Time-Temperature Indicators (TTIs – Shelf Life Monitoring)

Ultrasonic welding joins plastics using high-frequency acoustic vibrations, typically between 15 kHz and 70 kHz. The vibrations are applied to parts clamped under pressure, generating intense frictional heat at their interface. This localized heat rapidly melts the thermoplastic. Once the vibration ceases, the molten material solidifies under pressure, creating a strong, solid-state weld without the need for adhesives or fasteners.

Solid modeling in CAD represents objects as unambiguous, voluminous 3D shapes. Two primary techniques dominate: Boundary Representation (B-rep), which defines a solid by its bounding surfaces (faces, edges, vertices), and Constructive Solid Geometry (CSG), which builds complex shapes by applying Boolean operations (union, subtract, intersect) to simpler primitive solids like cubes, spheres, and cylinders.

Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) is a method to store energy generated at one time for use at another time. At a utility scale, energy is stored by compressing air and storing it in an underground reservoir, such as a salt cavern. When electricity is needed, the pressurized air is heated and expanded in a turbine, driving a generator.

The use of computer systems to assist in the creation, modification, analysis, or optimization of a design. CAD software allows product designers and engineers to create precise 2D and 3D models, replacing manual drafting. This technology dramatically increases productivity, improves the quality of design, and facilitates better communication through detailed visualizations and simulations.

Passive solar design is a building design strategy that uses a building's components—walls, floors, windows, and orientation—to collect, store, reflect, and distribute solar energy in the form of heat in the winter and reject solar heat in the summer. Unlike active solar heating systems, it does not involve the use of mechanical and electrical devices.

Time-of-Flight Diffraction (TOFD) is a highly accurate ultrasonic technique for flaw detection and sizing. It uses separate transmitting and receiving probes. Instead of measuring the amplitude of a strong reflection from the face of a flaw, TOFD measures the arrival time of the much weaker waves diffracted from the flaw's upper and lower tips, enabling precise through-wall size measurement.

The C-rate is a standardized measure of the rate at which a battery is charged or discharged relative to its nominal capacity. A rate of 1C means the current will fully charge or discharge the battery in one hour. Higher C-rates (e.g., 5C) indicate faster charging/discharging (12 minutes), while lower rates (e.g., C/2) indicate slower processes (2 hours).

The Buying Center is a model representing all individuals and groups within an organization who participate in a purchase decision. It's not a fixed unit but a set of roles assumed by different people for different purchases. These roles include initiators, users, influencers, deciders, approvers, buyers, and gatekeepers, each impacting the final decision through their specific function and authority.

A design methodology where 'X' represents a specific product life cycle objective. DFX encompasses a collection of guidelines and techniques aimed at optimizing a product's design for a particular goal, such as manufacturability (DFM), assembly (DFA), reliability (DFR), or sustainability (DfS). This proactive approach addresses potential issues early in the design phase, reducing costs and improving quality.