Icynene-Lapolla has launched the all-new Icynene OC No-Mix insulation, an open-cell spray foam solution for both homes and commercial structures. According to the company, the material is notable for providing enhanced energy efficiency, long-term energy cost savings and an easy no-mix application. Icynene OC No-Mix was introduced at the SPFA Sprayfoam Show 2019 Convention & Expo, which was held from 4 – 7 February 2019 in Daytona Beach, FL, USA.

A team of students from RWTH Aachen University and FH Aachen plan to enter their self-constructed, solar-powered electric car in perhaps the world’s toughest solar car race: the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge 2019. After the successful première at the previous year’s race, Team Sonnenwagen will attempt for the second time to be the fastest to complete the 3,000-kilometer route in Australia without a single drop of fuel.

The need for life-time recycling loops for all kinds of products is steadily increasing. Tires and rubber products prove no exception. A recent paper from the University of Twente describes the devulcanization of rubber articles including tires of various sorts. It highlights what has been achieved for different major rubber types, but also what hurdles are to be overcome before rubber recycling is as obvious a technology as the manufacturing of first use rubber-articles.

The colours and additives producer Repi LLC announced that it will showcase its in-house-engineered equipment CP1 at the Utech Las Americas 2019 (stand 523).

The US TPE compounder Star Thermoplastic Alloys & Rubbers has introduced new StarSoft cushioning gel materials. They are well suited for uses in sports equipment, gel bike seats and shoe inserts. The company also recommends them for use with medical models and adult novelties that require lifelike anatomical simulation. The materials in Shore hardnesses of 00 or 000 are supplied in pelletised form, slabs or slurry.

The Italian company API has introduced the new recyclable Apilon 52 A/C TPU series at Simac Tanning Tech 2019 (hall 14, stand B45), which is being held from 20 – 22 February 2019 in Milan, Italy.

Kistler, a specialist in dynamic pressure, force, torque and acceleration measurement technology, announced that it will share a stand with the Netzsch Group at JEC World 2019 (hall 6, stand R20) from 12 – 14 March 2019 in Paris, France. Visitors will be able to see how technologies from the two companies complement each other ideally in plastic composites processing. Both product portfolios will be showcased, and a simulation will show how the combination of information from mould filling and characteristic material values represents a major step towards intelligent part production, said Kistler.

The Hanover-based German company Troester GmbH & Co. KG announced that it will exhibit at the Tire Technology Expo 2019. In 1892, the German engineer Paul Troester started building machines, which could process unvulcanised rubber and guttapercha. Today, Troester is well known as a reliable extrusion partner and source of know-how for all major tyre companies, but also a favourite choice for medium-sized and local tyre producers.

Materialise, through a partnership with RSPrint, has entered into an agreement with HP to scale an end-to-end 3D solution to design and manufacture fully customised 3D-printed insoles. FitStation powered by HP will integrate the Materialise software for 3D design automation, print preparation and production management.

Ruocchio Designs, Inc. is a design firm specialising in fabricating high-end museum exhibits, signage, sculptures and more – specifically, large-scale projects that have a high “wow-factor” to them. Their most recent project is an ideal example of this.