TEP Technology - Smart Technologies

Kettles that change colour and signs that glow-in-the-dark are two recent examples of products becoming ‘smarter’ as a result of new materials. Colour-changing thermochromic pigments are now routinely made as inks for paper and fabrics - and incorporated into injection moulded plastics. A new type of phosphorescent pigment, capable of emitting light for up to 10 hours, has opened up entirely new design opportunities for instrumentation, low-level lighting systems etc.

If the sample length of wire is held between two points it has a
length of approximately 10 cm. When heated to between 70¡ and
80¡C, it shortens by about 5% or 1/20 and exerts a useful pulling
force. (The wire becomes shorter and it gets slightly fatter.) When
the wire cools down, it relaxes to its longer length of 10 cm.

A 5mm dia. x 12mm (when closed) spring made from shape memory alloy. At room temperature this spring is soft enough to pull out to approximately 50mm by applying a small force. When heated to 70¡C by passing an electric current through it, the spring contracts to its original length with a useful pulling force (equivalent to lifting a 0.5kg weight).

A remarkable self adhesive sheet material printed with thermochromic liquid crystal 'ink'. Changes colour (bright blue) when heated above 27¡C. Potential applications are many and varied. E.g. temperature indication/warnings, body jewellery, advertising displays (attach a resistance wire to the rear and pass a small current to cause dramatic colour changes to the front 'screen'. - Note: typical applications require only very small pieces - e.g. 25mm x 25mm.

Polymorph is one of a new generation of commercial polymers set to have a major impact on model making and prototyping. This polymer has all the characteristics of a tough" engineering” material yet it fuses and becomes easily mouldable at just 62¡C. It can be heated with just hot water or a hairdryer and moulded by hand to create prototypes and solve manufacturing problems currently outside the capacity of other materials.

your path > Main : Technology : Smart Technologies
Whether we realise it or not, smart materials are starting to make a real impact on everyday life. Kettles that change colour when they boil, garments that plug into MP3 players and batteries that ‘report’ their condition are all examples of the application of new materials exhibiting ‘smart’ behaviour.
QTC (Quantum tunnelling composite) QTC Help page with application ideas	Quantum tunnelling composite is a flexible polymer that exhibits extraordinary electrical properties. In its normal state it is a perfect insulator, but when compressed it becomes a more or less perfect conductor and able to pass very high currents. Other plastics loaded with carbon are partially conductive and can be used to sense pressure. But they still only conduct minute currents by a process called percolation - the effect of carbon particles touching together within the plastic. In QTC, the change from non conductor to conductor is dramatic, and a tiny piece measuring 4mm square and 1.5mm thick can pass a current of up to 10 amps when squeezed
Smart Colours Smart Colours PDF Available 370KB	Kettles that change colour and signs that glow-in-the-dark are two recent examples of products becoming ‘smarter’ as a result of new materials. Colour-changing thermochromic pigments are now routinely made as inks for paper and fabrics - and incorporated into injection moulded plastics. A new type of phosphorescent pigment, capable of emitting light for up to 10 hours, has opened up entirely new design opportunities for instrumentation, low-level lighting systems etc.	View animation 84KB wmv
Smart Wire Smart Wire PDF Available 301KB	If the sample length of wire is held between two points it has a length of approximately 10 cm. When heated to between 70¡ and 80¡C, it shortens by about 5% or 1/20 and exerts a useful pulling force. (The wire becomes shorter and it gets slightly fatter.) When the wire cools down, it relaxes to its longer length of 10 cm.	View animation 84KB wmv
Smart Springs Smart Springs PDF Available 24KB	A 5mm dia. x 12mm (when closed) spring made from shape memory alloy. At room temperature this spring is soft enough to pull out to approximately 50mm by applying a small force. When heated to 70¡C by passing an electric current through it, the spring contracts to its original length with a useful pulling force (equivalent to lifting a 0.5kg weight).	View animation 206KB wmv
Thermocolour Sheet Thermochromic PDF Available 190KB	A remarkable self adhesive sheet material printed with thermochromic liquid crystal 'ink'. Changes colour (bright blue) when heated above 27¡C. Potential applications are many and varied. E.g. temperature indication/warnings, body jewellery, advertising displays (attach a resistance wire to the rear and pass a small current to cause dramatic colour changes to the front 'screen'. - Note: typical applications require only very small pieces - e.g. 25mm x 25mm.	View animation 136KB wmv
Polymorph Polymorph case studies Polymorph PDF Available Shortly	Polymorph is one of a new generation of commercial polymers set to have a major impact on model making and prototyping. This polymer has all the characteristics of a tough" engineering” material yet it fuses and becomes easily mouldable at just 62¡C. It can be heated with just hot water or a hairdryer and moulded by hand to create prototypes and solve manufacturing problems currently outside the capacity of other materials.	View animation 734KB wmv
	Soft-link is a soft polymer tube, used extensively in surgical applications. It has been found to be capable of solving many design problems and performing some virtually impossible (or least very expensive) engineering feats. Soft-link tubing fits smoothly over 3mm rod but stays in place when pulled because of ‘necking’ - i.e., diametrical contraction due to elastic extension. Its unusual softness and compliancy make it an ideal linking material because it offers a single ‘forgiving’ solution to so many problems - especially where the geometry of interlinking components is very complex.	View animation 2.74MB wmv
Print this page