Less Can Be More

(NewsUSA) - Paper or plastic -; or something else? Many companies today are choosing materials to conserve natural resources. They're working to make factories less polluting and more energy efficient. And when it comes to product development, some manufacturers think less is more -; and it is in more ways than one.

For example, some new products are designed for easier breakdown and recycling. Steelcase now makes an office chair with parts that bolt or snap together without glue or welding. Flat springs replace conventional chair controls for a lighter chair that uses fewer materials but allows for more fluid adjustments -; proving that less can actually give you more.

Other goods use less to do more in ways that we can't see. Before a product is manufactured, design engineers test their ideas by building models. Autodesk, which makes software for product design, says that some designers and engineers are practicing "sustainable design" by making digital prototypes instead of physical ones. They use 3D modeling software to combine electronic drawings with information about how materials and components function.

The result is a lifelike digital model that can be tested on the computer to see how a product may perform if it's made. Digital prototypes make it easy to consider different materials and manufacturing methods that could improve products' energy efficiency and ability to be recycled. Take playground equipment maker BigToys. Its designers used digital prototypes to model and develop recycled plastic and steel versions of components, electronically updating and testing hundreds of part designs before mass producing them.

Bicycle maker Marin Bikes uses digital prototypes, too. In fact, the company never made a real-world model of its popular Quad XC mountain bike. Through its digital approach, the company introduces more bike designs each year -; giving customers more choices.

Digital prototypes cut down on physical waste, and that's good for the environment. Product labels won't say "digitally prototyped" when the first green mall opens in Chicago next year, but the store shelves may be stocked by manufacturers who have plans to use less to bring you more.

For more information, visit www.autodesk.com.

"Article By: NewsUSA"