Boeing Co has hired a small company to make about 600 3D-printed parts for its Starliner space taxis, meaning key components in the United States manned space program are being built with additive manufacturing.The company, privately held Oxford Performance Materials, will announce a $10 million strategic investment from advanced materials company Hexcel Corp as early as Friday, adding to $15 million Hexcel invested in May and lifting Hexcels equity stake to 16.1 percent, Oxford and Hexcel said.Boeings award of the parts for its flagship space program and Hexcels funding are strategic bets that printed plastics can perform flawlessly even under the extreme stress of a rocket launch and sub-zero temperatures of space.They offer further evidence of a shift in 3D printing from making prototypes to commercial production of high-grade parts for space ships, aircraft engines and other critical equipment. Oxfords parts will help Boeing lower costs and save weight on each seven-seat capsule, compared with traditional metal and plastic manufacturing, Larry Varholak, president of Oxfords aerospace business, said in an interview."What really makes it valuable to NASA and Boeing is this material is as strong as aluminum at significantly less weight," he said. Boeing said the weight savings on Oxfords parts is about 60 percent compared with traditional manufacturing. Boeing is building three Starliner capsules under a $4.2 billion NASA contract. Entrepreneur Elon Musks SpaceX is building a competing capsule under a $2.6 billion NASA contract.Oxford has already shipped parts for the Starliner. The plastic it uses, known as PEKK, also resists fire and radiation, according to Oxford. Boeing declined automotive plastic molding to say how much of the capsule Oxfords parts represent. "Its a significant fraction of the Starliner from the aspects of design, assembly and reliability of high integrity parts," said Leo Christodoulou, director of structures and materials engineering at Boeing. "Using Oxfords materials takes out a lot of cost.""SHOW ME THE DATA"Despite its promise and potential sales, customers and investors need to be convinced by repeatable results from printed plastics.

Were still in the show-me stage," Oxford Chief Executive Scott DeFelice said in an interview. "If you dont show me the data Im not going to believe you."Oxford, based in South Windsor, Connecticut, started as a materials science company in 2000 and added 3D printing in 2006. It also makes aircraft parts and cranial and facial implants, as well as replacement human vertebrae.In 2012 it delved into aerospace and defense. Working with NASA, Northrop Grumman Corp and incubator America Makes, it demonstrated printed PEKK could handle temperatures from minus 300 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit among other qualities,"Its everything from brackets supporting the propulsion system to internal structures for the air revitalization system," Varholak said of the parts for Boeings Starliner. Printing parts is often faster and less expensive than traditional forging, machining or molding. It requires minimal tooling and touch labor, and allows companies to keep a "digital inventory" of parts, printing as needed, said Terry Wohlers, chief executive of consulting firm Wohlers Associates, which has tracked additive manufacturing for more than 20 years.Use of 3D technology is surging. Sales reached $1 billion in 2007, jumped to nearly $5.2 billion in 2015 and are expected to hit $26.5 billion by 2021, according to the Wohlers Report, which analyzes the sector. Several relatively small listed companies such as Stratasys Ltd, 3D Systems Corp and ExOne Co offer investors exposure.Other firms have been snapped up. General Electric last year bought a controlling stake in Swedish 3D printing company Arcam AB and Germanys Concept Laser, and launched an additive manufacturing division. GE already prints metal parts for the new LEAP engine that powers Boeing and Airbus SA single-aisle jetliners.

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Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday said a new law will be enacted to make drinking in public places a punishable offence in the state.Parrikar said the proposed move would ensure that Goa would become free from the "litter" of empty bottles which has been created by locals and tourists alike."May be give and take 15 days, end of this month or Plastic Injection Household Part Molding factory February, a new law will come into action which will make drinking alcohol in public a cognisable offence," Parrikar said after inaugurating the Organic Waste Management Facility in the state capital.On the occasion, he listed out the measures to be undertaken to make Goa garbage-free.Referring to the drinking in open places, the chief minister said the government would start taking action from February onwards against the violators (of law)."We have been clearing off the bottles from the public places. Dont you have home to drink? Or hotel to drink? And even if you drink at least take back bottles," he said.The CM said one can enjoy in Goa, but littering will not be permitted by his government.

The Solid Waste Management Corporation has been actively handling the issue of garbage, Parrikar said, adding that the first phase to ban plastic in the coastal state would begin from January 26 onwards."From January 26 (2018) onwards, we will take a comprehensive action against the littering which will be implemented from May 30 onwards. Between May 30 to December 19, 2018, a new legislation would be enacted towards the cause," he said."We will create facilities to treat garbage even at panchayat level. We are ready to increase the grants to panchayat by 4-5 times but at the same time they should perform," he said.The CM said the panchayats that do not play their role in the garbage issue will have to face punishment."When we talk about the ban on plastic, we are talking about the one with PVC and not the degradable plastic. There will not be a ban on degradable plastic but instead it would be encouraged," he clarified.Parrikar said people can still use degradable plastic carry bag which are made up from starch."This plastic dissolves in the Earth within 100 days and if stray cattle eats it, it is not harmful to them. The state will also implement a ban on the plastic packing material from December 19, 2018 onwards," he added.Parrikar appealed that Goa be made plastic-free as "it is the biggest problem anyone can face"."I have extensively witnessed problems caused due to plastic. If we have to move towards garbage-free Goa then we will have to eradicate conventional plastic. We will involve the community into it (eradication)," he said.Parrikar said those dumping the construction debris along roads will face a stringent action from January 26 onwards which include confiscation of their vehicles and heavy penalties.

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Advances in "semi-autonomy" have sparked a high-tech automotive arms race Tokyo: At the recent Frankfurt Auto Show, Ford Motor Co unveiled a new feature that lets drivers pre-set their car to go at or just above the speed limit. In-car cameras and software read and react to road signs, speeding the car up or slowing it down.Active Speed Limiter is available on select models in Europe, but not, ironically, in the United China Plastic Injection Custom Molding factory States, Ford's home country, where road signs come in different shapes and sizes, and are often obscured by shrubbery.So it goes on the road to the self-driving, or autonomous, car - a journey of, well, stops and starts that most experts say will take a couple decades to complete.Meantime, advances in "semi-autonomy" - features that help handle tricky or tiresome driving situations but still require a driver's oversight - have sparked a high-tech automotive arms race, with car companies vying to launch the most advanced features.Automakers hope semi-autonomous features will, over time, help drivers and regulators get over fears of riding in vehicles that accelerate, steer and stop themselves, making potentially life-or-death judgements.Shorter term, car companies want these features to make driving more convenient - and cars more profitable."People like features that make driving easier, safer and more fun," says Joseph Vitale Jr., who heads global automotive consulting for Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.

The question is what customers will pay for them."Ford's Active Speed Limiter comes at 560 euros ($602.78), and it's too soon to tell how popular it will be.Among the biggest winners for now are the companies that produce electronic sensors, cameras and software that make self-driving features possible.The growing list includes the high-tech units of traditional automotive suppliers such as Germany's Continental AG, Israel's Mobileye Vision Technologies, and consumer-technology giants Google, Apple, Samsung Electronics Co, Sony Corp and more.At Silicon Valley's Nvidia Corp, for example, video games remain the biggest market, but automotive revenue is the fastest-growing segment."We're in well over 8 million cars on the road today and will be in more than 30 million in the next three to four years," says Jen-Hsun Huang, Nvidia's president and CEO. "Future cars will sense and understand the world moving around them.""Doing crazy things"A big step in that direction was the traffic-jam assistance feature on the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Now available on more Mercedes models, the Intelligent Drive system allows the car to drive itself at low speeds in traffic jams, freeing the driver from constant braking.BMW, Honda Motor Co, Hyundai Motor Co and others have or will soon introduce similar features.Silicon Valley's Tesla Motors recently broke new ground by downloading "autopilot" features to its newer models, just as software updates are downloaded to smartphones and tablets. Autopilot basically drives the car itself, but Tesla warns drivers not to relinquish control entirely.On a recent investor call, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he had seen some "fairly crazy videos on YouTube" of Tesla owners driving hands-free with autopilot, and added:

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New Delhi: Asia-Pacific battery market is expected to grow significantly in the coming decade as a result of increased electrification activities in the region. Countries like Japan, China, and South Korea are leading the market in the region and countries such as India and Australia have shown tremendous growth in the past few years. Global battery market is expanding. The growth is coming from both automotive and industrial sectors powered by usage in telecom, railways, power and other industrial applications.Primarily, batteries are divided into two categories - primary and secondary. Primary batteries are used once, and then discarded. They have the advantage of convenience and less cost per battery, with the downside of costing more over the long term. Generally, primary batteries have a higher capacity and initial voltage than rechargeable batteries, and a sloping discharge curve. Most primary batteries do not presently require special disposal.  Secondary batteries are the rechargeable batteries. They have the advantage of being more cost-efficient over the long term, although individual batteries are more expensive. Generally, secondary batteries have a lower capacity and initial voltage, a flat discharge curve, higher self-discharge rates and varying recharge life ratings. Secondary batteries usually have more active (less stable) chemistries which need special handling, containment and disposal. Ni-Cd and small-size Lead Acid batteries require special disposal and should not be simply thrown away.In February 2018, experts at Advanced Automotive Battery Conference in Germany indicated that Lead batteries will remain the dominant battery technology on the world’s roads for the foreseeable future.

The growth in passenger car, commercial vehicle and motorcycle industry, along with growing application of energy storage, is expected to drive industry demand for batteries. Increasing requirement of UPS in industrial sectors including oil & gas, manufacturing, chemical, and healthcare has further spurred batteries demand.It is also true that Lead Acid batteries have over 150 years of existence. Invented by the French physician Gaston Planté in 1859, Lead Acid was the first rechargeable battery for commercial use. Despite its advanced age, the Lead chemistry continues to be in wide use today. There are good reasons for its popularity; Lead Acid is dependable and inexpensive on a cost-per-watt base. There are few other batteries that deliver bulk power as cheaply as Lead Acid, and this makes the battery cost-effective for automobiles, golf cars, forklifts, marine and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS).The global Lead Acid battery market size was valued at USD 46.6 billion in 2015 and is expected to reach USD 84.46 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Expansion of the automotive industry in China, India, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, Indonesia, and Germany is anticipated to drive industry growth. Furthermore, increasing utilization of energy storage systems and UPS in industries including mining, oil & gas, nuclear power, electricity generation, gas turbine, construction, hospitality, banking, manufacturing, and off-grid renewable is anticipated to drive Lead Acid battery demand over the forecast period.Transparency Market Research projects the global UPS market to rise at a CAGR of 7.5% between 2017 and 2025. India’s UPS market has been forecast to grow at a CAGR of more than 9% by 2023.The grid structure of the Lead Acid battery is made from a Lead alloy. Pure Lead is too soft and would not support itself, so small quantities of other metals are added to get the mechanical strength and improve electrical properties. The most common additives are Antimony, Calcium, Tin and Selenium. These batteries are often known as "Lead-Antimony" and "Lead Calcium."But with that, there are certain drawbacks as well. Lead Acid based batteries have low specific energy, poor weight-to-energy ratio, slow charge, fully saturated charge takes 14-16 hours, must be stored in charged condition to prevent sulfation, limited cycle life; repeated deep-cycling reduces battery life, flooded version requires watering, transportation restrictions on the flooded type and not environmentally friendly.There has been a debate on whether the Zinc batteries will overtake Lead batteries in the automobile sector. Many researches are being conducted throughout the world and there seems to be a sharp analysis of pros and cons.Advocates of Zinc based BatteriesA Canadian commodity research firm has said that older Zinc battery technology could be a more efficient grid-scale energy storage solution than the much-hyped Lithium equivalent, possibly boosting demand for a metal.What is not normally considered by investors is the possibility that a boring base metal might become an exciting technology metal. It is believed that this is precisely what may happen in the next few years to Zinc, as various firms bring their inexpensive Zinc-air stationary batteries to the market as a cost-effective grid-storage technology.Zinc-air batteries can become a serious player in the grid-storage market and then technology investors will also have to begin to look at Zinc in the same way that they have begun to look at Lithium and Cobalt.In the last few years, several Zinc battery companies have made strides in overcoming problems with their electrically-rechargeable Zinc-air batteries that make them not only viable entrants in this space, but, arguably, the best such storage devices, outpacing flow batteries and all other technology.Stormcrows report says, "The Zinc metal demand from 4,404 GWh of Zinc-air battery storage would be roughly 19.8 million of metal.

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