Polyurethane – predominant material
Polyurethane is the predominant material used in the GP Discovery Torch. It is used for the outer casing as well as most of the inner components.
The world polyurethane comes from the Greek roots meaning many parts. Polymers make up both the natural and synthetic bases for things such as DNA and plastics. Polyurethane is resultant of many polymer bonds joined by urethane. Polyurethanes are used in many different objects including synthetic materials such as spandex, rubbers, like those found on rollercoaster and escalator wheels, footwear, building insulation, hard plastics, coatings and adhesives for electronics including lighting or video game consoles. It is lightweight, extremely versatile and has significant durability.
Costing
This material is usually a very cost effective choice for bulk manufacturing as it is easily produced and does not take as much energy to deform as other similar materials.
The cost estimator has deemed the entire GP Discovery Torch to be worth less than $1 when only taking into account the plastic parts, not the batteries or the wiring. This mean with a mark-up of over $10, assuming the selling price is $10-$20 polyurethane is a profitable material.
Quantity
Injection moulding, the manufacturing technique used, is one of the most common manufacturing techniques used and is extremely cheap. A rapid and high volume production line can be used to produce high quantities of the finished product to sell for
Also known as additive manufacturing because 3D printing is the process of making an object by depositing material by layers at a time. This is useful and was created because many businesses use subtractive manufacturing, where they tend to have material and carve into it and make something out of it, thereby wasting a lot of material. While using the additive manufacturing they are able to use the material with 98% efficiency to create something, which is why 3D printing is burgeoning and more research is being conducted to increase the 3D printers
Now that you own an attractive, new timber floor, you probably wonder how to protect it the best for it to retain its ideal condition. You can select between an oil-based polyurethane and a water-based polyurethane for your timber floor coating. While both provide excellent protection for a wood floor, they differ in their characteristics and application methods.
Polyurea is an organic polymer that is the reaction of isocyanate with an amine terminated polyether resin, forming a plastic-like or rubber-like compound that may be used in many of the same ways as older technologies – polyurethane, epoxy, vinyl ester, neoprene; to name a few.
Polyvinylchloride is the widely accepted trivial name for poly (1-chloroethene) and, in terms of worldwide production, is one of the three most important polymers in current use, the other two being polyethylene and polystyrene. PVC has numerous uses, including cable insulation, packaging, and toys.
Polymers are large molecules with large molar masses and are composed of many repeating subunits. Also referred to as macromolecules, polymers both synthetic and natural have a broad range of properties which play a vital role in everyday life. Polymers range from naturally occurring biopolymers such as DNA, proteins, cellulose and starches to synthetic plastics including polystyrene and polyethylene (Shakhashiri). Polymers are synthesised using a chemical process known as polymerisation, where individual molecules called monomers are reacted to form chains or three dimensional networks.
Dr. Gerald Thermos, researcher, scientist, and the inventor of the 100% Polyurea Elastomeric System, Process for Producing and Use Thereof, along with fellow scientist Anastasios Zahariadis. In more detail the Polyurea Elastomeric System takes Polyurea, which was relatively new but more advanced and capable then any other existing polymer systems and coatings. Polyurea is a high performance system, which uses a multiple Elastomeric component system, creating a extremely tough, durable monolithic membrane, but still giving it a good balance of water and chemical resistance. The Polyurea is highly resistant to abrasion, sketches and corrosion, making surfaces barely affected by damp or cold conditions. Polyurea can be sprayed directly onto water, ice or below freezing surfaces, saving time and making it the perfect ideal choice for lining concrete, steel tanks, man made ponds and most kinds of roofing.
A polymer is a long chain of molecules made up of many repeating identical units called monomers. A polymer made from two or more repeating units of monomers are called copolymers (Smith et al., 2006). Monomers are often made up of Hydrogen and Carbon with extra elements such as Oxygen, Nitrogen and Chlorine, creating the backbone of the polymer. These can be made synthetically, such as polyethylene or occur naturally like cellulose, as are the polymers being investigated are. Polylactic acid is made naturally and Polypropylene is made synthetically. Polymers can be three dimensional networks which don’t melt such as epoxy resin, and are called thermoset polymers, two dimensional or one dimensional networks or chains which can be melted such as polypropylene called thermoplastic polymers
Polyesters, a form of esters, are used to create plastics. Plastics are useful in everyday life as they are used as containers to carry many things such as shopping items, drinks and food products. They are also recyclable so therefore are good for the environment.
1: Thermoplastic- which is hot plastic, that means it can be poured into molds and then cooled
It is replacing machining for smaller runs (1 unit, 10 units, maybe 1,000 units).” (Faludi, 2013). 3D printing has a niche market in creating more specialist products on scale, but it could not feasibly compete with injection moulding when trying to produce small plastic cars etc.
3D printing is a new technology that could potentially change the entire supply chain forever. It is rapidly evolving and gaining a place in many companies. According to a survey performed by the Business Insider as seen in figure 1, 60 percent of firms are either actively using or are evaluating the potential of using 3D printing (Wile). There are an infinite number of uses for 3D printing that come along with advantages and disadvantages.
The history of polymers stretch back millions of years. These “primitive” polymers were created by nature to fulfill the needs of information storage, energy storage and information reproduction. Human made polymers are a more recent invention, of the last two hundred years or so. These polymers are general made of highly flammable hydrocarbons and their derivatives. Fires caused by a combination of human careless and the physical properties of hydrocarbons have caused millions of dollars in property damage and claimed an untold number of human lives. It is this fact that has lead to scientists devoting time and resources to making polymers safer. In the following paragraphs the mechanism behind burning polymers will be
There are several advantages and disadvantages of the materials that have been discussed above. Natural fibers normally are renewable resource so that their cost is relatively low as compared with other synthetic fibers. With the consideration of environmental consciousness, natural fibers are biodegradable so as they can alleviate the problem of massive solid wastes produced and relief the pressure of landfills if they are used for replacing other non-degradable materials for product development. Besides, according to their inherent properties, natural fibers are flexible for processing due to their less susceptible to machine tool damage and health hazards during the manufacturing and etc. Moreover, natural fibers possess many advantages characteristics such as desirable fiber aspect ratio, low density and relatively high tensile and flexural moduli [11].
Reducing weight and maintaining quality: polymers weigh less as compared to metals leading to cost saving in manufacturing and distribution.