Really interesting concepts and products frequently come across my desk and the latest two could not be more different. One is a Jersey barrier equipped with a turbine and generator set to capture the wind off passing automobiles while the other is a clever vinyl pad called Softswipe for cleaning golf shoes while on board a golf cart.
The "New Jersey Barrier" as Metropolis magazine calls it is the invention of architect Mark Oberholzer. He was the runner-up in a Metropolis design contest and I thought the concept was worth exploring. However the 15 comments he recieved are pretty skeptical for reasons ranging from the subversion of the Jersey's barriers role as a safety fence to the complaint that the origin of this `renewable' source is still gasoline.
Softswipe from Teknor Apex of Pawtucket, R.I., is a much simpler and from the looks of it, a proven concept (see photos below). It's a vinyl disk seven inches in diameter with molded-in rods to scrape off mud, dirt, grass or whatever is fouling your golf spikes. Teknor Apex claims the Flexalloy elastomer makes the disk super tough.
Softswipe from Teknor Apex of Pawtucket, R.I., is a a clever vinyl pad for cleaning golf shoes.
Almost every automaker has had to 'pick a side' when it comes to alternative fuel options and ways to divest from a reliance on gasoline. Fiat is looking to back compressed natural gas or liquid propane as an interim solution.
Plastic may not be the most beloved of materials to the more environmentally minded, but Plasti 2012 aimed to mold a different opinion of the material in people's minds.
The rare earth element market has become steadily more rational, and new sources coming online will continue to reduce costs. Still, it is unlikely that prices will drop to their former lows.
Against a backdrop of mounting product complexity and a need to keep a lid on development costs, companies are recognizing a need to make simulation a more integral part of the design process. In response, vendors in the CAD world are building out CAE functionality as part of their CAD suites while simulation vendors are building tighter integrations to leading CAD tools. Keith Meintjes, Ph.D., Practice Manager, Simulation and Analysis at CIMdata, Inc., joins Design News CAD Editor Beth Stackpole in this radio program to explore the new face of integrated CAD and CAE, how companies are benefitting from this tighter partnership between platforms, and how integrating CAE earlier in the development cycle pays off in optimized product designs.
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