Intel’s clear conscience
Intel’s computer chips are officially conflict free. The confirmation comes after years of compliance with the conflict mineral act, before it was even officially introduced. In 2008, the American company was first contacted by NGO’s warning them that its supply chains could be utilizing minerals funding conflict in the Congo. The following year, the semiconductor chip manufacturer seized the initiative and began investigating its supply chain and its suppliers sourcing practices. The firm established audit programs across its supply chain to find out where their minerals originated, even subsidizing inspections in some cases.
When the Dodd-Frank Act was put into effect in 2010, forcing companies to disclose whether their supply chains contained conflict minerals, Intel had already gathered most of the information required.
To read more, click here.
Ultrasonically-assisted machining
Professor Vladimir Babitsky from the UK’s Loughborough University and his colleagues Dr Anish Roy and Professor Vadim Silberschmidt, have created a technique that could significantly improve current manufacturing processes. Called ‘ultrasonically-assisted machining’ (UAM), manufacturing processes such as milling and drilling materials could be made far easier, creating less damage, waste, and a higher quality end product.
The technique utilizes ultrasonic vibrations from a specially designed piezoelectric transducer, which is used while the material is, for example, being milled. The vibrations make the material ‘soft’ and able to be cut through with almost no resistance. As a result, the material being worked on requires far less force, resulting in minimal damage or breakage, which are often issues when working with brittle composites.
Potential applications include use with aerospace-grade composites and even medical applications such as in orthopedic surgery.
To read more, click here.
Samsung’s suppliers are still not ‘clean’
In spite of assurances that its Chinese suppliers would be able to uphold ethical and legal working conditions, Samsung’s sustainability report shows many incidences of legal and safety infringements.
According to the report, at 100 of its suppliers, there were cases of labor violations, such as minors working with chemical processes, and safety violations such as workers being ill-equipped to carry out hazardous work.
To read more, click here.
Have a great weekend!
