The Design Technology Blog

Category: Manufacturing

  • Fiberglass

    Fiberglass is an incredibly versatile material and it comes in several forms. Almost everyone has seen fiberglass insulation and anyone who has touched it will recall the itchy feeling often with a little rash which develops afterwards. This Is because the minute shards of glass cut into the skin and cause irritation.

    The fiberglass used in the automotive industry is different from insulation fiberglass. It usually comes in a mat, tissue or cloth, although a chopped strand mixed with resin is often used for large applications such as boat hulls.

    MATERIALS 

    Gelcoats are the shiny face of fiberglass, gelcoats are what you see on most fiberglass vehicles (which haven’t been painted) or boat hulls. Gelcoats consist of a thick gel-like resin mixed with a colored pigment, it is the first thing laid into a mold and therefore when the mold is removed it becomes the exterior.

    Below is simple diagram showing how many fiberglass bodies are constructed, there are other methods and this is just a common example.

     

    Tissue
    Fiberglass tissue as the name suggests is a very thin tissue like layer of fiberglass, it is very smooth and porous and the tissue sits underneath the gelcoat. Tissue helps to smooth out the inherent roughness of fiberglass matting, while also adding strength.

    Mat
    Fiberglass matting makes up the bulk of any fiberglass bodied car. Several layers are built up one on top of another until the desired thickness and strength is achieved. This is what you might see if you look at the inside of a fiberglass panel.

    Cloth
    Fiberglass cloth is strong and is often used where it may be visible and therefore aesthetics are important. One of the downsides of fiberglass cloth is that because the strands are neatly woven the layers do not intermesh like they do with the disorganised and loose strands on the fiberglass mat. Therefore the layers of cloth sit on top of one another, rather than meshing together like the fiberglass mat.

    Resin and Hardener
    Without resin the fiberglass itself would be useless for building anything requiring rigidity. Resin is mixed with a catalyst before application to the fiberglass. The drying process involves a chemical reaction which has several variables including, the amount of catalyst, temperature, humidity, and any water present in the fiberglass resin (water shouldn’t be there!).

    End result
    The results which can be achieved with fiberglass are quite impressive. Once fully hardened and sealed with resin or a gelcoat fiberglass is waterproof, relatively light weight and when done properly it is extremely strong. It is reasonably inexpensive when compared to the alternatives, in short it is an ideal material for the automotive field.

    http://www.fiberglasswarehouse.com/index.php

    http://www.inlinefiberglass.com/

    http://www.uscomposites.com/cloth.html

     

     

  • Food Industry

    The food industry is a complex, global collective of diverse businesses that together supply much of the food consumed by the world population. Only subsistence farmers, those who survive on what they grow, can be considered outside of the scope of the modern food industry.

    Processed food sales worldwide are approximately US$3.2 trillion. In the U.S., consumers spend approximately US$1 trillion annually on food, or nearly 10 percent of the Gross Domestic Product. Over 16.5 million people are employed in the food industry.

    In the United Kingdom, the food industry is extensive. It employs over half a million people and has a turnover of £70bn. It is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK and represents around 15% of the total manufacturing sector in the UK. Around 13% of the people working in manufacturing in the UK work in the food and drink industry.

    A vast global transportation network is required by the food industry in order to connect its numerous parts. These include suppliers, manufacturers, warehousing, retailers and the end consumers. There are also companies that add vitamins, minerals, and other necessary requirements during processing to make up for those lost during preparation. Wholesale markets for fresh food products have tended to decline in importance in OECD countries as well as in Latin America and some Asian countries as a result of the growth of supermarkets, which procure directly from farmers or through preferred suppliers, rather than going through markets.

    The constant and uninterrupted flow of food products from distribution centers to store locations is a important link in food industry operations. Distribution centers run more efficiently, output can be increased, costs can be lowered, and manpower better utilized if the proper steps are taken when setting up a material handling system in a warehouse.

    With populations around the world concentrating in urban areas, food buying is increasingly removed from all aspects of food production. This is a relatively recent development, having taken place mainly over the last 50 years. The supermarket is the defining retail element of the food industry, where tens of thousands of products are gathered in one location, in continuous, year-round supply. Restaurants, Cafes, Bakeries and Mobile trucks are also ways consumers can purchase food.

    Food preparation is another area where change in recent decades has been evident. Today, two food industry sectors are in apparent competition to top the food industry. The grocery industry sells fresh and largely raw products for consumers to use as ingredients in home cooking. The food service industry by contrast offers prepared food, either as finished products, or as partially prepared components for final . “assembly”.

    Sophisticated technologies define modern food production. They include many areas. Agricultural machinery, originally led by the tractor, has practically eliminated human labor in many areas of production. Biotechnology is driving much change, in areas as diverse as agrochemicals, plant breeding and food processing. Many other areas of technology are also involved, to the point where it is hard to find an area that does not have a direct impact on the food industry. Computer technology is also a central force, with computer networks and specialized software providing the support infrastructure to allow global movement of the myriad components involved.

    www.ibef.org/industry/foodindustry.aspx

    www.indianfoodindustry.net/

    www.food.gov.uk/foodindustry/

  • Steve Jobs

    Steve Jobs, born in San Fransisco on 1955, is well know for his original and innovative products. After attending the Cupertino Junior High School, Jobs joined Reed College, but dropped out after only one semester. He continued auditing certain classes, of which one is calligraphy. This calligraphy class soon changed his life dramatically.

    After meeting Steve Wozniak while working for HP in a summer job, Jobs  joined Atari, a manufacturer of popular video games. After acquiring some experience there, Steve Jobs, together with Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne founded Apple in 1976. Having been friends with Steve Wozniak for several years now, Steve Jobs was able to convince Steve Wozniak to assemble and sell computers.

    Steve Jobs release the Macintosh in 1984, it was the first commercially successful computer with a graphic user interface (GUI). Not long after, however, an internal power struggle caused the recently hired CEO John Sculley to relieve Steve Jobs of his duties as the head of the Macintosh division.

    Around the same time, Steve Jobs founded another company, NeXT Computer. The company’s focus was to develop high-end computers, and those who could afford it developed a  strong following due to its technical strengths. Just two years later, Steve Jobs bough The Graphics Group, which is a company that is now known as Pixar.

    Several years later, in 1998, Apple bought then NeXT Computer company, bringing Steve Jobs back to the company. He soon became CEO after the board of directors lost confidence in the CEO of that time. Steve Jobs straight away terminated several projects

    such as the Newton project. He also assigned new project leaders and fired several employees. During this time employees developed a fear of encountering Steve

    Jobs while riding in the elevator “afraid that they might not have a job when the doors opened”.

    Since the return of Steve Jobs, Apple has entered several new markets, under which the portable music player market with the iPod in 2001, the phone market with the iPhone in

    2007, and recently the tablet market, with the iPad. Ever since, Steve Jobs has been considered one of the greatest innovators in modern history.

    Fun Fact: Steve Jobs officially earns one dollar a year.

    Sources:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Jobs

    http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/06/03/24/apples_jobs_pays_295m_in_taxes_on_10m_vested_shares.html

  • PVC

    The thermosetting resins include phenolic resin and melamine resin, which are thermally hardened and never become soft again. Thermoplastic resins include PVC, polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS) and polypropylene (PP), which can be re-softened by heating.

    Usually, thermoplastics are supplied in the form of pelletised material (compounds) with additives (antioxidants, etc.) already blended in it. However, PVC resin is often supplied in powder form and long term storage is possible since the material is resistant to oxidation and degradation. Various additives and pigments are added to PVC during the processing stage, and the blend is then converted into PVC products.
    PVC is sometimes known as ‘Vinyl’ in Europe and predominantly so in North America. In Europe, ‘Vinyl’ usually refers to certain specific flexible applications, such as flooring, decorative sheets and artificial leather.

    PVC_pellets_(Ineos)WEB

    PVC is a thermoplastic made of 57% chlorine (derived from industrial grade salt) and 43% carbon (derived predominantly from oil / gas via ethylene). It is less dependent than other polymers on crude oil or natural gas, which are nonrenewable, and hence can be regarded as a natural resource saving plastic, in contrast to plastics such as PE, PP, PET and PS, which are totally dependent on oil or gas. This chlorine gives to PVC excellent fire resistance: when PVC is set on fire, the flames go out as the fire source is removed due to the material’s self-extinguishing properties.

    PVC is one of the most used plastic materials in the world. At global level, demand for PVC exceeds 35 million tonnes per annum and it is in constant growth (+5% on global average), with higher growth rates in the developing countries.

    It is the most widely used polymer in building and construction applications and over 60 per cent of Western Europe’s annual PVC production is used in this sector.

    PVC is a more economic material
    PVC products make life safer, more comfortable and more pleasurable. And, because PVC has an excellent ratio of economic cost to performance, it allows people of all income levels access to these important benefits. The diversity of PVC applications challenges the imagination. In everyday life, they are all around us, from construction profiles to medical devices, from roofing membranes to credit cards, from children’s toys to pipes for water and gas. Few other materials are as versatile or able to fulfil such demanding specifications. In this way, PVC facilitates creativity and innovation, making new possibilities.

    PVC underpins safety
    Wire and cables sheathed with PVC prevent potentially fatal electrical accidents. In hospitals around the world PVC medical tubing – which does not break or kink – delivers fluids and medicines to the sick. Car components which use very strong PVC can reduce the risk of any injuries being caused in case of an accident. Most PVC products are long lasting – up to and over 60 years. These applications are reliable throughout their service lives and cut down vastly on maintenance or repair. Modern cars, for example, last many years longer simply because PVC protects the underside from water and corrosion.

    PVC enhances our lives
    Functional performance is by no means the whole story. PVC has a distinguished role in beauty and aesthetics. In fashion, furniture and all types of indoor and outdoor accessories, PVC opens up functional and design opportunities that are both visually striking and fundamentally practical. In short, people everywhere benefit from this material. Sometimes invisible but always reliable, PVC products make the difference when it counts.

    References:

    The European Council of Vinyl Manufacturers