Materials selection for food processing professional appliances

Professional appliances are characterized by an intense use in harsh environments; therefore, they need to communicate, through materials sensorial attributes, robustness and reliability. During their lifetime, professional appliances face specific chemical compatibility problems related to daily contact with food chemicals and detergent compounds compliance, and to misuse practices. These products are developed as tailor-made solutions, designed to satisfy both client needs and usability, even in very specific operative conditions. For this reason, they are developed on one hand through a performance driven technical design process, and on the other through a sensorial oriented materials selection, to improve the user experience with the product. From the Ashby method, the implementation of a flexible materials selection process, able to match sensorial attributes with the real products performances, needs for improvements, due to the highly competitive professional appliances market. The most common design approach in the industrial production of business to business market appliances sees the designer and the engineer as separate figures, which compel respectively to the aesthetical and emotional issues and to the technical and performances requirements. Both these figures operate materials selection with two different perspectives: the lack of communication among the two roles is often due to the different levels of analysis of the process. Electrolux Professional is trying to overcome this limit using an innovative approach, being an appropriate environment to test new solutions. A unique selection method applied to real products, able to couple qualitative and quantitative properties, and to consider both the modification of the technical and chemical properties and the material sensorial perceptions along the products life, can be the driving force of an innovative materials selection approach. The related design process will be then integrated to reach in a unique step a concept that satisfies both the technical performances and the user perception requirements

Selection Framework for the Implementation of Functional Materials in Product Design

Concept Functional materials, also called “smart materials”, are materials that can “sense environment events, process that sensory information and then act on the environment” [1]. These materials are able to transform a given stimulus into a response. We use the general term “transition phenomenon” to describe this process. These transitions can be as diverse as, e.g.: mechanoluminescence, which is a light emission produced by the application of a strain [2], or thermoelectricity, the convertion of a temperature difference into an electric potential [3]. We designed a specific database and selection process for functional materials. The data structure is organized around their main functionality: the transition phenomenon. This database is implemented in the Cambridge Engineering Selector software, using the “constructor” functionality. Motivations and Objectives The standard selection framework proposed by Ashby [4] relies on 4 successive stages : translation, limits, objectives, documentation. It is not entirely suited to the selection of functional materials, which has to account for the relation between stimuli and responses. Results and Discussion In our database prototype, we introduce a table of transition phenomena, which is organized by families and sub-families of outputs (Fig 1). The relationship between materials and transition phenomena is made by linking the tables together and providing specific attributes that describe the stimuli-responsive properties of the materials. Future developments include tables of existing products and processes used to implement functional materials or functionalize existing ones. In this work, as the entry point to the information system is the stimuli responsive behaviour of functional materials, rather than their structure and properties. The emphasis is thus put on user experience and interaction with materials and products. References [1] M. Addington, D. Schodek, Smart Materials and technologies for the architecture and design professions, Elsevier, 2005 [2] S. M. Jeong, S. Song, K.-I. Joo, J. Kim, S.-H. Hwang, J. Jeong, H. Kim, Bright, wind-driven white mechanoluminescence from zinc sulphide microparticles embedded in a polydimethylsiloxane elastomer [3] A. da Rosa, Thermoelectricity, Fundamentals of Renewable Energy Processes, Elsevier, 2013, 149–212 [4] M. Ashby, Materials Selection in Mechanical Design, Elsevier, 1992-2005(Third edition

Materials selection tools in professional appliances: hypothesis to estimate materials’ performance and impact on industrial processes

Concept The use of materials’ selection in professional appliances increased in recent times, thanks to its potential pre-evaluation of materials’ performance and impact on industrial production processes. Through a collaboration among Politecnico di Milano (Department of Design and Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”) and Electrolux Professional S.p.A. (Global Research & Development, Innovation & Technologies Area), an evaluation of materials’ tangible and intangible properties has been developed using non-traditional methods. Among all the currently professional appliances, the oven environment has been chosen as the most emblematic study case. In the first part, this work evidences the major limits and critical points of the materials’ selection tools currently and most commonly proposed in industrial applications. Within these, the main key points highlighted are the translation and connection of quantitative and qualitative properties and the risk associated to the materials selection process reliability. In a second step, some ameliorative hypotheses are built to overcome these limits, using a repeatable and suitable method for different materials selection cases. Motivations and Objectives The research aim is to develop an innovative and versatile method for the materials selection in professional appliances field, used by engineers and designers. From the Ashby [1] and the Karana [2] selection strategies, the non-traditional materials selection methodology would offer a complete evaluation of materials’ tangible and intangible properties. Different variables, indeed, have been taken into consideration: material’s technical properties (e.g. mechanical, thermal and processability parameters), durability (e.g. food chemicals and detergents), food-material compliance and customer perception of properties. The need of a unique materials selection method, able to convert quantitative to qualitative evaluation of properties and to estimate the risk associated to the materials selection reliability, driven the research. A procedure, which evaluates components’ life and possible failure modes (based on DOE and FMEA) [3] [4] [5], is under development in order to integrate these information into the future products development. Results and Discussion The research presents the development of the materials selection methodology under consideration supported by some case studies that focus on durability properties of materials

Functional materials for Design

The main problematic of the research is to connect the stimuli-responsive behaviour of functional material to the end-user experience. To make this connection, the research was divided in layers, from the most technical at the bottom, to the most designerly at the top. The objective is to propose a set of chained tools that will eventually allow a seamless journey through all the layers and provide support for designers to use functional material in their projects

Engineering thermoplastics for additive manufacturing: a critical perspective with experimental evidence to support functional applications

Among additive manufacturing techniques, the filament-based technique involves what is referred to as fused deposition modeling (FDM). FDM materials are currently limited to a selected number of polymers. The present study focused on investigating the potential of using high-end engineering polymers in FDM. In addition, a critical review of the materials available on the market compared with those studied here was completed

Towards an integrative approach for ecodesign principles and sustainable material selection: A systematic literature review to explore scholarly contributions at the intersection of materials, sustainable design and household appliances

Through a systematic literature review the scholarly contributions at the intersection of ecodesign, sustainable material selection, and the household appliance sector are explored. A comprehensive search was conducted on the Scopus database, yielding 181 initial results, which were narrowed down to 52 relevant documents for in-depth analysis. Notably, the review revealed a growing research interest in these areas, particularly since 2015, reflecting broader industry trends towards circular and sustainable production models. Key findings include the identification of eco-innovation drivers, approaches for sustainable product design and assessment, and the importance of validating research outcomes through real-world case studies. The analysis also pointed out an evolution in sustainable design strategies and material selection focus, shifting from sole materials recycling towards durability, repair and life-extension. Some overarching themes emerged across the reviewed documents, including the application of Life-Cycle-Thinking approaches together with LCA-based methods and a general push to foster the implementation of ecodesign strategies in early design phases to maximize their effectiveness. The review also allowed to identify and visualize a network of scholars focused on appliance-related research works. A significant finding is the relative scarcity of research that effectively aim at integrating ecodesign and material selection specifically for the appliance industry

Photocatalytic activity of nanotubular TiO2films obtained by anodic oxidation: A comparison in gas and liquid phase

The availability of immobilized nanostructured photocatalysts is of great importance in the purification of both polluted air and liquids (e.g., industrial wastewaters). Metal-supported titanium dioxide films with nanotubular morphology and good photocatalytic efficiency in both environments can be produced by anodic oxidation, which avoids release of nanoscale materials in the environment. Here we evaluate the effect of different anodizing procedures on the photocatalytic activity of TiO2nanostructures in gas and liquid phases, in order to identify the most efficient and robust technique for the production of TiO2layers with different morphologies and high photocatalytic activity in both phases. Rhodamine B and toluene were used as model pollutants in the two media, respectively. It was found that the role of the anodizing electrolyte is particularly crucial, as it provides substantial differences in the oxide specific surface area: nanotubular structures show remarkably different activities, especially in gas phase degradation reactions, and within nanotubular structures, those produced by organic electrolytes lead to better photocatalytic activity in both conditions tested

CircularMAT: Materials Advisor Tool to promote circular material selection in fashion design

Discussing fashion entails revisiting history through both individual and collective expressions. However, the narrower meaning traditionally associated with the term has, for centuries, referred to the replacement of the old with the new — something that better reflects the Zeitgeist. By embracing the spirit of the time, fashion has evolved in response to today’s uncertain future and precarious environmental conditions, moving beyond impulsive opulence toward sustainability.  The sector may now be prepared to adopt a new definition of fashion as something not transient, but rather enduring. Durability is a cornerstone of the circular economy model, which seeks to keep materials and products in regenerative production cycles for as long as possible. In this context, the present paper introduces CircularMAT, a practical material advisory tool developed to support fashion designers in selecting materials that promote durability and enable circular design strategies. CircularMAT offers a structured system for material exploration, providing comprehensive information on traditional, preferred, and emerging materials. It links material characteristics to core principles of circular fashion and maps them against design strategies intended to extend product lifecycles and reduce environmental impact. The tool is designed to integrate seamlessly into the designer’s workflow, fostering conscious and informed material selection decisions during the early stages of the creative process. By emphasizing the relationship between material properties, durability, and circularity, CircularMAT supports the adoption of more sustainable design practices — without compromising creativity

Coated Paper-Based Packaging Waste: Investigation on Sensorial Properties Affecting the Material Class Perception

Packaging waste correct sorting hugely impacts fiber-based packaging circularity. Currently, this is more crucial than ever, also due to the increased market share of fiber-based packaging. This study evaluated the relationship between the aesthetic properties and user material sorting actions of lightweight dispersion-coated and uncoated paper substrates. Unlike previous literature, no labeling or graphics were involved in this study, focusing on the physical and aesthetic properties of both coatings and substrates. Untrained panelists participated in a multi-phase (descriptive and hedonic) analysis involving a questionnaire and antonym scales about samples’ visual and tactile properties, which were also characterized. The results highlight a remarkable panelist’s ability to assess the relative gloss and roughness. Perceived roughness and mattness statistically significantly correlated to cellulosic material identification. Moreover, material sorting into the paper recycling stream was statistically significantly regulated by sample mattness, followed by sample roughness. This work suggests that, without any graphic or textual information, the combination of substrate characteristics and coating formulation strongly impacts the packaging aesthetics, hence packaging perception as paper-based material. Consequently, the correct material identification and sorting can be encouraged by proper packaging materials selection and coating development