Plastic – The Long Road Towards Sustainable Plastic

February 3, 2020

In my latest blog I talked about the problems caused by plastic. It is an excellent material for many uses, but the waste isn’t treated properly which causes environmental issues. Similarly, asbestos was considered as an irreplaceable material, but the health issues eventually caused it to be banned. The health issues caused by microplastics are still unknown and something undesirable may come up. But could there be an alternative to fossil-based plastic?  

Everyone knows or at least should know that we need to get rid of fossil fuels preferably sooner than later. The low costs and lack of alternatives still drive us to use fossil-based plastic. Thanks to the growing concern of the environment, bio-based plastics are researched and developed with an accelerating pace.

Good Intentions or Company Green washing?

Some of the new materials and projects might even be familiar to you. One of the first major bio-based plastic projects was the Coca-Cola PlantBottle. 30 % of the plastic in the bottle was made from sugar cane residue¹. Coca-Cola is also heading towards sustainability by enhancing the recyclability of their packages and using more recycled materials². 

Another recent step towards sustainable business was made by Lego that targets to manufacture only bio-based legos by 2030. The first bio-based lego sets were made from a similar sugar cane– based material as the PlantBottle. Lego is also making their packages widely recyclable and investing in renewable energy. ³ 

The consumer product manufacturer Unilever is also aiming high with plastic reduction and replacement. Their target for 2025 is to have 100 % reusable, recyclable or compostable packages. Unilever is also halving the use of virgin plastic by 2025 and thus reducing 350 000 tons of plastic annually. Their new business models also promote circular economy and sustainability. ⁴

A New Hope from Algae

Concrete targets are already being set in the battle against plastic waste. One of the most promising new material is an algae-based plastic. Algae would be an optimal solution for plastic manufacturing as it could be grown in the ocean without pesticides and fertilizers. It also could be used for refining biofuels. ⁵ 

We at TT Gaskets are also finding ways to improve our sustainability. Our utilization of material is already at a high level, but there’s room for improvement. We are targeting to optimize our material use in packaging, reducing plastic and finding bio-based alternatives if possible. New circular economy business models are also under research. Doing our deed for the environment is the least we can do in our journey for Smarter Gaskets for a Safer Tomorrow. 

¹ https://www.coca-cola.co.uk/faq/what-is-plantbottle 

² https://www.coca-colacompany.com/sustainable-business/packaging-sustainability 

³ https://bioplasticsnews.com/2019/12/17/lego-toys-bioplastics/ 

⁴ https://www.unilever.com/sustainable-living/reducing-environmental-impact/waste-and-packaging/rethinking-plastic-packaging/ 

⁵ https://bioplasticsnews.com/2019/04/15/asu-researcher-uses-algae-to-make-biodegradable-plastic/ 

Plastic – Life in Plastic – Is it that Fantastic?

January 2, 2020

You may remember the evergreen piece Barbie Girl by Aqua, where the chipmunk like voice tells that life in plastic is fantastic. But is it so? Over eight billion (8 000 000 000) tons of plastic has been produced since the 1950’s. It weighs roughly as much as 800 000 Eiffel towers. Is it much? It depends, but plastic has gathered a lot of attention lately. Some of the attention is well-earned, some of it not. As in most things, plastic has both good and bad aspects.

It for example helps to reduce food waste and provides affordable goods for us. But why all the disrespect towards plastic then? Most of the blame is deserved and the cause can be seen in the mirror. If all of us would put our waste in the bin instead of throwing it on the ground, it would be a good start. Even better would be if waste management around the world would work properly, instead of land filling or dumping waste in the ocean.

Fishing plastic instead of fish

Millions of tons of plastic floats in the garbage patches of Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Roughly 10 % of the plastic produced annually ends up in the ocean and it is estimated that in a few decades there might be more plastic than fish in our seas. And getting rid of the plastic in the ocean isn’t easy.

There is hope left

All is still not lost. Companies are starting to address this issue and consumers are also becoming more and more aware. Recycling of plastic is in its infancy, but develops all the time, even though the low price of virgin plastic makes it difficult to do recycling economically feasible. Substitutive bio-based materials for plastic are also researched and developed. 

TT Gaskets also plans to do our deed for the environment and reduce the use of materials and find substitutive bio-based alternatives where possible. The quantities are not that significant, but we think that leading by example is more influential than the absolute volume reduced.

With that said, we at TT Gaskets wish you a less plastic filled new numerical decade!

Anti-counterfeit – Security Is in the Eye of the Beholder

December 2, 2019

If you happen to have a bill, passport or a driver’s license with you, have a closer look at it. Take a moment to appreciate all the security details the experts have designed on that. You probably haven’t noticed them at all before this, or at least you don’t know all the details there are. And because of our lazy eyes, counterfeit money is fairly easy to pass through our fingers before the bills get caught in the inspection device on checkouts.

Lazy eyes and indifference towards security

Our lazy eyes are one of the reasons why some security details won’t work on their own. No matter how difficult the hologram is to copy, it doesn’t matter if we don’t recognize the difference from a scanned copy. The hologram or some other security detail should therefore be easily recognizable with a quick look. 

The other reason why security details won’t work on their own is if we don’t care about them. We just buy the cheapest one from the market that distantly looks the same as the original. And this indifference is much harder to cope with than laziness. 

Therefore, the biggest threats of for example spare part business are our laziness and indifference towards the parts. Why bother to buy originals, if the counterfeit ones are cheaper and seem to work fine.

Counterfeit-free future

However, we at TT Gaskets take this issue seriously before something irreversible happens due to counterfeit parts. Our target is that in the future our end customers cannot use counterfeit gaskets and shims in their machinery and processes. This is done by embedding technology in our products and packages. 

If you feel that counterfeits are an issue in your industry or business, don’t hesitate to contact us. We can offer you concrete solutions to start your journey towards smarter and safer future, counterfeit-free.

Electromagnetic spectrum – There’s More to Life than What You See

November 16, 2019

Have you ever considered why do we see things? Apart from referees at least that usually don’t see anything. To be exact, the human eye doesn’t actually see anything, it just receives light that is interpreted by our brain. You have probably experienced this between sheets. And that’s why the x-ray gaze of Superman is also scientifically dubious. 

Mirrored reflections and swarming bacteria

Our brain has developed to create an image of the light that’s received from the so called visible light wavelength of 400 – 700 nano meters (10⁻⁹ m). The light is originated from either an object that sends light such as the display you are currently staring, or it has reflected from a light source, such as the Sun. These reflections are then interpreted as different objects we see. 

But as you probably know, there’s more to life than what you see. The electromagnetic spectrum reaches from gamma rays (wavelength 10⁻¹² m) to radio waves (wavelength 10³ m). Therefore, we can detect only a small fraction of electromagnetic radiation without the help of technology. There’s a lot to see, but we probably wouldn’t want to see all the bacteria swarming on different surfaces. 

Something for our benefit 

Utilizing some other wavelengths would however be beneficial for our manufacturing. The most promising forms of radiation are infrared (10⁻⁵ m) and ultraviolet (10⁻⁸ m). These wavelengths already have different industrial applications such as recognition of different materials (IR) and curing inks (UV). We have tested the use of both IR and UV in different applications and we have a decent perception of their possibilities. 

Naturally I don’t want to disclose all our trade secrets in this forum, so time will tell what we are up to. If you are interested, feel free to ask and possibly we could find something in common benefit. And as always, we have researched the electromagnetic spectrum to provide you with Smarter Gaskets for Safer Tomorrow.

5G – A Swarm of Drones and CS:GO?

October 1, 2019

It’s hard to imagine life before the Internet. Did life even exist then? We use it every day and mostly without notice. Unless the connection isn’t working and it’s annoying. The Internet is so well embedded into different systems that we still think that using it means opening a browser and searching cat videos.

Memes that melt our brains

Nevertheless, Internet follows us basically anywhere we go. It’s in our pockets sending memes over different platforms. Most of the data we create is useless in some degree, but the demand for data is still increasing exponentially. And so is the speed of data transfer, especially in mobile connections. First tests of the high-speed, low latency 5G have recently started, despite the change resistance claiming that the frequency is melting our brains and so on. 

As usual, us Finns among a few other nationalities have agreed to be guinea pigs of the new technology. Let’s see if the frequency has any effect on our brain activity. In spite of the possible negative outcomes, 5G technology offers possibilities for completely new services. Especially the practically real-time data transfer could be revolutionary. But first we must figure out how to utilize it.

No-lag Counter-Strike or something else

Unfortunately, no one seems to know yet that which applications would benefit most of the low latency mobile network, except for FPS video games. But they aren’t anything of value for us as a company. One of the few examples of 5G seen widely were the swarm of drones used to film the winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang 2018. 

Even though the right applications for 5G are yet to be found, we at TT Gaskets are prepared for the future of mobile communication. It may take a couple of years before the first (commercially) successful implementations are launched. And a few years more before the traditional industry gets interested. But we are taking notes and thinking if 5G would be beneficial for some of our projects that build Smarter Gaskets for Safer Future.

TTG Smart Lab – The Weather Turns Cold but Our Ideas Into Gold

September 2, 2019

Already/Just six months have passed since the first Smart Talk by TT Gaskets. A lot/Not much has happened during that period. I’ll let everyone decide their own opinion. Even I’m not sure whether the progress has been faster or slower than expected. But after a brief vacation I’m again full of energy to tackle the challenges ahead. 

Something from (nearly) nothing 

Following the progress of R&D in the short term is not even sensible as developing something completely new takes time. Most of the time it feels like basically nothing happens during a day or a week, but a whole lot of nearly nothing creates something in the long run. And instead of small steps they are usually more of leaps. 

And as we started from basically nothing a little over a year ago in this Smart thing, the development has been easy to see. One example of this progress is the submission of our first Smart patent a few months ago, after a year of work. Hopefully the patent office gives a thumbs up, because we can’t wait to start to change the course of static sealing. And even if they don’t, we are still starting the first pilot tests soon as we got the latest prototype set a few days ago. 

Autumn is the new beginning 

Changes happen usually twice a year. Official changes and diets are scheduled to the beginning of the year and semesters, new hobbies, tv-shows etc. begin after the summer. Our target is therefore to take next steps in the forthcoming Autumn. On top of the pilot tests, we are also planning to chart new possibly interested customers and new partners. We are also starting the expansion of our facility this year. Hopefully we are then ready to make some official changes in January 1st or at least after the summer 2020.

And as always, if you have any ideas or issues considering technology and/or gaskets, feel free to contact us and we will find a way to co-operate. Even though we have already planned a few potential partnerships in this Smart field in the near future, there’s always room for more. Remember that we are here to provide you with Smarter Gaskets for Safer Future.

TTG Smart Lab – Changing The Course of Static Sealing

August 1, 2019

We at TT Gaskets have decided to changethecourse of staticsealing. No more, no less. But why and how we are planning to do it? 

As we all know, the purpose of seals has remained the same throughout centuries. The seal should keep medium from leaking as well as possible. The principle has also been the same in the 150 years of industrial gasket manufacturing. The materials have changed through the decades, but nothing new has basically been introduced.

World-class is not enough

As an independent and small gasket manufacturer, we cannot compete with low prices and high volumes. To this day we have succeeded especially with clever design, high quality and flexible production. We are still world-class in these aspects, but they just don’t give enough edge anymore. We have noticed that nothing but change is constant.

Therefore, we have decided to serve our customers even better, in unprecedented ways. We want to create lasting wow-effects and solve problems together. And to serve this purpose we have launched a new R&D&I department TTG Smart Lab.

Co-operative development

TTG Smart Lab is an agile developer and accelerator of ideas and innovations that create win-win between customers, partners and our self. With close and interactive co-operation, we can tackle challenges that require knowledge from different sectors of technology. Networking and removing barriers between operators are also important in our operation. 

And again, all this may sound like blowing hot air, but first pilots and field tests are starting this autumn. There’s also more to come in the forthcoming months. If our promises sound too good to be true, feel free to contact us. TT Gaskets and TTG Smart Lab are here to help you create smart ideas for gaskets.

Special Inks – Mood Rings and Lemon Juice

July 1, 2019

You have probably heard of mood ring, at least if you happen to be a bit more mature. For the ones who don’t know what it is, it is briefly a ring that changes color according to the temperature of the wearer’s finger. Different colors of the ring are supposed to represent the mood of the person, but I’m a bit skeptical about the scientific background of this measure. But what has a mood ring to do with anything?

Neat little gadget

Despite the debatable physiological science behind the mood ring, it is actually a clever little gadget. The functioning of the ring is based on thoroughly researched chemical or physical reactions that can be accurately measured and adjusted. Similar effects are used in mugs and beverage cans indicating the temperature of the liquid inside. I wonder if there’s more in this than just neat little features on things we use every day…

Lemon juice trick and spy movies

Another surprisingly interesting trick most of us has heard of is to use lemon juice to write on paper. It is difficult to notice anything but a wet paper in room temperature, but when you bake it for a while in an oven, the text magically becomes visible. It probably doesn’t amaze you, but at least it does the trick for kids. 

Again, these DIY invisible inks are used only in spy movies and birthday parties of 8-year-olds. And the functionality of them is nowhere near the movies, even though they have really been used among spies and special forces in war. But usually as the last straw, not routinely. Still, there might be something to this idea…

TTG wearing mood rings and writing with lemon juice

We at TT Gaskets are not afraid of thinking outside the box and saying out loud our thoughts that may sound silly at first. Even childish tricks and gadgets can provide something useful after thorough research and brainstorming. If you got interested in why we wear mood rings and write our documents with lemon juice, don’t hesitate to contact us and ask for more info. We are here for you to provide Smarter Gaskets for Safer Tomorrow.

Time management – Reducing haste – Smartly

May 1, 2019

In a hurry? I wouldn’t be surprised if you are, or you feel like you should be doing something else. As being in a hurry has become the standard measure of success. But still, I’ll ask you to stay for a couple of minutes, you may learn something new, or at least you can justify it to yourself that way.

Constant lack of time, but why?

Why are we in a rush all the time then? Einstein said that if we move fast enough, time seems to slow down. Shouldn’t we have more time then? Jokes aside, something robs our time and we seem to have no clue what it might be. There’s just not enough time to do everything. 

A research shows that interruptions during the workday take alarmingly lot of time°. The reasons for interruptions are diverse but can be divided into two categories: face-to-face communication and technological interruptions. Now that I said this out loud, you probably noticed how many notifications and nudges you get from different sources during the day that distract you from the task you were working on. And that it takes time to get back on track. The estimates say that roughly 20-30 % of your workday is lost due to distractions.

Getting rid of distractions

Is there something you can do about it? Well, my official tip for reducing the amount of distraction is to sparsely (changes do occur) plan the schedule of your workday, put mobile devices (and co-workers, for that matter) on Do not disturb –mode and put your email on silent mode when working on the important tasks. The more advanced distraction tacklers can use the classic sock or tie on door handle –maneuver to show everyone that it’s not appropriate to disturb. Then you’ll have time to properly concentrate. The emails and calls may wait till afternoon when you have finished the most important tasks.

Our solution to measure time

But what has the interruptions to do with technology or our R&D then? We at TT Gaskets are committed to reduce the causes for distractions and interruptions of production with technology and ingenuity both in our factory and in your company. Some of the means are mentioned in my earlier blogs (RFID, AI), but the newcomers are ways to manage time. Our target is to monitor the amount of time used in our cutting process to find room for improvement to ensure trouble-free and continuous high-quality production. The other purpose of this is to introduce a new TT Smart Fast Track –concept for providing deliveries with significantly shorter delivery times, measured in dozens of hours. 

Hopefully this effort reduces the hurry at both ends of the supply chain. At least we are prepared to provide more agile production fulfilling urgent orders to serve your business with Smarter Seals for Safer Tomorrow.

The research findings mentioned can be found from the link below: 

°https://research.udemy.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/FINAL-Udemy_2018_Workplace_Distraction_Report.pdf

Artificial Intelligence – Our cup of tea needs a piece of cake on the side

April 30, 2019

You have probably wondered that what sense would you sacrifice if you had to. I have also wondered this, but not yet decided that which sense to give away. I’m sure though that vision would be the last one to go. There’s so much to see in this world and everything is becoming more and more visual. 

Yet, technology is starting to compete with our inbuilt characteristics. One example of this is presented in a study considering the importance of a mobile phone to young millennials in the UK°. Almost one in four (23 %) would give away one of their five senses instead of their mobile phone and the most preferred sense was the sense of smell (64 %). So, no wonder it’s difficult to say to a teenager that they should get off their phone.

Improving, not losing our senses

But where does this introduction lead us? As you probably already know, we in TT Gaskets have decided that technology is the only way to stay in the game. And we want to utilize technology in a way that it doesn’t get us (too) addicted as mobile phones do, but instead enhances our performance and creates new possibilities. The technology shouldn’t also paralyze any of our senses, but rather improve them. 

How do we think that these super senses could then be achieved? For the best of our knowledge, Artificial Intelligence is the answer. And before I (or anyone else, for that matter) start to preach about a dystopian world dominating Skynet, the AI we are thinking of is a little tamer. Machine and Deep Learning could be vital in our ongoing improvement process along with RFID and many others.

DATA and Superhuman abilities

Both ML and DL require data to be useful, but luckily there’s plenty of it. It just needs to be processed and cleaned up before use. But we are quite sure that putting a little effort and elbow grease to the data processing is worth it. ML could give our production workers Superman-like senses and strength and DL could help our office workers to solve problems with superhuman intelligence. 

And as always this isn’t just blowing hot air. We have already started to develop our first implementations of AI and can’t wait to utilize them. Again, we have got over the highest obstacle, the beginning, and we are willing to continue with the iterative process. There’s plenty of different paths along the journey to a more productive and safer future, but we consider AI as being more of a highway. Therefore, we would like to ask you to join the ride and enjoy!

°The study can be found from the link below: 

https://media.scmagazine.com/documents/348/tappable_press_release_86870.pdf