Materials

Composite keeps deep-drawn luggage cover gleaming

In 1999, Dawn White, a researcher at Ford, invented a process called “ultrasonic-additive manufacturing” (UAM), also sometimes called “ultrasonic consolidation.” She started a company called Solidica in Ann Arbor, Mich., to manufacture parts by welding foil layers...

Balancing the conflicting demands of design - for example weight versus strength - can be difficult at best. So most companies build prototypes early in the development process. When Proto Labs in Maple Plain...

Why do thermoformed packaging such as blister packs typically end up in landfills, even though many of them are made of PC PET?

Most U. S. communities have recycling programs. So it should be easy to reuse common materials such as glass and plastic, right? Not quite, at least when it comes to glass. A recent industry report...