Study questions safety of smarter airbags

July 1, 2010  |  Industry News

The newest “smart bag” airbag design, required in all vehicles since 2008, may not provide optimal protection for drivers wearing seatbelts, according to a study performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Drivers wearing seatbelts—an estimated 80 percent of drivers, a…
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Democrats air concerns about climate legislation

July 1, 2010  |  Industry News

U.S. Senator Kay R. Hagan (D-NC) led a charge of moderate Democrats with concerns about clean energy and climate change legislation and its impacts on manufacturers. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, in 2008 manufacturing made up 19.5 percent of North Carolina’s economy, …
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Unraveling the mystery of spider silk

July 1, 2010  |  Industry News

Spider silk is flexible, biodegradable and one of the strongest substances on earth. In the spider’s storage gland, the silk protein is liquid; as it passes out of the abdominal canal, it becomes a gossamer thread that can hold the spider’s weight and its unsuspecting prey. What forms th…
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Thin skin with strong potential

July 1, 2010  |  Industry News

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin transform brittle germanium and silicon into nanowires that can be compressed into flexible, tissue-like sheets with the potential to stop bullets, power electronic devices or even cloak wearers in invisibility. “It’s so neat when people d…
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Hospitals purchase nanotechnology lab coats

July 1, 2010  |  Industry News

Physicians at three Mercy Medical Center hospitals in Knoxville, Tenn., received a gift on National Doctors’ Day (March 25) that will keep on giving throughout the year. Mercy Health Partners purchased its doctors 580 Vestex™ nanotechnology white lab coats that repel blood and body fluid…
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Tents deployed for disaster relief

July 1, 2010  |  Industry News

After 35 years of producing tents for the U.S. military, Alaska Structures Inc. is pitching tents to a whole new audience—homeland security and disaster relief agencies. Blu-Med Response Systems, Kirkland, Wash., a division of Alaska Structures, deployed a 25-bed emergency response unit in St.…
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Air cargo system nets CO2 reductions

July 1, 2010  |  Industry News

More than 200 airlines and the International Air Transport Association have committed to cutting carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to half 2005 levels by 2050. Every small decrease in an aircraft’s weight gets them one step closer to the goal of reducing this greenhouse gas. AmSafe® Inc., Pho…
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Building barrier wrap becomes fluid

July 1, 2010  |  Industry News

More than 50 percent of newly constructed buildings are wrapped in DuPont Tyvek®, a weather barrier material that has stood the test of time. Now DuPont extends its reach in the market with DuPont Tyvek Fluid Applied Weather Barrier System, which provides the same building protection as the wrap…
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Lofts in space: NASA challenges students to design inflatable space habitats

July 1, 2010  |  Industry News

NASA is challenging college students to design concepts for inflatable habitat lofts for the next generation of space explorers. The winning concepts may be applied to the exploration habitats of the future. The X-Hab Academic Innovation Competition is a university-level challenge designed to encour…
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Eastern Metal Supply expands aluminum fabrication capability in Houston facility

June 30, 2010  |  Industry News

Eastern Metal Supply (EMS) has recently completed a 10,000 sq. ft. addition to its facility in Houston, Texas. The space will be used solely for providing new aluminum fabrication and manufacturing capabilities, including sawing, shearing, punching, drilling, welding and machining, offering parts ma…
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