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The world around us is made from materials and the materials we use have a huge impact on the consumption of resources, the use of energy as well our well being.
Bicycle frames made from hemp and bamboo, flexible stone for sports goods, carbon nanotubes for conductive plastics or inflated lightweight constructions from metal: These are some of the topical highlights of the Materials in Progress 2010 conference at Euromold in Frankfurt this year.
The conference reflects the growing significance of materials for product development and design. 70% of all new products today arise from material innovations. Consequently, new material technologies are classed among the main drivers for innovation.
The growing world population and the need to deduce CO2 emissions are putting immense pressure on using resources in more efficient ways and developing new materials which are sustainable in the long term.
The talks, presentations and discussions during the conference reflect this trend. The topics will range from interesting material developments for tool and mould construction to functional and nano materials. Manufacturers will speak about innovative sustainability concepts and will present constructions based on cellulose plastics and biopolymers.
Whether it is cars or computers, the products we use have become lighter over the years and in many cases this leads to efficiency gains. The conference will therefore address is innovative lightweight constructions such as metallic hollow sphere structures and foam. A new procedure for the manufacture of sheet components will be presented in a small series featuring incremental pressure forming.
Materials in Progress @ Euromold in Frankfurt, 02 December 2010. For programme details please see http://www.euromold.com/index.php?id=413&l=1
Euromold, Frankfurt 01 – 04 December 2010, www.euromold.com
Tuk Tuks or three wheeler auto rickshaws have for a long time been part of urban transport in developing countries. They are small, flexible and ideal for short distance transportation – whether it is people or goods. The need to reduce CO2 emissions demands innovative solutions and Tuk Tuk Factory based in the Netherlands have launched an excellent product which meets this need.
Tuk Tuk Factory recently launched an electric auto rickshaw at eCarTec – an international trade show for electric cars – in Munich. The electric Tuk Tuk is currently available in three versions: as a 3 seater taxi, as a cargo vehicle or the stretched ‘limotuk’ . The Tuk Tuk is ideal as a means of transport in urban areas.
The electric Tuk Tuk is powered by a battery which can be charged with renewable power. The electric motor is also far quieter than any fuel based engine. The design is based on the classic Tuk Tuk you can see in Bangkok or other Asian cities and adapted to a contemporary European style. They are not only environmentally friendly, they are also fun.
Project Tukki is currently running in Amsterdam and the Tuk Tuks are used on Fridays and Saturdays for night transport around the city. In Rotterdam project From was started last March and the electric rickshaws are used for short distance transport. The vehicles are supported by the Dutch government and they comply with EU regulations. There is no reason why they should not be used in other European cities.
For further details please go to www.tuktukfactory.nl
© 2010 M.HAUS
Timber is one of the oldest building materials. It is available in most parts of the world and it is easy to handle and use. One disadvantage, however, is that most timber species react to environmental influences: they swell when they get damp and they can be attacked by insects. Over the last years tropical timbers have been very popular, especially in high end developments, as they react far less to dampness and in comparison to European timbers, hardly swell. New ways of treating local European timbers will allow us to drastically reduce the use of tropical timbers and to protect the rainforests.
The simplest technological way to minimize the shrinkage and swelling of timbers is the thermal treatment with hot plant oil (170 – 250⁰C). For two to three days the timber is treated in a heat process and as a result the cellular structure of the timber changes, such that the impact of water and damp can be reduced. After treatment the tendency to swell and shrink is reduced by half. The colour of the wood turns a deep and dark tone and bacteria and fungi can no longer feed on it.
Steaming of timber at 100⁰C can also lead to a deep and dark colour of the timber. This process however hardly changes the quality of the timber. A well known example is steamed copper beach.
If the top layer of the timber is charred, it can be protected against attacks from insects as well as rot. Charring is a traditional treatment for timbers and over the last years has been re-discovered in architectural applications.
Another way of treating soft woods for external us is acetylation. In this process the timbers react with acetic acid anhydride under heat and pressure. The capability to absorb water is reduced considerably which allows the timber to be used on the outside of buildings or for structures such as bridges.
Text supplied by Dr. Sascha Peter, Berlin, all rights reserved.
In 1977, in opposition to the large-scale introduction to the intensive and specialised farming, Ottavio Rube joined forces with neighbouring farmers Cesare Berutti and Enrico Boveri to form the cooperative Valli Unite. This small estate in Costa Vescovato, Piedmont, was set up to keep alive the tradition of cyclical and self sustaining agriculture. The Rube family has been producing renowned wines on these slopes since 1382. Valli Unite combined the farms’ vineyards and built stalls to for farm animals to provide organic manure to fertilise their fields and vines. This self-sufficient community, now numbering thirty, also grows various grains, vegetables and fruits, and raises pigs and cows.
Ottavio and his partners kick-started organic viticulture in Italy at a time when the vast majority of grapes were intended for vino sfuso: ‘loose’ (unbottled) wine produced in large vats and sold from the tap. While other producers were introducing selected fruit yeasts in their wines to add strange exotic scents (pineapple did not only land on your pizza), and vines were drowned in pesticides and systemic fungicides, these resistant producers remained wedded to history and geology.
The estate does not use Barriques, the Bordeaux style 225 litres barrels that mellow wines more by speeding up oxygenation. Barriques are made for cooler climates, where tannins are lacking. On the southern lopes of Piedmont they tend to cover up the flavours, so you end up with huge doses of vanilla and wood. Valli Unite’s larger barrels guarantee that no shortcuts are taken, the wine will age naturally. Some imperfections will remain, a stronger acidity recalling a rainy year, or toasted notes denoting a very dry end of season. Barriques, mopping up all this variation, remind us to barricade against homogeneity.
Wine says Ottavio, should express many time spans: the millions of years of geology, the shorter cycle of botanical layering, the millenary cycle of human intervention, and finally the climatic tribulations of the year. The idea of crowd pleasing, commercially tailored, fruit driven wines with identical vintages, is what he calls ‘plastic surgery wine’; something that ‘leaves you deeply unsatisfied, like the happy ending of a Hollywood movie.
Text provided by www.aubertandmascoli.com
Two mega trends will continue to have a major impact on our lifestyles over the next years – the continued growth of information technology and the challenges and opportunities arising through the development of low carbon economies. The COMPOS chair responds very well to both of these trends.
Through mobile technologies working has become more interactive than ever before and the nature of work has changed dramatically. New technologies, activity models and networking have increased the need for working in a flexible way and in new places.
The COMPOS chair manufactured by the Finnish company PIIROINEN was developed from a user centred design perspective resulting in a product full of inspiration, making use of both open and closed spaces and enabling working alone or together in smaller groups. Multifunction use and transformability have been the cornerstones in the design process. The COMPOS chair was designed for open plan workspaces, public seating areas and flexible working.
Samuli Naamanka designed the chair and there is a material innovation behind the COMPOS collection: the seats of the chairs are produced from Finnish linen and corn starch which is polymerized from natural fibre.
At the beginning of the design process the team decided that they wanted to use an organic material. This material obviously had to meet the demands of the furniture industry and achieve curves that are bent into three directions as well as allow for different thickness.
The material is locally sourced and 100% biodegradable. On top of that the costs of the mould for this technology are remarkably lower than plastic or aluminium moulds.
Meet the designer – www.samulinaamanka.com
More product information you can find on www.piiroinen.com
If you are interested in the opportunities bio plastics offer, please see www.european-bioplastics.org
© 2010 thequietriot.com
In the 27 EU member states we produce 164kg of packaging ‘waste’ per capita in one year (Ireland at the top with 245kg and Bulgaria at the bottom with 41kg per person). Almost half of this packaging ‘waste’ stream mainly consists of paper and cardboard, the rest is glass, metals and plastics. Research shows that recycling – rather than sending to landfill or incinerating – has the lowest environmental impact when treating paper and cardboard after use.
Cardboard Future Ltd recently launched the world’s first fully-specified mass production workstation made entirely of cardboard. The Paperweight Desk was designed by Mary Dorrington Ward and engineered by Pat Doyle. It is manufactured in the UK from 76% recycled paper and it is 100% recyclable. Measuring 1500mm x 750mm it is built to meet European legislation for strength and stability and can take up to 100kg. It is the first of a series of cardboard furniture products to be launched by Cardboard Future over the next 12 months.
The specially made corrugated board is coated with a highly water-resistant cellulose varnish and can be assembled in just a few minutes. It comes complete with full cable management and the adjustable legs can be positioned inset or outset.
No screws, staples, glues or tools are required for assembly and the desk comes with a 12-month warranty. The product is currently available in pure white, a palate of standard colours will soon be available and customers will also be able to specify their own colours or designs.
Cardboard Future is working towards creating a true ‘cradle to cradle’ product for clients whereby all of the materials in the product are contained within a closed loop manufacturing system. Clients can already buy into the cradle to cradle service by leasing the products for as long as needed and are guaranteed 100% reuse of these materials into new products.
Full details of the company and the product are on www.cardboardfuture.com
Statistics from European Environment Agency – www.eea.europa.eu
Report on paper recycling see – EEA Technical report No 5/2006, Paper and cardboard — recovery or disposal? Review of life cycle assessment and cost-benefit analysis on the recovery and disposal of paper and cardboard, ISSN 1725-2237
Concrete is an innovation of the early 20th century and its development completely transformed the way we built. Recently, it has received bad press because it is extremely energy hungry in its production. However, new developments in concrete not only result in big reductions in the use of energy and resources, they also offer new design opportunities.
Until now the application of concrete was characterised by big structures, because the walls needed a minimum thickness to be stable. With the introduction of high density concrete very different results and application can be achieved.
The new high density concrete called Quantz is a cement bonded high tech material. The production process combines computer power, which allows for the use of a novel optimization algorithms withthe latest developments in nanotechnology. The production process can be adjusted to use local raw materials, which cuts out often highly polluting transport. In comparison to traditional concrete the proportion of cement is reduced by 40%. The material is denser and the structures much thinner which leads to a reduction of the material costs of up to 35%. Due to its high density Quantz also offers the advantages of higher rigidity, resistance and durability.
One of the first designers to work with this material is Hamburg based Alexa Lixfeld. She applies a special coating to the high density concrete and creates filigree designs for kitchens and bathrooms. The surfaces are glossy, abrasion- and acid-resistant, food safe, and hydrophobic.
Doreen Westphal uses the materials to create wall murals and Gregor Zimmermann uses it in furniture design.
www.gtecz.com
www.alexalixfeld.com
www.doreenwestphal.com
Text provided Dr. Sascha Peters, Berlin – www.saschapeters.com
© 2010 all rights reserved
The Monument is one of the great sites of London. It was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and completed in 1677 as a memorial to the Great Fire in 1666. The building is 202ft high, stands 202ft from the spot in Pudding Lane where it is believed the fire started and is the tallest free standing stone column in the world. It was recently completely refurbished and equipped with a highly energy efficient lighting system.
Although incandescent lights are being phased out across the EU and energy efficient lighting solutions will be introduced, the lighting industry has been relatively slow to promote innovative and well designed low energy lighting solutions. The Monument presented a unique challenge as the structure predates electric lighting. The old scheme was typically unsympathetic, utilising large and unsightly bulkhead fittings.
The designers set out to create a new solution with minimal visual intrusion. Special linear LED sources were designed to the same dimension and profile as the iron stair balustrade spindles. Finished in the same colour and fixed by metal straps, the new lighting is barely noticeable to visitors.
The original finish of the walls – a limed wash – was reinstated. The limed wash gives excellent reflectance and supports the indirect lighting solutions which were installed. The lighting designers had to strike a balance between providing the right mood inside this historic structure and safety requirements and decided to keep the illumination levels at approximately 50 lux average. The emergency lighting is a central battery system which feeds 25% of the standard LED balustrade sources.
The big advantages of the new lighting solution are its low energy use (1.3kWh), longevity and minimum maintenance.
Over 100.000 visitors climb the 311 spiral steps every year to the Monument’s observation gallery to enjoy the unique and exhilarating views across London. On the way up and down they can now also admire a forward thinking energy efficient lighting solution.
The lighting solution was developed by Light Bureau. For more details on the project and the project partners, please visit their website www.lightbureau.com .
© thequietriot.com 2010
A programme on sustainable innovation in China
CITIES
More that 50% of the world’s population now live in urban areas and the pressures on infrastructure and well being are immense. The growing population and the urbanisation on our planet offer huge opportunities for design, innovation and sustainable development.
CLIMATE
The growing population as well as our growing wealth put pressure on our resources and at the same time have a negative impact on our climate. The challenges climate change and the decline of resources pose, need to be resolved.
KNOWLEDGE
Knowledge and service based industries have become the key factor for growth and success. Web based technologies and the free flow of information accelerate this process. The development of knowledge economies is the future.
CHINA
China will be the economic power house of the 21st century. China is changing from a ‘work bench’ economy to a smart economy with a very strong consumer base.
SHANGHAI IN DEPTH is a series of events hosted by the Shanghai Association for Science and Technology (SAST) and organised by thequietriot.com during World Expo 2010. We will bring together business and innovation leaders from Europe and Shanghai.
The development of our cities, the climate and our knowledge economies offer huge business opportunities and potentials for joint ventures and co-operations in China which we will explore.
SHANGHAI IN DEPTH will during the course of the next months explore six themes from an innovation and business perspective
THEME 1 Inclusive and balanced city: share, live and integrate together
THEME 2 Natural and friendly city: low carbon, ecological and energy-efficient
THEME 3 Healthy and peaceful city: providing well being and a healthy and safe environment
THEME 4 Intelligent and intellectual city: digitalisation and smart network
THEME 5 Habitable and integrated city: urban spaces, architecture, design, traffic and infrastructure
THEME 6 Colourful and diverse city: science and technology, humanities, society and changes in culture.
During World Expo 2010 we will run a number of four day events exploring these themes in more detail, giving an insight into the width and breadth of business opportunities in the Greater Shanghai Area. Our workshops will also allow you to meet innovation leaders in energy management and efficiency, innovation, design and sustainable development.
It will be a platform for people from Europe and China who have understood how to turn green developments and technologies into business success, and for those with similar aspirations.
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