Browse Topic: Plastics
Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM), a form of Additive Manufacturing (AM), has emerged as a groundbreaking technology for the production of complex shapes from a variety of materials. Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) is an opaque thermoplastic that is frequently employed in additive manufacturing (AM) due to its affordability and user-friendliness. The purpose of this investigation is to enhance the FDM parameters for ABS material and develop predictive models that anticipate printing performance by employing the Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS). Through experimental trials, an investigation was conducted to evaluate the influence of critical FDM parameters, including layer thickness, infill density, printing speed, and nozzle temperature, on critical outcomes, including mechanical properties, surface polish, and dimensional accuracy. The utilization of design of experiments (DOE) methodology facilitated a systematic examination of parameters. A predictive model was
Automotive electrical and electronics manufacturer MTA attended IAA Transportation for the first time, demonstrating its new range of wireless communication technologies for the truck industry. Earlier this year, the company acquired Calearo Antenne S.p.A, a company with a long history of producing antennas, amplifiers and cables. MTA global sales director Davide Bonelli explained to Truck & Off-Highway Engineering how that acquisition complements its business. “From a more strategic point of view, we see the world of antennas as complementary to what MTA does,” he said. “Often MTA products have an antenna as an interface, so this is one reason why we have done the deal. There are also a lot of synergies from an engineering standpoint. Historically, MTA is a company that uses many mechanical parts - plastics, metals - which we are very strong with so we can share them. And there are also some competences from Calearo Antenne that can be transferred to us.”
The information in this document is intended to apply to commercial jet transport category airplanes that incorporate plastic (polycarbonate or acrylic) lenses on exterior light assemblies, or are being considered for such an application as opposed to glass lens designs. Exterior lighting applications include position light assemblies, anticollision light asemblies, and landing light assemblies. However, much of the material provided herein is general in nature and is directly applicable to many aircraft categories including, but not limited to, helicopters, general aviation aircraft, and military aircraft.
Inspired by the paper-folding art of origami, North Carolina State University engineers have discovered a way to make a single plastic cubed structure transform into more than 1,000 configurations using only three active motors. The findings could pave the way for shape-shifting artificial systems that can take on multiple functions and even carry a load — like versatile robotic structures used in space, for example.
Inspired by the paper-folding art of origami, North Carolina State University engineers have discovered a way to make a single plastic cubed structure transform into more than 1,000 configurations using only three active motors. The findings could pave the way for shape-shifting artificial systems that can take on multiple functions and even carry a load – like versatile robotic structures used in space, for example.
While 3D printing has exploded in popularity, many of the plastic materials these printers use to create objects cannot be easily recycled. While new sustainable materials are emerging for use in 3D printing, they remain difficult to adopt because 3D printer settings need to be adjusted for each material, a process generally done by hand.
Electric trucks and off-highway vehicles weigh about 30% more than their gasoline- and diesel-powered counterparts. That's a challenge for OEMs who want to reduce vehicle weight to increase range but are bound by the limits of current battery technology. To reduce vehicle weight, OEMs can make design changes in other areas, such as by replacing steel with thermoformed plastics, aluminum alloys and composite materials. What manufacturers may overlook, however, is the weight savings that can be achieved with industrial rubber products. Rubber is already lightweight, but there are heavier-than-necessary elastomeric components used throughout vehicle interiors and exteriors, typically with metal or plastic fasteners.
Researchers have found a way to bind engineered skin tissue to the complex forms of humanoid robots. This brings with it potential benefits to robotic platforms such as increased mobility, self-healing abilities, embedded sensing capabilities and an increasingly lifelike appearance. Taking inspiration from human skin ligaments, the team, led by Professor Shoji Takeuchi of the University of Tokyo, included special perforations in a robot face, which helped a layer of skin take hold. Their research could be useful in the cosmetics industry and to help train plastic surgeons.
Unlike glass, which is infinitely recyclable, plastic recycling is challenging and expensive because of the material’s complex molecular structure designed for specific needs. New research from the lab of Giannis Mpoumpakis, Associate Professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh, focuses on optimizing a promising technology called pyrolysis, which can chemically recycle waste plastics into more valuable chemicals.
Wysong USA has been manufacturing industrial press brakes, hydraulic shears, and mechanical shears for sheet metal and plastics for nearly 120 years. Like many companies, their motto was “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” so their product had remained essentially the same. But during a customer visit that motto clashed with another company saying, “the customer is always right.” This customer had replaced the dry clutch brake for an oil shear clutch brake that was more accurate. “The customer is always right” won, so Wysong updated their product line and increased accuracy while reducing costs, making it a win all around.
The tubing described in this document is for use in electrical interconnect systems for the protection and routing of wire bundle installations.
The world is on a “take-make-waste,” linear-growth economic trajectory where products are bought, used, and then discarded in direct progression with little to no consideration for recycling or reuse. This unsustainable path now requires an urgent call to action for all sectors in the global society: circularity is a must to restore the health of the planet and people. However, carbon-rich textile waste could potentially become a next-generation feedstock, and the mobility sector has the capacity to mobilize ecologically minded designs, supply chains, financing mechanisms, consumer education, cross-sector activation, and more to capitalize on this “new source of carbon.” Activating textile circularity will be one of the biggest business opportunities to drive top- and bottom-line growth for the mobility industry. Textile Circularity and the Sustainability Model of New Mobility provides context and insights on why textiles—a term that not only includes plant-based and animal-based
Researchers have been pursuing the development of robots so tiny that they can maneuver through blood vessels and deliver medications to certain points in the body. Now, scientists have succeeded in building such micromachines out of metal and plastic in which these two materials are interlocked as closely as links in a chain. This is possible thanks to a new manufacturing technique they have devised.
Some people do not go the dentist for a fear of syringes, thereby risking a worsening of untreated tooth damage. However, some dental practices offer patients a gentle alternative — a device for computer-controlled, pain-free local anesthesia, which its developers fittingly call a magic wand: The Wand – STA System from Milestone Scientific. For the past 25 years, the U.S.-based company specializing in injection technology has been manufacturing the system’s single-use components from CYROLITE®- by Röhm — a high-quality, transparent, acrylic-based plastic especially for medical applications.
This procurement specification covers inserts made from A286 alloy of the type identified under the Unified Numbering System as UNS S66286, solid film lubricated with a piastic self locking device, integrated locking keys to positively secure the insert against rotation when properly installed in threaded holes.
Most motor mounts, even for EV applications, are made of metal alloys. It makes intuitive sense: It's a vibration-intensive mounting application that demands durability that matches the life of the vehicle itself. But there is another way. Now, a composite nylon-based motor mount on the Cadillac Lyriq has won the Society for Automotive Analysts' Innovation in Lightweighting Award. The mount is a collaboration between GM, anti-vibration parts maker DN Automotive and chemical company Celanese. It is made with Zytel PA NVH Gen 2, a new polyamide (PA 66). The results not only showed up in development data, but in the end product, which has reviewers raving about how quiet the Lyriq's cabin is - “crypt quiet,” according to Automotive News.
As a car OEM, we continuously strive to set the bar for competitors with every product. Consumer travel experiences are enhanced by increasing passenger cabin silence. There is only one steering system opening in the firewall panel, which is used for allowing intermediate shaft's fitment on the pinion shaft of the steering gear. The steering grommet is the sole component that covers the firewall cut-out without disrupting steering operations, which has a substantial impact on the NVH performance of the vehicle. It is typically used in cars to eliminate engine noise and dust entering to passenger compartment. The part is assembled inside the vehicle where the steering intermediate shaft passing through BIW firewall panel. We use a bearing, plastic bush, or direct rubber interference design in the steering grommet to accommodate the rotational input the driver provides to turn the automobile. However, occasionally noise may be produced due to uneven bearing or plastic bush loading or a
This SAE Recommended Practice determines whether plastic and glass-plastic safety glazing materials will successfully withstand exposure to simulated weathering conditions.
Plastics, steel and aluminum technologies that reduce weight and emissions recognized with 2023 Altair Enlighten Awards. Toyota and its segment-first IsoDynamic Performance Seat were big winners in this year's Altair Enlighten Awards, honored during an awards ceremony at the 2023 CAR Management Briefing Seminars (MBS) in August. Debuting in the 2024 Tacoma TRD Pro, the performance seat's various lightweight structures took the top spot for both the Enabling Technology and the Module Lightweighting categories. Four other category winners, along with runners-up and honorable mentions, showcased how automotive and commercial-vehicle companies are applying advanced technologies and artificial intelligence to create a more sustainable future for the industry. “They demonstrate exceptional leadership in this area, but more importantly they demonstrate how these innovative solutions can be achieved by collaborating with the supply chain,” Richard Yen, Altair's senior VP for product and
In recent years, research interest in the 3D printing of metal patterns on plastic parts has grown exponentially, due to its high potential in the manufacturing of next-generation electronics. But fabricating such complex parts through conventional means is not easy. Now, researchers from Japan and Singapore have developed a new 3D-printing process for the fabrication of 3D metal–plastic composite structures with complex shapes.
Side door latches in an automotive play a major role in occupants’ safety. The latches consist of both retention assembly and actuator assembly. The actuator assembly majorly consists of motor, gear & other components and these are protected through a Plastic Lower case and Housing. The Lower case (over-mold) with the Electrical Component Carrier - ECC (pre-mold) plays an important role in providing electrical power supply to the latch system. Since these parts are manufactured with terminal traces & plastics, upfront mold flow simulations help the product teams to evaluate the short fills, warpage, and other quality aspects in the critical areas of these components. In the part assembly station, the ECC (pre-mold) and the Lower case (over-mold) are connected to the Motor on one side and the Connector on the other. The proper alignment of the pre-mold pins is of great importance and the pre-mold must not be externally visible once the molding is complete. During the prototype build
A team of Cornell University researchers have laid the foundation for developing a new class of untethered soft robots that can achieve more complex motions with less reliance on explicit computation. By taking advantage of viscosity - the very thing that previously stymied the movement of soft robots - the new approach offloads control of a soft robot's cognitive capability from the “brain” onto the body using the robot's mechanical reflexes and ability to leverage its environment. A soft robot is made from soft, flexible materials, such as silicone or other elastomers, rather than rigid materials such as metal or plastic used in non-soft robots. Soft robots are designed to mimic the movement and flexibility of biological organisms.
The molecules in our bodies are in constant communication. Some of these molecules provide a biochemical fingerprint that could indicate how a wound is healing, whether or not a cancer treatment is working, or whether a virus has invaded the body. If we could sense these signals in real time with high sensitivity, then we might be able to recognize health problems faster and even monitor disease as it progresses.
A team of researchers at University of California, Riverside, has moved a step closer to finding a use for the hundreds of millions of tons of plastic waste produced every year that often winds up clogging streams and rivers and polluting our oceans.
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