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 ...
Manufacturers have been housing charging stations for electric cars in steel or aluminum so far, but those materials do not meet all of the needs of the increasingly sophisticated insides of charging stations. As the demand for charging stations grows, developers are using plastic materials, including wood-plastic composites and polycarbonate resins, for protective exterior covers.
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM in Germany and industrial partner Bosecker Verteilerbau Sachsen are developing honeycomb panels from wood-plastic composites for exterior covers for charging stations, according to EcoComposites. The composites are made of roughly 70% wood fiber and 30% thermoplastic polypropylene. Because the material can be formed into any shape and is used mostly for constructing weather-resistant decks and patio furniture, modular chargers could be designed to blend into street benches or bus shelters.
The composites are recyclable, and production is considered more energy-efficient than steel or other metal materials. The researchers are testing samples at different extreme conditions in a climate chamber to determine which additives or coatings would provide the best protection from weather and prolonged exposure to the sun.
Debbie Sniderman describes in PlasticsToday some of the conditions that the exterior cover material must satisfy in addition to being lightweight, flame-retardant, and have electrical insulating properties:
Charging stations must remain durable in northeastern Europe’s icy winter weather as well as heat resistant in the southwest deserts of the United States. They also need to allow unhampered communications, as more are operating with wireless, Near Field Communication or Radio Frequency Identification communications from cell phones, key rings, or cards. Some charging stations now contain links to databases that will accept and keep track of payments.
Sniderman points out two other companies that have started using polycarbonate resins to protect their charging stations. Dutch charging manufacturer EV-Box B. V. uses Bayblend FR 3000 for covers at stations located in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Germany. Sniderman writes:
The new plastic they use from Bayer MaterialScience is a recyclable halogen-free PC+ABS bend (polycarbonate/acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) that allows commercial mass manufacturing at lower unit costs compared to metal.
Coulomb Technologies’ ChargePoint Charging Stations, which will soon be installed at 800 Walgreens pharmacy locations in the U.S., use another Bayer MaterialScience polycarbonate resin for their transparent covers. Sniderman notes that these covers “allow instructions and advertising messages to be displayed in multiple languages while also offering durable protection for the electronics inside.”
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