It’s one of the most talked about issues in the news today but what exactly is it and why now? Charlie Worrall, Marketing Manager, Pro Moulds (midlands) Ltd takes a look.

It is largely assumed that the UK is close to missing out on opportunities presented by electric vehicle (EV) development. Take the area of lithium-ion batteries, for example. Supply is currently dominated by businesses based in Japan, South Korea and China; many of which have had a 20-year lead over the UK in establishing an effective battery manufacturing supply chain.

The maximum possible speed is the most important factor in many types of winter sport. Whether it’s in speed skating, luge, or bobsledding. Once the finish line is reached, only the time decides between victory and defeat.

Roger Haw, Managing Director of Flame Hardeners explains how surface heat treatment is costed.

Aluminium has a long and successful history in the aerospace industry. As far back as the 19th century, Count Ferdinand Zeppelin made the frames of his iconic airships from it. Aluminium was chosen as it is lightweight, strong, and has a high resistance to corrosion.

Comic book fans flocked to cinemas as Black Panther hit the screens. Underpinning the film’s plot was fictional metal vibranium, which powered the titular hero’s kingdom of Wakanda. Interestingly, this metal was, in part, inspired by tantalum. So, what of the Marvel Universe vibranium’s real-life counterpart?

Viridian Systems set Rutland Plastics a material challenge, a metal replacement project that would test the water in more ways than one.

With PET (polyethylene terephthalate) firmly ensconced as the material of choice for plastic container manufacturers, the focus has shifted to designing lighter-weight versions of current packaging to cut costs and quench consumers’ thirst for more sustainable products.