at least for now, if that crazy person becomes president, then America will become a commonest country. TRUMP / VANCE 2024.

[@adhesivecookie]

This makes no sense at all

[@oculosprudentium8486]

a few notes here 1) if this is just for 1 production line, then it simply means there are dozens of similar lines in the factory doing the same thing at the same time 2) the artillery shell is just a part of the artillery system as there are the fuses and the propellant bags that are needed for each shell produced.

[@jacobjacob5898]

true, the fuses and propellant bags are made elsewhere and then finally assembled on govt property. this whole 15-acre facility in scranton is just to make the metal projectiles for howtizers and mortar rounds. insane if you ask me

[@oculosprudentium8486]

@@jacobjacob5898 and imho, those 3 inch-pointed triangle-shaped things called the fuses which are screwed onto the tip of every artillery round, is the most important part of it as it tells the round to go BOOM. Plus they can be set to go off by timer or by impact. During WW2 at the Battle of the Bulge, the Allies used artillery fuses as air burst against the enemy in the forest and it shredded them similarly, the proximity fuses were used devastatingly against the Japanese aircraft in the latter stages when they resorted to suicidal kamikaze attacks. Before the invention of the proximity fuse it took approx. 10,000 rounds to shoot down just 1 enemy aircraft After the proximity fuse was used the numbers dropped to about 800 rounds

[@NewBlacksmithGirl]

So this is how to craft Artillery Shells. It is carefully crafted and calculated with great precision. It is really eye opening. Thanks for posting sharp, quality videos on youtube. Hope the channel will grow bigger and bigger.

[@andersjjensen]

A 155mm shell accelerates at about 20,000g to a speed of 5250ft/s or 1600m/s, and it's spinning at 12,000RPM when it leaves the muzzle. It doesn't take much of an imbalance or structural weakness, when such forces are involved, to go from a cannon that shoots to a gigantic pipe bomb that obliterates it's crew.

[@defconone1498]

I didn't realize how involved the process was. No wonder it takes aa while to resupply demand.

[@T.McGarry]

Didn't see where the fuse well was threaded, nor where the copper driving bands were affixed.

[@JanB1605]

Those parts were probably proprietary processes. They also didn't show how the shells got turned to rough and then later to final dimensions. ;)

[@hyperbolicindustriesllc9957]

Since people keep asking about it, The driving bands (brass ring) are installed by machining a partially undercut groove into the bass and then filling/overfilling it with brass wire from a MIG welder. Before it fully cools, it is then machined to dimension before it becomes brittle. There is a full tour of this plant on PCN network, the Pennsylvania version of C-SPAN.

[@bosatsu76]

I was thinking just that question... Thx

[@Echo22WC]

Nope, it stays uncut during heat treat, then gets turned down on the finish line with the steel.

[@marknederkoorn4885]

Yeah when turning to dimensions while hot then after cooling the diameter will be too small

[@joelonderee2872]

Thanks James, I’m going to check that out now.

[@michaelroach6546]

Actually, the proper terminology for these are projectile bodies, not cartridge cases.

[@clive3490]

it was at this point that I stopped watching

[@dingolightfoot8823]

But just like there's ways to say things in a formal and informal way it doesn't matter which way you say it.........

[@clive3490]

@@dingolightfoot8823 you are completely wrong, I agree with you entirely

[@dustinspivey2519]

I’m pretty sure this guy stayed a motel 6

[@Rubeless]

Cliff claven

[@peterattfield]

I see 'Jonny 5' is still alive and Kicking at 1:40 now working for the military again.

[@ronhoy8913]

who is Johnny......LOL

[@markusmaximus629]

@@ronhoy8913 Johnny 5 is a local musician who plays bass he’s been playing in local music scene for many years in his semi famous locally

[@txm100]

Skipped the part where the brass band ist attached.

[@davidjohnson9517]

I love watching manufacturing processes. I never saw this before. Thanks!

[@ploed]

Thanks for adding the metric system.

[@defconone1498]

Amazing to see those robot arms in action. Thank you for this educational video - my curiosity has been well fed!

[@FreeRojava2025]

I love the fact that instead of making it out of heat resistant materials, the robot near the furnace just got wrapped in tin foil

[@bobsmith6079]

When did the brass belt get applied to the base end of the shell? 10:23 the subtitle says they'll get loaded with propellant and explosives at other plants but isn't the propellant placed in the cannon behind the shell if I'm not mistaken and only explosives are placed in the shell. I'm not a veteran, just seen videos from the war.

[@the_real_ch3]

There are also rocket assisted projectiles and rounds with a small gas generator placed at the back to help with aerodynamics and extend range so it could be that

[@lewcrowley3710]

That is called a Driving Band. Basically it bites into the rifling and seals the propellant charge. These rounds are separately loaded before the propellant charge (which can vary by range.

[@ronblack7870]

they made a small mistake calling it propellant.

[@Polkem1]

@@lewcrowley3710oh interesting, I was thinking that, like those copper sealing washers you use between bolts.

[@andresmartinezramos7513]

​@@ronblack7870it can be propellant if we are talking about rocket assisted or base bleed rounds

[@jameshartman6031]

Didn't show how brass ring got on there 👎

[@ajhubbell3754]

Look at the massive amount of machinery this takes. Now imagine how it was done in WW1 and WW2.

[@MauriceLeviejr]

Faster, better, cheaper.

[@ajhubbell3754]

@ is it any wonder why we had to change the entire countries manufacturing to support the wars? These days a single factory spits out what probably took dozens or more.

[@pauletxfish4976]

why are they NOT showing the application of the rotation bands ?

[@rrsteamer]

This plant, includes the main building (former erecting, machine and boiler work), Blacksmith, Foundry and 5 story Pattern storage now office building formerly owned by the D L & W railroad and primarily used to repair steam locomotives has been in the manufacture of projectiles since its purchase in the early 1950s. There are multiple lines being worked and production is rapid. Consider that the finished product has to meet the material, manufacturing and quality control requirements necessary for the intended service. Contrary to some comments made, it is a very efficient plant and would not be in business to the military unless it could prove its worth. Most military manufacturing plants including those for railroads, ships, armored vehicles, etc., are generally considered heavy industry. Most people now have little understanding of what it takes to make heavy equipment.

[@Runefrag]

Why do they go through all the trouble of using billets, heating and pressing them requiring massive amounts of time and energy instead of using waaaay cheaper steel rolls and welding & pressing those into the desired shape?

[@kodiak2fitty]

@@Runefrag single casting followed by machining will be more consistent and accurate. The rounds need to have their center of gravity exactly in the center of the hole that was punched. Otherwise the round will wobble and miss the target.

[@Rubeless]

Guess that guy doesn’t understand how important accuracy is.

[@Buconoir]

​@Coecoo because we're not russian, nor Chinese. We value accuracy, precision in what we hit.

[@rrsteamer]

While I’m not an arms man by trade, there has to be uniformity in manufacturing in order to meet specifications. The explosive material within the projectile and the time to detonate, the force created to provide the desired result has been determined by testing and if you will note, the projectile is made from 4140 material. This is a medium carbon low alloy steel with two elements that would require some very strict welding requirements and pre/post heat treatments to be useful. I.E. more time and more expense. There is more to this of course, but also, this plant is one that performs this work in the most efficient manner. Not all of this is understood by a population that is moving further away from heavy (blue collar) industry and more into electronics. Everything has a place but it is not at all understood on how or what works best to obtain the desired results with a longer service life.

[@jamesb.9155]

In the old days they used back and forth saws to cut the bars into billets. This so much quicker. Even the painting process has precision accuracy with very low over-spray waste. Slava Ukraine.

[@Lone_Star_Proud]

That one robot wrapped in silver looked like something from the Terminator.

[@anthonydebski5814]

Watched similar procedures at a Royal Ordnance Plant in the Uk, the machining of an external lip at the shell mouth, then pounding it in the round to provide the ogive, with that lip on the inside of the shell, to machine the fuze thread, noisy but awesome!!

[@alibaba2086]

Hi, very curious what is the roller doing at 9:34?

[@JimmyD806]

Looks like it's burnishing (finishing) the driving bands.

[@alibaba2086]

@@JimmyD806 Could it be UT Inspection?

[@olegos5521]

Thank you from Ukraine

[@РРр-ч9м]

М0скальню сейчас жарят такими.

[@AKUJIVALDO]

Yeah, thank you for the proxy war they caused and Ukrainians are paying with their lives? That takes some of brainwashing...

[@АлексейАндреев-й5с]

Вы действительно хотите, чтобы у вас было больше разных смертоносных штук? Ведь русские сделают и применят В ОТВЕТ в 8- 12 раз больше. Вам реально мало?

[@РРр-ч9м]

@@АлексейАндреев-й5с Кто сделает? Руззкие? Это шо?

[@kodiak2fitty]

@@АлексейАндреев-й5с Keep thinking this as Ukraine eventually gets JASSMs 🤪 Western weapons are way more accurate than the crud produced in Russia and North Korea. Ukraine doesn't need parity on # of rounds.

[@chrisberlin1552]

So cool such technology. It’ll sure be nice when the same shells are forged into plow shears…once and for all. God bless.

[@themarksmn4181]

wishful thinking... wont ever happen. Humans have been in conflict since before history was recorded. Not saying its a hopeless or pointless goal, just that human nature and the nature of rulers/leaders makes that almost impossible. (no one wants to be the first to volunteer to be defenseless and "hope" that their neighbors will be "good" people)

[@joewiddup9753]

When did they install the driving band?

[@james-go1lv]

製造過程とはまたニッチな 大好物だ

[@castiel-io5vu]

俺もッス。

[@第92連隊-ranmsansame]

@@castiel-io5vu 南軍のアイコン、初めて見た。

[@castiel-io5vu]

@@第92連隊-ranmsansame そうすか、別に意味は無いんですけど。

[@ricki-bobby]

Why was so little of the finishing work shown? Was there something sensitive in that process?

[@maon-giku9422]

How is the ammunition belt of the cannonball pressed into the cannonball?

[@paulgdunsford7469]

Where does the copper driving band come from

[@Wuka_01]

What is the cost of single shell?

[@d33pdarkfantasy17]

GOOD VIDEO

[@msumungo]

What is the actual artillery grenade shell material? High carbon steel with low hardness?

[@Josuefprado]

How is the number of this cartridges cases in daily production?

[@amay1771]

한국의 포탄 제조와 비교해보면 상대적으로 낙후되었다.

[@MultiVideoMadness]

3:00 Chuck Norris did this job as a teen before robots. But he crushed too many shells and was transferred.

[@andersjjensen]

How the brass band was fitted was kind of left out....

[@DuelPorpoise]

you could skip the drying room if you did low temp powder coatings, also save on the amount of paint.

[@ronblack7870]

except even low temp powder needs heat and it takes a long time to heat these up and cool them down . powder is better on thin metal.

[@SirHackaL0t.]

Heated to 2000 degrees C or F?

[@andresmartinezramos7513]

Definitely fahrenheit, at 2000C that steel would melt

[@maeta29]

こうして作られた砲弾は敵に届けられる。

[@ファントムドライ]

「プレゼント・フォー・ユー！」

[@mitsukirei]

ザ・メイキング

[@francislematt7079]

支援団体通じて寄付するとメッセージとか名前とかを砲弾に書いてくれるよ。

[@-danR]

Enter rail-guns: 2025: *How Steel Bars **_Are_** Artillery*

[@YaBigDummi]

Even with a rail gun, you're probably gonna want to have a large explosive warhead for its effects down range. Artillery rail guns won't rely on kinetic energy to cause damage, but will be flinging very heavy explosives a very long distance. Not really different from how a modern tank gun fires a dar different projectile than a modern howitzer. Two different, but similar needs creates two different, but outwardly similar results.

[@FulloutPostal]

2025? you are VERY optimistic...

[@isaacblackman1996]

What model of 155mm is this, it's not an L15 is it?

[@yuripeng1708]

2000 degree means fahrenheit or celsius ？

[@andresmartinezramos7513]

Definitely fahrenheit, at 2000C that steel would melt

[@napleswolverine7189]

The junk is in the specifications forever✍🏻🎬

[@hypercomms2001]

where was the filing step?

[@andresmartinezramos7513]

Explosives are manufactured and poured at a different factory

[@andresmartinezramos7513]

This one only manufactures casings

[@lynnlamusga]

*Is it just me,* or does this factory look like some cold war era shell factory, with a few modern robotic updates from the 2010s?

[@whattheget]

언제적 공정을 찍은건지 모르겠지만 천조국이 왜 한국에서 포탄을 사갔는지 잘 보여주는 영상이네 ㅋㅋ

[@ersikillian]

You keep using the term "cartridge cases", which I would think is a British term. We would simply call them "shells".

[@m3ssiah100]

Where in the process does the shells get the brass at the bottom??

[@raymondyee3313]

Hell of a lot of steps left out???

[@joelhodge7914]

Very cool music

[@robertgibbs7387]

In european factories the workers are supplied with a clean overall every week, so they don't get their clothes dirty . Appears not to be the case in the usa ?

[@kdub6593]

Prior to a 2 day battle during WW1, each side would fire over a million artillery rounds. I wonder if the new technology could keep up with those numbers.

[@leonfa259]

No nowadays we can't really do that, but our artillary is far more precise with a further range.

[@권기훈-v1i]

좋은 동영상입니다. 하지만 시설이 좀 낡아 보이네요. 생산 공정이 잘 기계화 되어 있지만 생산효율성은 부족하다는 느낌도 있습니다. 프레스 공정은 시간이 많이 걸리니 한 생산라인에 장비를 몇개 더 넣고, 점검 과정은 사람 대신 자동화된 측정설비를 사용하면 시간당 생산효율이 더 올라가지 않을까요.

[@kodiak2fitty]

There are more facilities being built. This one has 70 years of production already.

[@raycaster4398]

Making big boom-booms. Bye-bye bad soldja boy.

[@EdithRodriguez-db7wc]

Sembrando muerte!!! Buen negocio

[@frankpinmtl]

They've got it all wrong. I didn't see one pair of safety sandals in this video

[@brianszymanski2971]

Thanks to all who strive for freedom, who make the world a better place for all to enjoy. As we are just a little obscure dot In the vast universe. Choose love not hate. Be kind to one another.

[@Infamouswolf83]

Robot shows up at 1:15 yes this looks outdated

[@rowanarmitage79]

Surely if these are shells, they would only be loaded with explosive & detonator. The propellent is loaded after the shell.

[@origamiscienceguy6658]

Explosives are loaded at a separate, specialist plant. Detonators are affixed by the military unit that fires them.

[@lewcrowley3710]

They are called fuses. And they are shipped separately and put on before firing.

[@andresmartinezramos7513]

Base bleed and rocket assisted shells contain some propellant

[@richleyden6839]

The paint job makes all the difference.

[@the_real_ch3]

@@richleyden6839 if you want to store things full of high explosive and then fire them out of guns you probably want to make sure they don’t rust to hell and back

[@andresmartinezramos7513]

Prevents rust and it is very important to keep identifying markers to ensure batch defects can be tracked

[@JeffBilkins]

a single towed gun could fire these faster then this line produces them

[@lonewolfmtnz]

At this 'speed' they'd better have several hundred simultaneous production lines running 24/7/365

[@Cynicalelectrician]

Ukrain is shooting them faster than any western nation can make them.

[@jacobjacob5898]

they do. they have 5 forge pressing machines, 4 nosing presses, and 120 lathes; which is a crazy ratio of throughput

[@markbonner1139]

Typical US---outdated & behind the 🎱!!

[@joshshepherd5660]

And we are not even close to a war footing. Not even a hint of it. At least in the manufacturing sector, that I've seen. Shit will go from zero to "oh fuck who else needs so 155??" In a big ass hurry once the time comes.

[@智順飛田]

砲弾の外板は何度も熱をかけて成形してくのですね～🐸まさにフルメタルジャケットですね～🐸

[@スパイダーマン-d7o]

これを見るまでてっきり鋳造だと思ってた。

[@MetallRhein]

たぶん鋳物は炭素量多くて砲弾として使うには割れやすから使わないんだと思う。

[@Calligraphybooster]

Absolutely fascinated. 🤣🤣🤣

[@salvadorceninza1271]

Excelente trabajo esto es lo que debería tener Colombia para generar trabajo y a la vez defensa de nuestros soldados y policías 😢

[@bighairyfoot1217]

..How Old Is These Robot?..

[@lenient0925]

2000℃まで加熱すると間違いなく溶けるから1200℃の間違いではないだろうか。

[@ValdekValdek-gn9jy]

2000° F?

[@andresmartinezramos7513]

Yes, at 2000 Celsius they would melt

[@ValdekValdek-gn9jy]

@@andresmartinezramos7513 Sure).

[@emanwe01]

Wait. They're quenched, but not tempered? Did I miss something?

[@saff3356]

maybe they want the shells to be brittle

[@andresmartinezramos7513]

Generally you want shells to be slightly brittle in order to help with the formation of appropriate shrapnel when detonating. That means appropriate size and speed. Some shells, although not generally howitzer rounds, come patterned

[@lgdsyugdsfhj4280]

Kinda skipped over the bronze ring part

[@임성근-n2q]

하루에 몇개나 만들어 ?

[@자작나무-m8o]

그렇게 느린 속도로 하루에 몇개나 만듭니까 다른 방법을 강구해 보세요 10초에 1발은 나와야 수지타산을 맞출수 있습니다

[@TheWorldsOkayestUSMarine]

Artillery shells are outdated and obsolete. America uses rockets and missiles. Towed artillery is WW2.

[@二ー二ー-i3i]

そしてウクライナで使われる……

[@ronblack7870]

i didn't see any young people in the plant . they looked like 40 - 50 yr olds in there. how do we get the young into manufacturing ?

[@Echo22WC]

When the old retire 🙄

[@MauriceLeviejr]

Too slow. Humans are faster. Plus, they need to be more pointy.

[@GehtMichNixAn]

Hurry up the Ukraine needs millions of these

[@kreaslibya5176]

Fantastic 🫡

[@第92連隊-ranmsansame]

「新入社員、及びパートの皆様、この度は〇〇〇〇Japanへの入社、誠におめでとう御座います。これが砲弾になるまでのプロセスです」

[@mnblkjh6757]

🤔what happened mass production🤷🏼‍♂️☹️

[@toddbrackett4277]

We should be making 5M/yr.

[@geoffkeeler5106]

They are shells, not cartridge cases.

[@stevestruthers6180]

They also don't contain propellant, just the explosive. Fuses are attached to the shells in the field and set according to detonate on contact with the ground or at a certain height above the target. The propellant comes in the form of combustible bags, or charges, that are loaded into the breech of an artillery gun after the shell has been loaded. The more charges, the further the shell can travel.

[@billmullins6833]

Thank you. I was wondering when they switched to thick walled steel for cartridge cases.

[@Echo22WC]

@@stevestruthers6180glorified cannon balls.

[@andresmartinezramos7513]

They technically are shell cases, a few things are missing to make them shells

[@bestamerica]

' better a use hard strong metal pipe... dont need a roll

[@WarHawk-]

So in the United States howitzer projectiles are manufactured using three separate heating and cooling cycles, are manually inspected instead of by a machine-based laser system, and are open-air spray painted rather than by electrostatically coating the shells with paint. No wonder production, as compared to other countries, is slow, labor intensive, wasteful, and expensive. The American military/industrial complex seriously needs to modernize.

[@Echo22WC]

Automated or not, would still take 3 heat cycles

[@WarHawk-]

@@Echo22WC - I bet those artillery shells could be cast with a tapered nose and hollow core then machined to tolerance a whole lot less expensively, than forging and machining them individually from solid bar stock. Doing it as a cast would use less energy and involve less post-casting machining and produce less waste material. It would probably even result in more profit for the manufacturer by simplifying the processes.

[@Echo22WC]

@@WarHawk- where you getting the solid heavy base with a cast model? These aren't rockets, they're pointy cannonballs. They have to withstand the pressure, cast is garbage.

[@WarHawk-]

@@Echo22WC - Sure, but I wasn't taking about pig-iron. Yes, compared to forgings, cast IS garbage, but engine blocks and even parts for jet and rocket engines have been cast and used with great success. Casting has come a long way since the days of pewter cups or 'cast iron' lamp posts.

[@Echo22WC]

@@WarHawk- well it's a hollow, 1 piece shell, idk how you're casting it with a single narrow hole in the tip 🤷‍♂️

[@原省治]

残念ですが、誤訳です。 この砲弾加工工程では、薬莢ではなく、弾殻という日本語が最適ですね！

[@mccova625]

同じく。 見終わったあとに、あれ？炸薬とか信管は？ってなりましたから。まだ、仕掛品ですね、これは。

[@hanspetersen-uj6gd]

Das sind KEINE Patronenhülsen!! Das werden Granaten!

[@ricksadler797]

I bet the safety sandals in Pakistan can make em faster

[@АлексейАндреев-й5с]

Чудовища из вильма ужасов создают орудия убийства. Здесь есть нормальные люди?

[@otag5340]

こういう裏方に焦点を当てたニッチな解説動画大好物です🤣 需要がどれだけあるのかは分かりませんがどんどん欲しいですね～

[@AndrewCampbell-ut6jk]

That is painfully slow.

[@chriscusick6890]

I guess it is kind of slow but that's the best there is at this time.

[@hiro-ox6vi]

砲弾（ミサイルも含む）って精密な使い捨て工業製品なんだなと改めて認識するよ。

[@derluftwaffe_nicht_nazi]

Now this ammunitions going Ukraine 😊

[@AutieTortie]

Well, no. Older stocks are sent and replenished by newly manufactured rounds.

[@LordRambo]

Ukraine gets the old surplus, maybe these shells will be going to the front lines if the war is still going on 5 years from now.

[@Wyatt274]

Technically, wouldn’t they be going to the Russians? Lol

[@robert-wr9xt]

To fight for democracy and freedom. Respect

[@Ian-mj4pt]

So ? Is it wrong? Bet you got no issue with them going to Israel?

[@PetrVosoust]

i hope that girl with 2 moms did not participate in that

[@koriko88]

Steel bars wrapped all around me!

[@AlexanderLehmann-c6z]

A saw, 4 presses, 2 drilling machines, a cooling tunnel, several heat treatments - a manageable process flow. Core equipment needs to be constructed for the purpose, which leads to long delivery times. On the other hand, I don't see a reason why the west shouldn't bei able to produce 10 Mio. shells a years. It means just app. 15 of such lines...

[@XíJìnpíngc]

製作行助感謝

[@ManuelGonzales-q9l]

No pongan subtitulos

[@akkiiva6658]

私の目からは小松製作所の155生産工程の方が優秀に見える。