SECTION TITLE CONTENTS
32 34
36 38
39 41
Big changes on a nano scale The potential of revolutionary VACNT technology
FASTENERS & SEALING
Unlocking the potential of thermoplastics How advances in fastener technology have realised the potential of thermoplastics
MOTORS, DRIVES & CONTROLS
Energy effi ciency with ecodesign Reviewing the second phase of the EU’s Ecodesign Regulation
Welcome
Processing plastics The importance of selecting automated drives for plastics machinery
Revolutionising GaN power electronics
SHOW PREVIEW
Interplas Cenex-LCV & Cenex-CAM
4
www.engineerlive.com
more in our cars, on trains to diff erent parts of the country, or perhaps even hopped on a plane to more exotic, far-fl ung destinations. However, with these additional journeys comes a greater impact on our environment in the form of increased vehicle emissions, air pollutants, and more. Factor the ongoing climate crisis into the mix, and this casts rather a long shadow over the state of the transportation and manufacturing sector for summers to come.
July 2023 S
One of the foremost areas in which
engineers are looking to reduce some of these impacts is lightweighting. By making the components and systems in our cars, trains and planes lighter, vehicles of the future will be not only more environmentally friendly, but also more effi cient and cost-eff ective to manufacture, too. In this issue, we hear from one sports car manufacturer that has leveraged lightweighting techniques to improve one of its bestsellers (see page 6) and fi nd out
International
ummer is upon us, and with all the recent good weather we’ve been having many of us have likely been out and about much
how additive manufacturing can facilitate the design of lighter and more sustainable products (pages 10-12). We also look at the role composite materials can play in achieving more sustainable aviation (page 31) and get an expert’s take on the European Union’s new Ecodesign Regulation (see pages 36-38). Electrifi cation is also key to reducing emissions, not only in the transportation sector but within energy generation and storage, and industrial manufacturing processes, too. New approaches to thermoelectric device designs (fi nd out more on pages 28-30) and unlocking the potential of thermoplastics (pages 34-36) are some examples of how this is currently taking place. Meanwhile, innovations in coatings are helping to accelerate the development of the battery electric vehicles (BEVs) of the future – more on this on page 26. Many of these topics will be covered
at upcoming industry events such as Interplas and Cenex - more information can be found in our show preview section on page 41.
Hayley Everett Editor
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