TPU

Conductivity, Flexibility, and Durability-TPU Yarn!

Randy Mitchell2023-05-16T08:03:16-04:00Conductivity, Flexibility, and Durability-TPU Yarn!  We usually think of metallic wires to carry current in electronics.  When we talk about smart clothing, metal wire has many drawbacks.   Flexibility is very important in clothing, people move in many directions, wire doesn't!  Wire is great with conductivity, but not great at repetitive flexing!  In fact, constant flexing causes stress cracks and failure of metal wires, which is not acceptable in smart clothing. Clothing has to move smoothly and comfortably, paralleling the movement...

What is Maker Education, What does it Accomplish?

Randy Mitchell (VTech)2021-07-14T15:51:34-04:00What is Maker Education, What does it accomplish?  Maker Education is a project-based learning experience.  It incorporates hands-on experiences along with didactic learning, facilitating education.  The projects focus on problem solving by having students take a project from concept to reality.  Maker Education involves integrating several educational areas:  Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM).  The project could teach the roles of science of electricity, the technology and engineering of a circuit, the art of a light display, and the...

What is TPU Wire? What is TPU Wire used for?

Randy Mitchell (VTech)2021-05-03T09:02:34-04:00What is TPU Wire? The answer is simple.  TPU "wire" is really a silver metalized yarn coated with Thermoplastic PolyUrethane (TPU) as an insulator.  We usually think of "wire" as a solid metal cylinder that carries current.  In this case, the silver metalized yarn has all of the conductive properties of a wire due to silver's excellent conductivity, except that it isn't solid and due to the textile properties of a yarn, it can flex easily.  This flexibility makes the the...

Smart Clothing Requires Conductive Metalized Fabric, Yarns and Threads, How Could You Use them in Your Business?

Randy Mitchell (VTech)2021-05-04T14:18:45-04:00Most of us are aware of individual sensors that are placed on our bodies to collect biometric data such as: pulse rate, temperature, heart rhythm (ECG/EKG ElectroCardioGram), respiration, oxygen saturation, muscle stretch, brain electrical activity (EEG or ElectroEncephaloGraphy), and physical movement at the doctor's office, during surgery, or wearing a monitor to confirm the function of the system being monitored.  We can even buy sensors that we can put into direct contact with our skin to track these functions at...