All in one 3D printing

3D printing can be a useful method of crafting simple parts or replacement parts to a larger machine, but can there be another layer of usefulness added to the 3d product? It seems that a team from the University of Washington has embarked on a tricky task of 3D printing parts that can send data over wifi. The finished product involved a clever gear and spring that continuously revolves. This movement is then changed into electronic data on a WI-Fi network.

The team created and tested several versions of the gear and spring device. The receiving antenna is made of filament so there’s no foul play, the whole model is 3D printed. The break down of how this device works, the built-up kinetic energy is altered into the energy needed to transmit data. The gear has ridges that encode 0s and 1s, as the device is functioning as it pushes the encoded language into the antenna receptor.

The device does not actually connect to wifi network, instead, it reflects ambient wireless signals out that can be detected by wifi networks. This accomplishment by the Washington University team is a great step to 3D printing innovation.

Look to lees plastics to be your plastic mold supplier. Check out their past work to gain some inspiration for your next project. Call Lee Plastics today to provide you with a product that will meet your specifications.

Back in 2016, adidas announced that they were using recycled plastic collected from the ocean to make running shoes. After a successful 2017, adidas announced that it has sold more than 1 million pairs of running shoes that are made with 95% recycled plastic from the ocean and 5% recycled polyester. Each pair used about an average of 11 plastic bottles. That means they reused 11 million plastic bottles that would have otherwise been still floating in our oceans. Amazing!

Adidas partnered with Parley, which is based in the Maldives and India’s coast, and were responsible for sourcing the marine waste.

The design prototype was originally introduced at a United Nations General Assembly in 2015, and in 2016 the company 50 pairs of the prototype. Adidas has also used ocean waste in the manufacturing of football kits, for teams such as Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

Syntactic foam is a mixture of microscopic hollow glass or ceramic spheres in plastic resin or epoxy. It is widely used in submarines and because it has a high level of strength and buoyancy.

A group of scientist at NYU Tandon School of Engineering have found a way to 3D print components made of syntactic foam. This is a game changer for the deep sea exploration community because it allows them a way to 3D print complex shapes that are capable of surviving pressures at great depth.

Currently, syntactic foam parts are made by injection molding and the parts must be joined by adhesives. This can cause weak points in the design. 3D printing can eliminate the use of adhesives making the parts stronger. The researchers developed filaments of high-density polyethylene plastic (HDPE), a material used to manufacture industrial-grade components, and microspheres made of recycled fly ash.

The difficult part was finding a way to mix the large abount of microspheres without crushing them. The process required the team to minimize crushing of the fragile hollow particles during mixing with the HDPE resin so that the resulting filament could have low density.

Now, the focus is on optimizing the material for various applications like underwater vehicles capable of functioning at specific depths.

Plastic fuel filler pipes, the pipe that leads from the gas pump nozzle to your car’s fuel tank, have an advantage over metal ones. According to a Ford Motor Co. executive, they are always looking forward to how they can increase plastic contact in their vehicles.

The pipes can be made by 3D blow molding and are 40% lighter than metal, cost less and are less susceptible to corrosion. From a design standpoint, they are also more flexible and simplistic, making them easier to attach to fuel tanks.

In the US, there has been some pushback due to safety concerns but Europe and Japan have already made the switch. Cars produced in those regions can have plastic fuel pipes but cars made in the USA cannot.

Ford is currently doing a competitive study to see how plastic and metal perform. The side by side analysis should reveal some answers about safety and durability.

Photo Credit: http://www.plasticsnews.com/article/20170126/NEWS/170129921/michelin-introduces-airless-golf-cart-tire

Michelin announced a polyurethane tire that is best for industrial, construction or rugged surface conditions! The tire is called the X Tweel Turf and works on both gas and electric golf carts.

No need to worry about down time or maintenance with golf carts. The X Tweel Turf has a 4-bolt patter and is constructed with high strength polyurethane spokes that act as a “suspension”. It also boasts longer wear and better traction. According to Michelin, the tire can support up to 705 lbs and a max speed of 25mph.

Photo Credit: http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bs-bz-mccormick-pepper-tins-20170329-story.html

McCormick & Co. the popular spices and seasoning company is switching from the well known metal pepper cans to a more environmentally friendly plastic container.

According to the company, the switch to plastic will reduce carbon emissions by 16%. The new packaging will be made of a Bisphenol A-free plastic that is recyclable. They are currently finalizing the package art for the new environmentally friendly containers.

Fellow Massachusetts injection molder UrthPact LLC has teamed up with plastics recycling company Preserve to create a new line of environmentally friendly, single-use, cutlery!

The Earth friendly utensils are being used at in-store cafes at a major organic grocery store chain. They have not released the name of their partner but promises that it will be recognizable.

A pilot project, designed to test the effectiveness of the cutlery’s dispensers, will include six stores in the Northeast. A full roll-out of the program, not dependent on the pilot, is set for some 400 locations on March 1. In this new program, UrthPath will manufacture cutlery — forks, knives, teaspoons and soup spoons — from recycled polypropylene for use in the cafes. Customers will then be able to deposit the Preserve branded and distributed cutlery into on-site collection containers. Preserve will then see that the used cutlery is recycled again into new products.

Great for the environment and for the world! A big thumbs up from us!