#carbon fiber parts manufacturer

[rockmanac]

The Impact of Composite Parts on Automotive Design and Manufacturing

Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer (CFRP)

CFRP is a lightweight material with a high strength-to-weight ratio. The composite parts made of this material are extensively used in designing body panels and structural components. It reduces the overall weight of the vehicles and makes them fuel-efficient.

Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer (GFRP)

GFRP is used to design hoods, fenders, door panels, bumper reinforcements, bumper covers, trim components, and several other parts. It can also be used in manufacturing engine components, suspension components, air intake systems, and battery casings.

Aramid Fiber Reinforced Polymer (AFRP)

AFRP is known for its excellent impact resistance. The composite parts made of AFRP are mostly used in external body parts of automotive units.

Other important advanced composites

Carbon-Glass Hybrid Composites, Carbon-Kevlar Hybrid Composites, Natural Fiber Composites, Aluminum Matrix Composites (AMCs), Boron Fiber Reinforced Polymer (BFRP), Polymer Matrix Nanocomposites, and Thermoplastic Composites for different purposes in automotive manufacturing.

[c1qfxugcgy0]

adventures in QA

(previous post in this series)

My shop in Advanced Midbody - Carbon Wing (AMCW) at Large Aircraft Manufacturer (LAM) is at the very end of the composite fabrication building. Hundreds of people carefully lay up a hundred foot long slab of carbon fiber, cure it, paint it, and then we totally fuck it up with out of spec holes, scrapes, primer damage, etc. The people who write up our many defects are from the Quality Assurance (QA) department.

Every single screw and rivet on a LAM aircraft can be traced back to the mechanic who installed it. Back when even everything was done in pen and pencil, it was joked that the paper used to produce an aircraft outweighed the plane itself. Now that everything is computer-based, of course, the amount of paperwork is free to grow without limit.

(Haunting the factory is endless media coverage of an emergency exit door plug popping out of an Advanced Smallbody - Upengine (ASU) plane during a routine flight a few months ago. Unlike that airframe's notorious problems with MCAS, this was a straightforward paperwork screwup by a line worker: the bolts were supposed to be tightened, and they weren't.

As a result the higher ups have visited hideous tribulations on non-salaried workers. Endless webinars, structured trainings. Here at the Widebody plant we have received a steady flow of refugees from the Narrowbody factory, hair-raising tales of receiving one hundred percent supervision from the moment they clock in to the second they clock out from FAA inspectors who can recommend actual jail time for any lapse in judgement.)

A single hydraulic bracket Installation Plan (IP) is around four brackets. The team leads generally assign two bracket IPs per mechanic, since each bracket set is something like a foot apart, and while working on the plane is bad enough it's much worse to have another mechanic in your lap.

Let me list the order of operations:

One: Find where you're supposed to install these brackets. This is harder than you might think.

Firstly, it's a hundred foot long plank of carbon fiber composite, with longitudinal stringers bonded to it to add stiffness. The stringers are pilot drilled in the trim and drill center, a truly Brobdingnagian CNC mill that trims off the composite flash at the edges and locates and drills part holes for us. But there's a lot of holes, so you must carefully find your set.

A minor difficulty is that the engineering drawings are laid out with the leading edge pointing up, while the wing panels in our cells hang from the trailing edge. Not so bad, you just rotate the paper 180 when orienteering, then rotate it back up to read the printed labels.

A major difficulty is that the drawings are from the perspective from the outside of the panel. But we work on the inside of the wing (obviously, that's where all the parts are installed) so we also flip the drawings and squint through the back of the paper, to make things line up.

Large Aircraft Manufacturer has a market cap of US$110 billion, and we're walking around the wing jig with sheets of paper rotated 180 and flipped turnways trying to find where to put brackets.

Oh well, we're paid by the hour.

Two: Match drill the aluminum brackets to the carbon fiber composite stringer. I can devote an entire post to the subtleties of drilling carbon fiber, but I can already tell that this post is going to be a miserable slog, so I will merrily skip over this step.

Three: Vacuum up all the carbon dust and aluminum swarf created during this process. This step is not optional, as your team lead will remind you, his screaming mouth clouding your safety glasses with spittle at a distance of four inches. LAM is very serious about FOD. Every jet airliner you've ever ridden in is a wet wing design-- each interstitial space is filled with Jet A. There is no fuel bladder or liner-- the fuel washes right over plane structure and wing hardware. Any dirt we leave behind will merrily float into the fuel and be sucked right into the engines, where it can cause millions in damage. No place for metal shavings!

If you are nervous about flying, avoid considering that all the hydraulic lines and engine control cables dip into a lake of a kerosene on their way from the flight deck to the important machines they command. Especially do not consider that we're paid about as much per hour as a McDonalds fry cook to install flight-critical aviation components.

Four: Neatly lay out your brackets on your cart, fight for a position at a Shared Production Workstation (SPW) (of which we have a total of four (4) for a crew of thirty (30) mechanics) and mark your IP for QA inspection as Ready To Apply Seal.

Four: Twiddle your thumbs. Similarly, we have three QA people for thirty mechanics. This is not enough QA people, as I will make enormously clear in the following steps.

Five: Continue waiting. Remember, you must not do anything until a QA person shows up and checks the box. Skipping a QA step is a “process failure” and a disciplinary offense. From the outside, you can observe the numerous QA whistleblowers and say “golly, why would a mechanic ever cut a corner and ignore QA?” Well...

Six: QA shows up. Theoretically, they could choose to pick up the mahrmax you prepared for them and gauge every single hole you've drilled. But since we're three hours into the shift and they're already twenty jobs behind, they just flick their flashlight across the panel and say “looks good" and then sprint away. Can't imagine why our planes keep falling out of the sky.

Seven: Apply the seal to the bracket. P/S 890 is a thick dark gray goop that adheres well to aluminum, carbon fiber, fabric, hair and skin. Once cured, it is completely immune to any chemical attack short of piranha solution, so if you get any on yourself you had better notice quick, otherwise it'll be with you as long as the layer of epidermis it's bonded to. LAM employees who work with fuel tank sealant very quickly get out of the habit of running their hands through their hair.

Eight: Now you wait again. Ha ha, you dumb asshole, you thought you were done with QA? No no, now you put up the job for QA inspection of how well you put the seal on the bracket. Twiddle your thumbs, but now with some urgency. The minute you took the bottle of seal out of the freezer, you started the clock on its "squeeze-out life." For this type of seal, on this job, it's 120 minutes. If QA doesn't get to you before that time expires, you remove your ticket, wipe off the seal, take another bottle out the freezer, and apply a fresh layer.

Nine: Optimistically, QA shows up in time and signs off on the seal. Well, you're 100 minutes into your 120 minute timer. Quickly, you slap the brackets onto the stringer, air hammer the sleeve bolts into position, thread nuts onto the bolts, then torque them down. Shove through the crowd and mark your IP "ready to inspect squeeze out"

Ten: Let out a long breath and relax. All the time sensitive parts are over. The criteria here is "visible and continuous" squeeze out all along the perimeter of the bracket and the fasteners. It is hard to screw this up, just glop on a wild excess of seal before installing it. If you do fail squeezeout, though, the only remedy is to take everything off, throw away the single-use distorted thread locknuts, clean everything up and try again tomorrow.

Eleven: QA approved squeeze out? Break's over, now we're in a hurry again. By now there's probably only an hour or two left in the shift, and your job now is to clean off all that squeeze out. Here's where you curse your past self for glopping on too much seal. You want to get it off ASAP because if you leave it alone or if it's too late in the shift and your manager does feel like approving overtime it'll cure to a rock hard condition overnight and you'll go through hell chipping it off the next day. You'll go through a hundred or so qtips soaked in MPK cleaning up the bracket and every surface of the panel within three feet.

Twelve: Put it up for final inspection. Put away all your tools. (The large communal toolboxes are lined with kaizen foam precisely cut out to hold each individual tool, which makes it obvious if any tool is missing. When you take a tool out, you stick a tool chit with your name and LAMID printed on it in its place. Lose a tool? Stick your head between your legs and kiss your ass goodbye, pal, because the default assumption is that a lost screwdriver is lurking in a hollow "hat" stringer, waiting to float out and damage some critical component years after the airplane is delivered.)

One tool you'll leave on your cart, however, is the pin protrusion gage. There is a minimum amount of thread that must poke outside of the permanent straight shank fastener's (Hi-Lok) nut, to indicate that the nut is fully engaged. That makes sense. But there's also a maximum protrusion. Why?

Well, it's an airplane. Ounces make pounds. An extra quarter inch of stickout across a thousand fasteners across a 30 year service life means tons of additional fuel burnt. So you can't use a fastener that's too long, because it adds weight.

On aluminum parts, it's hard to mess up. But any given composite part is laid up from many layers of carbon fiber tape. The engineers seemed to have assumed that dimensional variation would be normally distributed. But, unfortunately, we buy miles of carbon fiber at a time, and the size only very gradually changes between lots. When entire batches are several microns oversize, and you're laying up parts from fifty plies and an inch thick, you can have considerable variation of thickness on any given structural component. So you had better hope you had test fit all of your fasteners ahead of time, or else you'll be real sorry!

And, if you're really lucky, QA will show up five minutes before end of shift, pronounce everything within tolerance, then fuck off.

And that's how it takes eight hours to install eight brackets.

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Digital twin confirms nanotubes can detect cracks in aircraft wing mid-flight

Skoltech researchers have created a digital twin of a polymer composite material with a 2D sensor and successfully used it for structural integrity testing. The new technology can be used to manufacture various large structures, such as aircraft wings, wind turbine blades, and bridge spans, which are currently made of polymer composites. The layer of carbon nanotubes that the team inserted between the fiber-reinforced layers of the composite is so thin that adding a 2D sensor does not affect the thickness or overall design of an aircraft skin or other part. Defects in aircraft parts can be detected based on the changes in the electrical conductivity of the layer, and measurements can even be made during flight. This approach, called electrical impedance tomography, is a more efficient and less expensive alternative to fiber-optic sensors.

Read more.

[usa-town-talks]

Titan Sub Disaster: Key Takeaways from US Coast Guard Hearings

The US Coast Guard has held a week-long hearing into the Titan submersible tragedy, which resulted in the deaths of all five aboard during a deep-sea dive to the Titanic wreck. Investigators aim to determine the cause of the implosion and to prevent future similar incidents. Here are the key takeaways from the first week of hearings:

1. Crew's Final Words: "All Good Here" The last message sent by the crew of the Titan submersible was a brief "All good here." The message was relayed roughly an hour into their descent to the Titanic wreck at 3,346 meters, after which communication was lost. Despite patchy communication, no immediate issues were reported before the tragedy.

2. Witness Recalls the Crew’s Final Moments Renata Rojas, a mission specialist on the surface vessel, recalled the last moments with the crew as they smiled and prepared for their dive. She testified about the emotional shock of losing contact with the sub and described the mission as risky but not unsafe.

3. Whistleblower: Tragedy Was "Inevitable" David Lochridge, a former operations director at OceanGate, revealed that he had raised safety concerns in 2018, years before the accident. He testified that OceanGate overlooked critical issues, such as the use of carbon fiber in the sub's construction, which he believed made the disaster inevitable.

4. New Footage of Titan Wreckage Newly released footage from a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) shows the Titan submersible wreckage scattered on the ocean floor. The footage includes debris like wires, gauges, and parts of the vessel, providing a visual confirmation of the damage.

5. Leading Sub Manufacturer: Titan "Not Ready for Primetime" Patrick Lahey, CEO of Triton, a leading submersible manufacturer, criticized Titan's design and safety measures. After touring the vessel, he expressed concern over its build quality, calling it "amateur-ish" and said it wasn’t sufficiently developed for such deep-sea missions.

The hearings continue as investigators work to provide recommendations and prevent future tragedies.

[motocorsas]

hey everybody, i've put together a digest/summary of an article Mat Oxley published in Roadracing World back in January. i have notes on everything each manufacturer has been working on in the off-season, though the article doesn't cover the qatar and sepang tests.

ktm's carbon fiber chassis:

save weight

save large amounts of production time, allowing for more experimentation

stiffness is easier to measure and experiment

miller testified that the grip is better (though binder disagrees), and more power would complement the build

ktm's carbon fiber swingarm is "almost indestructible compared to the aluminium swingarm we used before!", says technical manager Sebastian Risse. the article notes that the manufacturer is also set apart from other factories because of its commitment to make and use bespoke parts, with its own suspension system instead of one modeled on Öhlins parts.

aprilia's aero improvements:

follow a similar model to ducati, using ground-effect devices to generate grip at high lean angles. the wheel covers and swingarm-mounted ducts essentially create a downward suction while the bike is pitched over, reducing sideforce and improving grip.

the gas tank is under the seat for some reason?

braking still needs work though -- the RS-GP has come far in the last 2 years, but struggles more at stop-and-go tracks and favors sweeping, curvy ones. chief engineer Romano Albesiano does note that the bike performed well at Spielberg last year, meaning the braking has been improving, but still has a long way to go. "the way the ducati slows down is unbelievable. we cannot stop like that, even though we use bigger discs. i don't know if ducatis stop by using aero or what..."

honda:

mir says he's "very happy". okay.

he says that front grip has finally improved and that the longer bike allows for more feeling.

the bike is lighter and functions well on used tires

yamaha:

since the engine is an inline 4 and not a v4, it delivers power differently, and often worse.

less power = less aerodynamic downforce = more wheelies = more drag = even less acceleration

the new aero gives less wheelie and new engine produces higher top speed

top speed isn't at all enough to bring the team to the front, but mathematically, yamaha was able to produce higher speeds than any other team during testing. now what they need is to improve rear grip and power delivery; the latter of which will likely require switching to a v4.

ducati:

secret weapon isn't power or top speed, it's traction. the bike is better than any other on corner exit because it can generate so much grip

aero is obviously part of the magic, so the new bodywork design may explain the improvements

pecco asked for more maneuverability

2022 bike was better on entry but would shake on exit, 2023 is the opposite. pecco wants best of both worlds

ducati has a reputation of just winning based off pure power, but that's obviously not the whole story. all these bikes are powerful, but delivery and traction are really the name of the game. hopefully the new concessions rules will allow other teams to try and work up to ducati's level, likely by testing insane new aero as much as possible.

[materiallugy]

What are the materials used in weapons manufacturing?

Materials used in weapons manufacturing are chosen based on their mechanical properties, durability, and suitability for specific applications. The materials used in weapons manufacturing are:

1. Alloys, including steel, aluminum, titanium, nickel, and cooper. 2. Composites, including carbon fiber, glass fiber, and kevlar. 3. Ceramics, including alumina, silicon carbide, and boron carbide. 4. Polymers, including polyamide, polycarbonate, and polyethylene. 5. Specialized Coatings and Treatments, including ceramic coatings, teflon coatings, and phosphate coatings. 6. Explosives and Propellants, including RDX (Cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine), TNT (Trinitrotoluene), and composite propellants. 7. Electronic and Semiconductor Materials, including silicon, and gallium nitride (GaN).

Alloys

High-Strength Steel - Commonly used in the manufacturing of 

Barrels: The main component of a firearm, responsible for propelling projectiles.

Receivers: The housing for the firearm's action, holding essential components.

Slides (pistols): The moving part that houses the barrel and holds ammunition.

Frames (pistols): The base of the handgun, supporting other components.

Bolts and carriers (rifles): Components involved in the firing cycle.

Springs: Essential for firearm operation, providing recoil and return forces.

Steels like 4140, 4340, and maraging steel are known for their toughness, high yield strength, and resistance to wear.............

[sreegs]

Would you be willing to share your sources relating to the submarine/submersible technology? I believe you, but I’d love to a. read more on the subject and b. Share something that isn’t a tumblr post with a family member

i linked wikipedia articles in my reblog which, themselves, have sources in their references, but i'm not sure what specifically you're asking for a source on.

i presume you're asking why i asserted a sphere is safer than a cylinder which is more or less just physics and not strictly related to subs. a cylinder has more surface area than a sphere of the same diameter therefore it has more surface for pressure to act on. moreover the nature of material manufacture means that a cylinder has more seams (2) than a sphere (1).

spherical pressure hulls are usually made of two halves of forged titanium or steel then fused together along one seam. the titan was two halves of a titanium sphere attached to the ends of a carbon-fiber tube. where the tube was joined to the spheres it made two seams. this is really oversimplifying it but the point is to highlight that seams can provide a point of failure because they're not part of the same continuous material. the more seams the more potential points of failure

if you're asking about the DSVs themselves, when it comes to functional deep-sea capable vessels i guess it's important to point out the difference between a "submarine" (the long tube shape you see used in the military) and a deep-sea vessel like a bathysphere (which is not a submarine because of its lack of mobility).

submarines, especially modern ones, can handle some pretty impressive depths but they don't go anywhere near as deep as vessels designed to travel to the deep sea. military sub max operational depths are probably classified but their reported depths are in the hundreds of meters

modern dsv's dive past ten thousand meters. which is way, way more pressure.

so to understand modern DSVs, here's the description of the batysphere concept and some of the original designs, which which were the first deep-sea capable vessels just much more primitive. they were lowered on cables and didn't travel on their own power. so they weren't really vehicles

here's the next logical step, the bathyscaphe, which allowed it to move up and down under its own power, however the crew cabin is still a sphere. you can see them protruding from the bottom of the vessel in some photos

"deep-submergence vehicles" (which i linked in that reblog) are a bit more closer to submarines in terms of design and mobility, but their crew cabin designs are still spherical, with few exceptions. the deepest-traveling ones are spherical

crew cabins are pressure vessels. meaning they're built to withstand the force of the pressure of the water outside the vehicle. DSV's may have multiple components in compartments that don't look spherical at all from the outside but it makes sense when you realize some of these compartments aren't pressure vessels. some are solid foam. some even flood with sea water by design

take a look at this diagram of the Alvin with crew inside:

the largest pressure vessel is the crew cabin. there's a few other smaller pressure vessels to provide variable ballast (flooded with sea water or pumped with air) and some mercury vessels to provide leveling trims (to tell which way is up)

the rest of the vehicle is either pressure-resistant foam or empty space in which water can get in because the components inside are small enough and engineered to withstand the pressure. remember, because water pressure acts in all directions, the less surface area you have, the less pressure you need to worry about to maintain whatever function you need to perform. since the crew compartment is so big and so important, it's the thickest titanium and probably engineered to more exacting safety standards than some of the other parts

a couple people have already commented more on what i posted with good insight into things i can't explain as well. here's someone going into detail about the sphere vs cylinder issue:

and here someone linked a very informative youtube about the manufacture of the DSV Limiting Factor including footage of the crew compartment being forged from titanium

[fashnova]

Sustainable Fashion: A Guide to Ethical Choices Sustainable Fashion: A Guide to Ethical Choices

In today's world, conscious consumerism is on the rise. People are increasingly aware of the impact their choices have on the environment and society. This shift has also extended to the fashion industry, leading to a growing demand for sustainable and ethical clothing.

What is Sustainable Fashion?

Sustainable fashion refers to clothing and accessories that are produced in a way that minimizes environmental impact and ensures fair labor practices. It encompasses everything from the choice of materials to the manufacturing processes and the overall lifecycle of a garment.

Why is Sustainable Fashion Important?

Environmental Impact: The fashion industry is one of the world's largest polluters. By choosing sustainable options, you can help reduce waste, conserve resources, and minimize carbon emissions.

Ethical Considerations: Sustainable fashion ensures that workers are treated fairly and that the production process does not exploit people or the planet.

Quality and Durability: Sustainable garments are often made with higher quality materials and better construction techniques, ensuring they last longer and reduce waste.

How to Choose Sustainable Fashion:

Research Brands: Look for brands that prioritize sustainability in their practices. Many brands now have certifications or labels that indicate their commitment to ethical and environmentally friendly production.

Consider Materials: Opt for natural fibers like organic cotton, linen, and bamboo, which are renewable and biodegradable. Avoid synthetic fabrics like polyester, which are derived from fossil fuels and can release harmful chemicals during production.

Check for Fair Trade Certifications: Fair Trade labels guarantee that the products were made under fair working conditions and that workers received a living wage.

Buy Less, Wear More: Invest in high-quality, timeless pieces that you can wear for years to come. Reduce impulse purchases and focus on building a sustainable wardrobe.

Support Secondhand and Vintage: Give pre-loved clothing a new life by shopping at thrift stores, consignment shops, or online marketplace

Sustainable Fashion Tips:

Wash Clothes Less Frequently: Excessive washing can contribute to the degradation of fabrics and release microplastics into the water.

Air Dry Clothes: Avoid using a dryer, which can shrink or damage garments and consume a lot of energy.

Repair and Mend: Instead of discarding damaged clothes, learn to repair or mend them to extend their lifespan.

Donate or Recycle: When you're ready to part with old clothes, donate them to charity or recycle them. Many clothing retailers now have recycling programs.

By making conscious choices and supporting sustainable fashion brands, you can contribute to a more ethical and environmentally friendly fashion industry. Together, we can create a future where style and sustainability go hand in hand.

[rockmanac]

Composite Parts: The Building Blocks of Modern Engineering

Another revolutionary innovation in the branch of modern engineering is advanced composites and Composite components. These components are becoming demanding because they offer a unique combination of strength, lightness, and versatility. Composite parts are typically made from a blend of materials like carbon fibers and resin.

For more information please visit our page https://rockmanac.com/about/ and get in touch with us at https://www.linkedin.com/company/rockmanac

[omkarpatel]

The Rise of 3D Printing in Prosthetics and Orthotics Market

The global prosthetics and orthotics market plays a vital role in improving quality of life for millions worldwide. Worth an estimated $7.2 billion in 2024, the market facilitates mobility for those with limb differences or injuries through highly customized external limb replacements and braces. The market introduces prosthetics and orthotics—Medical devices that enhance or assist impaired body parts and mobility. Orthotics are braces or supports for joints, spine, and limbs; prosthetics externally replace missing limbs. Together they improve functionality and quality of life for users. Major players in the prosthetics and orthotics space utilizing advanced manufacturing include Ossur, Steeper Group, Blatchford, Fillauer, Ottobock, and WillowWood Global. These industry leaders increasingly deploy cutting-edge 3D printing and customized design software to produce state-of-the-art prosthetics and braces. Current trends in the prosthetics and orthotics market include growing utilization of 3D printing and advanced manufacturing techniques. 3D printing enables on-demand production of complex, customized devices. It reduces manufacturing costs and wait times while improving fit and comfort. Expanding material options also allow more lifelike prosthetics. As technology evolves, the market is positioned for continued growth through 2031 in facilitating mobility worldwide. Future Outlook The prosthetics and orthotics market is expected to witness significant advancements in the coming years. Manufacturers are constantly focusing on developing innovative technologies such as 3D printed prosthetics that provide a better fit, enhanced comfort, and unrestricted movement. There is also a rising trend of using lightweight, highly durable and comfortable materials like carbon fiber and thermoplastics to manufacture prosthetic devices. Advancements in myoelectric prosthetics with touch and motion sensors are making them more dexterous and responsive. Using pattern recognition and machine learning techniques, next-gen prosthetics could gain functionality approaching that of natural limbs.

PEST Analysis Political: Regulations regarding clinical trials and approvals of new prosthetic technologies may affect market growth. Favorable reimbursement policies for prosthetic devices can boost adoption. Economic: Rising disposable incomes allow more individuals to opt for higher-end prosthetics. Emerging markets present abundant opportunities for growth. Inflation and economic slowdowns can hinder market profitability. Social: Increasing incidence of amputations and disabilities due to aging population, accidents, war injuries etc. drive market demand. Growing awareness regarding prosthetics and orthotics aids adoption. Stigma associated with limb loss poses challenges. Technological: Advancements in materials, manufacturing techniques like 3D printing, sensors, computing power and battery technologies are enhancing functionality and usability of prosthetics/orthotics. Myoelectric and robotic prosthetics have vastly improved in recent years. Opportunity Rising aging population presents a huge opportunity for prosthetics and orthotics targeting mobility issues and disabilities. Over 630,000 amputations occur annually in the U.S. due to dysvascular conditions like diabetes, presenting a sizable patient pool. Expanding applications of prosthetics and orthotics beyond mobility impairment into sports and military could drive significant growth. Growing incidence of trauma and injuries globally increases the number of patients relying on these devices. Emerging markets like Asia Pacific and Latin America offer immense opportunities owing to increasing disposable incomes, expanding healthcare infrastructure and rising medical tourism. Technological advancements are constantly improving functionality and usability of prosthetic devices, fueling adoption rates. The lightweight, durable and comfortable characteristics of newer materials expand addressable indications and patient acceptance. Key Takeaways Growing demand from aging population: The rapid increase in aging population worldwide who are prone to mobility issues, disabilities and chronic diseases like diabetes is a key driver spurring sales of orthotic and prosthetic devices. Global expansion into emerging markets: Emerging markets like Asia Pacific, Latin America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East offer immense opportunities owing to their large population bases and improving healthcare penetration. Technological advancements: Constant R&D bringing advancements in areas such as 3D printing, lightweight materials,

[thinkeco-friendly]

The Fast Fashion Industry and Its Environmental Costs

With the ever-changing fashion trends circulating on social media and the affordable prices in stores, the fast fashion industry has continued to grow over the past decade with quick online deliveries, rapid clothing production, and overconsumption of clothing items. Many companies within the fashion industry have opted to have their manufacturers overseas for cheap labor to avoid the high minimum wages enforced by developed nations. Although more affordable garments are now accessible to low-income people, it also comes with the cost of ecological destruction and humane indecency.

Forced Labor for profits

Many companies such as Shein, Forever 21, H&M, Urban Outfitters, and Zara use sweatshops, workplaces with socially unacceptable conditions that pay low wages to produce low-cost clothing items. Although these companies can maintain a low price tag on their products, they become part of the unsustainable practices of fast fashion because of underpaid labor, poor working conditions, and a longing contribution to plastic production. By consistently shopping from these brands, many support the unsustainable practices that are the backbone of these companies. Instead, choosing to shop at thrift stores, only buying clothes when necessary, reusing old clothing items, thinking before purchasing, and creating a capsule wardrobe, a set of clothes that can be worn interchangeably, can reduce the need to support the production of these companies.

Materials used

When companies want to profit while manufacturing clothing, they tend to choose low-cost artificial synthetic fibers such as polyester, rubber, and nylon, which take more energy to produce than natural fibers such as wool, cotton, and bamboo. Natural fibers have a lower environmental impact throughout manufacturing because they do not require as many chemicals as synthetic fibers. When choosing what clothing garments to buy, purchasing the ones manufactured with natural fibers is more beneficial to our environment because they can break down quickly in nature.

Polluted waters and excessive water use

The fashion industry is one of the most water-intensive industries because it uses water to spin, dye, and finish the textile. Its use of dye has contributed to the wastewater dumped into our streams, rivers, and oceans, which can spread toxic chemicals to marine ecosystems.

Plastic microfibers

Not only is the pollution of waters happening before the sale of items, but after customers buy clothes, the presence of microfibers that detach when it is in the washer goes into wastewater that will eventually reach our oceans, further polluting them. With filtration as the only laborious and expensive way to remove microplastics, it becomes unsustainable and remains in the ocean. It ends up in the human food chain through agricultural communities and sea life, ultimately causing adverse health effects.

Textile waste

As fashion trends constantly change with the modern age of technology and fast fashion's affordability, many garments are discarded and donated not long after purchase. Although donating might seem like a better, more sustainable way to recycle clothing, it might end up in landfills regardless if not sold. According to the Ellen Macarthur Foundation, "it is estimated that people are buying 60 percent more clothes and wearing them for half as long." This practice has only increased over time, allowing truckloads of textiles to be dumped into landfills or incinerated every second. To better maintain our clothes, one should be more conscious about purchases by deciding if a clothing piece has the potential to be worn multiple years after its purchase, lessening the need to throw away or donate so often.

Carbon emissions

With the production and incineration of clothing items, carbon emissions are released into the air, causing public health dangers to communities around factories. The World Bank says, "The fashion industry is responsible for 10 % of annual global carbon emissions, more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined." With new technologies that try to capture the pollutants, "they remain present and often are turned into a dangerous substance," which will pollute our air regardless.

Solutions

With the overwhelming amount of affordable clothing items that are ecologically damaging, being more conscious is always a way to reduce the effects of consumerism. It is ultimately up to us, consumers, to beware of the adverse impacts of supporting unsustainable brands and find eco-friendly companies that put the planet first. Some sustainable brands to shop from are:

Patagonia

Raven + Lily

The Classic T-Shirt Company

Cou Cou Intimates

My Mum Made It

Avani

Good Guys

Shopsoftlana

L'Envers

Pela

Sources

[planterfulpieces]

What on earth is 3D printing?

That's... a big one. Sorry in advance. It also gets a little technical. Folx, if you want to chime in in the notes what we forgot or missed, have at it, just be polite. Discussion is great. Being a jerk is not.

So you know that we sell 3D print planters (and some other stuff coming out soon), but we saw a lot of comments in our first post introducing ourselves that were curious about what 3D printing was, if it was resin printing, and how it worked.

We also didn't realize our ask box wasn't turned on until we saw a note after the post was up for several hours. Sorry! It's open now if you have questions or comments or whatever. Just be polite.

Well. We are not experts. We're going to share our own experience and understanding of what 3D printing is, most common methods, and why we do the kind of 3D printing we do.

So.

What is 3D printing?

In its all-encompassing definition, 3D printing (also called additive manufacturing if you want to get STEM-y about it) is basically creating a 3D object using a digital 3D model. The programs engineers use, like Fusion360, AutoCAD, FreeCAD, and others? Yeah. Those. Exactly.

If you're an artist, don't despair, you can create models in Blender (or whatever 3D modeler you use) and work with those for 3D printing.

If you're us, who only started modeling a few months ago, you use the program geared for children and young adults, and that's TinkerCAD. There's nothing wrong with it, it's just limited in what it can do compared to other programs. The massive benefit is it's free and the learning curve is also much more gentle than the sheer cliff we ran face-first into trying to learn the CAD programs or Blender.

If anyone has good sources to learn them (esp with Blender's new updates) we would be happy to try them. Because as much as we love 3D printing, modeling still gives us a headache.

So that's the most basic definition of 3D printing.

So, what's the most COMMON form of 3D printing?

Well, we'd say there are two:

Resin printing. There's several different methods, but the most common today still is SLA, or stereolithography. Basically, a UV laser marks a cross-section of part of an object on a layer of liquid resin. When it's exposed to the UV light it's cured and solidifies. Another layer of resin is put down, the laser process is repeated, and it continues until an object is made. What's nice about it is it lets you get high detail in very small objects, like minis for Warhammer or other games. There's also Digital Light Processing (DLP), which is like SLA but uses digital projection to expose more parts of resin to light. It can cure an entire layer at once, instead of only part. If you see a Warhammer figurine being sold, or any miniature, especially stuff for DnD or other tabletop games, it's probably resin printed.

FDM (fused deposition modeling). It's also known as FFF, or fused filament fabrication). This is what you probably think of for 3D printers if you ever saw one, where things are printed in one tiny layer at a time where a heated print head is pushing out filament in layers on a build plate. FDM is more common for practical prints, like car parts or manufacturing pieces. To us it reminds us of icing a cake. You can print with stuff like carbon fiber and nylons or flexible material like TPU. FDM is good for prototyping and larger objects, like our planters (last product plug, we swear) to. You know.

Houses.

We use FDM printing.

Why?

Most everything we're going to make doesn't need the detail that a resin printer provides. The smallest, jewelry, still isn't to the level where we'd need a resin printer -- FDM printers work in fractions of milimeters, and resin printers can go even smaller. That's not necessary for us.

Everything we make is going to be larger prints, which means more material. Filament (which we'll explain in another post) costs less than resin.

Resin is more toxic than PLA filament, which is what we use. We can handle PLA filament spools without gloves or protective goggles. Resin? Absolutely not. They ARE making plant-based resin which is less irritating, but we have no experience with it. If you do, chime in in the comments.

Resin involves cure time. You also have to wash your print after. That can add to the process time too.

So that's the extreme basics of what 3D printing is, the two most common types, and why we do FDM printing. We hope you found it helpful! We're going to try to make this a series to explain more about 3D printing in general so it's less mysterious for non-printers. What do you want us to talk about next? Let us know! Like...what different materials you can print with? What are they made of? Maybe some example pictures with different finishes? Would that be interesting? We'd love to hear from you. And we look forward to seeing the comments in the notes/tags! We couldn't go as in-depth as we wanted without turning it into a novel, so have at it in the notes. We can't wait to follow the discussion!

We're Planterful Pieces, a small business focused on offering made-to-print products that cater to the planty people of the world, whether that means you OWN plants or simply just LOVE nature. We also want to share with you all cool designs that aren't easily accessible to people who DON'T 3D print, and there's a LOT!

If you're not interested in our planters but ARE interested in future products, like our upcoming art collection, jewelry, and more, subscribe to our email newsletter on our website here (you'll have to scroll down a little). We promise we'll only email you once a month with sneak peeks, product updates, deals, or if there's an upcoming launch. Frankly, we don't have time to spam you with emails, since we'd rather be designing and printing.

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Thanks for reading!

(PS: We haven't forgotten about those interested in international shipping! If you sign up on the newsletter we can let you know as soon as it's available! We'll make posts here of course and our other socials but that's always hit or miss. This way it goes right in your inbox.)

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Stab-resistant fabric gains strength from carbon nanotubes, polyacrylate

Fabrics that resist knife cuts can help prevent injuries and save lives. But a sharp enough knife or a very forceful jab can get through some of these materials. Now, researchers report in ACS Applied Nano Materials that carbon nanotubes and polyacrylate strengthen conventional aramid to produce lightweight, soft fabrics that provide better protection. Applications include anti-stabbing clothing, helmets and insoles, as well as cut-resistant packaging.

Soft body armor is typically made from aramid, ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, or carbon and glass fabrics. Their puncture resistance depends, in part, on the friction between yarn fibers within these materials. Up to a point, greater friction means greater protection. Manufacturers can boost friction by roughening the fiber surfaces, but that requires a complicated process, and product yield is low.

Alternatively, the bonding force between yarns can be enhanced by adding another component, such as a sheer thickening fluid (STF) or a polyurethane (PU) coating. But these composite fabrics can't simultaneously satisfy the requirements for thinness, flexibility and light weight. Ting-Ting Li, Xing-xiang Zhang and colleagues wanted to find another way to improve performance while satisfying these criteria.

Read more.

[saltybogs]

Oceangate

DISCLAIMER: Not a submarine expert. Just an avid fan of learning and watching documentaries - especially Airline and other critical disaster documentaries. Also, this isn’t a set in stone explanation; it is speculation, as everything will be until the experts determine what caused the implosion.

First of all, any and all craft that are used for commercial activity are built to a standard. Every area is checked and kept within a set of parameters that have been determined based on prior accidents and their findings - something that I’ve heard referred to as the ‘autopsy approach’ to safety (taking apart the disaster and putting it back together in a way of figuring out what actually went wrong and finding ways to make sure it doesn’t happen again. It sucks, but we haven’t been ones to take the ‘worrywart’ approach to safety since one company that overdid safety aboard their ships around the time of the Titanic disaster. I’ll add links to these videos or channels at the bottom for those who are interested.)

One of the things that is common across all pressurized vessels is that the seam lines have to be smooth - the slightest fold, the slightest ripple, can be catastrophic. We’ve seen it in airlines time and time again - the skin has to be strong to keep the pressurization inside the aircraft for passenger safety, and between landing and 35,000 feet, the plane ‘breathes’ - the hull actually flexes between air pressure at ground level and the much thinner air at around 35,000 feet. It stands to reason, then, that the same would apply to submarines. (I’m not going to touch on anything in particular, because a lot of sub technology the military uses is either a.) classified b.) hard to decipher unless you’re someone who builds or maintains these subs.)

So, if the same would apply to submarines, then it stands to reason that the hull of the vessel would flex the same way that a plane does. As such, the slight ridge in the seamline of the sub (which I’ve circled) could indeed be the fail point, allowing the pressure to move past the carbon fiber barrier. When that happens in an airplane, you have what is known as explosive decompression - when the pressure inside the plane doesn’t match the pressure outside the plane, the pressure tries to escape. Similarly to popping a balloon, the air inside is more compressed than the air outside. When you pop the balloon, the air pressure inside is released, moving to a less confined space. The sub is the polar opposite - there is more pressure outside than inside, thus any failure, no matter how minute, could indeed cause the sub to implode at depth. 

I tell you that so I can say this: the Titan had gone down before, an unknown number of times. The hull had flexed and relaxed, flexed and relaxed, flexed and relaxed. This causes wear. With metal, it causes metal fatigue, which starts as micro tears in the metal that then expands into cracks and, eventually, the metal breaks. Grab a metal paperclip, straighten it, and then bend it back and forth in the middle until it snaps in half. That’s metal fatigue. Over the course of time, that can lead to flaws in the metal.  In something the size of the minivan-sized Titan, this is a critical issue.

We don’t know how well this sub was maintained. Considering the statements made by the CEO that safety was a waste after a certain point, we can assume that it wasn’t. This is a commonality among manufacturing companies (I’ve worked in several factories) - preventative maintenance is only performed when necessary, and they are willing to forego said maintenance to save money, even at the detriment of no longer being able to purchase replacement pieces because they’ve used duct tape and children’s dreams to hold the machines together for so long to meet production that replacement parts no longer exist outside of scrap yards.

I’m not saying Titan was in that bad of a shape. In fact, I don’t think it existed long enough to make it to that point. What I am saying is that even with the usual amounts of wear and tear, safety inspections that should have been done clearly weren’t, which is evidenced by the firing of the engineer who brought up the safety concerns, (and later getting sued over it as well.) This can also be seen in the way the seam line rises in the photo. This appears to be a ridge where the binding agent (glue, rivets, etc.) has failed, which would create a weak point in the hull. If so, then there’s no telling how deep the fault runs inside the hull, creating a weakness that would cause the implosion. The hull is carbon fiber. Cool. Carbon fiber is designed to be lightweight. At what was it, 1400(?) atmosphere, the carbon fiber would shatter like an egg shell beneath a car tire.

We should learn from this and enforce stricter safety protocols inside any vessel which could, at any point, carry innocent people. Bystanders who rely on the word of others and place their lives in the hands of designers, engineers, and CEOs should have that trust rewarded, and we should not have any style of disaster that is, as so many are, caused by apathy, caused by stress, caused by exhaustion from overworked and underpaid employees who probably haven’t had a day off in years. Not human error, mind you, because that, unfortunately, is inevitable. 

We have, on hand, the technology that could have, would have, saved their lives. The Boeing 777 has redundancies for its redundancies, and is, from what I’ve researched, one of the safest planes in existence. We have nuclear powered submarines that regularly carry crews for months to years at a time without failure. We have that because we have safety measures in place. The loss of life is unfortunate. However, when people have more money than sense, accidents will continue to happen.

YouTube Channels I watch that cover similar scenarios: Brick Immortar:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjw9YUv4UoA3d0V_Pc6zLTQ Part-Time Explorer: https://www.youtube.com/@PartTimeExplorer BigOldBoats: https://www.youtube.com/@BigOldBoats Oceanliner Designs https://www.youtube.com/@OceanlinerDesigns Curious?: Science and Engineering https://www.youtube.com/@CuriousScienceandEngineering Mayday: Air Disaster: https://www.youtube.com/@MaydayAirDisaster Wonder: https://www.youtube.com/@WonderDocs Plainly Difficult: https://www.youtube.com/@PlainlyDifficult Dark Records: https://www.youtube.com/@DarkRecordsDocs Ask A Mortician https://www.youtube.com/@AskAMortician Fascinating Horror: https://www.youtube.com/@FascinatingHorror

[vividracing]

New Post has been published on https://www.vividracing.com/blog/rennline-991-2-carbon-fiber-aero-kit-w-oem-style-fit/

Rennline 991.2 Carbon Fiber Aero Kit w/ OEM Style Fit

Are you looking to take your Porsche 991.2’s aerodynamic performance to the next level? Do you enjoy pushing your Porsche 991.2 to the limit, on the road and track? The new Rennline aero kit is here to help you do just that. Rennline as brand specializes in manufacturing performance parts for high-end sports cars such as Porsche, Audi and BMW. Their recent aero kit is guaranteed to make your 991.2 stand out from the crowd!

This kit is manufactured using carbon fiber, and the full kit includes side skirts, front lip and rear diffusers. There are several ways that your Porsche 991.2 will benefit from this full body kit upgrade, and so once installed you will see improvements in:

Stability: Improved aerodynamics can enhance the overall stability of the Porsche 991.2, especially at higher speeds..

Handling: Aerodynamic upgrades, such as spoilers and diffusers, can contribute to better handling by increasing down force on the car. Which in turn improves traction and grip, particularly during cornering.

Efficiency: Streamlining the airflow around the vehicle helps reduce aerodynamic drag. This, in turn, can lead to improved fuel efficiency and potentially higher top speeds..

With the Rennline Carbon Fiber Aero Kit, you will experience an enhanced driving experience on the road and in your track adventures. In addition to those benefits, by improving the aerodynamics performance with this system, you will also aid in better cooling for the engine and other components, ensuring optimal performance under various driving conditions.

Features

Hand-laid carbon fiber construction

High gloss finish with UV and heat protection

Designed from the ground up using state of the art 3D scanning technology

OEM fit and finish

Click Here to Buy the Rennline Carbon Fiber Aero Kit for Your Porsche 991.2

Kit Includes:

Front Lip – 991.2 C2/C2S/C4/C4S/Targa 4/Targa 4S

Side Skirts – 991 C2/C2S

Rear Diffuser – C2/C2S/C4/C4S/GTS/Targa/Turbo – With

Sport Exhaust

Fitment:

Porsche 991.2 C2/C2S/C4/C4S/Targa 4/Targa 4S

Porsche 991 C2/C2S

Porsche C2/C2S/C4/C4S/GTS/Targa/Turbo

If you have any questions about Rennline or you need new Aero body for your Porsche 991.2, please do not hesitate to contact us. You can reach us by phone at 1-480-966-3040 or via email at sales@vividracing.com.

[burntoutclutch]

The story of the McLaren F1 and Gordon Murray.

The McLaren F1, a supercar crafted by McLaren Automotive, emerged from the visionary mind of Gordon Murray, who secured the support of Ron Dennis and enlisted Peter Stevens to shape its exterior. Unveiled in 1992, the McLaren F1 redefined the concept of supercars by embracing an uncompromising approach to design and engineering that transcended existing boundaries.

This groundbreaking masterpiece embodied a clean-sheet design, featuring bespoke components tailored exclusively for the car, excluding the taillights. The overarching principle driving its creation was efficiency, resulting in a compact form with featherweight carbon fiber body panels and understructure, along with aluminum or magnesium mechanical parts. Other unique features of the car are its powerful V12 engine from BMW and its center seat arrangement providing for optimal weight distribution. The obsession with weight became legendary, as even the Kenwood stereo, air conditioning, and gold-plated titanium tools were meticulously designed by manufacturers to meet Murray's stringent weight specifications, challenging the capabilities of parts manufacturers at the time.

Often overlooked is the McLaren F1's impressive racing legacy. The GTR competition version, reaching a top speed of 220 mph, immediately demonstrated its prowess by securing first, third, fourth, and fifth positions against purpose-built racers. It left the competition astounded. By the end of production in 1998, McLaren had produced seven prototypes, seventy-two street-legal models, and twenty-eight fully-fledged race versions. Notably, the Sultan of Brunei owns a notable collection of around eight F1s, while several unfortunate examples have met their demise due to over-enthusiastic owners. Fun fact, El Chapo owned one of these legendary vehicles and it has yet to be found.