Here is a book that brings the art of plastic injection molding to the home shop level. Working with plastics can be a fun and profitable hobby. If you have ever wanted to produce custom made plastic parts or just want to know how it’s done then this book is for you. Included are complete step by step instructions on how to build a small inexpensive table top injection molding machine capable of injecting up to 1/2 ounce of plastic into a mold. Sources for plastic will be those things normally thrown away. Stuff like plastic milk jugs, soda pop bottles, plastic oil cans etc. You will learn the basic principles of injection molding and how to design and make your own molds. Begin by making a simple mold to test the machine. Then a mold for a plastic knob that will be used on the machine. Progress to a mold for a small plastic container with a snap lid. It won’t be long before you will be creating new products of your own design. I’ll even show you how to cast replacements for broken or missing plastic parts. Just think of the possibilities. And the finished items you make will turn out so nice and look so professional that it will be hard to believe you made them yourself. Construction is simple and straight forward, but it will require basic metal working knowledge and access to a metal lathe and a drill press along with other hand and power tools associated with metal working and machine work in general.

A whole issue devoted to toys for makers! Toys are big players in the maker world. From educational (STEM/STEAM) to robotics and science, toys provide stimulation, simulation, and prototyping. Make: Volume 41 highlights the latest games and gadgets that have come from the maker community, and provides hands-on inspiration for making your own tech-infused toys. In the Tinkering Toys issue: Build a Mobile Sandbox Excavator Going Pro: How to Make Your Toy a Reality Arduino and littleBits Team Up Teach Kids to Program with Robots Retro-Renaissance: A roundup of perennial toy favorites (Erector Set, Tinkertoys, and more) Nerf Sentry Gun Sound-Powered Drawbot

In Mexico, one of the most recent policies aiming to promote new ways of encouraging the generation and application of knowledge has been the impulse to create academic committees in which full-time professors share one or several Innovative Knowledge Generation and Application Research Topics in both disciplinary and multi-disciplinary topics and academic objectives in public higher education institutions, in order to strengthen academic dynamics in collaborative work through the constitution of multidisciplinary teams. This work presents six case studies of collaborative applications involving companies and institutions. The first case study refers to Design and Mold Making for Testing New Paint Pigments. The second is Packaging Optimization for Christmas Tree Ornaments Through Differential Evolution. The third is a Comprehensive Communications Plan for E.J.K. Chemicals. The fourth is Innovation for the Agro-Industrial Sector. The fifth case study is Implementation of a Corporate Financing Project, and the last one is Information Technology Applications: Learning Media Objects for Special Needs Children and Youth at CAM No. 4. This work is presented in collaboration with Universidad Tecnológica de Tlaxcala, Universidad Tecnológica de Tecamachalco, Universidad Tecnológica de Tehuacán, Instituto Tecnológico Superior de la Sierra Norte de Puebla, Instituto Tecnológico Superior de San Martin Texmelucan, Instituto Tecnológico Superior de la Sierra Negra de Ajalpan and Université Clermont Auvergne (France).

Popular Science gives our readers the information and tools to improve their technology and their world. The core belief that Popular Science and our readers share: The future is going to be better, and science and technology are the driving forces that will help make it better.

"Tolchin mines the smartest brains in the field to create an essential book for novice inventors." —Barbara Corcoran, SHARK TANK The process of inventing and bringing a product into the marketplace is fraught with legal pitfalls, costly dead ends, confusing runarounds, and missed opportunities. Yet through the maze of hurdles to overcome, some seem to navigate the path to success without a worry. So what do these people know that the struggling inventor does not? They know enough to ask the right questions and find the appropriate resources they can count on. Luck may play a part, but having a team of experts to learn from will absolutely increase your odds of making it. Now, in Secrets of Successful Inventing, writer and importing professional Edith Tolchin has put together sixteen top experts who offer valuable information related to the various steps involved in bringing an invention to market. Ms. Tolchin has created an all-in-one guide that addresses the many critical issues that beginning inventors might never even consider. From prototyping to patenting, from licensing to marketing, each expert gives clear and practical advice to help inventors reach their goals. The book presents the chapters in a logical sequence that will allow the fledgling inventor to navigate the waters of product development. By following the steps offered and by heeding the words of these seasoned professionals, the reader will stand a better chance of avoiding pitfalls and finding success at journey’s end. Normally, novice inventors spend thousands of dollars attending lectures and workshops that they hope will prepare them for the challenges that lie ahead. In Secrets of Successful Inventing, Edith Tolchin provides a straightforward guide to the basics as well as a useful resource to take your idea to the next level.

Since their first industrial use polymers have gained a tremendous success. The two volumes of "Polymers - Opportunities and Risks" elaborate on both their potentials and on the impact on the environment arising from their production and applications. Volume 11 "Polymers - Opportunities and Risks I: General and Environmental Aspects" is dedicated to the basics of the engineering of polymers – always with a view to possible environmental implications. Topics include: materials, processing, designing, surfaces, the utilization phase, recycling, and depositing. Volume 12 "Polymers - Opportunities and Risks II: Sustainability, Product Design and Processing" highlights raw materials and renewable polymers, sustainability, additives for manufacture and processing, melt modification, biodegradation, adhesive technologies, and solar applications. All contributions were written by leading experts with substantial practical experience in their fields. They are an invaluable source of information not only for scientists, but also for environmental managers and decision makers.

* A much-needed clearinghouse for information on amateur and educational robotics, containing over 2,500 listings of robot suppliers, including mail order and local area businesses * Contains resources for both common and hard-to-find parts and supplies * Features dozens of "sidebars" to clarify essential robotics technologies * Provides original articles on various robot-building topics