Powder Removal from Selective Laser Sintered Parts, Enabling Greater Design Freedom and Unlocking Design Potential
- Submitting institution
-
Nottingham Trent University
- Unit of assessment
- 32 - Art and Design: History, Practice and Theory
- Output identifier
- 43 - 1379122
- Type
- T - Other
- DOI
-
-
- Location
- -
- Brief description of type
- N/A
- Open access status
- Out of scope for open access requirements
- Month
- February
- Year
- 2015
- URL
-
-
- Supplementary information
-
-
- Request cross-referral to
- -
- Output has been delayed by COVID-19
- No
- COVID-19 affected output statement
- -
- Forensic science
- No
- Criminology
- No
- Interdisciplinary
- No
- Number of additional authors
-
0
- Research group(s)
-
B - Design Research Centre
- Proposed double-weighted
- No
- Reserve for an output with double weighting
- No
- Additional information
- Retail display systems (checkout desks and display systems) are usually constructed from MDF, clad in laminate or painted. Systems of this type are heavy and must be constructed off site. Furthermore, the material combination makes re-use at end of life extremely problematic. Conservatively it is estimated that 200,000 tons of MDF ends up in landfill annually as a result.
This design research relates to the development of a new approach to the design and construction of low environmental impact retail display systems. This approach is based on a complete design system which replaces MDF with cardboard and incorporates a patented feature (Appendix I) which is integral to the success of the system.
The significance of the new system is that it can be flat packed and assembled on site, and quickly disassembled at end of life. The base cardboard construction materials are not contaminated by coatings or paint and therefore can be 100% re used/recycled. Based on 200 typical display units, over 70 tonnes of CO2e, 4000 MJEq of energy and 700 litres of water could be saved.
Initial background research revealed minimal work on the ‘real world’ development of cardboard display systems (only niche approaches). Design research then followed an empirical, action research approach over two distinct phases. In conjunction with a partner SME (Antone Displays Ltd), Phase 1 was a pilot study to design a check-out desk system for use with retail outlets. Supported by £70,000 of funding from Antone and Innovate UK and based on Phase 1 findings, Phase 2 took the research further by developing prototypes for real-world, in-store evaluation by the brands Wickes and Chanel.
Life cycle analysis (LCA), using industry standard software (Appendix II) was undertaken in both phases to assess potential environmental impact of the system and to inform design decision-making processes.
- Author contribution statement
- -
- Non-English
- No
- English abstract
- -