Researchers at the University of Michigan and Seoul National University of Science and Technology have devised a new method for manufacturing devices that require precisely sized and positioned micro- and nanoscale particles. The technique is suitable for a wide array of assembly of micro- and nanoscale objects, and useful for electronic devices, and biological applications.
“It’s very hard to regulate things in the microscopic and nano-scale. You want the particles to sit there, and they won’t,” said Jay Guo, project leader and professor of electrical engineering and computer science. “We found a way to sort and localize large quantities of particles, and we can do it in a very scalable fashion.”
With this ability, engineers would be able to more efficiently manufacture and assemble photonic crystals, filtration devices and biological assays, create more sensitive sensing devices, and much more.
Guo has been working in the area of nanomanufacturing for decades, beginning with his work on roll-to-roll nanoimprint lithography. He switched to the current methodology of nanopatterning relying only on a sliced silicon wafer because of its relative simplicity and speed.
“For the first time, Henry Ford’s entire Highland Park, Michigan automobile factory is run on a continuously moving assembly line when the chassis–the automobile’s frame–is assembled using the revolutionary industrial technique. A motor and rope pulled the chassis past workers and parts on the factory floor, cutting the man-hours required to complete one “Model T” from 12-½ hours to six. Within a year, further assembly line improvements reduced the time required to 93 man-minutes. The staggering increase in productivity effected by Ford’s use of the moving assembly line allowed him to drastically reduce the cost of the Model T, thereby accomplishing his dream of making the car affordable to ordinary consumers.
In introducing the Model T in October 1908, Henry Ford proclaimed, “I will build a motor car for the great multitude.” Before then, the decade-old automobile industry generally marketed its vehicles to only the richest Americans, because of the high cost of producing the machines. Ford’s Model T was the first automobile designed to serve the needs of middle-class citizens: It was durable, economical, and easy to operate and maintain. Still, with a debut price of $850, the Model T was out of the reach of most Americans. The Ford Motor Company understood that to lower unit cost it had to increase productivity. The method by which this was accomplished transformed industry forever.
Prototypes of the assembly line can be traced back to ancient times, but the immediate precursor of Ford’s industrial technique was 19th-century meat-packing plants in Chicago and Cincinnati, where cows and hogs were slaughtered, dressed, and packed using overhead trolleys that took the meat from worker to worker. Inspired by the meat packers, the Ford Motor Company innovated new assembly line techniques and in early 1913 installed its first moving assembly line at Highland Park for the manufacture of flywheel magnetos. Instead of each worker assembling his own magneto, the assembly was divided into 29 operations performed by 29 men spaced along a moving belt. Average assembly time dropped from 20 minutes to 13 minutes and soon was down to five minutes.
With the success of the magneto experiment, Ford engineers put the Model T motor and then the transmission on moving assembly lines. On October 7, 1913, the chassis also went on the moving assembly line, so that all the major components of the Model T were being assembled using this technique. Ford rapidly improved its assembly lines, and by 1916 the price of the Model T had fallen to $360 and sales were more than triple their 1912 level. Eventually, the company produced one Model T every 24 seconds, and the price fell below $300. More than 15 million Model T’s were built before it was discontinued in 1927, accounting for nearly half of all automobiles sold in the world to that date. The affordable Model T changed the landscape of America, hastening the move from rural to city life, and the moving assembly line spurred a new industrial revolution in factories around the world.”
October 4, 1957 - Sputnik launched October 5, 1947 - Truman delivers first presidential speech on TV October 6, 1926 - Babe Ruth sets World Series record October 7, 1780 - Battle of King’s Mountain October 8, 1871 - Great Chicago Fire begins October 9, 1936 - Hoover Dam begins transmitting electricity to Los Angeles October 10, 1845 - US Naval Academy opens
Engineers have developed a handheld paper divide able to detect a strain of coronavirus quickly and accurately. The strain, MERS-CoV, can be detected by the device in very small quantities, and can be read directly from the device making it portable.
As one of the select few given permission by USA health officials to use diagnostics tests for COVID-19, the Purdue University biomedical engineers claimed that this device could be used to detect the COVID-29 strain – the limitations in doing so currently is the lack of funding. According to the team, the process to scale the technology for manufacturing would cost at least a couple of million US dollars.
‘Paper-based devices are already manufactured – pregnancy tests are paper-based,’ said Purdue University Biomedical Engineering Professor, Jacqueline Linnes.
‘Because this device has a more complex shape, a process hasn’t been developed to make it available on a commercial scale. However, many processes in electronics and paper manufacturing could be translated to scaling up this device.’
But so far, Linnes’ team has just been able to produce these devices on a lab scale, which calls for cutting out the paper components by hand.
‘The most difficult aspect of producing this device is definitely the assembly,’ said Purdue University Biomedical Engineering PhD Cadidate, K Byers.
This time-lapse video shows how a paper device developed by Purdue researchers tests a sample in 40 minutes. This sample is positive for MERS-CoV, as indicated by the formation of a second line on the paper strip. Credit: Purdue University video/K Byers
These challenges may easily be overcome with existing manufacturing techniques, the researchers said.
The device format would not need to change in order to detect other diseases. As the device scales up, however, it would also need to be more sensitive to detect a lower concentration of a virus for clinical relevance.
‘This paper device isn’t dependent on a particular virus or sequence. To detect COVID-19, we would just need an assay design specific to that sequence, which could come from a nasal or throat swap sample. Just like with MERS-CoV, a user could load the assay with liquid into the paper platform, fold the device and let it run,’ Linnes said.
When the device folds over, a liquid wash and chemical substances called reagents push the assay up a paper strip to make an easily visible detection line. This automatically completes a multistep process needed for detecting a virus. A user can check the strip within 40 minutes to see if the sample tested positive.
This was something that my guest from this weeks youtube interview said and I think it’s extremely fitting for the work she is doing in Africa for its fashion and textile industry.
Mariama Carama of Mariama Fashion Production shares insights on running a business in Africa working with 1000s of African artisans and creating textiles using traditional…
In the East African country of Tanzania, the non-profit Aid by Trade Foundation together with local partners has opened a new vocational education centre. In the Bariadi district it is the first training centre ever. The training starts with four classes in carpentry, bricklaying, tailoring, food science and processing. 80 young people will receive a specialist training per course. The facility…
Fashion Manufacturing in Africa was the driver of me starting my business in 2010. And why I have evolved my business to become your best resource for sourcing fashion production and textiles in Africa.
In this weeks Fashion Africa Voices series Lawyer turned Factory founder Abisade Adenubi of “Heritage Apparels” (www.heritageapparels.com) shares how complex and in-depth BUT how equally rewarding…
So Fashion Made in Nigeria has seemed to almost erupt over the last few years and the gorgeous handmade textiles are being recognised more and more and this is what I want to briefly highlight. So lets dive in.
ADIRE Now can I get personal for a minute? I personally LOVE Nigerian textiles with Adire being one that totally calls me out. Since the turn of the twentieth century, in Abeokuta, a center…
Starting my business Africa Fashion Guide in 2010 began with a heart to see trade in Africa and to be a change-maker in Africa. And fashion for me was the vehicle.
Fashion that is made in Africa.
Consider this.
If you too want to see change in Africa but source Chinese made wax-printand you sew yourself or locally in your home country then nothing is touching lives in Africa. I explain this in my…
Fashion is a very competitive industry and African fashion being a niche where a lot of people hang out makes it uber competitive.
The competition can come across quite daunting but I want to encourage you to overlook those who see you as competition and instead seek those to collaborate with.
So many gurus say it is impossible to source textiles in Africa, that you cannot make quality fashion there, that its unreliable and people only want to rip you off.
NOW with the influx of people travelling to Africa last year and getting “inspired” and seeing “opportunity”… YES you can open up yourself to opportunists and why I do encourage you to travel to Africa with us on our Fashion Africa…
