K 2010–a plastics trade fair– opened today in Dusseldorf Germany. Based on the amount of green clothing worn throughout the show, visitors may think they are in Boston on St. Patrick’s Day. Green ties and shirts are very fashionable at this year’s giant K Fair. It seems almost every supplier here wants to show they are committed to “green” plastics technology.
Even Sabic, the giant Saudi Arabian petrochemicals company, announced at an opening press conference that it has begun a major sustainability initiative that may even include an expanded role for plastics made from renewable resources. Mohamed Al-Mady, CEO of SABIC, said the company has begun collaborations with universities to explore potential renewably sourced feedstocks. One project is expected to focus on algae at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), a new technical university in Saudi Arabia. In another interesting development, officers at Sabic Innovative Polymers, which is based in Pittsfield, MA, say they are now verifying weight-saving and environmental claims with a third-party auditor called Green Order, which is based in New York City.
For example, Sabic has a new design for an all-plastic steering wheel on its stand (an industry first), which appears to reduce carbon dioxide emissions 80 percent compared to a wheel made with diecast magnesium, according to a Sabic official. That number will be tested and verified by Green Order. ”We are going to verify the environmental benefits of products in one of two ways,” Robert McKay, newly named sustainability manager at Sabic Innovative Plastics, said in an interview with Design News at K 2010. “Either they meet one or more widely recognized sustainability standards or their environmental benefits relative to incumbent technologies will be verified under the company’s new Sustainable Product Scorecard.”
Inspired by the hooks a parasitic worm uses to penetrate its host's intestines, the Karp Lab has invented a flexible adhesive patch covered with microneedles that adheres well to wet, soft tissues, but doesn't cause damage when removed.
Engineers at the University of California, San Diego are designing a robotic arm that takes inspiration from the loose, flexible, yet very strong structure of the armored plates on a seahorse's tail.
Researchers at the Missouri University of Science & Technology have designed a new nanoscale material that can transmit light faster than the 186,000 miles per second it usually takes to travel through air.
It has often been said that as California goes, so goes the nation. This spring, the state's wind power is setting energy generation records and solar energy generation is expected to rise sharply during the second half of 2013.
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A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
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