The latest news from the engineering word
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The latest news from the engineering word
Discover images from recent editions of the show
Find videos, clips and interviews
Read recent press releases and articles
Download the most recent post-show report
Read recent blog post and interviews
At a recent conference, Ford Motor presented its innovative graphene-enhanced polyurethane (PU) foam that reduces noise in automobiles while also lowering their weight. The material was chosen as a finalist for the Polyurethane Innovation Award, given by the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) during the conference. The foam is said to be used in all of Ford’s North American vehicles.
One of the biggest challenges in developing the foam was dispersing a nanomaterial like graphene into a viscous polymer and keeping it from collapsing during mixing, said Alper Kiziltas, technical expert, sustainability and emerging materials at Ford.
Ford’s other challenge in developing the PU was conceptual. For new materials, it is commonly believed that an application will get better properties if it consumes more of the material. Counter-intuitively, Ford began lowering the concentration of graphene in the polyol, Kiziltas said. As the concentration fell, the resulting foam’s performance improved.
– Brought by the GEIC
The UK’s largest annual gathering of engineering and manufacturing professionals, Advanced Engineering, opened its doors once again on November 1 and 2, 2023 at the NEC, Birmingham. Across the two days, 8,943 attendees witnessed the latest innovations that the UK has to offer at Advanced Engineering, making it an extremely busy and energetic event.
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn Statement for 2023 was revealed yesterday, bringing a wave of positive news. Among the highlights are the largest tax cut since the 1980s, £45 billion in funding for the British manufacturing sector, and an Investment Zones program targeting industries deemed crucial for the future. The economic challenges that have persisted for some time are now met with a vital boost, particularly benefiting the manufacturing sector, promising long-term stability.
The government has today announced £4.5 billion in funding for British manufacturing to increase investment in eight sectors across the UK. The funding will be available from 2025 for five years, providing industry with longer term certainty about their investments.
