BlackboardProf. Wang Develops Environmentally Responsible Plastic Molding Process
A "closed molding" process for the manufacture of reinforced plastic products such as boat hulls has been developed by Prof. Ben Wang, Samuel P. Massie Chair Professor of Industrial Engineering. This process may help boat manufacturers, a $3-billion industry in Florida, comply with new EPA emission standards in reducing the amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) now released by the present hand-lay-up and open molding methods. A patent is being sought for the process.
Transferring the technology from the laboratory to real-life manufacturing is being undertaken by the Suncoast Manufacturing Technology Center. Bill Boone, operation manager for Suncoast, has presented the process to several boat manufacturers in the Tampa Bay area, who are willing to give it a try. The process is less labor-intensive than the older technology but requires more highly skilled workers.
The work at the College of Engineering was made possible by through a professorship created by the U. S. Department of Energy -- the Samuel P. Massie Chair of Excellence program. These positions, at nine historically black and one Hispanic college, support training and research in the areas of environmental protection, management and cleanup. "We are introducing new concepts into the classroom," Wang said. "They are part of an effort to better prepare our students to become leaders in the 21st century."
