Group items tagged

del.icio.us My Yahoo Digg this newsvine Blogger Slashdot StumbleUpon Reddit Facebook LinkedIn Twitter RSS Magazine eNewsletters Reprints/License Print Email Engineering Materials Expand Potential for Digital Manufacturing Stratasys and EOS target high-end markets, such as aircraft, with new polymer grades Doug Smock, Contributing Editor -- Design News, February 27, 2009 Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 The potential for direct digital manufacturing is heating up as leading players add high-level engineering thermoplastics to their materials' lineups. Stratasys, the leading supplier of rapid prototyping equipment by volume, is now teaming up Ultem 9085 polether imide with new machines designed for direct digital manufacturing, which is the production of parts directly from CAD files. EOS is now offering PEEK (polyetheretherketone) polymer from Victrex for its laser sintering systems. Other manufacturers, such as Z Corp. and 3D Systems, are developing stronger proprietary materials. Ultem extends the digital manufacturing process into the aircraft market in a major way. Until now, Ultem 9085 was only available for use in conventional processing methods, such as injection molding, which require expensive tooling. Manufacturing using equipment originally developed for rapid prototyping creates opportunities for design engineers to make parts even more complex than is possible with injection molds. The cost of the materials coupled with processing time, however, will limit adoption, at least for now to low-volume parts

"Japanese Scientists invented "elastic water", paving the way for ecologically clean plastic materials Category: Science - Tags: ecology, Elastic Water, Jst, plastic, Tokyo University According to the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Japanese Scientists invented "Elastic Water". Also made it to the news of Japan's National TV channel NHK, Japanese scientists from Tokyo University invented a new substance that consists of 95% water. Obtained by adding two grams of clay and a small quantity of some organic matter into normal water, this new substance is jelly-like and is considered proper for usage in medicine for the long-term to stick tissues together. The study period is scheduled to end in September 2010, if the scientists can succeed in increase the density of the substance, it can be used to produce ecologically clean plastic materials. A report has already been published in the latest issue of British scientific magazine "Nature". "

"Materials Color, form texture and light - 3form translucent resin materials provide these essential qualities to any architectural installation. Search our offerings by product platform to solve specific dilemmas. Or experience our materials by design stories to be completely inspired. New Materials images/cms/little_images/varia_2011collection.jpg Browse our exciting new designs in multiple material offerings. Learn more about our premium platforms including Varia Ecoresin, Chroma, 100 Percent, Stone and Glass. > VIEW NEW MATERIALS Varia Ecoresin images/cms/little_images/image2_varia.jpg A dynamic translucent resin panel system made from ecoresin®, that allows you to custom-select the color, pattern, texture, interlayer and finish of your material. > VIEW VARIA ECORESIN Chroma images/cms/little_images/image3_chroma.jpg A bold solid surface saturated with luminous color and 40% recycled content. Chroma® is a monolithic material is ideal for horizontal applications. > VIEW CHROMA Glass images/cms/little_images/image4_glass1.jpg The 3form Glass collection is decorative, architectural glass encapsulating surprising, dimensional elements within a material that shines with artistic possibilities. > VIEW GLASS 100 Percent images/cms/little_images/image6_100percent.jpg 100 Percent® is an exciting, design-driven material with a minimal environmental footprint, made entirely from post-consumer recycled HDPE. > VIEW 100 PERCENT Koda XT images/cms/little_images/koda_small.jpg Design meets extreme durability. Koda XT is an exterior translucent panel material with 40% recycled content polycarbonate material specially formulated for exterior applications and is a cost-effective alternative to glass. > VIEW KODA XT Stone images/cms/little_images/stone.jpg Reminiscent of natural stone yet entirely unexpected. Achieve an authentic stone appearance with a more flexible polyresin panel. A rich incandescence emanates from this warm and translucent product. > VIE

"pzt-rubber A new material developed by researchers at Princeton and Caltech is capable of harvesting energy from the simplest of movements like walking or breathing. This new rubber chip made of PZT (lead zirconate titanate) nanoribbons could eventually power small portable electronic devices like cell phones. The PZT is embedded in silicone rubber sheets that produce electricity when flexed or other pressure is applied. The scientists who developed the chip see them being inserted into shoes or even within the body to continually harness power for our portable devices. Before that freaks you out too much, the scientists envision the chips being placed next to the lungs to utilize breathing motions for powering pacemakers. Pacemaker users wouldn't have to undergo surgery to replace batteries since their breathing would be a constant source of energy. The reason this particular material stands out compared to all of the other piezoelectric materials out there is that it's far more efficient. According to the researchers, PZT can convert 80 percent of mechanical energy applied to it into electric energy, which is 100 times more efficient than quartz. That efficiency allows it to harness such small movements like breathing and opens up a much greater range of possibilities for its use."

"Light Emitting Wallpaper to Replace Light Bulbs in 2012 Light Emitting Wallpaper to Replace Light Bulbs in 2012 A company developing ultra-efficient organic LED lighting technology has been awarded a £454k grant by the Carbon Trust. The OLED materials, being pioneered by LOMOX Ltd, have a wide variety of potential applications and when coated onto a film could be used to cover walls creating a light-emitting wallpaper which replaces the need for traditional light bulbs. As well as being flexible, OLED film will require a very low operating voltage (between 3 to 5 volts) so it can be powered by solar panels and batteries making it ideal for applications where mains power is not available such as roadside traffic warning signs."

"Material Explorer Introduction Materia is a knowledge centre for developments and innovations in materials, and their applications for architecture and design. With our Material Explorer we can offer you an advanced, user-friendly way of accessing the largest free materials knowledge base. There are no subscription fees or extra costs. "

These guys do some great stuff. I actually had the opportunity to work with them when they first started out, giving them some suggestions and options for how to present their catalog of materials in an easy-to-access format for their subscribers. They charge a FORTUNE for their service now, and have some pretty heavy duty clients on their list. It's interesting to see how the web has changed their business model.

coool!

"co2-crystals Scientists at UCLA have developed synthetic crystals that trap gasses like a smart sponge. The crystals are highly selective, allowing them to achieve a 400% improvement in CO2 capture over current technologies. The crystals are three-dimensional and code information in the same manner as DNA. While not as sophisticated as DNA, the developers consider it a significant advancement in chemistry and materials science. The scientists hope the technology could be used to capture CO2 from both large sources like power plants, and smaller ones like vehicle tailpipes and smaller factories. The material could also potentially be used to convert CO2 into a fuel. Ideally, these highly efficient crystals could be used for CO2 capture in lots of different settings while we try to transition to cleaner technologies."

for your diy pleasure

Researchers at Purdue University have created a magnetic "ferropaper" that might be used to make low-cost "micromotors" for surgical instruments, tiny tweezers to study cells and miniature speakers. ...