NEW PRODUCT AND PROCESS DEVELOPMENT. THE TREATMENT AND MODIFICATION OF PAPER, TEXTILES, FIBERS, CERAMICS, PLASTICS AND METALS ADL has worked with clients on the development of new products for both industrial and consumer markets, and on the processes for making them. A few are illustrated on the opposite page. 1. For the Boxboard Research Association, ADL developed a method for "bubblecoating" paper and boxboard; incident light is scattered by small air bubbles in the surface coating, rather than by the white pigments used in most coated papers. For the same surface whiteness, bubble coatings weigh 50-90% less than pigmented coatings. 2. Wear-resistant ceramics for textile and wire-drawing applications; ADL worked on the improvement of manufacturing processes and manufacturing control for the producer, Heany Industrial Ceramic Corporation. 3. Brunswick Corporation's new stainless steel fiber, conceived and developed under a program at ADL. The fiber has been produced in diameters of 4-50 microns; it can be woven, braided, knitted, laminated, pressed or fabricated into a random web. 4. This blood centrifuge bowl was designed by ADL for use by blood processing and research centers for glycerolization, deglycerization, and other cell-washing procedures related to blood storage. 5. This missile case was prepared by filament winding; a continuous band of resincoated fibers is laid down on a rotating form in a pattern designed to give maximum strength to the finished product. At ADL, the process has been used to produce items ranging from pipes for corrosive materials to a thermal probe for the lunar surface. WORKING ARRANGEMENTS For any new assignment, we plan carefully with our client what is to be done, how much it will cost, and how long it will take; we design our working schedule to meet the client's need for action. Once a project has been defined, a member of our professional staff becomes responsible to the client for the successful conduct of our work he is identified as the case leader. He draws upon all the resources of ADL to form a case team which combines the necessary skills, and they write a proposal outlining the job at hand. The nature and scope of the project determine the makeup and size of the case team. The case leader may call upon many different staff members from anywhere in the ADL organization to contribute the skills needed. Our professional service charges are usually based on the amount of time devoted to work on the client's behalf. Case teams normally consist of ADL's own professional staff members. To meet special needs, however, we call upon the consulting services of internationally known specialists and faculty members of prominent academic institutions. At regular intervals, we review progress with our clients. Results of our work are usually reported both in person and in writing but always in a form designed to be most useful to the client. Most of our work is done in strict confidence, but some of our reports for industry groups and public agencies are published, by mutual agreement. 15 |