Do you have a sustainable hand tool design that you want to bring to life?The ‘Hackathon Challenge’ product design competition from Protolabs invites you to share a design for a hand tool that prioritizes life-cycle analysis (LCA) and sustainability. The winner can receive up to $28,000 in manufacturing support. &nbsp;The design challenge is part of the ongoing Protolabs <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/the-great-engineering-challenge-of-tomorrow" target="_blank">‘InspirON’</a> sustainability series of best practice talks and virtual seminars. It aims to challenge designers to deeply consider the life-cycle analysis of their designs and create innovative ways to ensure their hand tools have a high level of sustainability.&nbsp;<h3 dir="ltr">What is a hand tool?</h3>Any device that is operated by human hands that functions in aid of a task is considered a hand tool for the challenge. The definition is broad and flexible. The jury is looking forward to a range of interpretations, from sustainable remakes of typical simple DIY tools such as screwdrivers and saws to the next generation of simple kitchen gadgets, typical desktop tools such as staplers, medical tools and beyond. Your imagination is the limit.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1621601500116-shutterstock_218933392.jpg" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Designing for sustainability Competition participants are strongly encouraged to also engage with the ‘Sustainable Innovator Challenge’ running alongside the ‘Hackathon Challenge’. Strong entries will demonstrate what they have learned from the InspirON sustainability series of presentations and discussions.Talks and presentations from the series include <a href="http://www.danewhitehurst.com/" target="_blank">Dane Whitehurst</a>’s presentation of carbon-reducing packaging, Simon Lockrey’s keynote about LCA methodology, and Tom Watt-Smith’s discussion on his approach to mass markets and creating measurable impact.<h3 dir="ltr">How to enter?</h3>Entries close July 31.&nbsp;Submissions must include:<ul><li dir="ltr">A written pitch. This must include detail about how your design addresses its carbon footprint through life cycle analysis. You may also include detail about how your design impacts the market as a result of storytelling methodologies.</li><li dir="ltr">Supporting images and/or video (Max combined file size &lt;10MB)</li><li dir="ltr">Email your submission to <a href="mailto:inspiron@protolabs.co.uk" target="_blank">inspiron@protolabs.co.uk</a></li><li dir="ltr">You can submit up to four entries. Entries open to individuals and teams.</li><li dir="ltr">Designs MUST be original and not submitted to previous design challenges.&nbsp;</li></ul>Key Dates:Protolabs Hand Tool Design Challenge opens on May 12Submissions closes on July 31 &nbsp; &nbsp;Round 2 invitations announced on August 13Round two CAD submissions closes on August 27Finalists announced in September 17Winners Announced in October (Date TBC)The Judging CriteriaThe jury will evaluate the hand tools on their manufacturability and life-cycle analysis credentials. Additionally, the product’s potential market impact will be assessed, whether it meets a current need, and how the stated sustainability improvements will be achieved.Meet the juryWevolver co-founder Richard Hulskes will be part of the jury along with technologist and physical prototyping expert Jude Pullen. The remaining jury will be composed of a panel of experts including design engineers from Protolabs, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, and LCA experts from the InspirON event.Design support and inspirationThe design challenge is part of a wider series of talks, workshops, and hackathons presented by Protolabs with the aim to educate and inspire the next generation of designers. Global experts including Dr. Simon Lockrey (leading sustainability and LCA expert), Dr. Vannessa Goodship (author and plastics expert), and Chris Grantham (Circular Economy Director at IDEO) have shared their knowledge and expertise on sustainable manufacturing and product design throughout the series which can be accessed through the Protolabs Inspiron portal. You can view the full series through the <a href="https://inspiron.hubilo.com/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=emea-brand-hackathon-0321&utm_content=emea-inspiron-register-wevolver" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Inspiron Portal</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;All participants of the Hackathon Challenge will have access to the Protolabs design analysis and manufacturability software.&nbsp;For further information and how to enter, please watch the ‘Hackathon Challenge’ talk available via <a href="https://inspiron.hubilo.com/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=emea-brand-hackathon-0321&utm_content=emea-inspiron-register-wevolver" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.inspiron.hubilo.com</a>.

The InspirON ‘Hackathon Challenge’, a product design competition from Protolabs, invites you to share a design for a hand tool that prioritizes life cycle analysis and sustainability. The winner can receive up to $28,000 in manufacturing support.

Product design competition seeks sustainable hand tool innovation

Picking an electric drive for robotic applications is a delicate matter—and a real headache. Sometimes it’s easier to order a custom motor for your robot instead of buying a standard one.&nbsp;Of course, you can always obtain a conventional drive model from a well-known manufacturer and ask for modifications. However, here comes the downside: such changes are typically expensive, and you’ll probably have to wait longer for them to be made. For a hardware startup building a prototype, long delays can be a dealbreaker.&nbsp;Meanwhile, a custom electric motor can save you lots of your time, money, and nerves. What is more, a made-to-order engine is a better fit for an advanced product with peculiar dimensions and specifications. Such a solution may have extra protection to endure specific environmental hazards.However, when you have no clear picture of what you should get, ordering a custom motor may seem too complicated. To ease your worries, we at Rozum Robotics have come up with a list of recommendations to consider before filling out a custom motor request.&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr">What You Should Know About Custom Motor Specifications</h2> <div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjIwOTg0OTU1NDUwLUlNR180NzAyICgxKS5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">FMI Drive by Rozum Robotics&nbsp;If you want to get a custom electric motor, you’ll have to review some technical specifications for your product first.&nbsp;</div> Here's what we suggest paying attention to and put down in a checklist for a tailored drive (you may not know all of them, but that’s no problem—even identifying some of them can be of huge help):<ul><li dir="ltr">Power Supply</li></ul>Check out your power supply parameters first. Are we talking about single-phase electric power, three-phase one, or DC?<ul><li dir="ltr">Nominal Supply Voltage</li></ul>Do you know the intended nominal supply voltage of your system? If yes, inform the manufacturer about it.<ul><li dir="ltr">Overall Dimensions</li></ul>Before ordering a custom engine, you have to think about how it’s going to fit. Take all the necessary measurements, such as height, width, depth, and weight. If known, add to these parameters the diameter and length of the output shaft end.<ul><li dir="ltr">Housing</li></ul>There are at least three things to consider: the material of your application housing, the insulation class of your stator windings, and the Ingress Protection Rating of the electric motor you want to have. The rating is used to define the protection level against water and dust.<ul><li dir="ltr">Motor Characteristics</li></ul>One of the most important steps is to identify required motor ratings. To do so, answer the questions below:<ol><li dir="ltr">How should motor windings be connected?</li><li dir="ltr">What should the nominal and maximum engine torque be?</li><li dir="ltr">What should the nominal and maximum voltage be?</li><li dir="ltr">What should the nominal and maximum rotation speed be?</li><li dir="ltr">What should the nominal motor power be?</li><li dir="ltr">What should the rotor moment of inertia be?</li><li dir="ltr">What is your expected efficiency output?</li><li dir="ltr">What is your operation mode, S1, S3, or something else?</li></ol><ul><li dir="ltr">Environment</li></ul>The environmental impact determines the life cycle of a drive, so it’s crucial to have a clear understanding of the conditions your drive will operate under. Have you established the operating temperature range? What about humidity? Is the environment corrosive or explosive? All these things matter when developing a reliable custom motor.<ul><li dir="ltr">Control System</li></ul>When it comes to the control system, you need to take a closer look at your controller. Is it an in-house solution or a purchased product from a third-party provider? If yes, who is the manufacturer? What is the model of this controller? Do you need feedback control?&nbsp;Another important thing is to define the commutation type of the motor. Is it trapezoidal or sinusoidal?&nbsp;<ul><li dir="ltr">Temperature Sensors</li></ul>Do you require inbuilt sensors to detect temperature changes so that the motor can shut off power and prevent overheating from happening?<ul><li dir="ltr">Additional Requirements</li></ul>The needs of hardware startups vary. Your custom motor may need some additional features not mentioned in this article. If you’re pressed for time or on a shoestring budget, you may also want to include these facts in the list of demands.<h2 dir="ltr">What You Should Check About a Custom Motor Manufacturer</h2> <div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjIwOTg0ODExNjYxLUlNR180NzE5LmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">FMI Drives by Rozum RoboticsIt’s always challenging to find a credible custom motor manufacturer able to deliver engines on cue.</div>To avoid pitfalls, we recommend having a detailed conversation with a potential partner and focusing attention on the following points:<ol><li dir="ltr">Production: Make sure your partner has in-house production and doesn’t outsource projects to unknown third parties. Working with a direct manufacturer gives you more control over the process—and makes it transparent;</li><li dir="ltr">Expertise: It’s safer to order custom motors from a vendor who has a proven track record of successful products;</li><li dir="ltr">Pricing:&nbsp;Finding a producer with a reasonable price-quality ratio is an entire quest—we at Rozum Robotics went through this themselves when we were looking for a customized solution. Eventually, we decided to produce motors all by ourselves.&nbsp;</li></ol>Don’t hesitate to verify all the possible information about prospective suppliers—the precaution will save you from unnecessary trouble down the road.<h2 dir="ltr">The Bottom Line</h2>If you’re a startupper trying to take the world by storm, you know how important it is to get a personalized engine for a prototype. In this case, ordering a custom motor can provide you with many benefits since you’re getting a solution adapted for your application. Although it requires some preliminary fieldwork, such a step can help you get ahead of competitors and build something awesome along the way.&nbsp;

Ordering a custom one isn't a walk in the park—that's why it's better to follow a custom motor roadmap.

Thinking of Ordering a Custom Motor? Here's How to Do It Right

The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) will culminate in a final race held in October of 2021, where teams will compete by developing software that will drive a modified Dallara-built Indy Lights race car around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). The challenge began in late 2019 as teams formulated their plan, demonstrated their ability to program an autonomous vehicle, and have recently taken part in hackathons. This article will cover the impetus of the competition, the technical specifications, the simulation tools, and why this competition matters.<h2 dir="ltr">A Rich Racing Heritage&nbsp;</h2>In decades past, grassroots racing had one purpose: to showcase automotive technology. The old adage, “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday'' drove manufacturers to develop faster, better-handling cars. Technology transfer was a seamless thing; the racecars were showroom stock, and what you watched at the track is what you could buy and drive yourself. The technology seen in F1, Indy, or even Le Mans seems to continue to deviate from road car technology. But in the case of autonomous vehicles, the same code used to race a Dallara around IMS could be used to develop the code for autonomous passenger cars.The Indy Autonomous Challenge seeks to help overcome prominent barriers to automated vehicle (AV) commercialization through an intensive learning cycle where the next generation of automotive engineers can test the boundaries of current assumptions. Here’s how.<h2 dir="ltr">The Indy Autonomous Challenge Race Specifications</h2><h3 dir="ltr">1. The Car: A Modified Dallara-produced AV-21 .</h3><h3 dir="ltr">&nbsp;Dallara Indy Light Chassis</h3>The Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) is converting an AV-21 Dallara to accept the autonomous algorithms from each university team in the IAC. To keep everyone apprised of the mods, there are monthly virtual design reviews. To start, here’s what an AV-21 brings to the table:<h2 dir="ltr">Dallara AV-21 Specifications</h2><table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 18.4856%;" valign="top" width="301">Chassis</td><td style="width: 81.5144%;" valign="top" width="301">Carbon</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 18.4856%;" valign="top" width="301">Race weight</td><td style="width: 81.5144%;" valign="top" width="301">640 - 649 kg (including fuel and driver)</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 18.4856%;" valign="top" width="301">Powerplant</td><td style="width: 81.5144%;" valign="top" width="301">AER P63 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 18.4856%;" valign="top" width="301">Horsepower</td><td style="width: 81.5144%;" valign="top" width="301">450 (+50 for Push-to-Pass)</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 18.4856%;" valign="top" width="301">Gearbox</td><td style="width: 81.5144%;" valign="top" width="301">Ricardo 6-speed semi-automatic (paddle shifters)</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 18.4856%;" valign="top" width="301">Clutch</td><td style="width: 81.5144%;" valign="top" width="301">Tilton carbon 3-plate design</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 18.4856%;" valign="top" width="301">Suspension</td><td style="width: 81.5144%;" valign="top" width="301">Double wishbone</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 18.4856%;" valign="top" width="301">Dampers</td><td style="width: 81.5144%;" valign="top" width="301">Dynamic Suspension’s (Multimatic) DSSVs</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 18.4856%;" valign="top" width="301">Fuel</td><td style="width: 81.5144%;" valign="top" width="301">VP Race Fuel</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 18.4856%;" valign="top" width="301">Wheels</td><td style="width: 81.5144%;" valign="top" width="301">Motegi Racing aluminum 15-inch rims</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 18.4856%;" valign="top" width="301">Tires</td><td style="width: 81.5144%;" valign="top" width="301">Cooper/IndyLights branded slicks and rains</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 18.4856%;" valign="top" width="301">Electronics</td><td style="width: 81.5144%;" valign="top" width="301">Cosworth looms, data logger, dash and sensors, Life Racing ECU, drive-by-wire throttle control, driver-adjustable map</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 18.4856%;" valign="top" width="301">Aerodynamics</td><td style="width: 81.5144%;" valign="top" width="301">Adjustable flaps on the front and rear wings</td></tr></tbody></table>After CU-ICAR worked their magic on the Dallara, additional Lidar, radar, and optical cameras were added as well as additional batteries which are needed to power the added wiring and sensors. Internal cooling was also added for the batteries and electronics.&nbsp;<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjE5NTUyMzEzODA0LUFuc3lzIDA2LmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Close up of a Dallara racecar modified for the Indy Autonomous Challenge.">The modified Dallara is equipped with 6 cameras, 4 radars, 3 lidars, and a GPS IMU for positioning. Image credit: IAC<h3 class="fr-img-space-wrap2">2. The Proving Ground: Virtual and Real Speedways</h3></div>In addition to three on-track test sessions, trials of the autonomous software on a virtual representation of IMS will also be conducted in a VR driving simulator. The <a href="https://www.ansys.com/training-center/course-catalog/systems/ansys-vrxperience-driving-simulator-powered-by-scaner-vehicle-dynamics" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">VRXPERIENCE Driving Simulator</a><a href="https://www.ansys.com/training-center/course-catalog/systems/ansys-vrxperience-driving-simulator-powered-by-scaner-vehicle-dynamics" target="_blank"></a> from Ansys includes scanned tracks, like Mcity at the University of Michigan. That track is used for ADAS testing, and by having the real-world track for physical testing side-by-side with the simulation, engineers can easily conduct validation and benchmark testing.The Ansys simulator also has the ability to take the raw scanned track data (a point cloud collected by specialized companies) and convert it into a high-fidelity model. Often, this process is arduous and takes simulation engineers weeks to define and trim surfaces for simulation. Having that capability within the simulation suite is a huge time-saver on the path to virtual testing.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjE5NTk1OTU4NDQwLUNhbWVyYTUuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Three race cars on a simulation race track.">The Indy Autonomous Challenge simulation track developed by Ansys. Image Credit: Ansys.<h3 class="fr-img-space-wrap2">3. The Race Schedule: Five Rounds of Competition</h3>Each round of the competition is a prerequisite to the following one. The five rounds of the competition are as follows:<ol><li>Launch, Completed February 28, 2020 – The first stage of the competition comprises the formality of registration and the writing of a specific white paper, which included the team’s background research, details on which simulation software will be used, and a project plan.&nbsp;</li><li>Demonstration, Completed August 19, 2020 – Before getting into racecar engineering, teams are asked to prove that they can program a passenger vehicle to undergo a range of autonomous maneuvers (acceleration, turning, declaration, and a complete stop). Teams either submitted a short video as proof or completed the evGrandPrix Autonomous Series.</li><li><a href="https://www.ansys.com/experiences/indy-autonomous-challenge" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Simulation Race, June 30, 2021</a> – The university engineering students will upload their own autonomous algorithms to compete in two stages of a simulated race. First, 10 solo laps will demonstrate their ability to control the IL-15 racecar, which must be completed in ≤ 15 minutes. Second, teams will compete head-to-head for 20 laps, must not crash, stay within the track limits, and complete the race within 105% of their matched competition (similar to the 107% rule of F1 qualifying).&nbsp;</li><li>Qualification, October 21-22, 2021&nbsp;– After a safety and technical inspection, each team must complete 10 laps at IMS in ≤ 15 minutes (average speed ≥ 100 mph), and one of those laps must be completed in ≤ 75 seconds (average speed ≥ 120 mph). The starting grid for the final race is set by the safe completion of the qualification race (in order of the lowest total time for the 10 laps).</li><li>Final Race, October 23, 2021 – The winner will be determined in a 20 lap race at IMS, with an average speed ≥ 120 mph, completed in ≤ 25 minutes. Tech inspection will take place prior to the race, and teams may be disqualified for any rule breaches, impeding another racecar on the track, or cheating. The winner receives $1 million USD, second place receives $250,000, and the third spot will be given $50,000.</li></ol><iframe title="INDYSTAR- Embed Player" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="true" src="https://uw-media.indystar.com/embed/video/6632648002?placement=snow-embed" class="fr-draggable" style="width: 744px; height: 428px;"></iframe> <h3>4. The Engineering Toolkit: Design, Simulation, and Track Testing</h3>To prepare for the simulation race, teams will have access to the <a href="https://www.ansys.com/products/av-simulation/ansys-vrxperience-driving-simulator" target="_blank">Ansys VRXPERIENCE</a> Driving Simulator, which uses SCANeR and the SCADE Suite. The simulator will reside on Microsoft Azure, which teams may already be familiar with using for cloud computing.Ansys hosted four hackathons for the teams to compete in and gain experience in the lead-up to the simulation race. Teams will train their AI (artificial intelligence) software within the programmable logic controller through numerous different driving scenarios.The simulator itself contains a host of modules that could be used both for passenger car and racecar engineering, including driver-in-the-loop simulations (to get the human/passenger feedback), hardware-in-the-loop simulations (to test out ECUs), and model-in-the-loop testing, where multiple driving scenarios can test separate vehicle dynamics or autonomous parameters.<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjE5NTk2MzQwMjMzLUluZHktUG9saW1PdmUtT3ZlcnRha2VfUHJvUmVzICgxKV9Nb21lbnQuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Four views of the Indy Autonomous Simulation Race from the cockpit of the racecar. ">Teams will compete for $150, 000 in prize money in the IAC simulation race on June 17. Image credit: Ansys<h2 class="fr-img-space-wrap2">&nbsp;Engineers Deploy Advanced Simulation Techniques to Design Autonomous Vehicles</h2></div>In addition to the VR driving simulator discussed above, many simulation tools are used to design autonomous (and traditional) vehicles. The AI used to drive an autonomous vehicle needs to be trained in a large number of driving situations. And while there are private proving grounds where these vehicles are tested in real life, there’s simply not enough time to gather data and train the AI in the real world. The majority of the training and testing is done virtually, and then physical testing takes place, in a sense, as a validation of the simulation.&nbsp;Engineers in motorsport and automotive engineering use simulation daily. Nearly every discipline with automotive design has a specialized simulation tool to help them design and optimize a car. Structural engineers use FEA and forming simulations, aerodynamicists use CFD, both for full-vehicle performance and individual components or internal flow systems, such as cooling and engine air inlets, and vehicle dynamicists use kinematic analysis tools and the same driver-in-the-loop simulations described above.&nbsp;By limiting the physical prototyping and testing required, design timelines can be significantly shortened. But it’s also important to note that these tools increase sustainability. In the push for limiting climate change to just 2°, the transportation segment must play a large role, as it currently produces nearly a quarter of the world’s CO2 emissions. And simulation is just one of the many engineering tools that will be used to <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/decarbonization-sustainability-and-innovations-in-transportation-and-mobility" target="_blank">improve sustainability in the automotive industry</a>.&nbsp;For example, in the realm of motorsport aerodynamics, the full-scale rolling-road Windshear wind tunnel in North Carolina requires its own power station to test a vehicle at speeds of up to 150 mph. Add to that the emissions of flying the engineering team to the wind tunnel for a three-day test, and the environmental impacts are not insubstantial. If the same vehicle were tested in CFD, using cloud computing resources and even open-source software (like OpenFOAM), the energy and costs required to reach the same conclusions are minuscule in comparison. There’s no separate power grid required, no flights, and no consumables (coated tires, adjustable ride height system for the wind tunnel, and a suite of real parts to test).<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1619685473166-ezgif.com-gif-maker+%282%29.gif" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="A Ferrari in aerodynamic simulation testing in a looped GIF. ">Simulation aerodynamic testing increases insights while reducing the carbon footprint of design development. Image credit: Ansys.&nbsp;The added bonus of simulation tools (versus IRL testing) is the ability to dive into the results and dissect the findings. Post-processing simulations and spending the time to visualize results are two of the incredibly powerful facets of all simulation tools. VR driving simulators allow you to go back into scenarios and determine where things went off the rails and where things improved. Similarly, a CFD simulation allows you to see exactly where a design change impacted the pressure signature of the underfloor of a racecar, but a wind tunnel test just reports your overall forces and balance.&nbsp;</div><h2 dir="ltr">Why the Indy Autonomous Challenge Matters</h2>Simulation and autonomous vehicles are a part of the drive towards more sustainable technology within automotive engineering. Simulation reduces physical testing, which decreases emissions, both in terms of vehicle emissions at track tests and in terms of energy consumption when manufacturing and testing components. The IAC is the launchpad for engineers to get familiar with new technology and be a part of the changing landscape toward sustainable transportation.The challenge is preparing engineers for jobs in autonomous vehicle development. The university engineering students are solving real-life engineering problems, including “edge case” scenarios, which occur at an extreme operating parameter; for example, avoiding unanticipated obstacles at high speeds while maintaining vehicular control. The IAC will allow for testing of safety and evasive maneuvers during the simulation and final races, which will bring more awareness to the public and foster trust in emerging sustainable technologies.<h2 dir="ltr">Follow the Indy Autonomous Challenge with Wevolver</h2>Over the following weeks, we will do a deep dive into the IAC, highlighting the vehicle, the teams, and the technologies that make it all possible. Our next article will focus on the simulation race taking place on June 30th, where teams compete to win cash prizes totaling $150,000. We’ll explore what the teams will need to prepare, what they will be testing during the race, and why simulation racing is a crucial part of autonomous vehicle innovation.&nbsp;In the final IAC event, you’ll see whether Dallara race cars running at over 100 mph can successfully complete a race at IMS without any drivers. The stakes are high, as university teams fight it out for the top prize, but the excitement for the engineering community will also be huge as we watch a high-speed demonstration of autonomous driving.&nbsp;This article was written by former motorsport engineer&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kattie-thorndyke/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Kattie Thorndyke</a>&nbsp;with editing by the Wevolver Team and Ansys Global Industry Director, Tarun Tejpal.&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr">About the sponsor: Ansys</h2><a href="https://www.ansys.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ansys</a>&nbsp;provides engineering simulation software used to predict how product designs will behave in real-world environments. Founded in 1970, Ansys employs more than 4,400 professionals, many of whom are expert M.S. and Ph.D.-level engineers in finite element analysis, computational fluid dynamics, electronics, semiconductors, embedded software, and design optimization.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjE5NTk0Mjg0MTQ2LWV5SmlkV05yWlhRaU9pSjNaWFp2YkhabGNpMXdjbTlxWldOMExXbHRZV2RsY3lJc0ltdGxlU0k2SW1aeWIyRnNZUzh4TmpFMk5UQTFNakkwTXprd0xVRnVjM2x6SUdKaGJtNWxjaUJwYldGblpTNXFjR2NpTENKbFpHbDBjeUk2ZXlKeVpYTnBlbVVpT25zaWQybGtkR2dpT2prMU1Dd2labWwwSWpvaVkyOTJaWElpZlgxOS5qZmlmIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 300px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">

A high-speed autonomous vehicle race at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway. University teams program and race a modified Dallara  AV-21 racecar to win $1.5 million in prize money.

The Indy Autonomous Challenge

The Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials KyronMAX® Challenge invited designers and engineers to share designs that utilized KyronMAX®'s range of high-strength carbon fiber-based composites to solve an engineering or manufacturing challenge.&nbsp;Dozens of high-quality submissions were submitted to the challenge, making the Jury's task very difficult. Ultimately 14 finalists were selected, these designs were then further assessed on their prototype potential, fit with the KyronMAX materials, and sustainability profile.&nbsp;"The jury was impressed by the number of contestants and the quality of the submissions," Tim Vorage, Global Growth Manager at Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials explained. "It was a challenge to narrow down the selection of finalists and chose a winner. Sustainability seems to be an intrinsic part of the solutions offered by the contestants and is entangled with the technical and commercial offering, resulting in some groundbreaking value propositions and potential business models. The enthusiasm of the teams behind the submissions was absolutely conveyed to the jury members and sparks an excitement that lays a strong foundation for future collaboration with the contestants and the Wevolver team."The winner of the KyronMAX® &nbsp;Challenge is The&nbsp;Ultra-Quiet Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) Blades designed by Michael Deloyer, Eitan Rotbart, and Ammar Jessa from <a href="https://delsonaero.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Delson Aeronautics.</a>Delson's novel blade design method can entirely eliminate the incessant buzzing sound of drones. The patent-pending blade design method results in an average 10 dB sound reduction (50% quieter) relative to equivalently sized conventional UAV propeller blades. The intention of these blades is to provide a simplistic and effective solution to eliminating the incessant noise of UAVs. &nbsp;Light-weight, high-strength materials are critical for UAV propeller manufacturing. Conventional injection molding results in significantly increased weight relative to carbon-fiber manufacturing methods, however, foam-core carbon-fiber manufacturing requires very high labor cost and is extremely difficult to recycle, if at all, often being disposed to landfills once beyond operational capacity.<iframe width="1000" height="563" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1LNKL92kMKE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe>The Delson Ultra-Quiet UAV blades are a great match for the KyronMAX® platform due to the various stresses UAV blades experience.<ul><li dir="ltr">High centrifugal loading beyond 3000 N, requiring high tensile strength.</li><li dir="ltr">Temperature ranges from -30C (-22F) to +50C (+120F) in operating environments, requiring a low Coefficient of Linear Thermal Expansion.</li><li dir="ltr">Operation in both high and low humidity environments requiring low humidity absorption.&nbsp;</li><li dir="ltr">Individual blade loading in excess of 24.5 g/cm^2 (50 lb/ft^2) requiring high flexural strength and stiffness.</li><li dir="ltr">Low material density to result in the lightest weight possible to increase flight efficiency and reduce blade inertial weight to increase responsiveness and stability.</li><li dir="ltr">Operational hours in excess of 1000hrs, requiring high fatigue strength.</li><li dir="ltr">Operating in harsh and unpredictable environments requiring high impact strength.&nbsp;</li></ul>"UAV noise is being noted as a leading barrier to public adoption of drone delivery services in urban environments. We are seeking a light-weight, high-strength, low-cost, scalable, and sustainable manufacturing method to propel the UAV industry forward," the designers explain.The jury was by the attention to detail of the Dyson team and the potential for the blades to be recycled as part of a product take-back program. The Delson Aeronautics team will receive $25,000 in expert support and manufacturing services from Mitsubishi &nbsp;Chemical Advanced Materials to create a fully developed prototype of their idea.&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr">Wevolver Community Vote</h2>We asked the Wevolver community to select their favorite KyoronMAX® Challenge finalist. The final voting was really competitive with community members casting votes from across the world. The winner of the KyronMAX® &nbsp;Wevolver Community Vote is the High-Performance Lacrosse Head designed by&nbsp;<a href="https://danielmitchell.info/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Daniel Scott Mitchell</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://farbodmoghaddam183466341.wordpress.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Farbod Moghaddam</a>.&nbsp;The designers say their goal is to make one of the lightest, strongest, and most durable lacrosse heads on the market.&nbsp;“Our lacrosse friends have been begging us to engineer the perfect lacrosse head – and we think KyronMAX is the best way to get them off our backs!” the designers told us. "Our team is incredibly thankful to the Wevolver community for choosing our project as the community choice winner! We look forward to refining our design with the help of the Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials (MCAM) team to truly create the best lacrosse head offering on the market. Daniel and I have also decided to build this product in public so that everyone can follow us along on the journey to commercialization."&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjE3NjEzMTc3NzA4LUxhY3Jvc3NlX0hlYWRfS3lyb25NQVguanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Daniel Scott Mitchell and &nbsp;Farbod Moghaddam will receive $10,000 of manufacturing support from Mitsubishi Chemical Advance Materials to begin the development of a prototype.&nbsp;<h1>About the sponsor:</h1>Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials is a leading global manufacturer of high-performance materials in the form of semi-finished products and finished parts. The company has locations in 20 countries and more than 2,800 employees. Its specialty engineering thermoplastics and composites are superior in performance to metals and other materials and are used in a wide range of applications, primarily in the capital goods industry. The company is continuously developing new areas of applications in close cooperation with industry leaders in a broad variety of customer markets. The Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials Group is well prepared to further expand its market leadership position.Supporting the vision of our holding company, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.mitsubishichem-hd.co.jp/english/index.html&source=gmail&ust=1610526498335000&usg=AFQjCNHetYAQ5hklIu3KUON9OmNDNWaPDQ" href="http://www.mitsubishichem-hd.co.jp/english/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation (MCHC)</a>, Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials is committed to the realization of KAITEKI, “a sustainable condition which is comfortable for people, society and the Earth”. To realize this vision, the MCHC Group engages in corporate activities that provide products, technologies and services based on the comprehensive capabilities of the Group in the Performance Products Domain, Industrial Materials Domain and Health Care Domain, with chemistry as the basis of our activities. We jointly express and promote our commitment under the corporate brand THE KAITEKI COMPANY.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjE3NjEzNDEwNDE0LWt5cm9ubWF4LWJhbm5lci1sb2dvLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">

The fully recyclable UAV blades cut drone noise by 50%. 

Ultraquiet UAV Blades win The KyronMAX Challenge

Engineers have been designing with sustainability in mind for generations. The sustainable acquisition of resource has always been a factor in the making of things but recent years have seen sustainability increase its presence in public conscience and discourse. As a consequence, governments and businesses are signing up to climate change agreements, compounding an acceleration of legislation. In turn, brands will need to accelerate their response in order to maintain the level of commitment that is legally required of them.Change has been continuous and manageable over the years, with only specific sectors needing to move more abruptly due to competition or stark changes in industry regulation. Transportation – most notably aerospace and automotive – has been the focus of enormous scrutiny for years and has been responding with investment in energy efficiency, and particulate and carbon reduction technologies. Certain consumer goods have also been the focus of scrutiny with some brands taking measures against excessive packaging, CO2 output, and making use of recycled or biodegradable material.These changes are all well documented, and many design engineers live and breathe sustainability, but generally knowledge and attitudes are far from reflecting the more stimulated change we can expect over the decade ahead.And that change is coming. Through the Paris Climate Agreement, in December last year the European Union updated its target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 from 1990 levels. That same month the UK government announced its plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 68% within the same timeframe. This most ambitious target is backed by a ten point ‘green industrial revolution’ plan that includes a significant increase in R&amp;D investment.Waste reduction is also a key factor in sustainability. Not only is a circular economy vital in the fight against plastic waste, so too is changing the way designers design plastic products. Producers will be obliged to ‘clean up’ plastic waste and consumers will be limited through reductions in plastics consumption. The EU’s Plastics Strategy and the UK government’s Waste Strategy are designed to tackle wasteful and damaging litter through legislative action. The measures will not be restricted to single-use plastics and they will contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.The ambitions of governments will lean more heavily on manufacturers and on those designing the products, creating the great engineering challenge of tomorrow.Preparation by sharing knowledgeFor design engineers who need to develop their knowledge and skills in preparation for the challenge ahead, support should be forthcoming. Engineering expertise in the area of sustainability is confined to a relative few, so it’s important that provision is made to help share this knowledge.It’s vital not only to design engineers but also to the companies and brands who employ them. Recycled plastics, bioplastics, production efficiencies are specific examples of what many companies are already engaged in, but a comprehensive approach to sustainability, such as life-cycle analysis (LCA), will become a necessity everywhere in order to sufficiently respond to consumer demand and legislation around sustainable development goals.<a href="https://inspiron.hubilo.com/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=emea-brand-hackathon-0321&utm_content=emea-inspiron-register-wevolver" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The InspirON Sustainability Training Hackathon</a> is precisely the support needed to help meet this challenge. It’s an online training event, in partnership with the Institution of Engineering and Technology (The IET) and Wevolver, that will comprise training seminars conducted by a number of industry experts such as Dr Simon Lockrey and Dr Vannessa Goodship. It will cover a variety of topics including common mistakes made, best practice – now and in the future, sustainable materials advancements and much more besides. There will also be an exciting and engaging team challenge that will help put these learnings into practice.The design engineers who currently live and breathe sustainability are in a position to share their knowledge and insight to prepare others for this challenge.Dr Simon Lockrey bridges the gap between technical, commercial, creative, and sustainability fields. He is currently a Senior Lecturer at RMIT, Australia, in sustainability and design, Executive Director of Glowpear and sits on the board of International Sustainable Development Research Society."We face grand challenges this century, such as climate change, resource limits, food security issues and water shortage. Increasingly, designers and engineers need to be cognizant of the impact the products and services they create have on the world in light of such problems. Life cycle assessment is one way to understand these issues, and the upcoming InspirON event will help illuminate this world's best practice method so that it can be applied on projects of the future.”Dr Vannessa Goodship is an accomplished plastic and recycling professional with a wide field of expert knowledge and experience in both industry and academia. She is currently Associate Professor at University of Warwick, UK.“Sustainability: Leaving it to somebody else is no longer an option. The time to act is now. The time to learn is now. The person to do it is you. The upcoming InspirON event is an opportunity to share in the design of the future, meet the community, make the connections, make a difference! Yes – I mean you!”With a suitable framework in place, such as the InspirON event, design engineers will be better placed to meet the regulatory and consumer demands of the future – for themselves, for their employers and for their customers.To register as a participant, please follow the link <a href="https://inspiron.hubilo.com/?utm_source=wevolver&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=emea-brand-hackathon-0321&utm_content=emea-inspiron-register-wevolver" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.&nbsp;

The InspirON Sustainability Training Hackathon is an online training event that will comprise training seminars conducted by a number of industry experts.

The Great Engineering Challenge of Tomorrow

The KyronMAX®&nbsp; range of materials is suitable for a wide range of applications across industries. This article looks at two case studies where the materials provided considerable benefits to the product's design.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/mcam-challenge" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Submit your ideas</a>&nbsp;about how to utilizes KyronMAX®&nbsp;’s range of moldable carbon fiber-based composites to the KyronMAX®&nbsp;&nbsp;Challenge for the chance to win $25,000 of manufacturing services.&nbsp;<a href="https://kyronmax.mcam.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">KyronMAX®</a>&nbsp;prides itself on being more than just a materials provider. They are a collaborative manufacturing platform that can work with designers and companies at any stage of their design or production process to offer advice, testing, and prototyping. Early in the design process <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/mitsubishi.chemical.advanced.materials" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mitsubishi Advanced Chemical Materials</a> can assist with concept design and simulated analysis, and later down the design pipeline, <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/new-manufacturing-platform-combines-agility-of-3d-printing-with-strength-of-injection-molding-for-rapid-prototyping" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mitsubishi’s SPRINT prototyping</a> process can deliver material accurate parts without injection molding tooling. The two featured case studies showcase two of the ways Mitsubishi Advanced Chemical Materials can support product development. The first utilizes a ready-to-go KyronMAX®&nbsp; material product which was directly swapped for the current composite material resulting in a finished part 21% lighter than its previous iteration. The second case study illustrates how KyronMAX®&nbsp; engineers can work from start to finish with a design team to redesign, test, prototype, and manufacture a complete product.&nbsp;<h1 dir="ltr">Material intervention meets the target</h1>Professional archery might not be a sport many of us think of. But the equipment used by archers combines many engineering principles that made reinventing a key part of the archer’s bow an <a href="https://kyronmax.mcam.com/dam/jcr:53cfd3e9-7aa9-4189-a378-794a87abcf57/MCAM-KyronMAX-Casestudy-Reinventing-The-Wheel.pdf" target="_blank">exciting challenge</a> for Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials engineers. The design improvement focussed on the idler wheel of the bow. The idler wheel’s main function is to transfer stored energy from the bow’s limbs through the arrow’s string smoothly and rapidly. Understandably the idler wheels experience a significant amount of load and must be able to maintain high levels of intense use.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjE0NjA3Nzc3ODcwLWFyY2hlcnkgaWRsZXIgd2hlZWwuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">&nbsp;A competitive archery bow in action; the idler wheels sit at the top and bottom of the bow. Image: Pierre-Yves Beaudouin/WikiCommons<h2 class="fr-img-space-wrap">Material replacement with existing tooling</h2>The customer had already replaced the aluminum with a lighter weight 50% Nylon Long Glass Fiber (LGF) as the material for the idler’s construction but was experiencing a 14% failure rate due to breakage. The bow making company had purchased new molding tools and wanted to avoid further reinvestment with another material change. At this point, they approached Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials for assistance in improving the idler design.&nbsp;The Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials team immediately recommended using KyronMAX® S-2220, a 20% Carbon-Fiber filled product and offered to run the molding trials using the customer's existing tool. KyronMAX® polymer technology allows for fiber mixing, increasing the knit-line strength and decreasing failure rates inviting use for higher-strength parts and the production of difficult, complex geometries. In addition, KyronMAX® S-2220 has less than half the filler loading, which helps to increase toughness, improve knit-line strength, faster processability, and consistency while significantly reducing the part stress. Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials were able to help the customer adapt their existing tooling for compatibility with KyronMAX® so they could continue production without new tooling investment. The video below shows the massive strength improvements by the use of KyronMAX® S-2220.&nbsp;<img src="https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/wevolver-project-images/froala%2F1614680757851-Wheels+Gif.gif" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h1 dir="ltr">Rapid prototyping delivers for bike suspension redesign</h1>Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials worked with a leading bicycle manufacturer to develop a new suspension part that offers improved strength performance and significant weight reduction. Unable to achieve the desired performance using Long Fibre Technology (LFT) compounds, Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials Engineered Solutions technical team, ran trials using KyronMAX® to test for possible improvements. &nbsp;Combining Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials mold-flow software technology together with the KyronMAX® material files, the team developed favorable process conditions, gate design, validations, and testing of the final composite structure.&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr">Addressing weld lines</h2>Weld lines occur when part or tool design features such as holes divide the melt flow, and the separate flows do not mix completely when they meet. At these points, little or no polymer chain entanglement occurs across the flow-front boundaries. Weld lines can be the weakest points for plastic and compound material parts. Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials have developed several proprietary technologies for reducing weld-lines and therefore increasing the overall mechanical strength of the part. KyronMAX® engineers applied these technologies to the bike suspension part to assess weld line prediction and mitigation.<h2 dir="ltr">Finite Element Analysis</h2>Fiber matrix structure mapping then allowed for a full Finite Element Analysis (FEA) which mechanically tested the structure to predict what the product will do when it encounters real-world forces and wear.&nbsp;For example, load-cases were simulated in the FEA software using advanced fiber matrix analytics. 400,000 data points were applied for each FEA node to help assess the part. The software then calculated the fiber placement at each node, working out the associated strength based on pre-programmed data. The mesh was then refined using stress analysis.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjE0NjgxMDQ0ODgzLWltYWdlMTAgKDEpLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2 dir="ltr">Making the design reality</h2>Once the part had been structurally improved, it needed to be analyzed to ensure the design could be fabricated and perform as intended. This entailed testing any geometry alterations to ensure the component was designed to meet its requirements. A prototype of the design was then created in the same material as the final product using Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/new-manufacturing-platform-combines-agility-of-3d-printing-with-strength-of-injection-molding-for-rapid-prototyping" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SPRINT technology</a> (based on AddiFab technology). The SPRINT technology enables the production of functional prototypes in the material of choice and can be used for small production volumes. The flexibility, freedom of design, and speed of 3D printing (of the mold) are combined with the high quality of injection molding. This prototype then underwent real-world testing including simulating the exact load case using a customized jig at one of the Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials innovation labs. This ensured the design process was accurate and the part performed as intended.The combination of the customer’s application expertise with KyronMAX's material knowledge led to a successful collaboration that resulted in a stronger, more durable part manufacturable. This collaborative approach supported the customer to rapidly test and trial several prototype materials, designs, and solutions to determine what was needed for the final component.The broad application of the KyronMAX® &nbsp;materials and the Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials collaborative approach to problem-solving opens the possibility for engineers in all stages of the design process and scale to improve their design through testing, prototyping, and material selection.&nbsp;<h1 dir="ltr">The KyronMAXⓇ Challenge</h1><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/mcam-challenge" target="_blank">The KyronMAX®&nbsp;Challenge</a> invites you to submit a design that utilizes KyronMAX®’s range of breakthrough, high-strength carbon fiber-based composites to solve an engineering or manufacturing challenge. The winning designs will receive $25,000 worth of manufacturing support from KyronMAX® to create a fully developed prototype.Your submission can be a stand-alone product or a component of a larger design. Successful submissions will need to show how the design utilizes the unique properties of KyronMAX® materials and complements the platform’s capabilities. The KyronMAX® challenge will reward projects that prioritize sustainability while maintaining a high level of feasibility and ingenuity.<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/challenge/mcam" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Submit your entry here.</a>For full challenge details, see <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/mcam-challenge" target="_blank">The KyronMAX® Challenge homepage.</a><hr><h1>About the sponsor:</h1>Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials is a leading global manufacturer of high-performance materials in the form of semi-finished products and finished parts. The company has locations in 20 countries and more than 2,800 employees. Its specialty engineering thermoplastics and composites are superior in performance to metals and other materials and are used in a wide range of applications, primarily in the capital goods industry. The company is continuously developing new areas of applications in close cooperation with industry leaders in a wide variety of customer markets. The Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials Group is well prepared to further expand its market leadership position.Supporting the vision of our holding company, <a href="http://www.mitsubishichem-hd.co.jp/english/index.html" target="_blank">Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation (MCHC)</a>, Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials is committed to the realization of KAITEKI, “a sustainable condition which is comfortable for people, society and the Earth”. To realize this vision, the MCHC Group engages in corporate activities that provide products, technologies, and services based on the comprehensive capabilities of the Group in the Performance Products Domain, Industrial Materials Domain, and Health Care Domain, with chemistry as the basis of our activities. We jointly express and promote our commitment under the corporate brand THE KAITEKI COMPANY.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjE0NjA2ODUzNzIyLWt5cm5tYXggbG9nby5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2> </h2>

Two case studies demonstrate how both material selection and collaborative design play a role in product outcome. 

Professional sports equipment showcase potential of moldable carbon fiber-based composites

<a href="https://kyronmax.mcam.com/" target="_blank">KyronMAX®</a> is a range of high strength thermoplastic composite compounds from Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials, specifically designed for rapid, complex high-spec injection molding. KyronMAX® is also an engineering platform where engineers collaborate with experts who understand the material, allowing prototyping to be completed within days. The KyronMAX® technology is designed to be applicable in low, medium, or high-volume parts production.&nbsp;<h1>Stronger than steel, lighter than aluminum, and sustainably recyclable</h1>KyronMAX® is among the most robust injection moldable products available in the world today. The series of products significantly changes the way design engineers can think of plastic materials. The unique combination of KyronMAX®’s high-pressure molding technology with advanced material technology produces high-strength structural thermoplastics that offer mechanical properties that meet, and in some comparisons, exceed those of metals.KyronMAX® features:<ul><li>Light, reduced material volume required (75% lighter than steel and almost 40% lighter than aluminum).</li><li>Easily processable (can be molded using the same equipment and tooling as standard or unfilled resins).</li><li>Compounds can be customized to meet application requirements, in addition to standard, readily available product offerings.</li><li>Retains high strength in complex part geometries (with multiple knit lines), where traditional Long Fiber Thermoplastics struggle.</li><li>55k+ PSI tensile strength.</li><li>&lt;30% lower component cost per unit.</li><li>Metal to plastic conversions, without the cost and lead time of traditional metal tooling or penalties for multiple design changes.</li><li>Prototype parts using the same resins as production injection molded parts.</li><li>Surface finishes and features that cannot be replicated by machining or 3D printing.</li></ul>The KyronMAX® series of structural thermoplastic materials outperform the mechanical strength of long fiber thermoplastic (LFT) materials, especially when measuring a molded part’s performance. The material overcomes the limitations of LFT compounds while yielding stronger molded parts that are also lighter in weight.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjEwMTA0NDExNjMzLWltYWdlMTIuanBlZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 800px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">KyronMAX® is suitable for, but not limited to applications including<ul><li>Automotive</li><li>Prosthetics</li><li>Drone and UAV casings</li><li>Sports and leisure equipment</li><li>Industry</li><li>Robotics</li><li>Consumer product design</li><li>Wearables</li><li>Aerospace</li></ul>What makes the KyronMAX® material technology unique is its short fiber technology, which means the polymer behaves more like the isotropic nature of metal and eliminates the processing and fiber breakage concerns associated with LFT compounds. The technology enables very complex parts to be molded with high mechanical performance and consistency.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjEwMDk2NDk5NDA4LUt5cm9uTUFYIHNob3J0IGZpYmVyLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 800px;">Image 1: KyronMAX® short fiber technology versus LFTCompetitive structural compounds use high fiber loadings and long fiber lengths to achieve the desired mechanical performance. Unfortunately, these materials’ performance does not translate into the molded parts, due to weld line strength loss and fiber length reduction during processing. In contrast, the KyronMAX® material technology outperforms other thermoplastic compounds using short fiber technology and much lower filler loadings. The lower filler content results in a tough, structural plastic that can be utilized in extremely aggressive applications yet is still processing friendly and does not require specialized molding equipment.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjEwMDk5MDI3NjMzLUt5cm9uTUFYIHRlbnNpbGUgc3RyZW5ndGggVE0uanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 800px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">The KyronMAX® platform features a range of high-strength carbon fiber-based composites that allows you to buy-off-the-shelf, top-performing materials or customize your own formulation to match your requirements. Each formulation has specific properties that make it suitable for different applications. See here how the <a href="https://kyronmax.mcam.com/about-kyronmax" target="_blank">KyronMAX® range compares</a> to each other and other common injection molding materials.<h1>The KyronMAXⓇ&nbsp;platform</h1>KyronMAX® is more than a material; it is also an engineering partnership. From design to functional prototype, to production and all the way through to zero waste, engineers work together with Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials to solve materials engineering challenges. The KyronMAX® collaboration happens in three phases.Phase 1 - Diagnostics: content deep dive, feasibility check, AI-based business intelligence.In this phase the overall feasibility of the project is assessed from both a materiality and business perspective.Phase 2 - Design Sprint: MVP designMVP (minimum viable product) design is a process for creating functional, production-ready products that serve to test ideas and complete a design process. Puts functional parts with true properties into customer’s hands quickly to accelerate the design cycle and lock-in material specifications.Phase 3 - Delivery Sprint: functional prototype creation and testing, plus approach to recyclingSPRINT (Soluble PRinted INjection Tooling) technology means functional prototypes can be developed in just a few days. SPRINT allows for rapid injection molding of functional parts in the right material. Alongside digital twinning, it means real world designs can be tested quickly and accurately, shortening design timelines and meeting production deadlines faster.&nbsp;SPRINT combines the speed and agility of 3D printing with the accuracy of injection molding. Unlike other injection molding processes, the KyronMAX® SPRINT can produce material accurate prototypes in just days rather than weeks. A 3D Resin mold is first 3D printed, this is then injected with the chosen polymer. The resin is then ‘washed’ away to reveal the prototype part.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjEwMzU5NzYwNTk2LTEuMS0wMS5wbmciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 800px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Throughout the three-stage journey, KyronMAX® experts support engineering teams on:<ul><li>Material selection</li><li>Part design</li><li>Test and production of functional prototype with SPRINT (Soluble PRinted INjection Tooling) technology</li><li>Setup of production scale up plan</li><li>Assessment of the project’s recycling possibilities in order to create zero waste</li></ul>Designers and engineers working with KyronMAX® are supported throughout the whole process from ideation to final product no matter if the project is a small-batch prototype or fully commercial product. Read more about the collaborative KyronMAX® platform h<a href="https://kyronmax.mcam.com/working-with-us" target="_blank">ere</a>.<h1>A new standard in sustainability</h1>KyronMAX® injection moldable composites can be returned to create zero waste using their end-of-life recycling program, while their vertically integrated and closed-loop supply chain is key to all KyronMAX® engineering partnerships. Their commitment to sustainability goes beyond simple recycling their materials and minimizing their impact. KyronMAX® uses digital twins to test new ideas, their focus on small batch prototyping means their entire production process is further designs to minimize waste and maximize speed to market.The key advantages to this focus on sustainability includes:<ul><li>Faster production lowers overall energy costs while lightweight formulations reduce the overall manufacturing footprint as well as and improves fuel economy, energy use and longevity in applications from aviation to robotics.</li><li>The KyronMAX® tailor-made injection moldable carbon-fiber composite compounds can be reused and returned to create zero waste using our end of life recycling program.&nbsp;</li></ul>The production process allows for any scrap, waste, or unused products to be taken back and recycled without down cycling.<h2>Light weighting and metal replacement</h2>Plastic replacement of metal generally offers advantages to designs, including the potential to be lighter, cheaper, or more quickly produced. However, most high-strength moldable plastics are nowhere near the strength of metals so the metal part geometry must be altered and re-engineered to utilize plastic materials. This often involves adding more material volume of the plastic which can increase the weight and cost of the part. Thanks to KyronMAX®’s high strength properties and complex geometries, component design can more easily replicate the original metal design, reducing material volume while realizing all the benefits of the plastic material.A great example is the KyronMAX® #10-32 bolt that responds to multiple requests from OEMs for an injection moldable thermoplastic composite bolt that exhibits metal-like strength. These end-users were looking for a plastic fastener to replace traditional titanium metal fasteners for weight savings but could not find a polymer with enough mechanical performance, or that was economically viable. The KyronMAX® #10-32 bolt meets both the strength and the cost target requirements for the application while reducing the weight of incumbent titanium bolts by approximately 60%! Read more about KyronMAX®'s commitment to full life-cycle sustainability <a href="https://kyronmax.mcam.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here.&nbsp;</a><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjEwMzc0NDEzMDE4LUt5cm9uTUFYIGJhbm5lci5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h1>The KyronMAXⓇ&nbsp;Challenge</h1><a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/mcam-challenge" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The KyronMAX®&nbsp;Challenge</a> invites you to submit a design that utilizes KyronMAX®’s range of breakthrough, high strength carbon fiber-based composites to solve an engineering or manufacturing challenge. The winning designs will receive $25,000 worth of manufacturing support from KyronMAX® to create a fully developed prototype.Your submission can be a stand-alone product or a component of a larger design. Successful submissions will need to show how the design utilizes the unique properties of KyronMAX® materials and complements the platform’s capabilities. The KyronMAX® challenge will reward projects that prioritize sustainability while maintaining a high level of feasibility and ingenuity.For full challenge details see <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/mcam-challenge" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The KyronMAX®&nbsp;Challenge homepage.&nbsp;</a><hr><h1>About the sponsor:</h1>Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials is a leading global manufacturer of high-performance materials in the form of semi-finished products and finished parts. The company has locations in 20 countries and more than 2,800 employees. Its specialty engineering thermoplastics and composites are superior in performance to metals and other materials and are used in a wide range of applications, primarily in the capital goods industry. The company is continuously developing new areas of applications in close cooperation with industry leaders in a broad variety of customer markets. The Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials Group is well prepared to further expand its market leadership position.Supporting the vision of our holding company, <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.mitsubishichem-hd.co.jp/english/index.html&source=gmail&ust=1610465953419000&usg=AFQjCNFACQRncQmFf1bOAoQ_uuE9Ax8efA" href="http://www.mitsubishichem-hd.co.jp/english/index.html" target="_blank" title="http://www.mitsubishichem-hd.co.jp/english/index.html">Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation (MCHC)</a>, Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials is committed to the realization of KAITEKI, “a sustainable condition which is comfortable for people, society and the Earth”. To realize this vision, the MCHC Group engages in corporate activities that provide products, technologies and services based on the comprehensive capabilities of the Group in the Performance Products Domain, Industrial Materials Domain and Health Care Domain, with chemistry as the basis of our activities. We jointly express and promote our commitment under the corporate brand THE KAITEKI COMPANY.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjEwMzc5ODcyNzM3LWxvZ28gZm9vdGVyIE1DQU0uanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">

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