How non-stick coatings will help to enable the development of smart cities.
Robot helpers, hoverboards, and flying cars aren’t science fiction any more, because they’re now as real in the 21st century as they were in any 80’s sci-fi movie…
Well, not exactly.
We still don’t have flying cars zooming across the sky as predicted in “Back to the Future”, but world technology has evolved at such a fast pace that the smart lives that we’re living now would have been hard to imagine even 50 years ago…
(And what is even crazier is that 50 years ago was only the early 1970’s)
With some of the most exciting developments living in current times is the building of smart cities.
And surprisingly, for some, non-stick coatings will play a vital role in making these smart cities a reality.
What is a Smart City?
A smart city can be many things, however, according to TWI, independent research and technology organisations:
“A smart city uses information and communication technology (ICT) to improve operational efficiency, share information with the public and provide a better quality of government service and citizen welfare.”
Or, in other words, a Smart City is ‘always connected.’
Data is collected using strategically placed sensors everywhere, from cars, buildings, to utility infrastructure. This data flows through reliable communication channels to ensure solutions to civic issues are found and solved more quickly.
What does that mean to citizens?
Well, the benefits are many, but a few examples are:
- Fewer parking woes because parking spaces are managed by artificial intelligence,
- Lower energy bills as your smart meters automatically control appliances and reduce energy wastage.
- Fixing gas leaks, water leaks, and building damages more quickly through connected smart sensors.
The list goes on…
Overall, a smart city would mean more peace of mind, greater connectedness, and improved urbanization of the globe.
Industries that Contribute to the Design of a Smart City
The goal of an impeccably maintained smart city is to improve the quality of life of its residents. And there are three key industries that will be critical for this to happen.
Let’s see what each of these industries brings to the table and how non-stick coatings consistently work the background for these high-flying plans to become a reality.
Automotive
Self-driven cars are making news headlines now. And rightly so, for they are one of the concrete building blocks of the smart city of tomorrow.
But that’s not all. To design the cars of tomorrow, manufacturers of today need the right infrastructure to drive productivity, too. Let’s see how non-stick coatings can help in both of these outcomes.
How Non-Stick Coatings Help…
Non-stick coatings are used in several parts of a car to reduce friction and improve longevity. Starting with fuel tanks, through brake systems, to the interiors and the chassis, non-stick polymers play a role in building a number of elements in today’s modern cars.
Non-stick coatings are also beneficial on several sections of the manufacturing floor, such as the paint booth, where efficiency needs to be high and maintenance low.
Telecommunications
With the need to connect virtually everything in the smart city comes the requirement of cutting-edge telecom technology.
The likes of 5G wireless connections and ultra-fast wired LAN connections need smooth, free-flowing infrastructure that carries data collected from sensors at a breakneck speed.
And non-stick coatings play a role in all of this.
How Non Stick Coatings Help…
Fluoropolymers have a plethora of unique characteristics such as chemical inertness, crack resistance, low friction, low reflective index, and temperature resistance. These properties make them extremely suitable for telecom cables and display technology.
All of which will play a part in consumer electronic appliances and infrastructure so a smart city stays connected.
Semiconductors
The concept of smart cities has materialized only because of the evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT).
And the IoT requires countless chips to keep things running. From your refrigerator, through your credit card, to your smartwatch…
These chips have to be manufactured quickly in state-of-the-art facilities to enable smart cities to grow.
How Non Stick Coatings Help…
Semiconductor manufacturing requires intricate handling of the circuit boards and their components both during and after manufacturing.
And even the slightest impurities can cause the final device to function incorrectly.
Certain non-stick materials and their chemical inert characteristics help during production, which will keep up with the demand that future smart cities world require.
Smart Is the New Way of Life
We all want to get more done in the limited time we have.
Thanks to smart innovations, routine activities such as driving, parking, grocery shopping, bill payment, and so on can be managed through bits and pieces of automated devices. And these smart innovations all add up to make the smart cities that are already being built throughout the world.
It’s down to these bits and pieces, which involve the small contributors such as non-stick coatings, so greater things can be achieved in technology.
Which will hopefully lead to a more convenient, safer, more peaceful, and better-connected world.
If you would like to know more about how Product Release could help your non-stick coating needs, please don’t hesitate to contact one of our experts, who can discuss your problem and recommend an innovative solution that will not only help you now but will minimise future damage or repairs, giving you peace of mind.
