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The Future of 3D Printing and Healthcare

When it comes to 3D printing, the sky is the limit. As 3D printing technology continues to advance, applications can be as far reaching as  airplane  and  automobile parts  to medical devices and even anatomically correct, biocompatible models. Although 3D printing technology is developing at a rapid pace, the technology itself is not new. It emerged in  the 1980s  as a means of creating rapid prototypes. In recent years the applications for 3D printed models have evolved with the available hardware, software, and printable materials. Evolving technology, paired with the creative and innovative minds of scientists, engineers, and physicians, has been the launching pad for developments within 3D printing technology specific to healthcare. One way 3D printing technology is poised to create better patient outcomes is in creating an anatomically and  patient-specific models  to aid in surgery and medical procedures. With the capability to 3D ...

Exotic Materials Used in Automotive Plastics

coconut husks
Volcanic ash and coconuts aren’t just found on tropical beaches anymore. That is because Hyundai, Kia, and Ford are using them in automotive applications, which have been nominated for awards.
“Engineers at Hyundai and Kia are using ground volcanic ash in a polypropylene and rubber composite to reduce costs and achieve a cloth-like appearance,” reports Doug Smock in PlasticsToday. The new material looks like the cloth wrap found in higher-priced cars and is currently used on the pillar trim of the 2011 models of the Hyundai Elantra and the Kia Rio.
It costs a few dollars more than its molded counterpart but is about half the cost of cloth wrap. In addition, it weighs less, has improved scratch resistance, and has reduced odor and volatile organic compound emissions.
Joel Myers, a senior engineer at Hyundai, told PlasticsToday that “the goal of the project was to develop a pillar trim that looks better than non-painted injection molded pillars, which have a cheap, ‘plasticky’ feel.” The material is a result of materials and processing advances. The materials include adding the ash and glass bubbles, and the processing involves changing the mixing order and percentage of the ingredients.
Myers also told Smock:
[I]t’s important to optimize the type, size and amount of glass bubble, fiber pile, and volcanic filler to keep a balance between mechanical properties and the cloth appearance. Two complementary colors are used in the fibers to boost the visual effect.
At Ford, engineers are replacing cotton fibers with coconut husk fiber, which is also known as coir, in a 50/50 polypropylene mix. Ford calls the new material “Coco felt,” and is using it for the load floor of the 2012 Focus Electric, according to Smock.
Elizabeth Johnston, the advanced green engineer at Ford, told Smock that coir is an abundant waste product with great properties, such as “bending stiffness, ignition resistance, moisture resistance, microbial resistance and low odor.” In addition, it’s only “slightly more expensive than cotton,” and Ford plans to “expand applications for coir,” she said.

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The Future of 3D Printing and Healthcare

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