Page 78 - April-May-2017

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E-gloves to protect

workers from dangerous

vibration levels

Nottingham Trent University is developing gloves appear like a normal pair of worker’s gloves to the
embedded with tiny sensors to help protect naked eye and be washed and worn without any
construction workers from exposure to vibration. The damage to the technology.
technology aims to alert wearers to when they
experience vibrations likely to cause conditions such Sensors to be tested as part of the research include
as vibration white finger and carpal tunnel vibration sensors which are only two millimetres long
syndrome. and accelerometers. They will be encapsulated in
micro pods before being embedded into the yarns
During the past decade, more than 10,000 claims which are knitted into gloves. When a dangerous
have been made for vibration white finger and carpal level of exposure to vibrations is about to be experi-
tunnel syndrome, according to the Health and Safety enced, a worker is alerted to stop work.
Executive (HSE). Workers at risk are those who
regularly use power tools such as concrete break- “By lowering the risk of exposure to dangerous
ers, sanders, grinders, hammer drills, chainsaws, levels of vibrations, we can help improve the lives of
hedge trimmers, powered mowers and more. thousands of construction workers around the world
by helping prevent them develop what can become
Sensors will be encapsulated in micro pods before permanent industrial diseases,” said Dr Theodore
being embedded into the yarns. The e-gloves being Hughes-Riley, a research fellow at the university who
developed by Nottingham Trent University would is developing the technology.

This will bring to UMass Lowell the capability to
fabricate shaped fibres which will provide a step
change in functionality compared to traditional fibres
and fabrics. The total market for traditional
engineered textiles is forecast to reach $84 billion in
2020 and new engineered textiles developed at
UMass Lowell could address over 10% of the
Multi-functional available market.

melt-spinning UMass is a five-campus public university system, recognised
as a model of excellence for public universities.
system for UMass Researchers at UMass Lowell, including Stephen

Johnston and Javier Vera-Sorroche, are exploring
An FET-100 Series multifunctional laboratory melt properties such as high temperature, high strength,
spinning system has been supplied to the University flame retardance, high conductivity, and super
of Massachusetts (UMass) by Leeds-based Fibre omniphobicity.
Extrusion Technology (FET).
The inherent flexibility and versatility of the system will
The installation was configured with a bicomponent allow future adaptations, such as FET-102 Nonwoven
FET-100 extrusion module, which is capable of or FET-103 Monofilament, depending on future
processing a wide range of polymers, coupled to a research requirements. This system design appeals
FET-101 Multifilament drawing and winding system to many end-users, not only allowing for upgrade in
capable of processing a range of multifilament yarns. process capability but also for staged investment.