April 11 , 2011 http://www.rotomolding.com Rotomolding fans - this issue offers new information to help design engineers, product managers and others use plastics. Email me with questions and comments. If you need to leave the newsletter, see the end for instructions. Now boldly mold! Bob Dunne, Editor rdunne1@usa.net Designing for $5.00/gal Fuel: Sneak Peek at Forthcoming RotoWorld Column As the prices of gas and diesel fuel threaten to eclipse $4.00 /gallon and approach $5.00/gallon, even many of the most well-to-do car buyers are fixating on - or at least considering - the cost of fuel in their purchase decisions. Those of us who pay comparable attention to rising fuel prices and their impact on every facet of our businesses from product design, materials, production and freight to internal energy costs and the costs our staffers must bear just to commute to work are likely to survive and prosper. Those of us who pay attention to the growing interest in environmental issues among our customers’ end users stand to do even better. It is in this climate of carbon footprints, sustainability, technology and rising costs for fuel, food and materials that we need to address how and what we design, manufacture and send to the marketplace. If and when fuel tops the $5.00/gallon threshold, it's likely that the cost of freight has also jumped accordingly. This cost may be minimized most effectively at the design stage by considering the following: Right-size - in products and parts where there is flexibility in determining the sizes and footprints, consider using dimensions that maximize space during transportation. Material handling containers, totes and bins, for example, may be designed to cube out trailers and box trucks. Given the number of potential trips per reusable container, using the right size returns savings throughout the supply chain for years to come. Meet UPS/FedEx Specs - consider designing products and parts (and redesigning existing products!) based on the weight limitations and dimensional requirements of UPS or FedEx. In addition to offering less costly transport compared to freight for you and your customer, transport via UPS or FedEx vans also offers greater fuel efficiency and reduced emissions than freight. Click here to see an example of a new Keg Cooler sized to ship UPS in one box. Ribit - consider using strategically placed ribs for designed-in rigidity and load bearing support without requiring the extra weight of wood, metal and other reinforcements. While ribs may complicate stacking and nesting, skilled product designers know that incorporating them from the outset helps ensure their successful implementation without compromising other design aspirations. Click here to see an example of a plastic cart with internal ribs. Integrate - cut weight to cut freight by replacing metal fasteners with wholly integrated designs. This capability remains one of rotomolding's key advantages versus other processes. Consider that eliminating components from the design also eliminates costs for sourcing, warehousing and assembling the product or part and simplifies the molding process. In cases where complex products are designed as sub-assemblies and transported to several facilities for assembly before their final assembly step for sale to the end user, a clever design may eliminate the need for one or many of these trips, if not all of them, speeding delivery to the customer. See examples of wholly integrated designs here and here. Look for the full story in the next issue of RotoWorld. See more of Bob’s RotoWorld columns. Smart Foaming Sets Kegs Free to Roam When pouring down a few cold ones, it's important for the beer to be cold. Our expert engineers developed this new, portable, wireless keg cooler using a double-walled, foam-filled design. Its highly insulating properties keep cold brews cold without relying on electric chilling. It is a self-contained dispensing station that can be rolled right to the party then rolled away when it's time to unload the empty keg and place a new one inside. It even has a molded-in cup holder tray to keep plastic cups ready at the tap. See more photos of the Keg Cooler here.   Meet MOD Custom Molding at Design Show Talk to Jay McMellen this Wed. or Thurs. about your next project at the Mid-Atlantic Design-2-Part Show booth #367 at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Phoenixville, PA. Show directions and registration here. Get a quote on your next project at http://www.modroto.com/cgi-bin/request. For a free custom design and molding brochure, call 800.772.7659 or go to http://www.modroto.com/catalog.shtml Adventures In Rotomolding is published by Meese Orbitron Dunne Co., 4920 State Rd., Ashtabula, Ohio 44004; http://www.Rotomolding.com; 440.998.1202. Copyright 2011 Meese, Inc. May not be reprinted without permission. Please feel free to pass along to other engineers and colleagues. NEWSLETTER MANAGEMENT Please DO NOT REPLY to this message. Problems with the newsletter? Email Paul Entin at paul@modroto.com.