Chairman’sCorner

For this issue, we focus onthe interaction betweenmaterials and design. Tosome extent this plays into the hands of thosewho think MaterialsScientists only deal withfabrics, but neverthelessthere are some very important issues to consider here. Design plays an important part inalmost every product or structure that is produced. In some areas this is very obvious;automotive manufacturers can’t sell cars thatdon’t look good, no matter how fuel efficientthey may be; consumer products of all typeshave to balance appearance and performance.In other areas the link is less clear but still verypresent. For instance, in the construction sectorthe availability of novel materials has allowedarchitects to push the designs of buildings intonew areas. Even in areas where performancematters most such as the aerospace sector,aesthetic design aspects are still important,though maybe limited to the ergonomics ofinternal components. Increasingly, design is notso much about how something looks, but how itis used, how it impacts on people and vitallyhow it interacts with the environment over itsentire life cycle. This is illustrated with the article from Orangebox in this Bulletin.

We have run two joint events in the last twoyears with the Materials and Design Exchange(MADE) which have provided good opportunities for designers and materials technologists to come together in the areas ofsteel and polymers. Other events that havehighlighted the materials activities in WelshUniversities have linked to design in packaging(at Bangor), in architecture (Cardiff) and inprinting (Swansea). A collaboration between theWelsh Centre for Printing and Coating, based atSwansea and Coleg Sir Gâr’s KTC in technicaltextiles will ensure Wales is a leading centre forprinted electronics and wearable textiles, anarea of great design potential.

In this issue we also have articles on Eco-Designand more conventional engineering design withConnaught Engineering. Overall, the combination of technical expertise and facilitiescoupled with an excellent environment for newideas to flourish should ensure Wales is verywell set to exploit the interactions betweenMaterials and Design.

MetalsPlasticsRubberCompositesWood

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bulletinwww.mnw.org.uk | Spring 2010

Inside: This issue focuses on Interaction Between Materials and Design

The people involved in delivering theKnowledge Transfer have a wide range ofexperience. This encompasses the clothing,footwear, furniture and engineering companiesthat cut sew and join fabrics to make manydifferent types of product.

Coleg Sir Gâr has a state of the art GerberC.A.D. system for the creation and manipulation of flat pattern pieces. This isused to optimise fabric usage to make cuttingeasier while reducing wastage.

Swansea Metropolitan University’s CIRICcentre is a partner on this project and hascomplementary high-tech equipment for usein a variety of textile applications. Thisincludes laser cutting, laser engraving, waterjet cutting, digital fabric printing and digitalembroidery.

Companies enrolled onto the project so farcome from across a range of industries. Theyinclude makers of leather goods, upholsteredfurniture, inflatables, fire and rescue equipment also defence and aerospace. Eachcompany is assisted with complete confidentiality and respect of their intellectual property and will only be namedby permission.

Dr Cris Arnold

The Textile Technologies Project will run for three years from Sept 2009.The aim of the project is to give Knowledge Transfer assistance from academiainto business across a broad range of manufacturers involved in almost anykind of textile use in Wales.

Coleg Sir Gâr has a state of the art GerberC.A.D. system for the creation and manipulation of flat pattern pieces. This isused to optimise fabric usage to make cuttingeasier while reducing wastage.

Also available is powerful software for sampling different types of products in a virtual environment, allowing many variationsof product to be sampled before decidingwhich options will be taken into production.

The centre has a Texweld Pro 140 joiningmachine that can join fabrics using laser andultrasound technology. This will be used totest fabrics in R&D collaborative projects withparticipating companies.

They are continually looking for more companies that could benefit from our assistance. Interested parties should contactProject Manager Mr. Norman Cox on 01554748238 or norman.cox@colegsirgar.ac.uk

Coleg Sir Gâr Textile Technologies Project

“Don’t forget to check out the MNW website for details of future events and reports”

Page 1Coleg Sir Gâr Textile TechnologiesProject

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Good Design is Sustainable

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Connaught EngineeingLtd

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Structure-critical Materials for the Oiland Gas IndustriesDiary Dates

Good design is sustainable

bulletin Spring 2010

Closer to home, the UK Department of Environment (DEFRA) haslaunched a research programme looking into material scarcity and its impacts on UK industry. This moves resource efficiency to the centre of the design agenda.

These challenges posed by sustainability require us to innovate.Designers have responded to these emergent issues through thedevelopment of design approaches such as ecodesign and design forsustainability. Designers have the tools to design recycled contentinto products, design for recyclability and closed-loop product systems, design out toxic or hazardous materials, and to ensure thedurability of products. Ecodesign thinking addresses a company’smaterials, processes and practices and aims to design out waste.Importantly ecodesign thinking also identifies value and opportunityin the use of more sustainable materials and preventing “legacywaste” problems for future generations.

About the Ecodesign Centre (EDC)Established in 2006, the Ecodesign Centre (EDC) is an applied research organisation, based in UWIC, which aims to build capacityand capabilities to enable effective ecodesign in industry. The setting-up of EDC was supported by the Welsh Assembly Government(WAG) as part of its statutory commitment to sustainable development. EDC’s primary goal is to conduct international bestpractice research in ecodesign and eco-innovation, to disseminate andimplement the results to industry and other key stakeholders (e.g. educators, policy-makers). You can find out more informationabout our work and some case studies on our website www.edcw.org

Simonn O’Rafferty, Ecodesign CentreE-mail: simon@edcw.orgWeb: www.edcw.org

There is a strong interest among designers in producing productsthat are aesthetically, commercially and technically viable whilereducing the overall impact on the planet and people. There is also agreater interest among consumers in more stringent information onthe environmental and social performance of the products they consume. These two issues have been instrumental in moving sustainability from the fringe to the boardroom and onto the political agenda.

Since 2006, the Ecodesign Centre, based at UWIC, has been workingwith industry, designers, design educators and policy makers inWales to increase the understanding and application of ecodesign(an approach to designing products in a more sustainable manner).Materials and the interaction between materials and design is a keyissue in ecodesign. It is already apparent that the consequences ofour resource use, in terms of environmental impact, are unsustainable. Design has a powerful influence on how people consume and use products. This influence includes the types andquantity of materials consumed, how the consumer responds to thematerials and what happens to those materials when they havereached the end of their useful life. This places a greater responsibility on the designer to use materials in an intelligent way.

A key issue in the coming years will be material scarcity. The non-renewable supplies of key raw materials and increased competition through globalisation are already causing concernabout the future viability and competitiveness of manufacturing.In the last few years the European Commission has developed astrategic programme on raw materials and more recently drew up a“critical list” of certain raw materials that are vital for the future ofEuropean manufacturing.

Furniture is often composed of many different materials such as wood, fibre board,adhesives, metals, plastic, leather/hide,stuffing, textiles and glass. Many of thesematerials can contain additives or compounds hazardous to health and theenvironment. This poses challenges whendetermining the full life cycle impacts of afurniture product. The greatest environmental impacts are generally in theproduction phase in terms of material consumption, emissions, production phaseenergy consumption, transportation andend-of-life (EOL) treatment. It is also clearthat furniture with low durability and poorfunction is harmful to the environment as itis scrapped early and must be replaced.According to Business in the Community,approximately 350,000 to 400,000 tonnes offurniture is sent to landfill each year in theUK. This is clearly unsustainable.

Orangebox, based in Wales, are a UK marketleader in the research, development,manufacture and service of seating for thecommercial environment. The company hasshown a commitment to ecodesign,

The chair incorporated enhanced environmental features, including productlight weighting and resource efficiency, moreeffective assembly and disassembly times and an innovative mono-material backing unit.

Many of the innovations in the product were a direct response to the environmental constrains the company were placing on theproduct. The company has shown that bydiverting waste from landfill and applyingecodesign companies in Wales can achievecompetitive advantage. The chair received significant launch sales and has won numerous awards for the product, includingthe 2009 Mixology furniture product of the year.

‘Our environmental ambition has forcedour business to change for the better andwe’re proud of that. Our customers areaware of the responsibilities we have as a manufacturer so we have to provide intelligent solutions to meet their businessneeds. Our environmental agenda is ourbusiness agenda and Ecodesign plays a critical role in that process.’

For further information contact:Luke Palmer, Designer, Orangebox LimitedTo view Orangebox’s ‘no green bill presentation’ go to http://www.orangebox.com/environment.htm

Orangebox Limited - Case study

environmental best practice and life cycle thinking. The company recently worked withEDC on the development of a new officechair, the ARA. Through this the companybecame the first European Manufacturer inits sector to achieve Cradle to Cradle accreditation. The Environmental Protectionand Encouragement Agency was commissioned to scientifically analyse thematerials contained within the Ara chair tohighlight and categorise those with the highest environmental and toxologicalimpacts.

While the accreditation was an important stepfor the company it only formed part of theoverall ARA project.

www.mnw.org.uk

Polymers for LifeEmboldened by the success of an event run in November 2008,Materials Network Wales combined again in November, 2009. Thistime, “Polymers for Life” was the topic and the Liberty Stadium inSwansea the venue. The starting point for the event was that whilstpolymeric materials are definitely not the new metals, there aremany superficial similarities that could easily lead a designerastray. Three speakers made presentations. Brian Knott of theInstitute of Materials, Minerals and Mining argued that if designers

remember to check the manufacturing and service conditions toensure that the strength, toughness and temperature properties ofthermoplastic polymers are not exceeded, then they will be foundsuitable for many applications. Dr Liz Mallen, Impact ProtectionProject Leader at Dow Corning in Barry described the developmentof a range of flexible, impact-resistant textiles that can be madeinto high performance protective apparel and equipment andDafydd Davies, Design Manager, Business Innovation- Design outlined the Welsh Assembly Government’s Flexible Support forBusiness programme. A more detailed report appears on the MNWwebsite.

Connaught Engineering Ltd. HYBRID+ System with up to25% fuel saving and equivalent reduction in CO2 emissions.

The Connaught Engineering Ltd. HYBRID+System, which is the world’s firstcommercially available, retro-fit, KERS(Kinetic Energy Recovery) system for LightCommercial Vehicles, has the edge overtraditional battery hybrid systems, since itdoes not store the regenerated brakingenergy in expensive, heavy weight, batterypacks. It is therefore ideally suited to the0ne ton van segment of the market, wherepay load and useable volume are ofparamount importance to the Operator.

The HYBRID+ System stores the energy insuper capacitors which weigh 15kg compared to an equivalent 350kg batterypack; they need no servicing and noovernight charging, and the whole systemruns at a safe 48V. They can be chargedand discharged several million times, andwill last for the whole life of the vehicle,again, unlike the current battery packs.

The motor/generator is driven from theinternal combustion engine via a constantly variable transmission,(as patented by Connaught EngineeringLimited), assuring that the generator runsat peak efficiency, i.e. peak r.p.m.,irrespective of the speed of the primeenergy source, thereby generating maximum recharge for the super capacitors under braking and maximumtorque assistance across the engine speedduring acceleration up through the gears.

Fitting time is less than a standard workingday and the servicing schedule correspondswith the base vehicle’s service intervals.Connaught offer warranty on their components, and all original vehicle warranties remain intact. The typical all upweight of the conversion for a Transit sizedvan is less than 50kg which therefore haslittle impact on pay-load and is favourableto overall fuel economy when comparedwith the weight of a typical battery pack.

Fuel savings can be as much as 25%depending on the drive cycle conditions,and there is of course an equivalent percentage reduction in CO2 emissions.In terms of retro–fit systems on LightCommercial Vehicles, Connaught

The system is so compact, and light inweight, that it will fit most mass produced commercial vehicles, and may bepackaged within the existing architectureand existing body style of the vehicle.It may therefore be fitted “on-line” as anoriginal equipment option, or retro-fittedas a kit to existing fleets of vehicles.

Currently, the system is commerciallyavailable for Ford Transit Rear Wheel Drivevehicles, and pre production systems arebeing developed and tested for the FWDTransit, and the Mercedes Benz Sprinter inboth manual and automatic form.Prototype systems are being developed forthe VW Crafter range, and design work iscontinuing for the next generation ofVauxhall Light Commercial Vehicles.

Over the typical life of a “working”vehicle, this represents a considerable costsaving to the operator with an immediatebenefit to the environment, and at a costof approximately £3000, the system offersa pay back to the client well within thevehicle’s useful life.

originally based all of their calculations onan average figure of 15%, but carefullycontrolled measurements on customervehicles are showing improvements of over 20%.

For further information contact:Geoff Matthewsgmatthews@connaughtengineering.com

To become a member of the Network, you can register on:

www.mnw.org.ukFor further information on MNW Activities contact:Pauline Jones, Materials Network WalesTel: 07976 953685 Email: pjones.mnw@btinternet.comOs hoffech dderbyn Bwletin y Fforwm a/neu eich gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg yn y dyfodol, rhowch wybod i Pauline Jones

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Oil and gas are major sources ofenergy for the UK and are likely toremain so for some time to come.With around 17% of the UK’sinstalled refinery capacity locatedin two refineries in Wales, oneoperated by Chevron at MilfordHaven and the other by Murco atPembroke, it was appropriate thatthe Materials Network Walesshould hold its latest workshop in

the Pembrokeshire Technium onThursday 29th October. John Brearof Stress Engineering Services(Europe) Limited gave the openingtalk entitled “Materials challengesfor present and future refineries”followed by Dr Tony Franks ofMetamet Consultants Ltd whoconcentrated on the behaviour of9% Cr, 1% Mo ferritic stainlesssteels. The third speaker, Akshay

Peer described the Prince of WalesInnovation Scholarship schemeand the final contribution camefrom Jon Cummings of theChevron Pembroke Refinery whoargued that processing lowervalue raw materials leads to more demanding operating conditions.A more detailed report appears onthe MNW website.

SPRING 2010

10 - 14 APRIL 2010 - ELECTROSTATICS 201123 MARCH 2010 - COMPOSITES

Bangor University The 13th International Conference on Electrostatics continuesthe quadrennial series organised by the Institute of PhysicsElectrostatics Group. The conference will bring togetherexperts from academia, research laboratories and industry todiscuss the many facets that make up the study of electrostatics.

In the preface to the proceedings of the first conference heldin 1967, Dr. P. S. H. Henry, Chairman of the StaticElectrification Group, wrote “Industry has been forced tostudy ‘static’ by its nuisance value”. The nuisance and hazardscreated by static electricity remain an important area ofstudy, but today electrostatics has grown to encompass abroad range of subject areas and has many interdisciplinaryassociations. Bio-electrostatics, atmospheric electrostaticsand environmental electrostatics cover issues that are relevant to our everyday lives and our future. Looking beyondour own world, planetary electrostatics plays an importantrole in the understanding of Lunar and Martian environmentsthat will be necessary for future exploration. Electrostatics isalso important in the development of new materials,processes and micro- and nano-scale engineering.Electrostatics 2011 is the perfect forum to learn about anddiscuss the latest advances in these and other subjects.

For further information and to register visit www.electrostatics2011.org

Composites for SMEs,The WCC’s Annual Composite ConferenceTuesday, 23rd of March 2010, Civil and Computational LectureTheatre, Engineering, Swansea University, 9:45 – 16:30

Composite materials are well known for their applications inlight-weight, high-performance structures, particularly in theaerospace sector and motor sports. However, recent globaltrends suggest their increasing use across a multitude ofother sectors, including construction, infrastructure, transport,energy, sports and leisure.

This one day conference provides an insight into the variousaspects of the design, manufacture and applications of composites and highlights the potential for Welsh SMEs toexplore the various incentives and opportunities to developtheir businesses using these materials.

Organised by the Welsh Composites Centre (WCC) to promote the awareness of composites and share knowledge,skills and best practice in the use of composite materials, thisevent will bring together industry, government and academia.Talks include advice on funding, opportunities for collaboration and several case studies in computational modelling and materials for different composite applications.

For further information and to register visit www.welshcomposites.co.uk