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NASA leads research on world’s lightest solid material
November 1st, 2012
More than 14,000 scientists attended the 244th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society in August, and many discovered a new insulating material so lightweight it has been called “solid smoke” and so strong that a thick piece can support the weight of an automobile. The flexible aerogel, the world’s lightest solid material […]
Vehicle wrap helps solar car drop weight and drive time
November 1st, 2012
This year’s 2012 American Solar Car Challenge matched college teams of solar vehicle designers against one another on a 1,650-mile, eight-day journey powered only by the sun. The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich., Quantum vehicle won four of the five stages of this amazing race with the fastest times—in part because of its lightweight, […]
WarkaWater provides clean water to Ethiopia’s dry regions
November 1st, 2012
In mountainous regions of northern Ethiopia, rainfall is scarce and water hard to find, store and carry back to villages dependent on livestock and agriculture. Architecture and Vision, an international architecture and product design studio of Arturo Vittori and Andreas Vogler, found a better way to provide clean water. The WarkaWater, a nine-meter bamboo tower […]
Welding machine proves its worth against hurricane-force winds
November 1st, 2012
A “super derecho” blew a new weather term into common parlance in June 2012, when a long-lived 700-mile series of rainstorms with up to 91mph straight-line winds tore through the midwest and mid-Atlantic regions. Over 12 hours, winds flattened trees, collapsed power poles and turned awnings on many small businesses inside out. When Berges Trenton […]
Student competition brings beauty, vinyl to parking ramp
November 1st, 2012
[North Carolina State University College of Design] Raleigh, N.C. A drab, unfinished parking ramp provided the inspiration for a team of professors in the College of Design at North Carolina State University to launch a competition among their students. The winning entry was a 15-panel mural called “The Fantastic Sky Race” that fuses images of […]
Sky-Scan delivers deep space in domes
November 1st, 2012
Visionary companies often reach for the stars. Sky-Scan, a Nashua, N.H., company that creates digital planetariums and full-dome theaters, sought to capture space marvels and bring them indoors to an eager public. To capture more of the market for full-immersion theater experiences, Sky-Scan partnered with architects of mobile membrane domed structures at Zendome GmbH, Berlin, […]
Wm. J. Mills & Co. grows through the generations
November 1st, 2012
A three-generational take on the Wm. J. Mills & Co. family business. By Sigrid Tornquist As IFAI celebrates its 100th anniversary, it’s clear that the association is only as strong as its members. For more than 100 years, many current member companies have been shaping their businesses, the association and the industry. Changes in the […]
HEYtex introduces first indoor banner with blue back
November 1st, 2012
The first indoor banner fabric with blue back, HEYTex Soft Blueback offers brilliant whites combined with an elegant textile structure with high stress resistance and seamless useability up to five meters in width. Color reproduction is also enhanced, and the fabric requires no more preparation for busy backgrounds. As wall decoration or glued-on wall coverings, […]
Cooley Group wins 2012 EcoPrint Europe innovation award
November 1st, 2012
The Cooley Group was named winner of the Great Innovation Award at the inaugural 2012 EcoPrint Europe event, held in Berlin, Germany. Cooley’s commercial graphics division was recognized for its new EnviroFlex™ PE, a lightweight, 100 percent recyclable print media that offers 60 percent lower carbon footprint than traditional PVC media. Most recently, the material […]
Billboards gain second life
November 1st, 2012
Retired billboards can have second or third lives as proved by Repurposed Materials Inc. The company’s entire product line is made of repurposed items. Billboards, for instance, have been reused as hockey rink and pond liners, summer slides for children, outdoor movie screens and to cover straw bales, building materials and structures.