Technology
September 6, 2019
FoamPartner Develops Low Emission Foams
FoamPartner: Ether-based PU foams with low emission levels
FoamPartner Hall 10 Stand 504
The Swiss company FoamPartner Fritz Nauer AG has developed a foam product family, which is characterised by very low emission levels for use in automotive headliners with high demands on processability and design. The new ether-based foam technology is said to combine high surface quality with lowest volatile organic compounds (VOC) and fogging (FOG) values. The company will present the new products at Foam Expo Europe 2019 from 10 – 12 September 2019 in Stuttgart, Germany.
Thanks to their homogenous and fine-pore cell structure, OBoSky foams deliver uniform surfaces, ideal in particular for high-quality automotive headliners (Source: Getty Images/algre)
According to the manufacturer, the foams sold under the OBoSky brand name benefit from a patented ether prepolymer technology to combine the advantages of ester-based polyurethane foams with those of ether-based materials. The result is a family of hydrolytically stable, low-emission and low-odour foams with good processability and a very homogenous cell structure. The technology is especially targeted to demanding automotive headliners. However, thanks to their high elongation and good resilience, the foams also have an ideal fit in further automotive interior applications requiring a pleasant soft feel, said the company.
“Vehicles off the shelf are history. Besides looking for an environmentally friendly as possible drive system, consumers today have a keen eye for a stylish interior design using materials that ensure a healthy climate in the passenger compartment,” said Klaus Hellmold, Vice President Global Business Unit Automotive Rolls at FoamPartner. “With our OBoSky foams for headliners, we have set new standards in efficient processing and environmental compatibility.”
In tests according to VDA 278 and VDA 270, the new PU foams stay clearly below the VOC and FOG levels specified by Daimler’s DBL 5450 soft foam standard (Source: FoamPartner)
The headliner foam grades are said to feature a very uniform structure with fine pores, providing surfaces that can easily be laminated in flame and adhesion processes while also lending themselves to finishing textiles of low surface weight. The ether-based prepolymer technology of the materials is said to ensure very good hydrolytic resistance and long-term high mechanical properties as well as to lead to significantly lower levels in VOC and FOG vs. merely ester-based foams. In VOC and FOG tests according to VDA 278 and VDA 270, OBoSky is said to show values clearly below the limits specified in DBL 5450, the supply regulation of Daimler AG for flexible foams based on polyurethane.
The products are available in rolls and various net densities as well as with or without flame protecting finish according to FMVSS 302. The manufacturing process enables a block foam length of 120 m, which results in 50 % fewer bonding seams compared to common 60 m blocks in the market. This means customers can save costs in their end-product fabrication, said the company.
https://www.gupta-verlag.com/news/technology/23180/foampartner-ether-based-pu-foams-with-low-emission-levels
September 6, 2019
FoamPartner Develops Low Emission Foams
FoamPartner: Ether-based PU foams with low emission levels
FoamPartner Hall 10 Stand 504
The Swiss company FoamPartner Fritz Nauer AG has developed a foam product family, which is characterised by very low emission levels for use in automotive headliners with high demands on processability and design. The new ether-based foam technology is said to combine high surface quality with lowest volatile organic compounds (VOC) and fogging (FOG) values. The company will present the new products at Foam Expo Europe 2019 from 10 – 12 September 2019 in Stuttgart, Germany.
Thanks to their homogenous and fine-pore cell structure, OBoSky foams deliver uniform surfaces, ideal in particular for high-quality automotive headliners (Source: Getty Images/algre)
According to the manufacturer, the foams sold under the OBoSky brand name benefit from a patented ether prepolymer technology to combine the advantages of ester-based polyurethane foams with those of ether-based materials. The result is a family of hydrolytically stable, low-emission and low-odour foams with good processability and a very homogenous cell structure. The technology is especially targeted to demanding automotive headliners. However, thanks to their high elongation and good resilience, the foams also have an ideal fit in further automotive interior applications requiring a pleasant soft feel, said the company.
“Vehicles off the shelf are history. Besides looking for an environmentally friendly as possible drive system, consumers today have a keen eye for a stylish interior design using materials that ensure a healthy climate in the passenger compartment,” said Klaus Hellmold, Vice President Global Business Unit Automotive Rolls at FoamPartner. “With our OBoSky foams for headliners, we have set new standards in efficient processing and environmental compatibility.”
In tests according to VDA 278 and VDA 270, the new PU foams stay clearly below the VOC and FOG levels specified by Daimler’s DBL 5450 soft foam standard (Source: FoamPartner)
The headliner foam grades are said to feature a very uniform structure with fine pores, providing surfaces that can easily be laminated in flame and adhesion processes while also lending themselves to finishing textiles of low surface weight. The ether-based prepolymer technology of the materials is said to ensure very good hydrolytic resistance and long-term high mechanical properties as well as to lead to significantly lower levels in VOC and FOG vs. merely ester-based foams. In VOC and FOG tests according to VDA 278 and VDA 270, OBoSky is said to show values clearly below the limits specified in DBL 5450, the supply regulation of Daimler AG for flexible foams based on polyurethane.
The products are available in rolls and various net densities as well as with or without flame protecting finish according to FMVSS 302. The manufacturing process enables a block foam length of 120 m, which results in 50 % fewer bonding seams compared to common 60 m blocks in the market. This means customers can save costs in their end-product fabrication, said the company.
https://www.gupta-verlag.com/news/technology/23180/foampartner-ether-based-pu-foams-with-low-emission-levels
August 12, 2019
Autonomous Trucking
Loadsmart And Starsky Make First Start-to-Finish Autonomous Truck Delivery
Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk,
Loadsmart and Starsky make first fully-autonomous truck delivery from start to finish.
TruckingInfo reports Loadsmart and Starsky Robotics Make First-Ever Digital Freight Delivery Via Autonomous Truck
According to the two companies, the integration of Loadsmart’s AI-powered pricing and load matching technology with Starsky’s API meant no human intervention was required. The historic initiative is part of a larger strategic partnership which paves the way for the future of trucking: autonomous brokerages dispatching freight to autonomous trucks without human involvement.
Loadsmart said it was able to connect its network of customers with Starsky’s fleet of regular and self-driving trucks by integrating Loadsmart’s Automated Dispatch API with Starsky’s Hutch API.
As a result of the partnership, Starsky is able to dispatch its trucks automatically without human intervention, while Loadsmart can expand its ability to automate the shipping process from quoting to booking to delivery to help its clients move more with less.
“For the first time ever, the advances that seem obvious for the ride-sharing services are coming to trucking,” said Stefan Seltz-Axmacher, CEO and founder of Starsky Robotics. “It’s not uncommon for a traditional trucking company to have five full-time employees involved in dispatching each truck for each load. By integrating e-brokers like Loadsmart, we are eliminating all back office human intervention and making the shipment process seamless, while focusing on ensuring the safety of driverless trucks. With Starsky’s Hutch API, which was also announced today, we will be able to autonomously dispatch autonomous loads on a regular basis.”
Delivery Details
Trucks.Com has additional details on the delivery.
Digital freight broker Loadsmart and self-driving truck developer Starsky Robotics completed what they say is the first autonomous dispatch and delivery of freight. The team paired in late July to book and deliver a load of corn in Texas with minimal human involvement.
Loadsmart digitally priced, tendered and booked the shipment. A Starsky self-driving truck picked up and delivered the raw corn to a customer in Grand Prairie, Texas.
Such partnerships are likely to expand as freight and logistics becomes increasingly digital, said Cathy Morrow Roberson of Atlanta-based Logistics Trends & Insights.
“Eventually I see the marriage between digital freight brokerages and autonomous trucks,” Roberson said. “It makes sense from an efficiency and timing perspective. And it could be beneficial as the trucking market continues to struggle with attracting and retaining drivers.”
Mass Adoption
There are two things holding up mass adoption.
- National Regulation
- More Testing
Requirement two is proceeding nicely.
Starsky plans to begin commercialization next month. To find potential problems an autonomous fleet might face, the company has a 6-person team operating a 40-truck fleet.
“We want to triple the size of that fleet by the end of the year, but we don’t want to triple the size of our operations team,” Seltz-Axmacher said.
He plans to build 25 autonomous trucks by the end of this year. To limit human involvement, Starsky intends to use its proprietary application programming interface, or API, to dispatch the trucks for tests.
“What we are doing is creating an API that brokers can use to negotiate for additional capacity and then hire that capacity without anybody talking to anyone else,” Seltz-Axmacher said.
Intense Competition
Competition in this space is intense. I have lost track of the number of competing in this space. It includes all the major car manufacturers, Waymo (Google), Otto, Loadsmart, Starsky, Amazon, Uber, and Lyft.
That’s what guarantees success, sooner rather that later, despite the poor current technology of Uber.
Robertson gets it correct with her assessment “Autonomous trucks will become more the norm than the exception.”
Inner-city truck deliveries will still require drivers, for a period of time, but rural deliveries like the one above and hub-to-hub interstate deliveries by autonomous truck will soon be standard.
100 Pigs Die
On July 19, an Overturned Semitruck Closed a Freeway Ramp in Louisville. On July 17, More than 100 Pigs Die After Truck Overturns on I-65 Ramp at Spaghetti Junction near Louisville.
Benefits
- Accident rates will plunge. Nearly all truck accidents are driver error.
- Insurance rates will drop.
- The cost of the driver will be eliminated. No more union dues.
- Trucks can drive 24-7. They do not have to sleep.
The benefits are overwhelming. Tremendous benefits coupled with intense competition ensures success. Within a year or two of national regulator approval, autonomous semi-truck deliveries will be the norm.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-08-12/loadsmart-and-starsky-make-first-start-finish-autonomous-truck-delivery
August 12, 2019
Autonomous Trucking
Loadsmart And Starsky Make First Start-to-Finish Autonomous Truck Delivery
Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk,
Loadsmart and Starsky make first fully-autonomous truck delivery from start to finish.
TruckingInfo reports Loadsmart and Starsky Robotics Make First-Ever Digital Freight Delivery Via Autonomous Truck
According to the two companies, the integration of Loadsmart’s AI-powered pricing and load matching technology with Starsky’s API meant no human intervention was required. The historic initiative is part of a larger strategic partnership which paves the way for the future of trucking: autonomous brokerages dispatching freight to autonomous trucks without human involvement.
Loadsmart said it was able to connect its network of customers with Starsky’s fleet of regular and self-driving trucks by integrating Loadsmart’s Automated Dispatch API with Starsky’s Hutch API.
As a result of the partnership, Starsky is able to dispatch its trucks automatically without human intervention, while Loadsmart can expand its ability to automate the shipping process from quoting to booking to delivery to help its clients move more with less.
“For the first time ever, the advances that seem obvious for the ride-sharing services are coming to trucking,” said Stefan Seltz-Axmacher, CEO and founder of Starsky Robotics. “It’s not uncommon for a traditional trucking company to have five full-time employees involved in dispatching each truck for each load. By integrating e-brokers like Loadsmart, we are eliminating all back office human intervention and making the shipment process seamless, while focusing on ensuring the safety of driverless trucks. With Starsky’s Hutch API, which was also announced today, we will be able to autonomously dispatch autonomous loads on a regular basis.”
Delivery Details
Trucks.Com has additional details on the delivery.
Digital freight broker Loadsmart and self-driving truck developer Starsky Robotics completed what they say is the first autonomous dispatch and delivery of freight. The team paired in late July to book and deliver a load of corn in Texas with minimal human involvement.
Loadsmart digitally priced, tendered and booked the shipment. A Starsky self-driving truck picked up and delivered the raw corn to a customer in Grand Prairie, Texas.
Such partnerships are likely to expand as freight and logistics becomes increasingly digital, said Cathy Morrow Roberson of Atlanta-based Logistics Trends & Insights.
“Eventually I see the marriage between digital freight brokerages and autonomous trucks,” Roberson said. “It makes sense from an efficiency and timing perspective. And it could be beneficial as the trucking market continues to struggle with attracting and retaining drivers.”
Mass Adoption
There are two things holding up mass adoption.
- National Regulation
- More Testing
Requirement two is proceeding nicely.
Starsky plans to begin commercialization next month. To find potential problems an autonomous fleet might face, the company has a 6-person team operating a 40-truck fleet.
“We want to triple the size of that fleet by the end of the year, but we don’t want to triple the size of our operations team,” Seltz-Axmacher said.
He plans to build 25 autonomous trucks by the end of this year. To limit human involvement, Starsky intends to use its proprietary application programming interface, or API, to dispatch the trucks for tests.
“What we are doing is creating an API that brokers can use to negotiate for additional capacity and then hire that capacity without anybody talking to anyone else,” Seltz-Axmacher said.
Intense Competition
Competition in this space is intense. I have lost track of the number of competing in this space. It includes all the major car manufacturers, Waymo (Google), Otto, Loadsmart, Starsky, Amazon, Uber, and Lyft.
That’s what guarantees success, sooner rather that later, despite the poor current technology of Uber.
Robertson gets it correct with her assessment “Autonomous trucks will become more the norm than the exception.”
Inner-city truck deliveries will still require drivers, for a period of time, but rural deliveries like the one above and hub-to-hub interstate deliveries by autonomous truck will soon be standard.
100 Pigs Die
On July 19, an Overturned Semitruck Closed a Freeway Ramp in Louisville. On July 17, More than 100 Pigs Die After Truck Overturns on I-65 Ramp at Spaghetti Junction near Louisville.
Benefits
- Accident rates will plunge. Nearly all truck accidents are driver error.
- Insurance rates will drop.
- The cost of the driver will be eliminated. No more union dues.
- Trucks can drive 24-7. They do not have to sleep.
The benefits are overwhelming. Tremendous benefits coupled with intense competition ensures success. Within a year or two of national regulator approval, autonomous semi-truck deliveries will be the norm.
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-08-12/loadsmart-and-starsky-make-first-start-finish-autonomous-truck-delivery
August 12, 2019
Rare Earth Minerals
Humans are intelligent beings capable of innovating their way out of shortages.
Rare Earths Crisis in Retrospect
On April 10, a team of 21 Japanese scientists discovered a 16 million ton patch of mineral-rich deep sea mud near Minami-Tori Island, which lies 790 miles off the coast of Japan. The patch appears to contain a wealth of rare earth elements, including 780 years’ worth of yttrium, 620 years’ worth of europium, 420 years’ worth of terbium and 730 years’ worth of dysprosium. This find, the scientists concluded, “has the potential to supply these materials on a semi-infinite basis to the world.”
The happy discovery provides us with an opportunity to revisit the last crisis over the availability of natural resources and recall the ingenuous ways in which humanity tackled that particular problem.
In September 2010, a Chinese fishing trawler and a Japanese coast guard vessel collided in waters disputed by the two countries. The Japanese detained the captain of the Chinese vessel and China responded by halting all shipments of rare earths to Japan. The latter used the imported metals in a number of high-tech industries, including production of magnets and Toyota Priuses. At the time of the embargo, China accounted for 97 percent of rare earths production and a large part of the processing business. Predictably, global panic ensued.
In the United States, which uses the rare elements in its defense systems, wind turbines and electric cars, the great and the good rang the alarm bells. Writing in The New York Times, the Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman opined,
“You really have to wonder why nobody raised an alarm while this was happening, if only on national security grounds. But policy makers simply stood by as the U.S. rare earth industry shut down…. The result was a monopoly position exceeding the wildest dreams of Middle Eastern oil-fueled tyrants. Couple the rare earth story with China’s behavior on other fronts — the state subsidies that help firms gain key contracts, the pressure on foreign companies to move production to China and, above all, that exchange-rate policy — and what you have is a portrait of a rogue economic superpower, unwilling to play by the rules. And the question is what the rest of us are going to do about it.”
The U.S. Congress convened a hearing on “China’s monopoly on rare earths: Implications for U.S. foreign and security policy,” with Rep. Donald Manzullo (R-IL) declaring, “China’s actions against Japan fundamentally transformed the rare earths market for the worse. As a result, manufacturers can no longer expect a steady supply of these elements, and the pricing uncertainty created by this action threatens tens of thousands of American jobs.” Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) argued that “Chinese control over rare earth elements gives them one more argument as to why we should kowtow to China,” while a report by the Government Accountability Office warned that “rebuilding a U.S. rare earth supply chain may take up to 15 years.”
So, what really happened?
In a 2014 Council on Foreign Relations report, Eugene Gholz, an associate professor of public affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, revisited the crisis and found that the Chinese embargo proved to be a bit of a dud. Some Chinese exporters got around the embargo by using legal loopholes, such as selling rare earths after combining them with other alloys. Others smuggled the elements out of China outright. Some companies found ways to make their products using smaller amounts of the elements while others “remembered that they did not need the high performance of specialized rare earth[s] … they were merely using them because, at least until the 2010 episode, they were relatively inexpensive and convenient.” Third, companies around the world started raising money for new mining projects, ramped up the existing plant capacities and accelerated plans to recycle rare earths.
The market response, then, diffused the immediate crisis when prices of rare earths, which spiked in 2011, came down again. In the long run, as the Minami-Tori find suggests, future supply of rare earths seems promising.
The broader lesson from the rare earths episode is this: human beings are intelligent animals who innovate their way out of shortages, real and imagined. We have done so many times before. In some cases, we have relied on greater efficiency. An aluminum can, for example, weighed about 3 ounces in 1959. Today, it weighs less than half an ounce. In other cases, we have replaced hard to come by resources with those that are more plentiful. Instead of killing whales for lamp oil, for instance, we burn coal, oil and gas. Finally, we have gotten better at identifying natural resource deposits. Thus, contrary to a century of predictions, our known resources of fossil fuels are higher than ever.
As such, there is no a priori reason why human ingenuity and market incentives should not be able to handle future shortages as well.
https://humanprogress.org/article.php?p=1268
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