Plastics Design - Emerging Technology and Trends

SUMMARY

Plastic Product Designs that Combine Aesthetics and Industrial Design are Easier to Sell

The marketing of successful plastics product design is possible through a completely optimized convergence of the form and function of industrial design (ID) with plastics material and process selection, manufacturability, and recyclability. In some cases, efficient and excessive marketing provides consumers with a plethora of choices in plastic designs. There are two reasons for this abundance of designs, especially in North America. The first is that domestic producers have started indulging in niche marketing by producing smaller quantities of variations of the same product, which are customized to appeal to the unique preferences of different identifiable markets. Secondly, all companies around the world view North America as a hotspot market for plastic products designs.

This Frost & Sullivan research, Plastics Design--Emerging Technology and Trends, examines 110+ plastics design related trends from a leading-edge, company-specific focus, in a concise yet comprehensive format. It describes and defines the value of plastics product design engineering in the important segments of ID, fundamental plastics design, plastics companies in design, design houses, and global industry design awards.

Changes in the Field of Design Engineering Are not Limited to Software or New Material Advances

The plastics industry is witnessing fundamental shifts toward both ID and manufacturing segments of product development. Design engineers that solely focused on function and performance are now considering form and manufacturability, aesthetics, tool design, and cost. This change has occurred due to two reasons. One was the drive to differentiate products through design, decoration, and color. The other involves time-to-market and shrinking product life cycles.

Concepts of concurrent or simultaneous engineering have subtly made their way into the design engineering field. "Design for excellence (DFx) methods such as design for manufacturability and assembly are becoming prevalent as new variables including design for recycling and decorating are being added to the overall design process," says the analyst of this research.

Emerging Technologies and Trends Pervade all through Plastics Design Industry

For a company's integrated plastics technology program to succeed, the personnel involved should have thorough knowledge of emerging, cutting-edge trends in critically related, similar segments. "For instance, companies dealing with ethnographic design use ethnographic research to find out the requirements of their target users by observing their behavior in the environment in which a product will be used," notes the analyst.

Other areas covered by plastics design technology include eyeglasses. While cellulosic plastics have unique properties and the flexibility for an accurate and adjustable fit in eyeglasses, copolyester, which is extremely chemical resistant and clear, will be suitable for both frames and lenses. Companies have also come up with a technology that will help beekeepers harvest comb honey from their beehives with minimum labor/expense by eliminating the need for foundation wax.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• 1. Executive Summary
  • 1. Overview
    • 1. Overview
    • 2. Global Technology Highlights (North America; Europe; Asia)
  • 2. Scope and Methodology
    • 1. Scope
    • 2. Methodology
    • 3. Plastics Design Webwatch Directory
• 2. Introduction to Industrial Design
  • 1. Industrial Design and Design Engineering
    • 1. Industrial Design
    • 2. Evolution of Plastics Design Engineering
  • 2. Industrial Design and the Consumer
    • 1. 'Wow and Cool' --The Power of Design
    • 2. Getting Close to the Consumer
    • 3. Fantastic Plastics Works
• 3. Fundamentals of Plastics Design and Innovation
  • 1. Rapid Prototyping/Stereolithography
    • 1. Rapid Prototyping- Introduction
    • 2. Stereolithography--Introduction
    • 3. Autostrade Co.
    • 4. DSM Somos
    • 5. 3D Systems Corporation
  • 2. Selective Laser Sintering
    • 1. Selective Laser Sintering--Introduction
    • 2. EOS (Electro Optical Systems) GmbH/Hettich-Zentrifugen
    • 3. 3D Systems Corporation
  • 3. Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)
    • 1. Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM)--Introduction
    • 2. Stratasys Corporation
    • 3. Dimension 3D Printing Group
  • 4. Three Dimensional Printing (3DP)
    • 1. Three Dimensional Printing (3DP)--Introduction
    • 2. Z Corporation
    • 3. Laminated Object Manufacturing (LOM)
  • 5. Fasteners
    • 1. Inter-Mold Corporation
    • 2. Kubota Research Associates
    • 3. Icotec AG
    • 4. Arnold Umformtechnik
• 4. Plastics Companies in Design
  • 1. Major Resin Suppliers
    • 1. GE Plastics
    • 2. Eastman Chemical Company
    • 3. Dow Inclosia Solutions
    • 4. DuPont
  • 2. Other Plastics Companies
    • 1. LNP Engineering Plastics Inc.
    • 2. Meccanica Generale Srl
• 5. Design Houses - Custom and Captive
  • 1. North- American-Based Custom Design Houses
    • 1. IDEO
    • 2. Smart Design
    • 3. Ziba Design Inc.
    • 4. Design Continuum Inc.
    • 5. Lunar Design
  • 2. European-Based Custom Design Houses
    • 1. Alloy Ltd.
    • 2. Pankhurst Design & Developments Group Ltd.
    • 3. Ergonomidesign AB
    • 4. DesignPartners
    • 5. Alessi
  • 3. Asian-Based Custom Design Houses
    • 1. Overview of Asian-Based Custom Design Houses
    • 2. Design Innovation
    • 3. Titoma
  • 4. North- American-Based Captive Design Houses
    • 1. Herman Miller Inc.
    • 2. BRP (formerly Bombardier Recreational Products)
  • 5. Eurasian-Based Captive Design Houses
    • 1. Décathlon
    • 2. BMW Group
    • 3. Samsung Electronics Co Ltd.
• 6. Product Design Reviews for Key Markets (North America, Europe, Asia)
  • 1. Consumer Products
    • 1. Harmony Baby Chair
    • 2. No Ends Building Toy
    • 3. Photo 3D System
    • 4. Skin Tight
    • 5. CarbonGlide Cable Slide
    • 6. RPC Fork-In-Lid Containers
  • 2. Electronic Products
    • 1. Scent Dome
    • 2. Wharton Lectern
    • 3. Wall Display with Ideaboard
    • 4. V500 Cordless Notebook Mouse
    • 5. Vocera Communications Badge
    • 6. MovieBeam
  • 3. Transportation Products
    • 1. Smart Roadster
    • 2. DCX Valve Cover
    • 3. Volvo Nylon Manifold Cover
    • 4. Polycarbonate Glazing System
    • 5. GloCar
    • 6. Spyfish STV Submarine
  • 4. Industrial Products
    • 1. Verado
    • 2. TracVision A5
    • 3. E-Motors
    • 4. Demolition Hammer
    • 5. EPI Flowmeter/Hacksaw Frame
  • 5. Medical Products
    • 1. HeartStart Home Defibrillator
    • 2. Camena Homecare Ventilator
    • 3. Dryfield Illuminator
    • 4. Humalog/Humulin Insulin Pen
    • 5. HiRes Auria
    • 6. Diego Surgical System
  • 6. Design Explorations
    • 1. Bee-O-Pac
    • 2. Helimax Powermoon
    • 3. Pocket Chair
    • 4. Honey Bunns Stool
    • 5. WetnOz Pet Feeding Bowls
    • 6. Infinity Climber
• 7. Plastics Design Resources (North America, Europe)
  • 1. Plastics Databases
    • 1. Electronic Databases
    • 2. Plastics Materials Databases
    • 3. Polymers and Elastomers--Hard-Copy
    • 4. All Materials--Hard-Copy
    • 5. Design Basics--Hard Copy
  • 2. Simulation Software
    • 1. Part and Mold Simulation
    • 2. Process Simulation
• 8. Industry Design Awards (North America, Europe, Asia)
  • 1. Industrial Design Awards
    • 1. North America
    • 2. Europe
    • 3. Australasia
  • 2. Other Design Awards
    • 1. North America
    • 2. Europe
• 9. Frost & Sullivan 2005 Technology Awards
  • 1. Technology Innovation
    • 1. Award Description
    • 2. Award Recipient
  • 2. Technology Leadership
    • 1. Award Description
    • 2. Award Recipient
• 10. Decision Support Databases
  • 1. Decision Support Databases
    • 1. Car Production
    • 2. Heavy Truck Production
    • 3. Bus Production
    • 4. Total Vehicle Production