Week 5

 Design for materials ✂

This week we learned how to replace a material in an existing product to make it better.

For example, the hairdryer. 💇

It was first invented in 1980 by Alexander-Ferdinand Godefroy. It was very big and bulky and made out of only metal. 

(n.d.)

Fast forward 30 years, the hairdryer was made into something more compact and convenient. However, it was still heavy and unsafe as its head is made out of metal with a wooden handle.

(n.d.)

The 3rd ever hairdryer known as Hawkins Supreme was made out of only plastic and wood. Made in the 1930s. This made it safe, convenient, and easy for users. It was a big hit due to the modifications and use of plastic. 

(n.d.)

This process shows how the hairdryer is improved by replacing a material of the hairdryer each time it is redesigned. 

This tells us that when designing a chemical product we should not only consider what materials to use but also what design changes can be made to enjoy the attributes of a certain material whenever possible. The process is shown below:

(Blackboard, week 5 slides)

Activity time: 💭

We were told to replace a material in an existing product. Our group chose latex to replace the plastic of the ice trays. 

                (n.d)                  

First, we discussed how this material can be used as a direct replacement to a material in an existing product without any significant changes in the design:

Latex is firm enough to hold the ice cubes in place so that they do not fall out, so it retains the functions of a plastic ice cube tray. Latex is readily stock in sheets and can be formed in different ways, making the switch from plastic to latex very easy, and without any financial drawbacks.

Latex is also water-resistant so it will not corrode or create a chemical reaction when contacted with water making it suitable to be an ice cube tray. Latex is also used as molds therefore it can serve the function of an ice-cube tray as it can mold the ice into any shape which includes cubes.

Lastly, latex has a low conductivity, similar to that of plastic, so it would be easy to carry the ice cube tray around.

Then, we discussed how this material can be used to enhance the functionality of an existing product through some changes in the design:

Since Latex is a very flexible material it will allow the ease of the removal of the ice in the ice-cube tray due to it being soft, unlike traditional plastic ice trays that are rigid.  The latex also has a high tensile strength which allows the tray to last longer as it will not be damaged very easily. It is also more eco-friendly as it is recyclable and reusable. It also lasts longer, approximately 7 and a half years. Lastly, latex can also be made in any colour the user prefers, so it is more pleasing to the eyes of the user.

Since latex is flimsy, in order to allow for some form of integrity to the tray, the outer layer will still be made of plastic while the inner part is to be made latex. This will allow for the ease of removal of ice-cube due to the flexibility of the latex while it still keeps a strong outer area to help maintain the shape of the tray.

That's all for week 5!

Reflection 📜:

~Trisyia 🐌~

In week 5 we learned how to replace a material in an existing product to make it better. It was a very eye-opening lesson as we got to know the evolution of some items such as the hairdryer and coke bottle. I did not realise that there were so many versions of each object. It was really interesting to see how the product was improved every time an updated version is created. We also had to do an activity on this where we try to improve a product by replacing one material from the product. This was challenging at first as we did not understand the question well. However, after trying again and getting help from Dr Noel, we managed to carry out the activity succesfully. 

~Jun Ying🚲~

The content in this week was very intriguing and provided much food for thought. For example, the first iteration of the hair dryer was very impractical as it is very heavy, and the handle was made of metal, so it could potentially burn the user's hand. However, improvements were made and it is now a staple appliance in many modern houses. I thought that this was very interesting as I did not think or know about the evolution of the hair dryer before. I later realised that many other items have gone through changes in design as well, so that it can function better. Next, when we did the activity, I was quite stumped on how latex can be used to replace plastic in an ice tray. However, after researching on many other items and their changes in materials, I realised that there were many ways a change in design can improve on the functionality of an item., but there can also be drawbacks to it as well. After doing the activity, I now know how to apply the process of making design changes to enjoy the attributes of a certain material.

~John👽~

This week was another interesting week as here I have learnt the process of how material design evolve from the past all the way till now. It was really interesting to read on how the people think and come up with new ideas to improve the old design to make it convenient. Looking back, we had made a lot of progress since then. When it was our turn to apply it to a product I found it quite hard as anything we ca think of was pretty much discovered already which makes me admire the people who did it the first time as they really have to be creative to think of that back when technology was not so advanced. Thankfully, the improvement does not have to be something new that no one has ever seen before so it did ease up the task. Overall, now I know the thinking process in order for me to improve the design of the material whether its finding a new material or changing the overall design of it.

References:

1. n.d. [image] Available at: <https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9e/HairDryer.jpg/170px-HairDryer.jpg> [Accessed 27 May 2021].

2. n.d. [image] Available at: <https://assets.sutori.com/user-uploads/image/b16f5351-fc7e-463e-8b88-a7d5cd0beca1/09a42b1e82d6990a049104dc47db6286.png> [Accessed 27 May 2021].

3. n.d. [image] Available at: <https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images1/360/0812/01/vintage-lg-hawkins-hairdryer-box_360_ea6757dd638aaa6aaaab74b891eaf368.jpg> [Accessed 27 May 2021].