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 WELCOME
EDITORIAL
Editor
Stephen Holmes
stephen@x3dmedia.com
+44 (0)20 3384 5297

Managing Editor
Greg Corke
greg@x3dmedia.com
+44 (0)20 3355 7312

Staff Writer
Claudia Schergna
claudia@x3dmedia.com

Consulting Editor
Jessica Twentyman
jtwentyman@gmail.com
+44 (0)20 7913 0919

Consulting Editor
Martyn Day
martyn@x3dmedia.com
+44 (0)7525 701 542

S
DESIGN/PRODUCTION
Design/Production
ustainability is a word I’ve avoided for a long time. Ever since
Greg Corke
greg@x3dmedia.com its peak buzzword period back in around 2014, I’ve watched
+44 (0)20 3355 7312 marketing departments handcuff this word to a radiator and
beat the meaning out of it, until every annual report and
ADVERTISING product roadmap has been splattered with green tears.
All companies have a sustainability viewpoint, some with
Group Media Director very little to back it up. In many cases, it’s a cobbled-together
Tony Baksh
tony@x3dmedia.com piece of bandwagon-jumping that tarnishes what might
+44 (0)20 3355 7313 otherwise have been positive moves in the right direction.
But, having recently had my interest piqued by new sustainability calculator
Deputy Advertising Manager tools, I began to look at what sustainability means today. I was delighted to find
Steve King plenty of companies producing credible, promising and sustainable products, not
steve@x3dmedia.com
+44 (0)20 3355 7314 simply in an attempt to ‘Greta Thunberg’ their brands, but because it is often the
best thing to do, on a number of levels.
US Sales Director This issue, our cover story showcases Tevva, the manufacturer of electric and
Denise Greaves hydrogen-electric goods vehicles. While Tevva wears its eco interests on its
denise@x3dmedia.com
+1 857 400 7713 sleeve, it also wears a pair of steel toe capped boots that are firmly anchored in
the reality of what modern transportation needs to be. The potential benefits of
electrifying this form of transportation are huge, not just in terms of fossil fuel
SUBSCRIPTIONS avoidance, but also in hard-nosed cost-per-mile terms for businesses.
Circulation Manager We also learn how skills learned from mass manufacturing can be used to
Alan Cleveland replenish the nature it has played a part in wrecking; how products designed to
alan@x3dmedia.com
stay the course can reclaim ground lost to so-called ‘fast fashion’ items; and how
+44 (0)20 3355 7311
` recycled materials are evolving to find their place in the manufacturing ecosystem.
There’s a lot of pressure being placed on design and engineering to save this
ACCOUNTS planet, and thankfully, there’s plenty of evidence that our readers in the sector
Accounts Manager are making every effort to play their part. But sadly, nothing seems likely to save
Charlotte Taibi any of us from the buzzwords any time soon.
charlotte@x3dmedia.com

Financial Controller
Samantha Todescato-Rutland
sam@chalfen.com

ABOUT
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Editor, DEVELOP3D Magazine, @swearstoomuch

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makerbot.indd 1 08/02/2023 18:38
 CONTENTS

APRIL / MAY 2023 ISSUE NO. 139

8 NEWS
Workstation news from Intel, AMD, HP, Lenovo and
Dell, plus Xencelabs launches new Pen Display 24
Studio and Zea gets to grips with technical content

FEATURES
17 Comment: Autodesk’s Zoe Bezpalko on eco-friendly design
18 Comment: SJ takes the space race to task
20 Visual Design Guide: Yanmar’s vineyard spraying robot
22 COVER STORY Tevva’s power ranger hits the road
28 Made to last: Wingback’s challenge to throwaway culture
32 Coral Maker on repairing environmental damage to reefs
38 Blow by blow: Lontra’s energy-efficient blade compressor
42 Pack it in: Greener options from Lester Packaging
45 Bright spark: Markforged on copper 3D printing tech
46 Lacks Enterprises reinvents the wheel for fuel efficiency
48 DEVELOP3D’s guide to nine new eco-friendly materials
52 Virtuous circle: Work from Ansys on plastics recycling
54 Double shot: Digital twins in action at Gruppo Cimbali
56 Introducing the Nokia G22, a repairable smartphone

58 THE LAST WORD

New eco-friendly products are everywhere these days,
but it’s the way that they are packaged and protected in
transit that could make all the difference to the planet,
writes Stephen Holmes

2023

20 September 2023
The wood used to produce this magazine
comes from Forest Stewardship Council Warwick Arts Centre, UK
certified well-managed forests, controlled
sources and/or recycled material www.develop3dlive.com

DEVELOP3D.COM APRIL / MAY 2023 7

p07_D3D_APRMAY23_Contents-JLTfinal.indd 7 13/04/2023 16:19

 NEWS
NEWS

INTEL LAUNCHES 'SAPPHIRE RAPIDS'

XEON DESKTOP WORKSTATION PROCESSORS
» With 16 models ranging from 6 to 56 'Golden Cove' cores, Intel finally has some
workstation CPUs to fight back against the AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 5000 WX

I
ntel has launched its long-awaited
‘Sapphire Rapids’ Intel Xeon
W-2400 and Xeon W-3400 single-
socket workstation processors
with up to 56 cores – considerably
more than the previous generation.
These are the first workstation-specific
processors from Intel in some time and will
enable Intel to compete more strongly with
the AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 5000 WX-
Series in demanding workflows that benefit
from more cores, more memory or higher
memory bandwidth, such as visualisation
and simulation.
The Intel Xeon W-2400 and Xeon W-3400
series will be of less interest to users
of CAD software, who should be better
served by 13th Gen Intel Core processors.
Intel’s entry-level CPU family generally
has fewer cores and less memory
bandwidth, but higher clock speeds
and higher instructions per clock (IPC), has more memory channels Among the Intel Xeon W-2400 Series, 'Sapphire Rapids'
which are important for single-threaded (8 vs 4), more memory capacity (4 TB vs the processors that stand out are the Xeon Xeon gives Intel the
high-core count, high-
performance. 2 TB), more PCIe lanes (112 vs 64, so it can w7-2495X and w7-2475X which combine memory bandwidth
The Intel Xeon W-2400 Series is support more add-in GPUs), more Intel high core counts with the highest boost workstation CPU it
classified as a ‘mainstream’ workstation Smart Cache (L3) and a higher max base frequencies. The lower-end models may has lacked for years
processor with eight models ranging from power (350W vs 225W). well be suited to engineering simulation
6 to 24 cores. Meanwhile, the Intel Xeon As a first for Xeon processors, certain – applications that tend to benefit from
W-3400 Series is for ‘experts’ with seven models – those with an X suffix – are higher memory bandwidth but don’t
models ranging from 12 to 56 cores. unlocked so the processor can be necessarily take advantage of lots of cores.
The new processors are comprised overclocked. A range of tuning features They can also provide a platform for multi-
entirely of ‘Golden Cove’ cores; they will be made available through the Intel GPU workflows, such as GPU rendering.
do not have the hybrid Performance Extreme Tuning Utility (Intel XTU). While There’s a similar pattern with the Intel
Core (P-Core)/Efficiency Core (E-core) it’s unlikely that major OEMs will go Xeon W-3400 Series, with the higher end
architecture pioneered by 12th Gen and down the overclocking route, this level models featuring the largest number of
13th Gen Intel Core processors. of control could leave the gates open for cores and highest boost frequencies. The
Beyond the number of cores, there are specialist workstation manufacturers range tops out with the 56-core Intel Xeon
some significant differences between the such as Armari and BOXX to differentiate w9-3495X with a base frequency of 1.9 GHz
two processor families. Compared to the themselves by squeezing more and a Turbo Boost Max 3.0 of 4.80 GHz.
Intel Xeon W-2400, the Intel Xeon W-3400 performance out of the platform. www.intel.com

WHAT DEVELOP3D THINKS

While Intel has done a
great job with 12th and
13th Gen Intel Core, it’s
essentially been four
years since the company
had a new workstation
processor for anything
other than entry-level
workflows like CAD.
Yes, there was the Intel
W-3300 Series in 2021, Precision 5820, which are Ryzen Threadripper Pro, to Intel of ‘Sapphire Rapids’ currently available.
but this ‘Icy Lake’ currently being replaced, including the Lenovo Xeon W-2400 /W-3400 On paper, the Xeon
processor was not taken date back to 2017. ThinkStation P620 and Dell cannot be overstated. W-2400 Series looks well
up by any of the major As Intel’s workstation Precision 7865 Tower. With a total of 17 models placed to bridge a gap
workstation OEMs. business has stuttered, Intel simply has had covering multiple different between AMD Ryzen and
Remarkably, there are AMD has grabbed the nothing that can compete specs and price points, AMD Ryzen Threadripper
still workstations on sale opportunity with both at the high-core count, Intel certainly has a Pro in workflows that
with 2019 ‘Cascade Lake’ hands. Over the last few high-memory bandwidth broad range of processors might benefit from more
Xeon processors. In fact, years, it has celebrated end of the market. To this to take on the five memory bandwidth or
the HP Z4 G4 and Dell OEM wins with AMD backdrop, the importance Threadripper Pro CPUs more PCIe lanes.

8 APRIL / MAY 2023 DEVELOP3D.COM

p08_09_12_13_14_15_D3D_APRILMAY23_NEWS.indd 8 13/04/2023 13:45

 AMD LAUNCHES RDNA 3 PRO GPUS AND TAKES
THE FIGHT TO NVIDIA ON PRICE/PERFORMANCE
» New AMD Radeon Pro W7900 and W7800 workstation GPUs target high-end
workstation users for ray tracing, real-time 3D, video editing and other workflows
A
MD has launched the Radeon
Pro W7900 and W7800, the
first workstation GPUs to
be built on AMD’s RDNA 3
architecture.
Target workflows for the new high-end
cards include visualisation, real-time 3D,
ray trace rendering, photogrammetry,
VR, simulation, video editing and more.
The AMD Radeon Pro W7900 is triple-
slot (2.5) GPU with 48 GB of GDDR6
memory, 61 TFLOPs of peak single
precision performance and a total board
power of 295W. It costs $3,999.
The AMD Radeon Pro W7800 is a dual-
slot GPU with 32 GB of GDDR6 memory,
45 TFLOPs of peak single precision
performance and a total board power of
260W. It costs $2,499.
Both GPUs comprise multiple unified
RDNA 3 compute units, each with
64 dual issue stream processors, two AI
accelerators and a second gen ray tracing
(RT) accelerator. According to AMD, RDNA
3 offers up to 50% more ray tracing
performance per compute unit than the
previous generation.
AMD’s ray tracing (RT) accelerators are
compatible with Unreal Engine, Unity,
Lumion, Enscape, Solidworks Visualise,
D5 Render, Maxon Redshift, plus other
applications that support DirectX
Raytracing (DXR), Vulkan ray tracing,
or AMD Radeon ProRender, including
Acca Edificius, Autodesk Inventor, Rhino,
Autodesk Maya and Blender.
The new GPUs will go up against the
Nvidia RTX A6000 Ada Generation
(48 GB). While AMD only names two
benchmarks where the Radeon Pro
W7900 will outpace Nvidia’s flagship
pro GPU (the 3ds Max and Maya viewsets
HP updates entry-level workstations with 13th Gen Intel Core CPUs
H
P has refreshed its entry-
level HP Z Workstations
with 13th Gen Intel Core
processors and the latest
Nvidia RTX professional
GPUs. The Z2 Mini G9, Z2 SFF G9, Z2
Tower G9, and Z1 Tower G9 join the
'Sapphire Rapids' Z4 G5, Z6 G5 and Z8
G5 workstations (see page 13) for a
comprehensive update of its desktop
workstation family.
p08_09_12_13_14_15_D3D_APRILMAY23_NEWS.indd 9
The AMD Radeon in SPECviewperf 2020), it points out
Pro W7000 Series that both AMD GPUs are extremely
workstation graphics
competitive on price/performance.
cards are expected
to be available in In SPECviewperf 2020 GeoMean, for
Q2 2023 example, AMD claims the Radeon Pro
W7900 is within 7% of the performance
of the Nvidia RTX A6000 Ada Generation
but offers more than double the price/
performance, as it costs less than half
($3,999 vs $8,615).
AMD also highlights support for
DisplayPort 2.1, the latest version of the
digital display standard that offers three
times the data rate of DisplayPort 1.4.
According to AMD, this means its new
GPUs are future-proofed for next gen
displays, covering refresh rate, pixel
resolution and colour bit-depth, while
pointing out that the Nvidia RTX 6000
Ada Generation supports DisplayPort 1.4.
With 48 GB, the Radeon Pro W7900
The updated 'G9 Edition' Z workstations
will support a range of 13th Gen Intel Core
CPUs up to the Core i9-13900K. HP has not
yet announced which new 'Ada Generation'
Nvidia RTX GPUs it will support, but we
expect the Nvidia RTX 4000 SFF Ada
Generation will feature widely (see
page 14), even in the compact HP Z2
Mini G9 (pictured right).
HP could be waiting for Nvidia to expand
its Ada Generation pro GPU offerings
also marks a step up in terms of memory,
with 50% more than its predecessor, the
Radeon Pro W6800. This puts it on par
with the Nvidia RTX 6000 Ada.
Memory is becoming increasingly
important for viz workflows, not just to
support extremely complex high-polygon
datasets, but for multi-tasking as well, as
product designer, Dr Adi Pandzic explains,
“Large format renders require more
horsepower, especially when doing 4K
ray traced animations using [Solidworks]
Visualize. The Radeon Pro W7900 allows
me to easily keep working on the model
[in Solidworks CAD] while rendering in the
background.”
Rich Hurrey, president and founder
of Kitestring, shares a similar view, “The
increased memory that the new AMD
RDNA 3 GPUs offer, allows us to have
multiple instances of Maya, Modo and
Unreal Engine open at the same time. All
of this means that production work gets
done faster and in real time.”
Memory also differentiates the new
pro GPUs from AMD’s consumer focused
RDNA 3 GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 7900
XTX which has 24 GB. Both pro GPUs also
come with AMD Software: Pro Edition. This
offers professional software certifications
for ‘performance and stability’, and pro
features such as ViewPort Boost, which
dynamically adjusts viewport resolution to
boost performance in some applications,
remote workstation support and more.
The AMD Radeon Pro W7000 Series
workstation graphics cards are expected
to be available in Q2 2023. Product
availability in OEM and SI systems is
expected in 2H 2023.
Look out for a full review soon.
www.amd.com/radeonpro
before making an announcement.
HP has also improved the remote
management capabilities of its Intel
Core workstations, announcing support
for the new HP Anyware Remote System
Controller in the Z2 Mini G9, Z2 SFF G9,
and Z2 Tower G9. The controller offers
out-of-band management, allowing IT
departments to monitor and manage a
workstation fleet from ‘anywhere’.
www.hp.com/zworkstations
DEVELOP3D.COM APRIL / MAY 2023 9
13/04/2023 13:45
 NEWS
XENCELABS LAUNCHES NEW
24-INCH DRAWING DISPLAY
X New biz model
encelabs has unveiled its new
Pen Display 24 Studio, a 24-
inch digital drawing display
targeting professionals with
plenty of features designed
to enhance their drawing experience.
The new product boasts an edge-to-
edge drawing surface with etched glass
for a natural ‘paper-esque’ feel under
the stylus; enhanced glare reduction and
fingerprint resistance; Pantone Color and
SkinTone validation; and an array of stand
and VESA mount options.
The display delivers 1.07 billion colours
for accurate colour reproduction while its
4K ultra high definition resolution (up to
3840 x 2160) contributes to an improved
workflow when working on fine details.
Xencelabs says that its team has worked
hard to tune the display’s pressure curve
for optimal responsiveness and stroke-to-
Zea to tackle technical content management
Z
ea has announced the beta
release of its cloud-based 3D
equipment documentation
platform, designed to enable
manufacturers to work
efficiently with distributed after-sales
teams who need secure access to 3D
models in order to create deliverables.
The company behind Zea Engine
said that, thanks to the platform, new
manufacturers can streamline and
differentiate their technical content, while
established ones can extend Industry 4.0
investments to benefit teams outside of
engineering, such as after-sales.
The primary features of the beta version
include unlimited users, organisations,
workspaces and projects; the ability
to collaborate with remote teams; and
compatibility with over 20 3D CAD file
formats, including Solidworks, Inventor,
10 APRIL / MAY 2023 DEVELOP3D.COM
p10_11_D3D_APRILMAY23_NEWS.indd 10
stroke accuracy, with the pen response
adjustable to each user’s drawing style.
There are also an array of different
customisation options that can be
configured according to user preference,
and some neat new features for better
usability, including a built-in tilt stand
which comes as standard, as well as silent,
fan-less operation thanks to a magnesium
alloy rear housing that dissipates heat.
“We listened to artists and their input
is reflected in the Pen Display’s design:
stunning display fidelity, an excellent
drawing experience, superior ergonomics
and more,” said Xencelabs head of product
Michael Thompson.
Available in the second quarter of 2023,
the Xencelabs Pen Display 24 will cost
£1,850 in the UK and $1,899 / €2,099
elsewhere.
www.xencelabs.com
Creo, NX and Solid Edge. It also boasts an
illustration version history feature and the
ability to create single-source 3D models
across all technical illustrations.
The platform will be generally available
this Spring, according to Zea Chief
Executive Officer (CEO) Michael Smith.
www.zea.live
Lasers adjusted
by Smart Fusion
E
OS has announced its new
Smart Fusion software
technology for laser powder
bed fusion (LPBF) metal 3D
printing that automatically
adjusts laser power in real time.
The technology is designed to eliminate
the need for most support structures,
minimise material use, reduce post-
processing requirements, and lower
the cost-per-part (CPP) for metal AM
applications. It can intuitively detect
potential build problems, auto-adjust laser
power, and eliminate the wasted time and
resources often associated with ‘trial and
error’ additive manufacturing.
www.eos.info
Xencelabs
promises
"stunning image
quality" for users
of its new Pen from Protolabs
P
Display 24 Studio
rotolabs has announced a
new manufacturing model
that aims to provide its
customer base with wider
access to more advanced
capabilities and reduced part costs.
By tapping into a digital network of
manufacturers connected through the
Hubs platform, customers can benefit
from new capabilities across CNC
machining, injection moulding and 3D
printing. This complements the low-
volume, on-demand services already
available from Protolabs’ sites in Telford,
UK and Putzbrunn, Germany.
www.protolabs.com
Dyndrite gets to
work on Mastro
D
yndrite has announced
it will partner with
Mimo Technik and Astro
Mechanical Testing
Laboratory on the
development of materials qualification
platform Mastro.
Through Mastro, the partners will offer
organisations qualified materials for
companies such as Boeing, Lockheed
Martin and Northrop Grumman.
Zea is on a mission The involvement of Dyndrite, a
to change the way provider of GPU-accelerated computation
that technical
content is created, used to create digital manufacturing
published and hardware and software, will support the
maintained codification of Mastro build recipes, in
order to ensure repeatable quality and
traceability.
www.dyndrite.com
13/04/2023 12:47
 HEXAGON OPENS NEXUS CLOUD ROUND
UP
PLATFORM TO ALL USERS Nexa3D has announced a

N
exus, the new open cloud
platform from Hexagon,
is looking to put an end to
the data silos that hamper
innovation by enabling
real-time collaboration and feedback
between Hexagon’s own products and
third-party software.
Initially announced in June 2022,
the platform is now open to all users,
following beta testing by companies in
Europe and North America. It launches
with a modest offering that its developers
claim will grow quickly with user needs.
Co-engineered with Microsoft, Nexus has
been created to empower siloed teams so
they can use data better in order to invent
sustainable and optimised products in a
more efficient and agile way, and then
manufacture them to the required quality.
The platform will feature cloud apps,
both from Hexagon and third parties, as
well as the ability to connect up on-
premises and legacy software, including
that used to run shop floor equipment.
“It’s a workflow that hopefully makes it
much easier to solve problems because
it drives this collaboration across
disciplines,” said Stephen Graham,
executive vice president and general
manager for Nexus at Hexagon.
“We often hear it from customers:
disciplines tend to be quite siloed. They’re
individuals who’ve built up engineering
expertise in their specific area over
the last 20 years or more and they’re
specialists in that area. But it’s almost like
they speak a totally different language.”
He gave the example of
miscommunication between engineers
trying to solve the manufacturability
problems posed by a specific product,
and that product’s designers, who may
be less familiar with the manufacturing
practicalities involved.
In this situation, according to
Graham, Nexus can break down the
communications barriers and get
participants to start speaking the same
language in order to get problems solved.
Nexus will also work across
organisational boundaries, allowing for
better collaboration between outsourced
design and manufacturing services and
bureaux, but enabling elements like
AM build prep or post-processing to be
handled in-house.
Key to all this is integration technology
developed by Hexagon for linking apps and
bringing into Nexus data generated from
other systems and devices.
www.hexagonmi.com
deal to acquire all of the
technology, distribution
and service offerings
of XYZprinting’s SLS 3D
printer business. The US-
based high-speed resin 3D
printer manufacturer will
add XYZ’s MfgPro230 xS
and MfgPro236 xS printers
to its product portfolio
www.nexa3D.com
Siemens and Microsoft
are to integrate Siemens’
Teamcenter PLM software
with Microsoft Teams.
The Teamcenter app for
Microsoft Teams, due to
launch later in 2023, will
help design engineers and
Hexagon's Nexus factory-floor workers close
cloud platform feedback loops faster and
integrates data
from disparate solve challenges together
apps and connected www.sw.siemens.com
systems
Electrical connectors
that were additively
manufactured using a new
photopolymer for end-
use applications from 3D
Systems have been awarded
industry certification.
The development marks
another major milestone in
the evolution of 3D printing
for building electrical
components
www.3dsystems.com
Oqton has announced it has
entered into a partnership
with Farsoon Technologies,

Glasses-free 3D viz tech launched by Sony in order to enable a

complete manufacturing

S
workflow to be carried out
ony has unveiled its second- within a single software
generation spatial reality solution. The aim here is to
display, the ELF-SR2. This increase productivity and
features a 27-inch screen maximise innovation for
(expanding on the first industrial manufacturers
generation model’s 15.6-inch screen) www.oqton.com
and wider tool compatibility.
Available for just over £4,000, the
ELF-SR2 targets designers and developers Beta CAE has announced
who want to see their projects in three the launch of v23.0.3, which
dimensions without being encumbered by comes with significant
glasses or a VR headset. The expanded 4K improvements to the
screen can more accurately track viewers’ company's Ansa, Epilysis
eyes for smoother 3D presentations. Optimised for industrial design, The ELF-SR2 is and Meta integrated tools,
Highlights of the new offering include surgical planning, AEC work and games designed to bring and aims to improve user
3D content to life
an upgraded high-speed vision sensor, development, among other activities, Sony without the need experience in daily tasks,
image quality enhancing technologies, offers ‘streamlined development’ through for glasses or a in part by reducing the risk
and installation flexibility. Additionally, software development kits (SDKs). Users headset of incomplete translations
the ELF-SR2 promises to enable more will be able to build VR/AR content on the occurring
robust functionality through its support of display in real time later this year. www.beta-cae.com
applications and development. www.sony.com

DEVELOP3D.COM APRIL / MAY 2023 11

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 NEWS

NEW LENOVO THINKSTATION WORKSTATIONS

CO-DESIGNED WITH ASTON MARTIN
» New multi-core ‘Sapphire Rapids’ Intel Xeon workstations - the ThinkStation
P5, P7 and PX - blur the boundaries between desktop and data centre

L
enovo has introduced the
ThinkStation P5, P7 and PX
(pronounced P10), a trio of
desktop workstations powered
by Intel’s long-awaited
‘Sapphire Rapids’ CPUs and Nvidia RTX
GPUs, including the Nvidia RTX 6000
Ada generation.
The flagship ThinkStation PX is the
most expandable of the new machines,
featuring dual 4th Gen Intel Xeon Scalable
processors (up to 2 x 60-cores), up to 2 TB
of DDR5 memory, and up to four dual-slot
GPUs, including the Nvidia RTX 6000 Ada
Generation. It is designed to handle the
most demanding multi-threaded or multi-
GPU workflows such as computational
fluid dynamics (CFD), ray trace rendering
and video editing.
The ThinkStation P7 comes with a choice
of workstation-specific Intel Xeon W-3400
Series processors (up to 56 cores). The
single-socket machine will likely hit the
price/performance sweet spot for many
visualisation and simulation workflows,
especially those that can’t take advantage
of more than 56 cores. It can also support
up to three dual-slot GPUs. chassis features advanced thermal The new workstations Baseboard Management Controller (BMC)
The ThinkStation P5 features Intel Xeon designs, and highlight Lenovo’s trademark feature a new tool- card that will give IT managers ‘full
less chassis, designed
W-2400 Series CPUs (up to 24 cores) and red throughout, as Cathal Loughnane, with the help of
remote management’. It will enable them
up to two dual-slot GPUs. Lenovo calls the director of partnerships at Aston Martin automaker Aston to monitor the workstation, cycle on and
P5 an ‘industry workhorse’ and it looks explains in reference to the ThinkStation Martin, who will use off, perform BIOS or firmware updates
well-suited to a wide range of workflows PX, “The red is not only the icon or the the workstations to and re-image the machine if necessary.
design and develop
from CAD and visualisation to simulation signature of the Lenovo brand, but it’s also its own high-
In addition to data centre deployments,
and reality modelling. the guide to the machine. For instance, if performance vehicles this could be of interest to IT managers
you need to know how to swap the drives, supporting those working from home.
ASTON MARTIN INSPIRED DESIGN look for the red. If you need to power on The machines also feature enhanced on-
All three workstations feature new tool- the machine, look for the red. Need to board diagnostics with a small LCD display
less chassis, designed with the help of change the fan inside the tower? Look on the front that shows a QR code in the
automaker Aston Martin, who will use for the red. The ultimate in ergonomics event of a system error – even out of band
the workstations to design and develop is there is no user manual, and you don’t failure states when a machine won’t turn
its own high-performance vehicles. The need one with this new design.” on. The user simply snaps the code with
The ThinkStation PX offers ‘unobstructed their smart phone, and they will be taken
airflow’ from front to back, across CPUs, directly to the relevant page on the Lenovo
GPUs and memory. This has been made service website.
possible by shifting the Power Supply The ThinkStation PX earns its data
Unit(s) and Hard disk Drives (HDDs) to one centre credentials from the rack optimised
side of the chassis. Cool air is drawn in ‘5U’ design. There are built in handles
through the ‘3D Hexperf’ front grill by six and standard bolt holes hidden under a
hot swappable and removable cooling fans. removable top cover, making it easy to
deploy in a standard 19-inch rack with the
RACK OPTIMISED optional sliding rack rail kit.
The ThinkStation PX and P7 For resiliency and redundancy, the
were built from the ground machine comes with two rear hot-
up to be ‘rack optimised’ swappable 1,850W power supply units
and offer several features (PSUs), so should one PSU fail, the
to transform these machine will carry on working. Other
desktop machines into what features include a rear accessible power
Lenovo describes as a ‘hybrid button and lockable front access hot swap
cloud workstation’, with remote storage, which includes options for both
management capabilities similar to 3.5-inch Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) and SSDs.
those found in rack servers. Look out for a full review soon.
This includes an optional www.lenovo.com

12 APRIL / MAY 2023 DEVELOP3D.COM

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 HP'S ‘SAPPHIRE RAPIDS’ WORKSTATIONS
PUT SPOTLIGHT ON REMOTE MANAGEMENT
» HP Z4, Z6, Z8 and Z8 Fury G5 target demanding product development
and manufacturing workflows, from viz to simulation and CAM

H
P has made a major update
to its Z Workstation
portfolio, launching G5
editions of its HP Z4, Z6
and Z8 desktop towers.
The new machines will replace the G4
editions that were first introduced
back in 2017.
The new HP Z Workstations are built
from the ground up for Intel’s ‘Sapphire
Rapids’ workstation processors. This
includes the Intel Xeon W-2400 Series
(with up to 24-cores) and Intel Xeon
W-3400 Series (with up to 56-cores).
With an emphasis on cores, as opposed
to the highest clock speeds, plus support
for up to four high-end GPUs and lots of
high-bandwidth DDR5 memory, the new
workstations look best-suited to very
demanding workflows such as visualisation,
reality modelling and simulation.
HP has also massively upped its game
in remote management, with a view
to bringing server level management
capabilities to its Z Workstations. The
new hardware-based HP Anyware
Remote System Controller allows IT
administrators to launch a kernel-based
virtual machine (KVM) session and
perform out-of-band management tasks
such as pre-boot access, BIOS updates
and re-imaging from anywhere.
The HP Z4 G5 edition features the
workstation-specific ‘Sapphire Rapids’
Intel Xeon W-2400 Series CPU, available
with 6 to 24 cores, up to 512 GB of RAM
and up to two dual slot GPUs.
The HP Z6 G5 supports the Intel Xeon
HP has updated W-3400 Series workstation CPU from
its entire desktop 12 to 36 cores, up to 1 TB, and up to
workstation range
three double-height GPUs.
The HP Z8 G5 features ‘Sapphire
Rapids’ fourth generation Xeon Scalable
processors rather than the single-socket
workstation-specific Xeons available in
the other G5 machines. This gives it a
dual CPU capability, two dual-slot GPUs
and 1 TB of memory.
As the name suggests, the HP Z8 Fury
G5 is HP’s top-end ‘Sapphire Rapids’
workstation and supports the entire range
of Intel Xeon W-3400 Series workstation
CPUs, including the flagship 56-core
Intel Xeon w9-3495X. With up to 1 TB, it
supports twice as much memory as the Z6
and Z8 and up to four dual-slot GPUs.
www.hp.com/zworkstations

WHAT DEVELOP3D THINKS

‘Sapphire Rapids’ as a to 64 CPU cores. visualisation. This leaves workstation fleet as the boundaries between power supplies along with
workstation platform is HP’s new workstations the new Z4, Z6 and Z8 G5 they already have over traditional desktop hot swappable SSDs all
arguably more important also face increased workstations to largely their servers. workstations and servers. add to the offering.
to HP than any of the competition from within. cater to workflows that Combined with HP Meanwhile, redundant
other major workstation The HP Z2 family has only benefit from more Anyware remote access
manufacturers. grown in capability CPU cores, more memory, and collaboration software,
Prior to the launch of considerably over the more memory bandwidth, HP now has a joined-up
these new machines, last few years and the or more GPUs. We wonder solution to support the
HP had to satisfy the G9 editions with high- if the HP Z4 will be able growing shift towards
requirements of its more frequency 12th/13th Gen to retain its crown as HP’s hybrid working.
demanding AEC customers Intel Core processors best-selling workstation. With high clock speeds,
through its ageing are arguably the better Beyond the ‘Sapphire HP Z Workstations
‘Cascade Lake’ Intel Xeon choice for CAD and BIM. Rapids’ platform, HP is typically offer superior
HP Z G4 workstations Moreover, with high- showing real innovation performance to
that dated back to 2017. performance graphics and in remote workstation server-based virtual
Meanwhile, Dell and up to 128 GB of memory deployment and workstations. Now with
Lenovo had plugged the they can now deliver in management. With HP increased manageability,
gap by launching AMD more demanding design Anyware Remote System using HP Z Workstations
Ryzen Threadripper Pro workflows as well, Controller, it is looking to as a central rack-mounted
workstations with up to including reality modelling give IT managers a similar resource has become
2 TB of memory and up and mainstream design level of control over their more compelling, blurring

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 NEWS
NVIDIA ROLLS OUT 'ADA GENERATION'
LAPTOP AND DESKTOP NVIDIA RTX PRO GPUS
» Includes full range of GPUs for mobile workstations plus Nvidia RTX 4000
SFF (Small Form Factor) for compact desktop workstations
N
vidia has launched five
Nvidia RTX Ada Lovelace
GPUs for laptops/mobile
workstations and the
Nvidia RTX 4000 Small
Form Factor (SFF) Ada Generation
(20 GB) GPU for compact desktop
workstations.
For mobile workstations, the Nvidia
RTX 5000 (16 GB), 4000 (12 GB), 3500
(12 GB), 3000 (8 GB) and 2000
(8 GB) Ada Generation
laptop GPUs cover all
bases from entry-level
to high-end, rendering,
viz and simulation. They
are said to deliver twice
the performance and power
efficiency of the previous
generation.
In addition, with Deep Learning Super
Sampling 3 (DLSS 3), which uses AI for
rendering and viz, Nvidia says it is seeing
up to a four times improvement in its
Nvidia Omniverse benchmarks.
Dell launches 13th Gen Intel Core Precision laptops
D
ell has launched seven
new Precision mobile
workstations with 13th Gen
Intel Core processors and
Nvidia RTX Ada generation
GPUs, ranging from 14-inch to 17-inch,
thin and light to high performance.
The model that stands out is the Dell
Precision 5680, a brand new 16-inch thin
and light laptop that replaces both the
15.6-inch Dell Precision 5570 and 17.3-
inch Dell Precision 5770. According to
Dell, the Precision 5680 has the smallest
footprint out of any 16-inch mobile
workstation.
The sub 2kg laptop comes with choice
of 45W base power 13th Gen Intel Core
vPro processors, including the Intel
Core i9-13900H vPro with 14 cores, 28
threads (2.50 GHz to 5.00 GHz Turbo).
For graphics, there’s a wide choice of Ada
generation GPUs, up to the Nvidia RTX
5000 (16 GB), making it suited to a wide
range of workflows from CAD and BIM to
visualisation and simulation. The laptop
supports up to 64 GB of DDR5 memory
and features Dell’s patented Dual
Opposite Outlet (DOO) fan to help keep
thermals under control.
Displays options include a 16:10 UHD+
OLED InfinityEdge panel with ‘deep rich
14 APRIL / MAY 2023 DEVELOP3D.COM
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Nvidia RTX laptop GPUs will be available
starting this month in mobile workstations
from global manufacturer partners.
Meanwhile, Nvidia is having a staggered
roll out of its Nvidia RTX Ada Generation
GPUs for desktop workstations. Following
on from the launch of the ultra-high-
end Nvidia RTX 6000,
Nvidia has
now released
a second desktop
GPU designed specifically for
compact workstations. It will likely
be of interest to users of CAD software
who want to extend their workflows into
visualisation, VR and simulation with tools
like V-Ray, KeyShot, Omniverse and more.
blacks and a high contrast.’ There’s a
haptic trackpad, which Dell claims to be
an ‘industry first’ for mobile workstations,
creating a ‘much more seamless,
much more consistent
experience’ across the entire
trackpad surface.
Extended Power Range
(EPR) technology means more
power (165W versus 130W)
can be delivered through a
universal USB-C connector.
Other features include
four ‘grade A’ speakers
with bottom-facing
subwoofers, dual array
microphones, a FHD
RGB IR camera and the
re-introduction of an
HDMi port.
Dell says the
Precision 5680 is its
first mobile workstation
to be designed with low carbon
and recycled aluminium, including
75% recycled aluminium.
Dell’s other ‘thin and light’ performance
mobile workstation is the 14-inch Precision
5480, which Dell claims to be the thinnest
and lightest in its class, starting at 1.48kg.
The Precision 5480 looks very similar to
The Nvidia RTX 4000 The Nvidia RTX 4000 SFF Ada
SFF Ada Generation Generation features 20 GB of memory,
features 20 GB of nearly double that of its predecessor, the
memory, nearly
double that of its
Nvidia RTX A2000 (12 GB), and is said to
predecessor offer a 2x performance improvement. The
low-profile, double-height graphics card
takes up two slots on the motherboard
and has four mini DisplayPort1.4a
connectors.
The GPU is designed to operate
with PCIe slot power alone and has
a max power consumption of 70W.
This is significantly lower than previous
generation ‘4000’ class GPUs, which
typically draw up to 140W. However,
in the future, Nvidia will also launch a
standard Nvidia RTX 4000 GPU that can
take advantage of 140W in a single slot.
We expect both GPUs will be share the
same silicon, but the Nvidia RTX 4000
SFF will be clocked lower.
The Nvidia RTX 4000 SFF GPU should
be available soon from PNY and other
partners for around $1,250.
www.nvidia.com
2022’s Precision 5470 (see our review in Dec
22 / Jan 23 Edition) but has new internals.
The Precision 5470 stood out from the
competition thanks to the Nvidia ‘1000’
class graphics. The new Precision 5480
now has ‘2000’ and ‘3000’ class options
thanks to new energy efficient Nvidia RTX
Ada Generation GPUs. GPU memory is
also doubled from 4 GB to 8 GB, which
should make the machine better
suited to viz-centric workflows.
Despite its smaller size, the
Precision 5480 has the same choice
of 13th Gen Intel Core processors as
the Precision 5680 and up to 64 GB
of LPDDR5 memory.
Dell has also updated its broader
mobile workstation portfolio – from
the entry-level 3000 Series with power
efficient 15W base power 13th Gen Intel
Core processors (14-inch Precision
3480 and 15.6-inch 3580)
to its most powerful
Precision
7000
Series with
55W base
power 13th Gen Intel Core
The Dell Precision
5680 is a brand new processors (16-inch Precision 7680 and
16-inch thin and light 17.3-inch Precision 7780).
workstation laptop www.dell.com/precision
13/04/2023 13:45
 DELL PRECISION 5860 TOWER AND 7960
TOWER WORKSTATIONS LAUNCH
» Company’s ‘Sapphire Rapids’ desktop workstations focus exclusively on
single-socket Intel Xeon W-2400 and W-3400 workstation processors
D
ell has launched the Dell
Precision 5860 Tower and
Precision 7960 Tower, a
duo of ‘Sapphire Rapids’
desktop workstations that
will replace the company’s ageing
‘Cascade Lake’ Dell Precision 5820 and
Precision 7920.
Both workstations are single-socket.
The Precision 5860 Tower comes with a
choice of Intel Xeon W-2400 processors up
to the 24-core Intel Xeon w7-2495X, and
supports up to two double-height GPUs,
including the Nvidia RTX A6000 and AMD
HP launches G10 Edition ZBook mobile workstations
H
P has launched new G10
Editions of its ZBook
mobile workstations, the
HP ZBook Firefly, HP ZBook
Power, HP ZBook Studio,
and HP ZBook Fury.
Of the new machines, the Firefly G10
and Power G10 stand out because they
are the first in the ZBook portfolio to offer
AMD Ryzen and Ryzen Pro processors
for mobile. Both laptops can also be
configured with Intel vPro powered by 13th
Gen Intel Core processors and Nvidia RTX
Ada Generation laptop GPUs. The models
with AMD processors can be recognised by
an 'A' suffix.
The HP ZBook Power G10 is a 15.6-inch
laptop with up to 64 GB of memory. With
an AMD processor, the Power G10 A can
include integrated AMD Radeon graphics
or up to Nvidia RTX 2000 Ada laptop GPU
(8 GB). With an Intel Core processor, the
p08_09_12_13_14_15_D3D_APRILMAY23_NEWS.indd 15
Radeon Pro W6800.
The Precision 7960 Tower offers Intel
Xeon W-3400 processors up to the 56-
core Intel Xeon w9-3495X and supports
up to four double-height GPUs. Dell does
not mention the new Nvidia RTX 6000
Ada Lovelace generation for this release.
However, we expect support for this super
high-end card will follow soon.
Unlike Lenovo and HP, Dell has not
launched a dual-socket ‘Sapphire Rapids’
desktop workstation with 4th Gen Intel
Xeon Scalable processors. However, it
is the only one of the major three to
Power G10 can
include integrated
graphics or up to
Nvidia RTX 3000 Ada
laptop GPU (8 GB).
Other features
include an all-aluminium
chassis, a 2K QHD (2,560
x 1,440 resolution) 120Hz
display, an auto-framing
5 MP camera, which frames
the user on video calls even
if they move around a little,
and AI Noise Suppression, to
block background noise.
The HP ZBook Studio G10
is a thin and light 16-inch mobile
workstation which starts at 18mm and
1.73kg. It has higher spec graphics than
the Power G10, up to the Nvidia RTX 4000
Ada Laptop GPU (12 GB) or Nvidia GeForce
RTX 4080 (12 GB). It comes with 64 GB
The Dell Precision release a dedicated rack workstation to
7960 Tower (left) and support remote graphics deployments. The
Dell Precision 5860
Tower (right)
Precision 7960 Rack is a 2U machine which
can support up to two 56-core Intel Xeon
Platinum 8480+ processors and up to two
double height GPUs.
Beyond CPU and GPU, the Precision
5860 and Precision 7960 differentiate
themselves largely by memory capacity
and expandability.
The Precision 5860 can be configured
with up to 512 GB of DDR5 memory
(support for 2 TB will come later with
availability of 128 GB and 256 GB DIMMs).
It has two lockable front drive bays,
support for M.2 SSDs and 2.5-inch/3.5-inch
HDDs, and up to 56 TB of total storage.
The mid-size tower is slightly smaller
than the Precision 5820 it replaces and
comes with a back carry handle.
It looks to share the same chassis as
the AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro-based
Precision 7865 Tower Workstation that
launched last year.
The Precision 7960 can be configured with
up to 1 TB DDR5 at launch and up to 4 TB
post launch (with 128 GB / 256GB DIMMs).
It has six lockable front drive bays and
up to 152 TB of total storage. It is slightly
smaller than the Precision 7920 it replaces,
although this was a dual-socket machine.
Both workstations offer dual network
ports (1G + 10G) and optional Wireless LAN.
www.dell.com/precision
of DDR5 memory, and an optional HP
DreamColor Display with 100% DCI-P3
colour gamut and a 120Hz refresh rate.
The HP ZBook Fury 16 G10 is HP's
highest performing mobile workstation
with up to an Nvidia RTX 5000 Ada
laptop GPU (16 GB) and the more
powerful 13th Gen Intel Core HX
processors up to the Core i9-
13900HX. It can be configured with
up to 128 GB of memory,
and
up to 12 TB of
storage spread across
three 4 TB NVMe SSDs.
The laptop comes with a choice of
The HP ZBook
Power G10 can be
15.6-inch or 16-inch displays. It starts at
configured with AMD 2.4kg and is 27.7mm thick.
or Intel processors www.hp.com/zworkstations
DEVELOP3D.COM APRIL / MAY 2023 15
13/04/2023 13:45
MOULD DESIGN

DIE DESIGN

ELECTRODES

PROGRAMMING

INTEGRATED CAD/CAM
FOR MOULD & DIE
Stay competitive across your operations
with dedicated software that delivers major
advantages for toolmakers

www.cimatron.com

Sustainability is not just a nice-to-have.
It’s now mandatory. When it comes to
designing new products, technology
can help us deliver both a cleaner
planet and economic growth, writes
Autodesk’s Zoé Bezpalko
M
ore and more companies
are prioritising
sustainability because
the twin pressures
of governments and
customers are forcing them to do just
that – finally! The world can’t afford to
wait any longer.
From boot-strapped start-ups to large
enterprises, we’re seeing significant
investments being poured into creating
more sustainable products and reducing
energy consumption and waste in
manufacturing.
It’s good for business and it’s common-
sense survival instincts. In a 2022 study of
850 companies worldwide, conducted by
strategy firm Boston Consulting Group, 80%
said they plan to increase their investments
in sustainability.
The European Net-Zero Industry Act
and the US Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)
both provide public funds specifically for
manufacturers to reduce carbon emissions.
The IRA provides nearly $6 billion to
industrial and manufacturing facilities
engaged in energy-intensive industrial
processes. It can help fund installation and
implementation of new technologies or even
early-stage engineering studies to prepare a
facility to lower its emissions.
Public funding is moving sustainability
away from being considered a costly
requirement and toward becoming a
legitimate growth opportunity.
DIGITALISATION’S ROLE
Research shows that, in some parts of the
world, digitalisation of manufacturing has
greater potential to reduce CO2 emissions
than in it does in other energy-intensive
sectors such as agriculture, construction
and mobility.
Technology for sustainable design and
manufacturing is nothing new. Over the
years, product design software companies
have rolled out software that recommends
more ecological materials or suggests
other methods of decreasing a product’s
environmental impact.
p17_D3D_DEC22JAN23_Zoe.indd 17
Developing that technology has been
crucial, of course. But unfortunately,
previous generations of this tech have been
cumbersome to use, functioning outside
of a product designer’s natural workflow,
and required data or expertise not in a
designer’s scope. As a result, the tools have
not been widely adopted.
I’ve spent years working side by side with
product designers and engineers, in various
countries, to understand their design-and-
make processes, their passion for creating
products that positively impact peoples’
lives and disgust at seeing them in landfills,
and the challenges involved in designing for
sustainability. I’ve identified three common
historical barriers.
Sustainability comes last. The
sustainability challenge has often been
outsourced to a lifecycle analysis expert,
costing time and money that designers
rarely have. Sustainability analysis has
been done at the end of the product design
process, if at all, after critical decisions
have been made and a product’s impact is
locked in.
Sustainability loses to other priorities,
too. Designers frequently juggle too many
contradictory priorities during product
development. And sustainability has been a
lower-priority criteria than cost.
Sustainability analysis requires big data.
Calculating the total carbon footprint of a
product typically requires a lot of data on
use, transportation, end-of-life and more –
data not typically accessible to and known
by a designer.
Given how a designer’s decisions cascade
through a product’s life, their impact on a
product’s carbon footprint is critical and
outsized. In fact, it’s estimated that over
80% of product-related environmental
impacts are determined during the design
phase.
Fully aware of this issue, at Autodesk,
we are working hard to address the
challenges that all our customers, and
particularly the product designers among
them, encounter when trying to use
technology to reduce impact.
COMMENT
Decisions A NEW GENERATION
The next generation of sustainability tools
made by needs to address the common barriers
a product I’ve identified. Autodesk’s tools integrate
designer sustainability insights directly into
designers’ existing tools and workflows.
have an A concept’s real-time sustainability score
impact is available, like a fuel gauge on the
dashboard, throughout the development
on that process, giving designers the power to
product’s make informed sustainability choices at the
carbon earliest stages of their work.
In these new tools, carbon insights
footprint are provided, along with criteria such as
that is both materials costs, supply chain risks and
compliance measures. These tools give
critical and designers the information they need to
outsized make better decisions, more quickly.
 An example of this new approach is the
Makersite add-on for Autodesk Fusion
360, which enables a designer to instantly
get CO2 and materials cost assessments,
calculated side by side for smart trade-
offs, without leaving their CAD/design
environment. Lower-carbon materials
are recommended to the designer, and
no data entry is required in order to get
a sustainability measure and actionable
recommendations.
To reduce environmental impact on a
large scale, we need many more accessible
sustainability tools of the kind that I’ve
described. With advanced technologies
like cloud-powered artificial intelligence
and machine learning, generative design,
additive manufacturing and open access to
platforms and data now in our toolboxes,
we have a constellation of new capabilities
to take on our global responsibilities, to
overcome what has previously stymied us
and help address the climate crisis.
It’s this generation’s mandate to effect
change and to leverage technology to
succeed in that challenge.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Zoé Bezpalko is an environmental
engineer and designer who strongly believes in the strategic use of
technology and design as key to solving global issues like climate
change. She is Autodesk’s Senior Sustainability Strategy Manager.
DEVELOP3D.COM APRIL / MAY 2023 17
13/04/2023 14:11
 COMMENT
Rocket launches are unquestionably
thrilling. But with their frequency
increasing in this new space age, our
columnist SJ is wondering about the
negative impact they have on the
planet they leave in their wake
I
like to romantically compare
witnessing your first rocket
launch to getting your first kiss.
The warm glow on your skin; your
toes curling into the ground as
you feel the shake. The entire time
your head is tilted back, eyes squinted
closed but not quite all the way.
Then there’s pause that comes with
the will-they/won’t-they anticipation.
Then, as sudden as the moment began,
it’s all over.
Space launches are incredibly
complicated: compared to traditional cargo
aircraft, rockets require significantly more
specialised ground infrastructure.
It takes a full 24 hours in advance of the
expected launch window to move the rocket
from storage to the launch site, to get it
hooked up to the booster, and loaded with
crew members, fuel and supplies.
Not included in this calculation are the
gruelling years of testing, manufacturing
and assembly that take place beforehand.
Yet, when launch day finally comes,
so many things can go awry. Inclement
weather, some asshole sailing his boat too
close to the launch site, abnormal sensor
readings, fuel not reaching the appropriate
temperature, vertical wind shear.
Hell – even the clouds being too thick can
completely cancel your date with space.
With so much potential for things to go
wrong, you start to wonder how any of the
commercial space companies have ever
been kissed?
LAUNCH SUSTAINABILITY
With the scrubbed launch this Spring of
the 3D-printed rocket from Relativity, I
began to pay a lot more attention to the
sustainability of these launches – and not
just the rockets themselves, but more so
the supply chain and logistics involved.
A reusable rocket sounds great in theory,
but a launch itself still has a horrible
environmental impact.
For starters, I don’t think that there are
18 APRIL / MAY 2023 DEVELOP3D.COM
p18_D3D_APRILMAY23_SJ.indd 18
enough carbon offset credits to combat
the 50 to 100 times increase in emissions
generated from a single launch as
compared to the average airplane ride.
In 2022, SpaceX launched 180 rockets.
That’s 30,600 to 61,200 trees for those
of you still following. To summarise: one
airplane = 34 trees. One SpaceX launch =
well over 30,000 trees.
Additionally, if the excessive carbon being
dumped into the atmosphere isn’t enough
to give you pause for thought, then there’s
also this to bear in mind: atmospheric
models from University College London
have revealed that the soot particles left
by these rockets retain up to 500 times
more heat in our atmosphere than all other
sources of soot combined.
TO THE MOON AND BACK
The hunger to experience the thrill of
a launch first-hand is driving a hectic
commercial space industry. In 2021, for
example, we all watched the race to space
among top-table billionaires, as Sir Richard
Branson’s Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos’
Blue Origin battled it out.
For many of us living in a world ravaged
by a life-threatening pandemic, emotions
ranged from wonderment and awe to
disbelief and even anger.
Most of us will never have the luxury
of leaving this blue marble behind when
it literally gets too hot to stick around.
So what will it take to get this new
space industry to pay attention to its
environmental impact? A specialised
tech-bro tax credit incentive? An updated
green-er deal? Reusable rockets that
are somehow cheaper than the current
estimated low, low price of $67 million?
There’s a lot that new space can learn
from the commercial airline industry when
it comes to tackling the challenge that is
sustainability.
Tactics might include swapping to more
sustainable fuels; creating new engines
that reduce emissions, noise and fuel
Most of us will never have the luxury of
leaving this blue marble behind when
it literally gets too hot on this planet to
stick around. So what will it take to get
the space industry to pay attention to
its environmental impact?

burn; and funding grant programmes to
analyse, review and track emissions, energy
efficiencies, operational efficiency, and
climate impact (to name a few).
INTENTIONAL CHOICES
I understand how incredibly challenging it
can be to bake sustainability into a product
that has been almost a decade in the
making.
But in the emerging area of rocket
logistics, the industry could be more
sustainable and reduce environmental
impact for every launch by making
stronger, intentional investments in
areas like equipment procurement,
basing, international diplomacy and more
efficiently trained and skilled personnel.
Becoming more efficient at handling take-
off and landing – where most rockets burn
the greatest amount of fuel – can only help
us in the long run.
Sustainability isn’t an easy ask for
any country, industry or large rocket
manufacturer. But all I’m asking is for some
of them to try.
I know that it won’t be easy and that the
road to hell is paved with good intentions,
but I leave you with my mother’s sage
advice: Sometimes you have to kiss a few
frogs before you get to the charming part.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: SJ is a metal additive engineer aka THEE
Hottie of Metal Printing. SJ’s work involves providing additive
manufacturing solutions and #3dprinting of metal parts to help
create a decarbonised world.
12/04/2023 13:29
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 VISUAL DESIGN GUIDE
YANMAR AUTONOMOUS
VINEYARD SPRAYER
Labour shortages, climate-change impacts and sustainability
pressures could make Yanmar’s YV01 spraying robot a valuable
member of the team for growers looking to get a productivity
boost from autonomous equipment

EFFICIENT
SPRAYING
At the heart of the YV01 is a 200-litre tank
along with electrostatic spraying technology
that ensure that all surfaces of a plant are
treated efficiently and economically, with
less waste and environmental impact

ADAPTIVE
AGILITY
The robot easily navigates steep slopes
and narrow vineyard alleys in all weather
conditions. Its tracks are capable of climbing
muddy 45-degree slopes without compacting
and damaging the soil

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 BUILT-IN
SMARTNESS
Sensors and aerials constantly monitor and
feedback data to operators in real time,
including GPS positioning, allowing remote
monitoring from any location

PORTABILITY
Weighing in at 1 tonne, the robot can be
transported on a small truck or trailer USER-LED
typical of the kind that most winegrowers
already own DEVELOPMENT
Japanese company Yanmar has established
an office in Épernay, a key town in the
Champagne region of France, in order
to better facilitate feedback from local
premium wine makers and include their
suggestions in its design process

STATELY
PROGRESS
The efficient two-cylinder gasoline engine
that powers the YV01 is quieter than
traditional spraying machines and capable of
4 km/h, allowing it to work at a stately pace
around the clock

PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

The robot is expected to come with
a price tag of around $70,000 to
$150,000
www.yanmar.com

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 COVER STORY
POWER R
» Electric cars are now a common
sight on UK roads, but a goods
vehicle powered by electricity is a
far rarer beast. Stephen Holmes
visits Tevva, a start-up looking to
extend the capabilities of electrified
trucks with the help of hydrogen
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T
here are over half a million goods vehicles
on the road in the UK. The vast majority
of them (some 98.8%) rely on diesel
to make deliveries, collect household
waste, transport fuel and so on. So it’s
pretty shocking to consider that in the
transportation sector, freight trucks emit more carbon
dioxide than aviation and maritime combined.
And despite the uptake in electric passenger vehicles,
trucks and lorries have so far proved immune to the
trend. As of 2021, only 520 battery-electric trucks and
lorries were registered in the UK.
That’s a big problem. On a worldwide basis, a passenger
car is driven, on average, just one to two hours per day.
12/04/2023 13:32
R RANGERIn the case of electric vehicles (EVs), that leaves many of
them with a store of power left over in their batteries and
a 22-hour window of opportunity to recharge.
But trucks are a different proposition entirely, according
to Tevva CEO Asher Bennett. For a start, a truck typically
heads out on each shift with around eight or more hours
of work ahead of it. At the same time, there is no specific
range for a fully charged battery. So much depends on the
workload ahead. Variables are far more diverse than those
for a passenger car.
They include the distances involved, the terrain to be
navigated, the individual operator’s driving style and the
loads to be carried. These all vary hugely from delivery
truck to delivery truck, and from day to day. And that’s
p22_23_24_25_26_27_D3D_APRILMAY22_Truck.indd 23
before you even consider any additional energy needs,
such as refrigeration for chilled goods in transit or
garbage compacting capabilities.
Tevva is leading the
charge when it comes
to getting electrified
trucks on the road
“No fleet manager will send out a truck in the morning
if it’s not guaranteed to complete its day, whatever that
day is,” says Bennett.
While EVs are often used on shorter routes, the issue
of variability overrides one of the biggest advantages of
an electric truck, which is that miles using cheap grid
electricity are dramatically less costly than miles using
diesel.
Tevva’s company mission, explains Bennett, is to
replace diesel trucks – and not just those working shorter,
repetitive routes and carrying predictable loads.
DEVELOP3D.COM APRIL / MAY 2023 23
12/04/2023 13:32
 At the heart of this mission is hydrogen. By adding
a hydrogen fuel cell system to its battery-electric HGV
design, Tevva can deliver zero-emission vehicles from
its Tilbury, Essex facility that will work for most fleet
operators across various sectors. The fuel cell system tops
up the battery, extending the vehicle’s range and allowing
it to carry heavier loads over longer distances.
According to Bennett, the current battery technology on
a Tevva truck would cover 80% and 90% of users’ needs.
“Most days, you won’t need anything more than that. But
getting back to base ‘on average’ is not good enough!” he
says. “So we back it up with the hydrogen fuel system.”
CALL FOR BACK-UP
The idea first came to Bennett beneath the ocean waves.
A stint in the Israeli Navy means that his first EV was a
submarine, powered by an electric motor, with a huge
bank of batteries that could be recharged by onboard
diesel generators.
In the case of Tevva, it’s the hydrogen system that acts as
back-up, performing as a range extender or REX.
“Because it’s there, [companies] can send this truck out
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without worry,” says Bennett. Most days, they won’t need
to use the hydrogen, but any day on which they do – like
a trip to the maintenance depot, or relocating trucks for
busy Christmas deliveries – then hydrogen will be the
enabler of all those cheap miles already provided by the
battery. “It really gets the economics going!”
A key advantage of hydrogen is its energy density over
a lithium-ion battery. A 100 kg tank has the effective
energy of 600 kg of battery. “And that’s about the battery
[weight] we put on this truck. So, by adding one cylinder,
we’ve doubled the amount of energy in this truck; two
cylinders, tripled. We go for three – quadrupled.”
To manage this to its highest efficiency, Tevva
has designed and built its own software, electronic
management systems and batteries.
Its Predictive Range Extender Management System
(PREMS) software is used to make a prediction of the
energy needs of a truck on a given day. All the variables
that normally count against an EV truck are fed into
the first part of the equation to determine how much
additional energy from the hydrogen will be needed to
augment the battery power.
12/04/2023 13:32
 SUSTAINABILITY

“The second part of the algorithm is, now that I know Under development for two years, much of the work
that we need to augment 60 kilowatt hours, let’s decide involved testing and developing systems for the fuel cell
where it’s most beneficial and optimised to do so, not technologies. Tevva REX engineer, Ryan Clark, explains
just wait till 3pm, end of day,” explains Bennett. The that the team opted for supplier Loop Energy, a Canadian
algorithm might opt to turn the hydrogen fuel cell on company. “They were best in terms not only of the
earlier in the day, but at half power, which gives 22% more
engineering factors, like the efficiency and ease it took
efficiency than running at full power. to integrate and fit the cabin, but also the commercial
Such measures can lengthen the life of the fuel cell factors. They’ve been really good at supporting us,
stack, or it can be used tactically; for example, when thehelping us with the design.”
battery is under stress from climbing a steep hill at high Currently, there are three hydrogen storage tanks
speed when fully loaded. mounted behind the cabin, although this has been
All of this is handled over the cloud, not by the driver,
designed to be versatile, to accommodate future
and as more Tevva trucks take to the road and feed back developments and provide modularity. “I think there is
more data, the better the optimisation will become. scope to reduce it to two in the future, because we might
be getting batteries with more rounded capacity. And
HYDROGEN IN, WATER OUT that’s all up in the air at the minute,” says Clark.
The development of Tevva’s hydrogen-electric 7.5-ton Should an owner have access to an abundance of cheap
model continues. A road-going prototype fitted with three hydrogen, the truck is capable of running entirely on that
hydrogen tanks recently covered more than 1,000km fuel. It’s not the most effective way to run a Tevva Truck,
(approximately 620 miles) on a test run, in which it was according to the team, but it highlights the versatility that
driven from Tevva’s headquarters in Essex to the Scottish could give these trucks wider appeal as energy and fuel
border on a single charge. markets continue to be volatile.

‘‘
It’s a different game to designing a
passenger car. A truck needs to do
the job, it needs to be good. It’s not
an emotional decision
’’

A closer look at the

powertrain and
systems that drive
Tevva’s trucks

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 Tevva’s current line of all-electric trucks, meanwhile, is
already hard at work at companies such as parcel delivery
giant UPS, a Tevva customer for around three years now.
The powertrain and systems of these vehicles have
been developed in-house, including the batteries and the
electronic ‘brains’ behind the management technology
that is already feeding back valuable information to R&D.
Designing its own battery has been a key challenge
for Tevva. While the team could buy batteries from
a supplier, that would leave the company hostage to
changes in price, battery technology and electronics
specifications. Instead, they are assembled in-house on
the company’s own assembly line, giving it full control.
The single-geared motor is actually two units
mounted on a single shaft. Co-developed with a sister
company based in Newcastle, it offers a redundancy
safety advantage, as well as providing swift yet silent
acceleration. Should one motor fail, the driver can
continue a few miles further on the second motor, until
they find a safe place to stop.
Each truck features five major control units, all
developed by Tevva to manage vehicle control, the
battery management system, power distribution,
telematics, and on the hydrogen version, an additional
unit for the fuel cell system.
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JOINING THE DOTS Tevva trucks are
All of this technology needs to be fitted together and assembled at the
company’s facility in
positioned on a donor chassis and cab that is known as a Tilbury, Essex
‘Glider’. This comes from a supplier that also produces
the same parts for a widely used diesel-powered variant.
Working on another company’s platform comes with
some frustrations, says Stephan Engelbrecht, Tevva
principal engineering manager for concepts. But, he
adds, it makes it easier to avoid the many pitfalls of
developing a product of this complexity and scale.
“What we’ve done makes sense. Too many companies
fail at the first hurdle of trying to produce their first
ground-up vehicle. And you’ll fail on something trivial,
which has nothing to do with the EV side of it.”
While the Glider has its limitations, these are issues
that the design and engineering teams have found smart
ways to work around.
A lot of that effort has been managed in CAD. Tevva’s
initial designs were built in Solidworks, but with the scale
of the project and team growing in size, the decision was
made to move to Dassault Systèmes’ Catia.
The benefits were instantaneous, says Engelbrecht,
giving the team at Tevva the ability to load up a model of
the entire vehicle quickly and work in context without
encountering problems.
‘‘
I think that something that’s really helped
in our industry is being able to turn things
around quickly using onsite 3D printers
’’
12/04/2023 13:32

“To me, that’s very important, because there’s so much
effort downstream, trying to get everything to fit together.
Because if a designer hasn’t looked at these systems when
he was designing whatever he’s doing, it can become
fairly problematic in big organisations,” he says.
“So the fact that it is so good at handling big chunks
of data means collaborative design just [happens]. It’s
not just a word. Everyone can work on live data without
falling over each other.”
Previously, the team had issues taking the supplier’s
Catia models of the Glider and then having to translate
them into Solidworks. Along the way, they would
sometimes lose some details.
Now that they have moved to native Catia imports,
Engelbrecht says, it’s easier to perform high-level
investigations of changes to future Glider designs, or
changes to systems, and explore what the design team
can do going forward in terms of maintaining fast
development times.
There is still a large element of physical prototyping,
mostly to quality-assure OEM parts against CAD
models and to ensure that all the necessary systems and
components fit into place.
“Our first step usually is to 3D print a bracket to
mount something in place,” says Engelbrecht. “I think
something that’s really helped us in our industry, being
able to turn things around quickly using onsite 3D
1 Production at Tevva’s headquarters is conservatively
2 www.tevva.com
3 pictured at his company’s Essex
p22_23_24_25_26_27_D3D_APRILMAY22_Truck.indd 27
SUSTAINABILITY
printers and not having to wait for a supplier.”
Five small desktop units have been replaced with a
Stratasys F170 FDM system, or “one big, proper printer to do
the job”, laughs Engelbrecht.
His advice to other companies? “Get something proper
that works every time. You can’t have something that
requires someone to re-engineer the thing every five
minutes.”
LIKE THE WIND
Upgrading the Glider for EV meant the need for further
aerodynamic surfaces, where these could be added.
Engelbrecht explains that the elements that the team
have changed do make a difference, but the team’s
members also had to be careful not to make more work
for themselves and create downstream maintenance
headaches.
It’s a case of not changing anything that could make life
difficult further down the road, according Engelbrecht.
“Door handles are difficult, so don’t go messing with
doors and closures! Exterior mirrors are extremely
difficult, unless you’re going to replace them with a low-
drag camera,” he says. “But there are things we can do.
We can improve how the air wraps around the front. We
can improve what happens at the rear.”
Compared to the passenger vehicles that some
members of the team had previously worked on, where
floors are nearly always sealed and aerodynamic, freight
vehicles have some large surfaces and underside scoops
that create drag. “It should have been obvious. It took us
sending a few guys to a wind tunnel to go and work out
that all we needed to do was add some porosity and a way
for the air to get out,” says Engelbrecht.
“It’s a different game to designing for a passenger car,”
he adds. “Also, for a passenger car, there’s so much of it
that doesn’t actually need to be a good product. You just
need to tell a good story and sell it to some customer. It’s
more of an emotional purchase than a practical purchase.
When it comes to a truck, it needs to do the job on paper,
it needs to be good. It’s not an emotional decision.”
ramping up, with staff getting to grips with installing miles
of wiring looms, coolant tubes and black-boxed battery
housings. Tevva is targeting production of 3,500 trucks each
year. With the majority set for UK customers, it will greatly
increase the number of EV goods vehicles on the road.
From there, production will continue to scale, the
company hopes. And it will optimise both its product and
its manufacturing process as it goes, with manufacturing
sites set to open closer to other target markets.
It’s an exciting time for EVs overall. As more of Tevva’s
vehicles take to the road, there’s every chance that trucks
running on renewables will deliver the biggest impact of all.
●
1 Ryan Clark and colleagues
arrive at the Scottish border after
a single-charge test run
●
2 Assembling Tevva trucks
involves connecting miles of
cabling and coolant lines
●
3 Tevva CEO Asher Bennett,
headquarters
DEVELOP3D.COM APRIL / MAY 2023 27
12/04/2023 13:32
 SUSTAINABILITY

BUILT
TO LAST
Wingback is turning its back on
throw-away culture, in favour
of creating products that last
for generations. Stephen Holmes
meets the team adding digital
design touches to the creation
of traditional leather and
metal accessories

S
at in Wingback’s London
headquarters, Alasdair MacLaine
pulls his great-grandad’s brass
mechanical screwdriver from his
pocket and admires it.
The screwdriver’s aged brass body
is standing up well to its years in
service. Not that it’s used much
today, given the new workshop that
MacLaine has at his disposal, replete with tools, 3D
printer, leather-working benches and photography area.
Situated at OXO Tower Wharf on London’s South
Bank, the workshop is part of Wingback’s design studio
and showroom. The iconic art deco building in which
it is located is as old as the screwdriver itself, but also
provides a modern home for an exciting list of young
hardware companies.
The idea of blending of traditional materials and
new ideas is completely in step with the ethos behind
Wingback itself. As a producer of leather goods,
accessories and stationery, every product is designed to
last a lifetime, and then some.
The inspiration for its stationery line came directly
from that inherited screwdriver, but the company’s
starting point can be traced back to founder and design
director MacLaine’s time working at Dyson, in its new
product innovation department. There, he was given
carte blanche to come up with new concepts, and an
extensive R&D budget.

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 DEVELOP3D.COM APRIL / MAY 2023 29

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 PROFILE
“Which is absolutely lovely,” laughs MacLaine,
explaining that his work at the company included the
development of the Airblade Tap and Dyson’s hairstyling
tool, the Airwrap.
“They’re two things I’ve got to my name from Dyson,
which I’m quite proud of and are really cool. But I think
after four years, I spent my evenings and weekends just
sort of tinkering with my own products and coming up
with concepts and reading business books.”
It was around this time that Kickstarter was increasingly
featuring UK projects and backers, but MacLaine quickly
realised he wasn’t going to launch the next Dyson-esque
product on that platform.
“So I asked: ‘What is the most simple product I can
break down the design of, so it’s as simple as possible to
make with no barriers to entry, no standards or anything
like that and fairly easy to prototype, to a point where
I’m ready to take it to market?’ And then I landed on this
leather wallet,” he says, reaching across to a shelf to pick
up a small leather card holder.
“I’d actually lost mine and there was nothing I found
that I particularly liked, so I decided to make my own.”
Having laser-cut and hand-stitched the prototype
cardholder, MacLaine took it into work to show some of
his colleagues, who immediately wanted one.
“I bought a little [leather] hide from a cobbler and made
a few of them, and then it clicked: that’s the product that
should be launched, it’s so simple.”
MARRYING TRADITION AND MODERN TECH
The product was further refined, marrying the tradition
of leather working and saddle stitching with modern
laser cutting engraving to make the stitching process
more exact and efficient versus manual punching. From
there, it was offered up to the crowdfunding gods on
Kickstarter. Things went far better than expected, raising
around £21k in the campaign’s launch month.
Quickly, a single toe in the water on Kickstarter became
a winter spent fulfilling launch orders, designing a
website, setting up a Shopify account, adding product
photography and designing a full range of products.
“It was hard work,” says MacLaine, “trudging down to
the shed in mid-December, when it was snowing outside,
just to go clean up leather and stitch stuff up. But it was
good fun!”
Fast forward a few years and Wingback has expanded
its range of leather goods, but the itch to design more
technical products returned, and MacLaine began to
30 APRIL / MAY 2023 DEVELOP3D.COM
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add some machined metal elements to the range. This ‘‘
In terms of
sent him back into the world of 3D CAD, manufacturing
drawings, and finding new suppliers, even picking up a
the build,
Formlabs Form 1 3D printer to build prototypes. everything
Today, Wingback’s range of products has expanded is over-
considerably, from mechanical pencils to flasks, all engineered
boasting carefully considered details, supremely
functional mechanisms and hard-wearing materials. just slightly.
Wingback’s mechanical pens, for example, feature a I take design
bespoke ‘bolt-action’ movement that gives the user a cues from
deeply satisfying ‘click’ when the nib extends or retracts.
MacLaine brings over a shoebox of 3D printed prototype
products that
models, pulling out the first iteration. “That’s where I have lasted
started, just a big, chunky, capped pen.” the right
The journey of developing the mechanism can be length of time
mapped through the polymer models, before MacLaine
found a way to hide it inside the main body of the pen,
producing a clean aesthetic around it.
’’
The design was repeatedly iterated on in Autodesk
Fusion 360, while Wingback’s 3D printer was upgraded
to a Formlabs Form 3, using its Tough 1500 resin to
accurately produce the moving parts.
MacLaine says another of the Form 3 resins, Clear,
will be useful as mechanisms continue to develop and
grow more complex, allowing him to see what’s going on
inside and remedy any design issues.
The Formlabs Flexible resins are used for gasket
designs, which form part of Wingback’s belt-and-braces
approach to long-lasting, functional design – such as the
double seals on the lid and neck of its flasks, promising
an end to leaks and drips.
4
12/04/2023 13:22
 PROFILE

MacLaine explains that this comes from looking at a

lot of accessories and stationery on the market that are
released as an afterthought. “A lot of them are just bought
off the shelf and labelled with whoever’s branding. So, we
said, can we really consider these products, break them
down, simplify them and build them back up in the most
functional way possible? And then the aesthetics come
out of that function,” he says.
“In terms of the build, everything’s over-engineered
just slightly. To be perfectly honest, wall thicknesses are
just a little bit more than you think you’d need and I will
take design cues from products that have lasted the right
length of time.”
The designer likens it to comparing products from the
last century to present-day products, where metal gears or 2
solid castings have given way to parts designed at cost and
for faster manufacturing.
This idea of longevity fuels Wingback’s mission to build
responsible products. A member of 1% For The Planet,
and offering carbon-neutral delivery, the company is
keen to reduce its use of plastics, which are often used in
disposable pens and cheap wallets and contribute greatly
to the 8 million tons of plastic waste dumped in our
oceans every year.

VALUABLE FEEDBACK
While product details are honed by the designers, using
crowdfunding for initial launches has enabled Wingback
to remain lean while it gauges likely demand.
Decisions such as determining a coating finish for a
new black pocket flask are made by the team, but the
product’s popularity and feedback from a Kickstarter
3
run often influences what eventually appears as a full
production run. point. So any kind of discounting I feel kind of cheapens
The company also takes care to develop limited edition the product a little bit.”
models that include etched artwork. “It’s really nice This all falls into the idea that, if a product lasts as long ●
1 The Wingback
Mechanical Pencil is
to work with artists, because we’re promoting them, as it is designed to, not only will it represent better value designed to last for
they’re promoting us, and you end up with a collaborative for the user and have less environmental impact, but also decades
product.” it will also take on more meaning. ●
2 Wingback’s

MacLaine adds that, for him, this works better than “The kind of product we’re making is one that you Alasdair MacLaine
hard at work on his
the current trend for investing heavily in influencers to hope transcends beyond functional beautiful products next design
spread marketing around social media. and becomes one of those things you have an emotional
●
3 Attention to detail
Also off the list are discounted items. “We’ve got a policy connection to over time,” explains MacLaine, still holding is a hallmark of
not to hold sales as a business,” he says. “I think sales his great-grandad’s screwdriver, over a century on from Wingback products
are quite devaluing for brands, and it’s a pretty slippery when it was made. ●
4 3D printers from

slope. And also, we charge an honest price for the With a product range built with the same solidity, the Formlabs play an
important role in
products we’re selling. We make a little bit of money on next 100 years shouldn’t be a problem. Wingback’s design
them, but they cost an awful lot to make, hence the price www.wingback.co.uk processes

DEVELOP3D.COM APRIL / MAY 2023 31

p28_29_30_31_D3D_APRILMAY23_Wingback.indd 31 12/04/2023 13:22

 SUSTAINABILITY
T
he millennia it takes to form a
natural wonder are thrown into
sharp focus when huge swathes of it
can be damaged or destroyed in only
a few weeks.
This is sadly true of Australia’s
Great Barrier Reef, where elevated
sea water temperatures are causing
unprecedented damage, including mass coral bleaching
events like the one that killed between 30% and 50% of
the reef’s coral in 2016 and 2017.
Bleaching occurs when environmental stressors, even
a water temperature rise of just 1°C, cause corals to expel
symbiotic algae living inside them, turning the corals
white and often killing them.
Over the last 30 years, mass bleaching events have
grown in frequency and severity, leaving biologists
battling to restore coral and save their delicate
ecosystems.
One method is transplanting coral from existing
colonies, but it can take as long as 10 years for them to
grow their own adult-sized skeletons, requiring a huge
amount of manual tending and cultivating.
Seeking a better means of repopulating the reefs,
Australian coral biologist Dr Taryn Foster has developed
a new, large-scale method that uses the latest digital tools
in conjunction with traditional masonry manufacturing.
Leaning on knowledge gained from her family’s
business, which makes masonry products for the
construction industry, Foster founded the company Coral
32 APRIL / MAY 2023 DEVELOP3D.COM
p32_33_34_D3D_APRILMAY23_Coral.indd 32
ENGINEERIN
Maker, in order to scale restoration efforts in the same
way as you might scale manufacturing. ‘‘
The process
Coral Maker’s method aims to speed up restoration by
mass producing new limestone skeletons and grafting is robust.
live coral onto them. When deployed in the ocean, the It may be
groupings of coral on the structure join up and fuse, crude in its
coating the manufactured skeletons much faster and
giving them the potential to reach adult size within
method, but
12-18 months. it gives us
the rate of
PRO BONO SUPPORT success we
Work on this method began while Foster was working
at the California Academy of Sciences on a Fulbright
need to try
Fellowship. With Coral Maker founded, Foster joined and solve
the Autodesk Technology Centers Outsight Network this problem
residency.
Through pro bono support from the Autodesk ’’
Foundation, Autodesk employees located across North
America and the UK assisted Coral Maker on the design,
engineering, advanced manufacturing and robotic
automation capabilities needed to help scale production.
“Taryn comes up with these great ideas and she
sketches them down, but she doesn’t know how to
translate that sketch into a physical product. And that’s
kind of where we came in,” says Rob Bowerman, an
Autodesk principal technology consultant based in its
Technology Centre in Birmingham, UK.
“We would use Fusion 360 to turn that sketch into a
physical model, and then as soon as we have that physical
model, she could get a real feel for what that would look
12/04/2023 13:09
 SUSTAINABILITY

RING NEW GROWTH

The struggle to repopulate Australia’s damaged coral
reefs with new growth is too great for manual work
alone. Stephen Holmes speaks to the team at Coral
Maker about how it is using
product development and manufacturing
know-how to scale up the fight

2
●
1 Coral seed
plugs are deployed
in their natural
underwater
environment
●
2 Dr Taryn Foster’s
method combines
digital technology
with traditional
masonry techniques

DEVELOP3D.COM APRIL / MAY 2023 33

p32_33_34_D3D_APRILMAY23_Coral.indd 33 12/04/2023 13:09

 like, how that would work, how she would interact with tools for mass producing the skeleton using its array of The dome-shaped
that in the water, how the seeding would work, and how 5-axis CNC machines. skeletons in which
coral seed plugs will
we could use things like robotics to automate the seeding Bowerman explains that the UK team is not be placed
and assembly of the skeletons.” only making prototypes, but also proving out the
With the global Covid pandemic forcing Foster to manufacturing process, so that when the skeletons
leave San Francisco and return to Australia, the team go into production, the design can be given to a local
was forced to work across multiple time zones. “It was manufacturer and it’s ready to go.
almost impossible for us all to be on a call at one point, “We know there are no kinks in it, and we can even
so throughout this whole project, we’ve had to collaborate get to the point where we have the code that can run
remotely,” says Bowerman. on that local manufacturer’s machine, so we know that
“Fusion has been amazing for that, because it’s enabled they’re going to get a like-for-like part of what’s already
us to have this one location where we can all work on been tested over here in the UK. We’re nurturing and
the same design data. We can all have input to the same incubating that technology here, and then we can deploy
design, but we can also have a design up on screen, we it to wherever she is locally.”
can all be commenting on it, we can be saying we want With the volumes of coral needing to be seeded already
things to be changed, we can do those changes in real daunting, and with ocean temperatures continuing to
time and get Taryn’s feedback straight away.” rise, local production to ensure successful deployment
If the whole team can’t be in a meeting at the same of new coral will be key. As water temperatures continue
time, he adds, “we can make some changes, she can then to change, reef regeneration may need to be relocated
see the changes have happened, review the design, make from the tropics to cooler high latitude ‘fringe’ reefs. To
comments and we can come back to it at a later date.” accomplish that effectively, reef restoration needs to be
mobilised as a bigger, more organised effort.
ACCELERATED GROWTH While the versatility of the design allows skeletons to
The dome-shaped skeleton, with square sockets in which be built using local aggregates, or in different shapes
to dock coral seed plugs, appears quite simple, but a lot of to better aid different species of coral, the need for
design iteration has gone into devising this optimal shape. millions or potentially tens of millions of structures
A key factor is that it enables the accelerated growth of per year has seen the team having to look further at the
the coral, which would naturally arrive at this domed form manufacturing process.
anyway. Furthermore, this skeleton can be quickly and To overcome the challenge, Coral Maker wants to
cheaply produced using the dry-stone casting process. automate coral propagation using robotics and artificial
“It’s a process that is robust. It’s fairly crude in its intelligence for onsite deployment, with capabilities able
method, but it’s certainly able to give us the rate that to work collaboratively with humans and also freeing
would be needed to try and solve this problem,” says them up to do more complex work.
Bowerman. With many other ecological challenges to be tackled, the
Initial prototypes could be shared as files to be 3D technology that allows designers and engineers around the
printed, allowing the Australian team to test them for size world to work together to develop solutions at scale might
and handling them underwater. Once the form had been just be the seed that helps nature regenerate elsewhere.
tested, back in Birmingham, the team began to cut the www.coralmaker.org

34 APRIL / MAY 2023 DEVELOP3D.COM

p32_33_34_D3D_APRILMAY23_Coral.indd 34 12/04/2023 13:09

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 Sponsored content
Princess by Day,
Superhero by Night:
Limbitless Solutions
Empowers Kids With
Custom Bionic Arms
See how Limbitless Solutions is working to transform
what bionics for children will look like in the future
with the help of Autodesk Fusion 360.
By: Heather Miller
A
dvanced prosthetic solutions for
children with limb differences are
often difficult to find and expensive to
purchase. But Limbitless Solutions is
transforming the possibilities with its
goal to create “3D hope.”
Limbitless Solutions is a non-profit organization
based at the University of Central Florida where
research staff, affiliated faculty, and more than 50
students are working to transform what bionics
for children will look like in the future. In this case,
it’s custom, 3D printed bionic arms with built-in
electronics.
“Limb difference is not anything that is a lack,
and it’s not something that should hold anyone
back,” says Mrudula Peddinti, Branding Director
at Limbitless Solutions. There’s nothing to be
ashamed of. The prosthetic helps empower the
Testing-bionic-arm
p36_37_D3D_APRILMAY23_Autodesk_V2.indd 2
child to see that within themselves and achieve
their future dreams and goals.”
“We put together a team that brings together all
these different perspectives to see how we could
solve a new problem,” says Albert Manero, Ph.D.,
President and Co-founder of Limbitless Solutions.
“Whether it’s the cost or the physical weight of the
device, children have really struggled to get good
outcomes with advanced prosthetics. We learned
pretty early on that children want their bionic arms
to express part of their identity.”
For kids, the functional aspect of a new
prosthetic is already life changing. But making
it a true extension of themselves with a focus on
inclusivity is just as important. As soon as a child
gets approved for a clinical trial, they can access
Limbitless’ online design portal to design their
own arms. Each child eventually receives two
Autodesk Fusion 360 electronics
12/04/2023 17:07
 Sponsored content

We learned
pretty early on
that children
want their
bionic arms to
express part of
their identity
Albert Manero,
Limbitless

interchangeable custom arms. environment within Fusion 360 allows them to Scan the QR code to
“We always like to say if they want to be a have both their schematic and board files open watch the full
superhero in the morning, they can, and if they at the same time so they can seamlessly update Limbitless story
want to switch and be a princess in the evening, with any changes.
they can do that,” Peddinti continues. Collaboration is also a crucial component, as
approximately 50 students from all different
Designing custom bionic arms majors work on the projects each semester. “If I
From part design to electronics to CAM, Limbitless start off on a project, another student might finish
Solutions team uses Autodesk Fusion 360. “My it off using CAM and by creating the toolpaths,”
favourite part about Fusion 360 is that it is an all-in- says Julia Sheiber, engineering scholar UCF
one software. You have your electronics, your design, mechanical engineering student. “We’re able to
your CAM all in one place, and it’s so easy to use,” send the files very easily through the cloud and
says Limbitless Solutions co-founder John Sparkman. update things which makes the process very
According to Sparkman, the electronics design collaborative and easy to navigate.”

p36_37_D3D_APRILMAY23_Autodesk_V2.indd 3 12/04/2023 17:07

 SUSTAINABILITY

BLOWN AWA

Lontra’s LP2
Blade Blower
boasts impressive
sustainability
credentials

38 APRIL / MAY 2023 DEVELOP3D.COM

p38_39_40_D3D_APRILMAY23_Lontra.indd 38 13/04/2023 14:08

WAY
Wheel design is a vital aspect of a car’s overall look, but
At Lontra, a digital thread is now in place that
developing wheels can be costly. Stephen Holmes speaks to Lacks
will help this sustainable company deliver new,
Enterprises about its award-winning solution for Toyota, which
energy-efficient products to customers seeking
combines strong aesthetics with fuel efficiency
to curb their carbon footprint
All the pieces are coming together,”
says Steve Lindsey, CEO of Lontra,
with evident pride and satisfaction.
After years of hard work, Lontra is now
entering a new phase of its journey
in producing energy-efficient rotational industrial
equipment, working towards achieving sustainable
development and reducing the environmental impact of
industrial processes.
The last time DEVELOP3D caught up with Lindsey
was back in late 2017 (www.tinyurl.com/D3DLontra),
when he talked us through his invention of a new
kind of energy-efficient positive displacement air
compression technology.
Since then, things have moved on considerably. In
April, one of the largest pieces of the picture fell into
place, when the company’s brand-new, £17 million
manufacturing centre in Doncaster, UK, began
production of its flagship product, the LP2 Blade Blower.
Built from scratch with the help of a £7 million grant
and loan package from the South Yorkshire Mayoral
Combined Authority, combined with approximately £10
million of private-sector match-funding from Lontra, this
is a state-of-the-art smart factory.
From the electric vehicle (EV) charging points outside
to the smart lighting inside, every effort has been made
to ensure that the factory is as sustainable as possible.
Its 60,000 square feet of floor space is home to many
millions of pounds’ worth of machinery, all connected
using Internet of Things (IoT) technology. Eventually, the
level of automation planned here will support lights-out
manufacturing, with machines running through the
night, with little to no human intervention required.
BLOW BY BLOW
The LP2 Blade Blower can also boast some pretty
impressive sustainability credentials itself. Heavy
industry depends on air compressors to deliver power
to manufacturing lines, drive furnaces and convey
materials. They are used for pneumatically conveying
granules in cement factories and crumbs in biscuit
factories, for example, as well as for aeration in water and
wastewater treatment facilities.
But all that blowing comes at a heavy cost to the
environment. Compressors account for a staggering 10%
of Europe’s industrial electricity use and as much as 40%
in some plants. In wastewater treatment, 70% of total
energy used is for blowers. In total, that equates to more
than 10TWh (Terawatt-hours) of electricity every year and
some 4.3 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.
Independent trials of the LP2, by contrast, have found
it capable of offering energy savings of up to 34% when
evaluated against comparable market-leading alternatives,
so the potential advantages for buyers are huge. Plus,
according to Lindsey, this new compressor is also built
p38_39_40_D3D_APRILMAY23_Lontra.indd 39
for reliability and longevity; intensive testing and analysis
have demonstrated results of more than 80,000 continuous
operating hours without the need for repairs.
TOOLED UP FOR GROWTH
Software is another important piece of the picture, and
an area in which Lontra gets a lot of valuable help and
advice from PTC reseller Inneo. Lindsey says that using
a modern 3D CAD system, in the form of PTC Creo, was
critical to achieving the LP2 Blade Blower’s complex
geometry.
Meanwhile, Creo add-ons for FEA (finite element
analysis) and behavioural modelling in particular have
greatly assisted in achieving the necessary stability and
distortion requirements that make the LP2 Blade Blower
so energy-efficient.
Where simultaneous optimisation of mechanical and
thermodynamic performance is required, data from PTC
Creo feeds directly into BladeSim, a software suite built
in-house at Lontra for the virtual prototyping of positive
displacement compressors, vacuum pumps and their
ancillaries. As well as improvements to compression,
internal leakage and heat transfer, these tools tune
silencers and ancillaries for optimisation of the complete
system.
Another key element of the portfolio is Windchill, PTC’s
product lifecycle management (PLM) suite, which makes
a big difference to Lonta’s efficiency and sustainability, by
saving not only time but also waste.
Windchill ensures that the company’s record of the
materials and components used in its products are kept
up to date, helping to capture learning from the design
and development process, as well as reducing errors,
scrap and wastage on the factory floor.
“Both of our sites have access to Windchill, and our
team also works remotely – designers, purchasing,
manufacturing engineers, CNC, assembly, and quality,”
says Lindsey. “These tools ensure that everybody is working
off the most up-to-date data. In the future, we plan to
provide certain suppliers with access to this data too.”
NEXT SMART STEPS
Digital technology at the heart of the next exciting stages of
Lontra’s expansion, bringing to life all the benefits of the
connectivity built into the LP2’s design, with its 25-plus
internal smart sensors. This work will be overseen by
Lontra Digital, a new arm of the business, responsible for
the design and development of an app that will enable the
company and its customers to monitor units once they’re
hard at work in factories and water treatment facilities.
“For context, almost every factory will have a
maintenance person or team, whose job it is to keep
machines running. They spend their days in and around
those machines and, regardless of whether an alarm has
been triggered or not, they can tell when something that
DEVELOP3D.COM APRIL / MAY 2023 39
13/04/2023 14:08
 SUSTAINABILITY
(Above) Hard at work doesn’t sound right or is running hot, signalling that
creating industrial
there may be a potential problem,” Lindsey explains.
designs in PTC Creo
However, that kind of experience is in short supply and
(Below) A look inside
the Lontra LP2 Blade dwindling fast as older members of the workforce retire.
Blower And even in facilities that have these people on staff, it’s
often the case that their expertise could be put to better use.
“Now, thanks to data collection and machine learning,
instead of the need for full-time expertise on-site, the
units can be monitored remotely from one centralised
location,” Lindsey explains. In this way, Lontra Digital
will help to increase reliability and reduce downtime for
customers.
This monitoring capability is built on a cloud-based,
proprietary IoT platform, designed from the ground
up with data and network security treated as a priority.
Blowers will be connected via a private cellular network
to Lontra’s cloud, with no networking infrastructure
or capability required of customers, because Lontra
manages the machine connectivity.
Data will be uploaded in real-time from the LP2’s
sensors and then made available to customers for
analysis, download and/or integration via a cloud-based
portal. Numerous connectivity and control options are
available, encompassing smartphone and tablet apps
to transitional industrial protocols such as Modbus
and Ethernet/IP. Customers will get secure, real-time
remote support via the managed cellular connection on
request, Lindsey promises, as well as fast development
and turnaround of new
features and fixes.
“The LP2 Version
1 is just the starting
point,” he says. “With
the secure platform
foundations in place,
upcoming iterations will
focus on features such as
machine interconnectivity
with advanced control
strategies, along with
improved anomaly
detection powered
by machine learning
models.”
40 APRIL / MAY 2023 DEVELOP3D.COM
p38_39_40_D3D_APRILMAY23_Lontra.indd 40
A DIGITAL THREAD
In effect, what Lindsey is describing is a digital thread - a
continuous, seamless strand of data that connects each
stage of a product’s lifecycle, from design through to
manufacture and onwards to maintenance and repair.
At all these stages in the lifetime of the LP2, says
Lindsey, a digital twin of each and every blower
is maintained, delivering insights and driving
optimisations that are passed on to the customer in the
form of a more efficient machine, more predictable
maintenance cycles and, ultimately, increased value from
their investment.
What Lindsey hopes to do, he says, is bring a user-
friendly, modern, consumer-like experience to the
industrial space. “Things like Amazon one-click are
just not seen in the manufacturing world. That needs to
change,” he says.
The hard work of getting all these pieces into place
directly supports that vision, he adds. “The power of all
this lies in our ability to start completely from scratch
and say, ‘Okay, if you were to redesign the industrial
environment with a fresh pair of eyes, how would you do
it?’ That’s why, for Lontra Digital, we’ve brought in people
who are not from the industrial arena. They’ve come
from developing mobile apps for fintech, for example.
Because that’s the kind of fresh thinking that is needed
here and the core underlying technology is absolutely key
to that.”
This fresh thinking and core underlying technology will
be a launchpad for new products and approaches as Lontra
grows and expands, he says. He’s already thinking about
compression at different levels. The LP2, for example,
is low pressure, but there are plenty of applications out
there that require higher air pressure, as well as vacuum
applications. Lontra has already patented its idea for a
non-return valve, which would be a valuable addition to
its product line-up. Finally, Lindsey is also considering
refrigerants for heat pumps that could bring the same
Lontra efficiency to another class of products entirely.
“It’s an incredibly exciting time for us,” he says.
“Weaving all these pieces together is going to enable us to
do some amazing things.”
Watch this space.
ww.lontra.co.uk
13/04/2023 14:08
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 SUSTAINABILITY
PACKAGING FOR
The packaging sector is due a big wake-up call. DEVELOP3D speaks to
Lesters Packaging about the importance of sustainability and why it is
now a key consideration in the development of its products
ackaging has traditionally been an
afterthought in product design,
pushed to the back of corporate
minds in favour of more cost-effective
production processes and getting new
launches to market faster.
Slowly this attitude is changing,
with designers realising the importance of packaging.
Companies are investing time, consideration and money
into making important decisions about packaging right
at the start of development processes.
For Greg Burton, design manager at large packaging
specialists Lesters Packaging, the wake-up call has been
a long time coming. “I know you’d expect me to say this,
but packaging really is a critical part of the design cycle
for so many reasons,” he says.
“It’s the first interaction a customer has with your
product, and depending on its specific use, can deliver
different advantages.”
In a retail environment, for example, packaging
shapes, contours and innovations differentiate products
and function as a way of catching the consumer’s
eye, alongside print and logos. The growth of online
shopping, meanwhile, has given it added importance.
Burton highlights a brand that has long paid particular
attention to its packaging. “Apple, unsurprisingly, is
particularly strong in an e-commerce situation,” he says.
42 APRIL / MAY 2023 DEVELOP3D.COM
p42_43_D3D_APRILMAY23_Lester.indd 42
“The sale has been made, so the main factor here is to
protect the product and provide an unboxing experience ‘‘
We look at
that feels good.”
However, an issue often overlooked when designing packaging
a product is the stage at which a product leaves a differently
manufacturing site. If packaging can be tweaked to fit from
standard sizes for UK or European trailers and shipping
containers, then the ability to get greater cost efficiencies engineers
and in turn ecological benefits are unlocked. and can
work jointly
CUTTING CORNERS to give them
Burton has instilled a culture of ‘innovate smarter
and challenge quicker’ at Lesters, where his team is access to
designing packaging solutions for clients involved in the innovative
automotive, cycling, food, pharma and retail sectors. materials
The supply chain is complex, he explains, and there are
often bigger savings to be made “around the box rather
and
than in the box”, which demands closer collaboration technologies
with design engineers at the earliest possible point.
“We look differently at packaging to engineers and ’’
machine builders and can work jointly to give them
access to innovative materials and technologies that
allow them to meet their expectations and those of their
customers,” says Burton.
“A really good example of how we do things differently
is our collaborative work with a leading UK university to
bring new technology to the commercial marketplace,
12/04/2023 13:17
R THE PLANET
delivering free of charge health checks and our time and
motion studies on how long current lines take to pack
products.”
Proof is in the proverbial pudding, and Lesters has
numerous case studies demonstrating how it has created
new solutions for its rapidly growing customer base.
One of the most recent has involved redesigning the
complete packaging range for an electric car charging
company. With sales for EVs going through the roof,
the client has seen a massive increase in demand for its
products, yet existing packaging failed to keep up with the
growth of the brand.
Burton and his team applied their expertise to deliver
a solution that was optimised for courier delivery,
removing all plastic from the equation and upgrading the
‘opening’ experience.
“We took an approach through innovation that other
packaging companies may have shied away from, creating
a singular box that had all the fixtures and fittings
attached,” says Burton.
This reduced the number of packaging SKUs from
4-plus to just one, he explains. It is also an easier solution
to pack, which fits with the customer’s limited space for
assembly, protects the product through the supply chain
and fits well on a UK standard pallet.
“Furthermore, it is a fully sustainable corrugated
solution that has no plastic, can go through any kerbside
p42_43_D3D_APRILMAY23_Lester.indd 43
recycling worldwide and is scalable for future product ●1 Cardboard
development with the applied design principles. In short, packaging rolls off
the production line at
it’s a game-changer,” he adds. Lesters
●
2 Lesters team
ALL WRAPPED UP members consider
In future, design engineers will have to be mindful of packaging for EV
charging technology
new innovations gradually emerging in the marketplace.
The main thrust will be around further sustainable
packaging, and this will be at the forefront of most
company agendas as the business world continues to
strive for transparency around the impact of certain
materials on the environment.
Developments will include materials such as Mycelium,
a completely organic, farm-grown material made from
the roots of a mushroom and capable of replacing
elements like polystyrene, as well as starch-based foams
and cellulose shrink-wrapping. All of these will slowly
change the way customers think about their packaging.
So what is the one bit of advice that Burton would offer
design engineers? His answer is as straightforward as it
gets: “It’s simple: Keep packaging in mind throughout
the design process. Sometimes the reduction of a couple
of millimetres in one length can optimise a product so it
can travel on standard shipping routes.”
The future for packaging is better for everyone, however
you box it up.
www.lesterspackaging.co.uk
DEVELOP3D.COM APRIL / MAY 2023 43
12/04/2023 13:17
 Technology for the product lifecycle

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Mag subs inside D3D (PRINT).indd 1 04/08/2022 11:50

 BRIGHT SPARK
» The journey towards zero-emission vehicles starts with small
components. Claudia Schergna speaks to Markforged about how its copper
3D printing technology helps car designers create parts with efficiency
T
he automotive market is already seeing huge
growth in electric vehicles (EVs). The UK
market alone grew by over 800% between 2016
and 2022, and is expected to be the driving
force behind new car sales for years to come.
Despite demand, automotive producers have reported
that they struggle to achieve profitability due to
manufacturing challenges. Even as entire supply chains
are built around EVs, their components remain extremely
complex to produce efficiently.
As in many other industries, using additive
manufacturing (AM) in automotive to prototype
components represents an opportunity to speed up time
to market and save resources.
NEW MATERIALS, BETTER RESULTS
Pure Copper material and the Metal X system by
Markforged are being used in automotive R&D to
prototype components such as busbars in order to reduce
costs and optimise designs.
A busbar is an electroconductive metallic bar that
distributes current to subsystems in intensive electrical
applications. It is therefore an essential component when it
comes to achieving optimal electrical performance in EVs.
Designing the right busbar can be complex as engineers
must work with multiple constraints. In particular, a
viable design requires them to work within boundaries of
both form factor and heat dissipation requirements.
Busbars in EVs are usually made of pure copper, due to
the material’s high electrical conductivity. But despite its
excellent electrical properties, copper is difficult to
work with in traditional manufacturing, which
translates into high price tags and long lead
times. To alleviate these challenges, metal 3D
printing is the perfect candidate.
Given that several iterations may be needed to
create an optimised part, these high costs and long
lead times can force designers to make several
compromises, and time constraints may lead to
less optimal designs.
By 3D printing pure copper to prototype
busbar designs, electric vehicle suppliers can
p45_D3D_APRILMAY23_Copper.indd 45
enjoy several competitive advantages.
The ability to 3D print in pure copper allows vehicle
suppliers to reduce costs on each iteration and avoid
long lead times due to bottlenecks in machine centres.
It also empowers engineers to quickly test more
experimental designs.
MORE FOR LESS
Markforged estimates that a traditional manufacturing
process for creating a busbar prototype would typically
cost about over £160 per iteration, with a three-week lead
time. By contrast, printing a busbar prototype with the
Metal X System in pure copper would cost around only
£45, with a lead time of just three days.
This means the Metal X can turn around 9 iterations in
the same time it would take to get just a single iteration
through traditional fabrication, allowing engineers to
test designs during time that would otherwise be spent
waiting for parts to arrive.
Markforged Metal X is not the only technology to offer
the possibility to print copper, but the company claims
it is the only one that allows printing pure copper, which
is required for the fabrication of busbars, since other
copper alloys would not yield the same performance.
The ability to produce 3D printed prototypes is
(Above) Markforged is extremely valuable, with quick-turnaround fabrication
bringing 3D-printed having a revolutionary effect on the workflow and freeing
copper to the
automotive market
up valuable machinist bandwidth and reducing the costs
associated with using third-party services in order to get
(Below) A component
produced using the prototypes in hand.
Metal X system from Besides busbars, 3D-printed pure copper is also being
Markforged used for EV applications such as heat sinks, exchangers
and cold plates.
Faster prototyping abilities are a big boost to design
cycles, making possible higher levels of optimisation
compared to traditional manufacturing.
These characteristics are particularly crucial
for applications where time and money
optimisations are a priority, and EV
development is one of the sectors where these
pressures are felt the most.
www.markforged.com
DEVELOP3D.COM APRIL / MAY 2023 45
12/04/2023 12:44
 SUSTAINABILITY

HE WHEEL
G T
IN
N T
VE
REIN

Wheel design is a vital aspect of a car’s overall look, but

developing wheels can be costly. Stephen Holmes speaks to Lacks
Enterprises about its award-winning solution for Toyota, which
combines strong aesthetics with fuel efficiency

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‘‘
We’ve actually been able to stretch the playing field
where the studio person has more freedom and is
able to utilise different options
’’
V
ariety and differentiation between
products are key aspects of modern
car design, helping produce more
marketable versions and keeping
models looking fresh long into
their lifecycle.
Wheel design is a critical part of
this. They catch the eye and help
distinguish a brand’s models across multiple tiers.
And with the advent of hybrid and electric vehicles,
the importance of lightweighting and the aerodynamic
properties of wheels have only increased.
But designing, validating and casting a wide range of
options adds huge costs to overall vehicle development,
while often restricting designers in terms of materials,
textures and form.
Headquartered in Michigan, US, Lacks Enterprises is
a Tier One supplier to the automotive industry, which
recently delivered an ingenious design for customer Toyota.
Lacks was approached by the Japanese car giant about
creating six unique wheels across its new Sienna and
Tacoma models.
Taking Toyota’s CAD models, designed in Catia, the
company split the wheel into two main entities: a hidden
‘backbone’ aluminium wheel that can be optimised
for weight; and the Lacks Wheel Trim System, which
showcases the styling required by Toyota’s designers and
is applied to the face of the wheel.
For the 8-seater Toyota Sienna people carrier, the
Wheel Trim System features a composite surface finish
permanently bonded to the wheel. The proprietary
finishing technologies from Lacks give it the ability
to layer chrome, colour and texture seamlessly on the
trim, while the optimised backbone wheel means the
overall design can be reduced in weight by 12 kg over a
traditional cast wheel.
MULTIPLE OPTIONS
Ryan O’Toole, Lacks director of sales and marketing,
explains that as electric vehicles become more
prominent, the Wheel Trim System gives car designers
more options.
“A lot of times, engineering picks a target weight that
then limits the studio’s design,” he says. “We’ve actually
been able to stretch the playing field where the studio
person has more freedom. If they’re given a weight
target of a certain number of kilograms where they’ve
got to make a lot of design concessions, now with our
technology they’re able to utilise different options.”
Technical capabilities like sculpted bright surfaces,
minimal radii and tight sidewall draft tolerances mean
the design teams have fewer limitations when creating
a wheel design. But weight savings mean that wheel
diameters can also be a more visually appealing size
while still meeting strict weight criteria. This enabled
Toyota to add a 20-inch wheel to its range.
In this way, unique looks can be created for each trim
p46_47_D3D_APRILMAY23_Lacks.indd 47
SUSTAINABILITY
level, without the additional investment required to
validate a new backbone or create new tooling for each
new style.
Lacks can produce a fully validated new style in around
32 weeks, and less if it is a colour or finish change with
no alterations to the mouldings. This allows brands
like Toyota to update wheel finishes much faster than
usual, promising greater revenues for future models
and enabling them to produce limited-production ‘buzz
models’ with greater speed and flexibility.
ACCURATE PROTOTYPING
A key challenge for Lacks is providing a customer with
accurate prototypes to help inform decision-making.
Generally speaking, 3D-printed prototypes can’t capture
super-fine details that have to be cut into the tooling, such
as brushed finishes.
Physical finish samples called ‘frogs’ are sent out to
designers, showing different finishing options. To speed
up the process, the Lacks team also uses a 3D model-
sharing platform, Sketchfab, to share a rendering of the
design. This enables the viewer to move around a wheel
design in detail and even share it with decision-makers in
their organisation.
Any changes or ideas can be quickly accommodated by
Lacks; having all of its finish and texturing capabilities
in-house means it can make adjustments like altering
the direction of brush finish quickly and have it back to
the client.
O’Toole gives the example of a wheel system texture
produced for Ford. “The [designer] actually found a
sample of it at Home Depot over here, brought it in to us,
and we did it in four different ways and depths! A lot of
texture houses out there are kinda like, ‘Here’s your six
brush textures.’ That’s it. Whereas we want to say: ‘What
do you guys want?’”
Optimised composite surfaces also bring
environmental benefits to cars like the Toyota Sienna,
by being more aerodynamic and therefore fuel-efficient
along the road than traditional ‘open’ steel or aluminium
wheels.
By adding composite elements to the lightened
aluminium wheel, the method also gives Toyota’s
engineers the option to reduce the mass of the other
components directly connected to them, such as the
suspension, reducing the unsprung vehicle weight for a
much more economical drive.
As a result of its work for Toyota, Lacks was named
runner-up in the prestigious Sustainable Product
Category of the 2022 Altair Enlighten Awards. And
according to O’Toole, the company’s pace of development
isn’t slowing down any time soon.
More optimisation is possible, including increasing the
aerodynamics of the back side of the wheels, he says, as
well as introducing even more finishing options that will
see its wheels roll on into the future.
www.lacksenterprises.com
DEVELOP3D.COM APRIL / MAY 2023 47
13/04/2023 14:15
 NINE GREEN
MATERIALS THAT
COULD CHANGE THE
WAY YOU DESIGN
PRODUCTS
» From polymers for packaging to coatings for metals, here’s the DEVELOP3D
round-up of nine materials that use innovative, eco-friendly thinking to get
around some of product design’s most tricky challenges

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 SUSTAINABILITY

ECOR
1 BY NOBLE

Eco particleboard
We all know that recycling is the first step
towards a greener future, but what happens
to our waste after we dispose of it?
Produced by San Diego-based Noble
Environmental Technologies, Ecor is a
recycled-content particleboard created from
raw materials that might otherwise enter
traditional waste disposal systems.
The raw materials are sorted, pre-
processed and then processed using
a mechanical pulping approach and a
controlled chemical reaction that uses lignin
as a natural binder.
The US-based company aims to provide
a green alternative to materials such as
medium-density fiberboard and chipboard
by using as feedstock scrap paper, textiles 2 FIBRAESE/PAPIRA
and aseptic packaging.
Sustainable coatings can be applied for Wood-foam packaging options
water and fire resistance. A new step in The wood foams Fibraese and Papira are
the process increases the stability of the cushioning materials that aim to enable
panels, making them suitable for outdoor brands to create greener packaging for
applications. fragile goods.
Fibraese is made from Nordic wood and
www.ecorglobal.com
features damping and insulation capacity
while also being recyclable in existing
paper/board streams.
Designed to replace polymer foams in
packaging solutions, it is soft yet resilient,
exhibiting memory foam-like behaviour. It
suits different types of conversion methods,
such as sawing, die-cutting, waterjet cutting
and laminating.
Papira is also recyclable in regular paper
and board flows, but it uses pulp fibres
as feedstock and has shock-absorbent
capabilities, making it ideal for protective
packaging applications.
Producer Stora Enso claims that the
wood-based raw materials are sourced from
sustainably managed forests, and that the
manufacturing process of foaming the
material involves only air and water – no
NAS ECO & LURAN ECO solvents, blowing agents or hazardous
3 BY INEOS STYROLUTION chemicals.
The environmental impact and carbon
Clear plastics footprint of these materials have been tested
Produced by Ineos Styrolution, Nas Eco and Luran Eco are tough and in Stora Enso’s in-house ISTA-certified
shapeless copolymers, obtained from renewable feedstock including laboratory.
kitchen and wood waste. Their production does not divert resources that
www.storaenso.com
might otherwise be utilised in food production.
Ineos Styrolution claims that, depending on the amount of feedstock
used to produce the material, the carbon footprint reduction for these
products varies from 77% to 99%, when compared to respective fossil-
based equivalents. These materials boast transparency, minimal haziness
and resistance to both heat and chemicals.
Luran Eco is a styrene acrylonitrile copolymer (SAN) mainly used in
household and cosmetics packaging applications. Nas Eco is a styrene
methyl methacrylate (SMMA) copolymer that is stiff, amorphous and
features high transparency, making it suitable for water tanks, displays,
food containers or boxes.
Both materials have received the sustainability certification ISCC PLUS.
www.ultrapolymers.com

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 4 AMORIM CORK COMPOSITES

Aerospace-grade cork
It’s no secret that cork is one of the most sustainable materials in nature. Cork oak
forests support a unique and fragile ecology, providing a habitat for rare and endangered
species. They protect against erosion and desertification, act as a barrier against fire,
regulate the hydrological cycle and also absorb carbon dioxide.
Amorim Cork Composite produces materials made from cork combined with surplus
products from other industries. These materials are used in applications ranging from
construction to mobility, and from footwear to furniture.
Thanks to their capacity to absorb a large amount of heat, products from Amorim
Cork Composite are even employed in the aerospace industry.
Amorim Cork Composite states that lifecycle assessments show its materials and
processes to have a negative carbon balance, when taking into consideration the carbon
sequestration abilities of a cork oak forest and the emissions associated with the
industrial process.

www.amorimcorkcomposites.com

ALGALFOAM
5 BY CHECKERSPOT

Marine foam
Checkerspot first demonstrated the
potential of its sustainable materials as
alternatives to conventional petroleum-
based ones by collaborating with winter
sports equipment specialist WNDR Alpine
to produce ski layups.
Using AlgalTech technology, WNDR
Alpine created skis that are both eco-
friendly and high performing.
San Francisco Bay-based Checkerspot is
now exploring other uses for its algae-based
materials. One such material is AlgalFoam,
a rigid, high-density polyurethane foam
made from algae. It features a closed-cell
structure and can be used to manufacture
products that contain up to 41% USDA
Certified Biobased content.
www.checkerspot.com
6 NAFILEAN X FORVIA FAURECIA
For lighter car parts
Faurecia is focusing on developing sustainable solutions for vehicle
interiors with the goal of reducing the CO2 footprint of materials by
87% by 2030. This includes incorporating recyclable and recycled
materials and creating alternatives to petrol solutions with no
impact on cost.
To achieve this goal, Faurecia has selected NAFILean, a 20% hemp
fibre-reinforced polypropylene compound specifically designed
for automotive structural parts. In addition to being a renewable
and green material, the company chose hemp because it met
required performance and safety standards while enabling a weight
reduction of 5kg per vehicle, resulting in lower fuel consumption.
Faurecia claims that the NAFILean products are, on average, 25%
lighter than their conventional counterparts and save around 28%
in CO2 emissions.
Moreover, the benefits of using hemp extend beyond the
automotive industry, as this plant requires no pesticides, fungicides
or irrigation, and creates healthier soil for future crops.
Faurecia’s materials have been used in 17 vehicle models to date,
including the Renault Clio, Alfa Romeo Giulia, Peugeot 508 and
Land Rover Velar. That’s some 13 million cars in total.
www.faurecia.com

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 SUSTAINABILITY

7 HENKEL PALUMBINA

Aluminium for automotive

Awarded by the Suppliers Partnership for the
Environment, Henkel’s innovative thin-film metal
pre-treatment process reduces the manufacturing
steps involved in a conventional metal pretreatment
process from seven steps to four.
Environmental benefits include the elimination
of heavy metal phosphates like zinc, nickel and
manganese phosphates; the reduction of sludge
generation by up to 90%; and a significant decrease
in water usage.
One major change is the use of a metal oxide
conversion coating in place of a zinc phosphate-based
coating. This new process decreases the amount
of sludge generated by reducing the need for metal
etching and fluoride additives. As a result, tank
cleanings are required less regularly and annual
chemical cleanings are eliminated. This reduces both
sludge removal and labour costs.
The Pallumina thin-film process can process up
to 100% aluminium and is effective across all major
metals. The process is recognised for its significant
environmental and economic impact, as it allows for
the use of aluminium in the automotive industry.
www.henkel.com

8 ECONIQ BY NUCOR

Net-zero steel
Steel company Nucor claims that Econiq is the world’s first net-zero steel.
It is obtained by using electricity from 100% renewable sources, which
eliminates Scope 2 emissions, and then purchasing carbon offsets to NEMALLOY
eliminate Scope 1 emissions. 9 BY NEMAK
According to Nucor, the emissions from its EAF steel mill are less than
25% of the global average. The company has committed to an additional Lightweight alloy
35% reduction in steel mill Scope 1 and Scope 2 GHG intensity by 2030, Novel automotive aluminium alloy
using 2015 baseline goals. Nemalloy from Nemak has won the Altair
Nucor uses recycled scrap-based electric arc furnace technology and is Enlighten Award 2022 in the Future
a significant purchaser of renewable energy. It has a virtual agreement in of Lightweighting category. This alloy
place to receive wind and solar power. offers several environmental benefits.
Several automakers, including General Motors and Mercedes-Benz, Its composition eliminates the need for
have announced that they will incorporate Econiq into their workflows. strengthening via heat costs, for example,
Nucor has also stated that Econiq could be used in the construction, and it can be easily cast into large thin-
renewable energy and infrastructure sectors. walled components. It can also be fully
recycled.
www.nucor.com
Nemak’s melting centre focuses on
producing aluminium-silicon alloys
specifically used in the automotive industry.
The company recycles approximately 2.5
billion aluminium cans every year, resulting
in an eco-friendlier manufacturing process.
The company claims that its recycling
capacity of over 400,000 tonnes per annum
can significantly reduce the energy required
to extract primary aluminium by 95%,
thereby reducing carbon dioxide emissions
by 4.8 million tons annually.
www.nemak.com

.
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 SUSTAINABILITY
COMING ARO
A recent collaboration between simulation software developer Ansys,
several recycling companies and a producer of automotive parts has
demonstrated how recycled plastics could be more widely used in
products, to the benefit of the environment
R
ecycling plastics is an obvious
solution to a huge pollution
problem, but most of us have only
a naïve understanding of how it
works. There’s a lot of sorting and
chopping involved to make plastic
pieces small enough to flow into
a mixer, and there are chemical
additives used as binders or flow enablers needed to
enhance the properties of the resulting material.
Even after all that, a recycler still can’t be sure if the
recycled plastics will be useful to potential customers
seeking to turn them into new products.
Aesthetically, a recycled version will probably not look
good enough to be used on the exterior of a product, so
it’s typically placed out of view, like behind a car bumper
or sandwiched between two pieces of metal.
The recycled plastic may not have the same strength as
the equivalent virgin plastic material, and the strength
will vary from batch to batch. This is because the
recyclable materials in any municipal waste stream vary
depending on what’s being thrown away at any given
time, and hence are typically a blend of similar plastics.
So, how can recyclers and their customers determine
and keep track of the physical properties of recycled
plastics and effectively deal with the inherent variability
of these properties?
Through a recent project with three UK companies,
Ansys believes the answer lies in a process that best
combines four of its technologies into a streamlined
workflow.
MAKING IT EASIER
To make it easier for recyclers and their customers
to produce viable recycled plastics and use them in
products, Ansys collaborated with Impact Recycling,
Impact Solutions, and Far-UK to undertake the Plastic
Recycling in Stochastic Modelling (PRISM) Project.
Stochastic refers to randomness. It’s in understanding
the randomness of the feedstock and the resulting
physical properties of the recycled plastic that simulation
can be of huge value to the recycling process.
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p52_53_D3D_APRILMAY23_Prism.indd 52
Impact Recycling, which offers a sustainable solution ●
1 A simulation-
for recycling post-consumer products, can successfully led workflow was
developed to test
recycle upwards of 80% of the plastic municipal waste the optimal use of a
it handles. However, that still leaves an expensive material with highly
20% on which it must pay taxes to send to landfills or variable properties
incinerators. ●
2 The new PRISM
recycled ABS
Companies like Far-UK, a producer of automotive parts thermoplastic blend,
for niche vehicles, could potentially save a lot of money in compared with other
manufacturing while offering a more sustainable product similar materials
by using recycled materials from companies like Impact ●
3 Ansys optiSLang
Recycling. But that’s providing these materials meet was used to find the
optimal design
the exacting requirements of the original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) to which it sells. ●
4 The optimal
design, using the
Part of the challenge lies in presenting these materials PRISM honeycomb
as a viable alternative to the virgin polymers that structure
automotive OEMs have been using for decades.
“These companies need to understand when they have
to use virgin materials and when they can use a recycled
material instead,” says Donna Dykeman, R&D manager
for collaborative R&D at Ansys. And that’s where Ansys
simulation solutions come in, she adds.
The simulation workflow combined four Ansys
simulation products: Ansys Granta MI, Ansys
SpaceClaim, Ansys optiSLang, and Ansys LS-DYNA.
Together, these simulation tools were used to optimise
workflows to handle the uncertainty of material
properties and screen geometries for applications to
replace virgin plastics with recycled ones.
“Granta MI stores the materials data. Then, LS-DYNA
was used to create the material card based on test data.
The card was validated against test coupon geometries
and subcomponent geometries – for example, a beam
under various loading conditions. This first step of
testing and material card generation was performed by
Far-UK,” Dykeman explains.
“Next, we used optiSLang to create a workflow with
SpaceClaim and LS-DYNA to vary the geometry of
candidate parts and the material properties until an
optimal design was reached. When an OEM specifies
a property or geometry tolerance that must be met, the
outcome of the optimisation process suggests which
property requires improvement, and by how much.”
12/04/2023 12:42
ROUND AGAIN
1
DESIGNED FOR SHOCKS
Ansys used this workflow to design a plastic honeycomb
made of recycled materials to be installed behind the
surface of a car bumper to absorb the shock of a crash.
After proposing an initial geometry for the honeycomb,
engineers performed LS-DYNA crash testing to see how
well the structure absorbed and dispersed the energy of
the crash.
Ansys optiSLang was used to find the optimal design by
minimising mass and displacement while maximising the
accumulated energy of the honeycomb.
Through a parametric study involving an iterative series
of simulations, Ansys determined the optimal geometry 2
of the bumper – such as the type of honeycomb structure,
how thick the cells should be, bumper dimensions, and
where mass could be removed from the benchmark steel
bumper to achieve the allowable displacement before
contact with more trunk components.
“Ansys optiSLang is able to help designers find where the
sweet spot of a design is through automation by running
hundreds to thousands of simulations until it converges on
an optimal design,” says Dykeman.

WIDE IMPACT
The impact of the project was widespread. Costs for
manufacturing the recycled material fell, while production
levels grew from 400 to 700 tonnes a year, allowing 3
recyclers to meet the high demand-versus-supply of
recycled plastics in light of the 30% tax on virgin plastics
for consumer packaging.
Far-UK, as a producer of automotive parts, benefited
from the chance to explore how to manage the variability
of materials from recyclate in design, with the aim
of introducing materials with lower costs and carbon
footprint in the future. It also used Ansys simulation tools
to generate and validate the material card for use across
wider applications.
PRISM showcases how material circularity and better
eco design can be achieved by applying the right solvers
connected with a simulation digital thread, tidying up the
issues of highly variable material properties. 4
www.ansys.com

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 SUSTAINABILITY
HOT SHOT
From bean to cup, coffee involves one of the
world’s most intricate value chains. Gruppo
Cimbali is setting out to perfect the process
with the aid of digital twin technology
P
recision is key to crafting a
consistently high quality cup of coffee.
Nowhere is this more important than
in the final leg of the value chain –
production. The grinder must deliver
the exact grade of beans each and
every time. The espresso machine
must heat and pressurise water to exact specifications.
Gruppo Cimbali is aiming to perfect this final
step before customer consumption. The company is
incorporating more transparent processes and data in its
product development, as part of its wider commitment
to sustainability and making sure nothing goes to waste.
The end goal, however, remains the same: great coffee.
Making coffee is energy intensive. Even professional
coffee machines can lose more than 300W of power
through heat loss alone. The peak load power
requirements of many espresso machines exceeds 6 kW.
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This is where Gruppo Cimbali, which includes
brands such as La Cimbali and Faema, sees digital twin
technology introducing a hot shot of efficiency. Key
requirements such as reducing energy loss, balancing
peak loads and enabling its team to develop more
efficient operating strategies can all be achieved with
extensive virtual prototype testing. And that means better
optimised products and faster development, making each
cup of coffee more sustainable.
Maurizio Tursini, chief marketing and solution officer
for Gruppo Cimbali says that new technologies are key to
creating a unique user experience. “By providing sleek,
reliable, energy-efficient products, we are an industry
leader,” he says, speaking from Gruppo Cimbali’s
headquarters in Binasco, on the outskirts of Milan, Italy.
“The primary focus of the physics-based digital twin
is the physical modelling, simulation and optimisation
of the thermodynamic process, including a real-time,
12/04/2023 14:57

human-in-the-loop view. This helps us make better
products faster.”
To do this, the engineers are using Altair’s
comprehensive One Total Twin platform, in order to
create physics- and data-driven digital twins that can
be connected. “This allows us to optimise functionality
at the system level for the entire design and product
lifecycle,” says Tursini.
TIME TO REFUEL
Gruppo Cimbali executives say that the company’s
optimisation process has already improved the
performance and efficiency of its espresso machines
and helped reduce energy loss in its latest generation
of products.
Compared to its prior E71 model, featuring traditional
thermal technology, Tursini says its engineers achieved
an improvement of 20% with an independent boiler
p54_55_D3D_APRILMAY23_Altair.indd 55
2
structure. For its new E71e model, based on this ●
1 The Faema E71e
improved technology platform, another 25% of energy was developed
using digital twin
savings were achieved through virtual prototyping. technology
The goal is to add new technical solutions to future
●
2 Digital twin
machine generations as the company continues on its technology enables
journey towards a target of 40% energy loss savings. engineers to
predict machine
“In addition, the reduction in physical testing means we
performance and
require fewer prototypes, can reduce prototyping costs optimise energy
and better define the design exploration space, which efficiency
reduces overall material and energy usage,” adds Tursini.
“And lastly, the digital twin workflow has significantly
shortened the length of the development cycle,” he says.
“Our digital twin approach, with the help of Altair and
their unique One Total Twin platform, has streamlined
our processes and improved our machines. Together,
we’re developing more efficient, more sustainable ways to
enjoy coffee.” Something we can all drink to.
www.gruppocimbali.com
DEVELOP3D.COM APRIL / MAY 2023 55
12/04/2023 14:57
 SUSTAINABILITY
A SMARTE
The sustainability motto ‘recycle,
reuse, and reduce’ may need to
be updated to include a fourth
‘r’: repair. Nokia is leading the
way in the telecommunications
industry with its new G22
smartphone, designed to be
fixed at home by its user
S
ince March 2020, we’ve witnessed an
upsurge in DIY. Even now that Covid
restrictions have been lifted and shops
have reopened, the trend is far from over..
In terms of sustainability, it’s great
news. Knowing how to repair objects can
lead to a massive reduction in waste and
resource consumption.
The Finnish telecommunications brand Nokia has
decided to target this trend and develop a phone that can
be repaired by users.
Research conducted by YouGov in May 2020 found that
70% of British smartphone owners replace their phone
within four years; 28% buy a new phone every one to two
years; and 45% would rather replace it than repair it.
The research also found that one of the main reasons
for this behaviour is cost. Although it might seem
counter intuitive, replacing your smartphone with a new
one is often not much more expensive than repairing it.
Sometimes, it might even be cheaper.
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ON A MISSION
Nokia is on a mission to tackle this excessive
consumption and encourage users to repair their devices
before buying new ones. Thanks to a collaboration with
iFixit, the company is offering affordable repairs and easy
access to parts.
The Nokia G22 was not only designed to allow users to
repair it, but also to last longer in the first place. To add
extra durability, the phone features a two-tone colour
recycled plastic back with a high-gloss finish and a sturdy
matte metal camera base and front glass developed by
Corning Gorilla.
“People value sustainable, quality devices and they
shouldn’t have to compromise on price to get it,” says
Adam Ferguson, head of marketing at HMD Global,
Nokia’s exclusive licensee.
“We are continuing our journey towards more
sustainable and longer lasting devices. The new Nokia
G22 is purposefully built with a repairable design and
is packed with features that improve performance and
12/04/2023 14:59
ER PHONE
Wheel design is a vital aspect of a car’s overall look, but
developing wheels can be costly. Stephen Holmes speaks to Lacks
Enterprises about its award-winning solution for Toyota, which
combines strong aesthetics with fuel efficiency

longevity without extra cost,” he goes on.
Nokia says the aim is to offer a sustainable option
without having to compromise on quality or access to the
latest technologies. This is why it made audio and image
quality a priority.
Whether users like to use headphones or the phone’s
speaker, Nokia promises high quality, and with OZO
Playback, the phone should deliver enhanced bass and
clearer sound.
Additionally, the Audio Boost should allow users
to increase the volume when listening in noisy
environments.
The 50MP camera of the Nokia G22 is supported
by high-end imaging algorithms that should produce
excellent pictures. It features Night and Quick Night
modes, which should help balance highlights and
shadows for the perfect night-time shot using both front
and rear cameras. The 6.52-inch HD+ display of the
phone should allow users to appreciate every detail of
their photos and videos.
“Nokia G22 is a step in the right direction, and we
need more companies to follow their lead and prioritise
sustainability in their product design,” says iFixit CEO
Kyle Wiens.
“Battery issues, screen damage and charging port
problems are some of the most common issues that
smartphone users face, so having the ability to easily
replace these parts can save consumers time and money
in the long run.”
With its new G22, Nokia not only promises device
longevity but also longer battery life, which should last up
to three days and should maintain over 80% of its original
capacity even after 800 full charging cycles.
To make self-repair accessible, Nokia and iFixit provide
users with step-by-step manuals, videos, and guidance
via a website.
The repair kits include both iFixit tools and approved
spare parts, so that DIY experts and beginners alike can
save money and contribute to reducing e-waste.
www.nokia.com

DEVELOP3D.COM APRIL / MAY 2023 57

p56_57_D3D_APRILMAY23_Nokia.indd 57 12/04/2023 14:59

 LAST WORD

Innovation around sustainable design

and manufacturing has engrossed
Stephen Holmes this issue, but he
reckons it’s a product at the less flashy
end of the spectrum that could have
the biggest impact: packaging

Q
uick! Name the first PEDALS AND PAPER BAGS
‘sustainable product’ that The ecosystem for getting new products
comes to mind. Was it an to the end user responsibly is booming.
electric car? An electric Even cycle delivery services such as
bike? One of those eVTOL Pedal Me are upending traditional ideas
planes, the ones that are around what can be transported on a bike.
announced on a near-weekly basis, The company’s social media feeds are a
and that I swear must be some sort revelation when it comes to discovering
of Ponzi scheme? some of the more unexpected loads
We’re living through another age of that can now be shifted by cargo bike:
electrification that is fuelling transport sofas, beer barrels, a person’s household
development, buoyed by sensors, belongings in their entirety.
simulation and cloud computing. However, Pedal Me’s network is enabled by some
the development that came to my mind excellent two-wheeled hardware, clever
was decidedly less sexy than anything that software and well-thought-out processes
comes on wheels. around operator training.
If I’m completely honest, it was a At the other end of the scale, driven by CONSIDERATE DESIGN It’s amazing what you
can get delivered by
cardboard box. Now, hear me out: online the likes of Amazon, packaging is going Assembly on delivery at least means more
bike these days
retail has changed not only how we buy minimalist. Such is the increasing maturity can be crammed into a package, but then
products, but also how they’re delivered to of online retail that the days of receiving product joins, connectors and preferably
our homes and workplaces. This, in turn, is a stapler in a box big enough to house a toolless construction come into play.
driving innovation when it microwave oven are now Already we’re seeing software like Zea3D
comes to cardboard boxes. consigned to history. By and Cadasio enabling product teams to use
Gone are the days when  comparison, this morning, CAD models to quickly create instructions
packaging was designed With increasing I received a delivery that that direct the end user on how to put
merely to be an extension consisted of little more the product together without a full-blown
of a product’s advertising,
maturity, the than a paper bag holding meltdown and a handful of leftover parts.
handled by the consumer days of receiving the naked product inside. It’s quite a task to design something
carrying the item from the a stapler in a Such delivery methods robust enough to stand up to being dumped
store shelf to their home. – even ones offering behind a wheelie bin for six hours straight
Gone are the mountains box big enough more protection – are during a torrential rainstorm, but can also
of polystyrene blobs that to house a impacting the design of be recycled easily, uses as little material as
encase a box within a box. the products inside. possible and is still cost-effective.
As with electric
microwave are How products stand As usual, there’s a lot of amazing design
vehicles, new innovations now consigned to up to being shipped by and engineering taking place out of the
have emerged, built history courier is now a design spotlight to help reduce the environmental
around lightweighting, consideration in the impact of products. Hopefully, this issue
sustainable materials and  earliest stages of the has helped highlight some of these, and
carbon reduction. development process, will inspire you to look at your own designs
The eco-materials list that you will find not only helping to decide how products and processes. And maybe some time
in the pages of this issue could easily have can be packed into as small a container as soon, when people are asked to name a
been double its current length, simply by possible, but even how wall thicknesses sustainable product, your product will be
including all the new materials used in might survive a tumble in a giant mail the first one that springs to mind.
the packaging industry. They range from processing facility or a rough throw into the
foam replacements made from fungi and back of a delivery van. GET IN TOUCH: On the topic of home delivery, Stephen is
shock-absorbent wood pulps, to insulating More products are being shaped to fit convinced that one particular delivery company has created a
sheep-wool packing and polymers created standard package sizes, which themselves cloaking mechanism that makes its operatives invisible to his
from a mixture of coffee waste and some are being defined to fit through letterboxes doorbell camera. You know the one. Find Stephen on Twitter:
smart, biodegradable resins. or into pick-up lockers. @swearstoomuch

58 APRIL / MAY 2023 DEVELOP3D.COM

p58_D3D_APRILMAY23_LastWord.indd 58 12/04/2023 19:52

 d*
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TO ADVERTISE YOUR SERVICES HERE CONTACT STEVE KING
Save the date
STEVE@X3DMEDIA.COM | +44 (0) 20 3355 7314 | +44 (0)7850 507362
20 September 2023
Warwick Arts Centre, UK

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