Innovation resource pack - Design Museum

InnovationInjection mouldingThe invention of injection moulding meantthat for the first time plastics were chosenfor their innate design and manufacturingpotential and not just for their ability toimitate a more expensive material.Products which had been manufacturedin wood or metal were rethought andredesigned in plastic. Injection mouldingmade mass production in plastic a realityand inspired many innovative products,for example, Lego and milk carton caps.Case study: KettlesTimeline: KETTLESThe ballpoint penThe ballpoint features a ballbearing to spread quick-drying inkover the paper. It was originallyconceived in 1888 by anAmerican, John Loud, for writingon leather and was developed byseveral people including the Birobrothers, who patented the idea.They had trouble producing aworking version and it was MarcelBich who came up with a reliabledisposable pen in 1953.In the 1970s the electric jug kettle was launched. It featureda body injection-moulded in acetal with an integral spoutand side handle, instead of the dangerously situated handleof traditional models. This development was a triumph ofboth materials technology and manufacturing; earlythermoplastics could not contain boiling water withoutdistorting or even melting. After the development of cordlesskettles the only significant innovation in kettle technologywas the limescale-resistant disc element, but materialstechnology continues to affect kettle design.Tefal Freeline cordless kettleAppliance manufacturers Tefal felt their productrange looked too French. In 1986 they asked Britishdesign consultants Richard Seymour and DickPowell to redesign their kettle to make it moreinternational in appeal. Seymour Powell adapted thebrief to include considerations of user and function.The result was the first cordless kettle (right).Russell Hobbs Thermocolor kettleThe recent developments in smartmaterials have produced plasticswhich are temperature sensitive.The Russell Hobbs Thermocolor kettle(left) uses smart plastics technology tochange colour when boiled.Buzz wordsLinks …Websites:Bic:www.bicworldusa.comInnovation:www.ideafinders.comSmart materials:www.brunel.ac.uk/research/exploringTupperware:www.tupperware.co.ukAcetal – heat-resistant and injectionmouldablethermoplastic developed inthe 1970s from polyacetal (developed in1958), which enabled plastics to beused for items previously made frommetal.Batch production - the manufactureof a specific number of products, fromas few as a dozen up to thousands ofarticles.Casting – to shape a material such asliquid metal, glass or plastic by pouringor pressing it into a mould.Component – a part of somethingmore complicated.Design consultant – someone hiredby a company to design a product orsystem.Injection moulding – a manufacturingprocess used to make complex shapesfrom thermoplastics by squeezingheated plastic powder into a mould.Mass production – continuousproduction which may run into millionsof items. The high initial cost ofcomplicated tools and moulds is offsetby the number of identical productswhich can be made.Section – the shape of somethingwhen cut through. Often used whendescribing materials which come inlong lengths, like wooden dowel orsteel or aluminium rod.Smart materials – materials that are‘intelligent’ can sense changes in theenvironment, usually heat or light.Stainless steel – a mixture of iron andcarbon which also contains chromiumthat allows it to resist rust anddiscolouration.Synthetic – made artificially.Thermoplastic – a group of commonlyused plastics which soften when heatedand are used for a wide variety ofproducts such as household containers(polyethylene, or polythene for short),plastic packaging (polystyrene), toys andhousehold appliances (ABS) and doubleglazing (PVC).Thermosetting plastic – plastics likephenol, urea and melamineformaldehyde, which are formed by heatand pressure (compression moulding)and cannot be re-formed. Whenoverheated they burn. They are used forheat-resisting applications like worktopsurfaces and saucepan handles.19thc 1894 1920 1923 1956 1958 1978 1986 1999 2000First massproducedcastironkettleFirst electrickettle madein USAElectricsaucepan incommon useCopper heatingelement inventedFirst automatickettle – theRussell Hobbs K1Polyacetalused for firstplastic kettleFirst injectionmouldedacetaljug kettleFirst cordlesskettleDisc elementintroducedSmart kettle –changes colourwhen boiled© Design Museum 2001