The Bizkaian company, Ekoplast Balenciaga, manufacturer of large, high-thickness plastic parts, has developed and patented, in collaboration with the Gaiker technological centre, a novel support for the handling and transport of coils of sheet steel. Made from 100% recyclable plastics from containers, agricultural film, the recycling also contributes to a better use of these plastic residues generated by these industrial sectors.

Undertaking the novel design with the latest generation CAD

CAFAC-BAJOLET now offers a new service to help companies develop the use of rubber products across the whole of the railway industry, with the focus on fire-resistant product lines. The French company has been a specialist in the transformation of elastomers for transport industry manufacturers for 50 years. CAFAC showcased its know-how at the Innotrans trade fair in Berlin in September.

A high capacity for innovation makes CAFAC one of the leading fire-resistant rubber manufactur

Breakthrough discovery is 10 times longer than previous current-carrying nanotubes, paves way for supercomputer and health care applications

UC Irvine today announced that scientists at The Henry Samueli School of Engineering have synthesized the world’s longest electrically conducting nanotubes. These 0.4 cm nanotubes are 10 times longer than previously created electrically conducting nanotubes. The breakthrough discovery may lead to the development of extremely strong, light

Heraeus at the plastics industry`s trade fair K in Düsseldorf – Infrared emitters for every application

In the plastics industry today, when extruding foil, forming PET bottles, riveting automotive interior panels, drying the print on yoghurt cups, or sealing tank containers, an increasingly important tool is the unique source of heat known as infrared radiation. Heraeus Noblelight is known for its innovative product development and application of infrared heat systems. The co

Following on from the success of EUREKA project E! 2534 THERMOPOLE, which developed thermoplastic lampposts that save lives by bending on impact, EUREKA project E! 2535 FACTORY PANELFORM has adapted the thermoplastic technology to produce sandwich section panels for a market worth over €20 million a year.

The recyclable panels can be produced in three-metre wide sections at a rate of four metres per minute, in a variety of colours and finishes. The new material is stronger and more

New research may advance the nanoelectronics field

Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory and their collaborators have discovered that a short, organic chain molecule with dimensions on the order of a nanometer (a billionth of a meter) conducts electrons in a surprising way: It regulates the electrons’ speed erratically, without a predictable dependence on the length of the wire. This information may help scientists learn how to use nanowires to

In work that could lead to applications including multifunctional textile fabrics and all-optical computer interfaces, MIT researchers report the creation of flexible fibers and fabrics that can not only sense light, but also analyze its colors.

“These novel fiber structures offer a unique possibility for constructing an optoelectronic functional fabric because the fibers are both flexible and mechanically tough, and can thus be woven,” write the researchers in the October 14 i

From volcanic eruptions to ozone holes, a NASA instrument that monitors Earth’s upper atmosphere marks twenty years in orbit.

The Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II) instrument was deployed October 5, 1984, from the Space Shuttle Challenger aboard the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS.) Originally scheduled for a two-year mission, SAGE II continues to give scientists a wealth of data on the chemistry and motions of the upper troposphere and stratospher

Innovative uses for plastics, rubber and their derivatives will be on display next week in Düsseldorf, at the world’s leading trade fair for plastics and rubber, K2004. A team from ESA will be present to show visitors how these commonplace materials can be used in space – and how this can lead to new technology for use on Earth.

“Plastics and derived materials today play an important role in spacecraft – years of research and development go into creating new materials that can wit

A team of University of Florida researchers has invented a way to rapidly detect traces of TNT or other hidden explosives simply by shining a light on any potentially contaminated object, from a speck of dust in the air to the surface of a suitcase. “We have to find explosives quickly, inexpensively and, particularly, reliably,” said Rolf Hummel, a UF professor emeritus of materials science and engineering who heads the lab where the method was invented.

The development provides in

The Intelligent System for Integrated Tilting (ISIT), developed by rolling stock manufacturers CAF (Basque Country), is a tilting system which activates at the required moment and manages to reduce the centrifugal effect suffered by passengers when a train negotiates bends. Or, in other words:
Cuts journey times (26% on the Santiago-A Coruña run in Galicia) Enhances passenger comfort Anticipates the curved sections of track and eliminates delays Always functions w

ULIS SAS of France, a European leader in the field of low-cost infrared detectors for thermal imagery, has launched its latest, third-generation, uncooled 160×120 pixels microbolometer detector – the UL 02 05 1 – which operates at room temperature. The low cost of the device is one of its strongest selling points. By dividing the price of the system by three or even by four through the use of innovative microbolometers, ULIS has made infrared imagery available to markets such as industrial survei

EUREKA project E! 2388 LOGCHAIN MUSIC has doubled freight train capacity on the intermodal service Duisburg-Lübeck, which links Norway, Sweden and Finland to Germany and the rest of Europe, through the development of an intermodal conveyor belt. The project not only created this innovative rail production scheme, but has also increased traffic volume and developed two new software packages to aid freight and port management.

“We examined the current freight routes and found that ab

The University of North Dakota (UND) Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) has successfully generated electricity from biomass with an exciting, cost- effective gasification technology in a diesel engine. Biomass includes forest residues, wood chips, sawdust, and agricultural by-products.

This fall, the EERC has completed over 100 hours of continuous operation of a biomass gasifier firing wood chips. The process converts wood chips into gas (similar to natural gas) that can be

A new type of ’smart’ clothing which adapts to changing temperatures to keep the wearer comfortable is being developed by two universities using nature as a guide.

The clothing will use the latest in micro technology to produce material which will let in air to cool a wearer when it is hot and shut out air when it is cold. This is similar to a system used by pine cones to open up and emit seeds.

The University of Bath and the London College of Fashion are jointly

The International Conference “European Legislation to Promote Bioenergy”, November 8th and 9th in Brussel, offers special opportunities to engage in direct communication with outstanding speakers from the Parliament and the Commission through organised bilateral meetings, and create contacts among participants.

EU legislation drives bioenergy

European policy strengthens its influence on the energy and environmental sectors towards bioenergy development and climate change