lightest wristwatch was made using Graphene
A team of researchers from the University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute, with a collaborative effort by McLaren Applied
Technologies & Richard Mille Watches, in findings published in the journal composites part A: applied science and manufacturing, has made the world’s lightest wristwatch.
While everyone strives for quality and durable products, firms are also interested in material management and weight control.
Products with light weight are often viewed as inferior since they may have few moving parts. However, that is not the case with the world’s lightweight wristwatch made recently.
The group of researchers in engineering came together in a way of finding a solution towards the making of light-but- quality products. The effort led to the making of the first-known lightest wristwatch in the world.
The watch made with graphene material is said to weigh just 40g including its straps. This breakthrough has created a serious hope in engineering on how future technology would look like.
The watch was made from a composite material that incorporated graphene into its structure.
The material has been found to possess a high degree of tensile strength and mechanical stiffness. Its small quantity was added to a unidirectionally reinforced carbon fiber composite with the aim of improving stiffness and reducing weight.
After being subjected to tensile tests, about 2 percent of the graphene in addition to the epoxy resin, dispersed through the material and aligned in the fiber direction, according to the test from Raman spectroscopy and X-ray CT scans.
Since the need for heavier materials was negated through the graphene reinforcement, the experimental procedure also resulted in a lightweight composite material.
The importance offered by this discovery can create so much positive impact in engineering especially in the area aerospace and automobile engineering.Â
It can offer a great improvement in precision engineering. In industries where lightweight and strength is required, the graphene combination can offer a great deal of weight reduction.
In the making of aerospace parts, the technology will make the entire weight of aircraft to become lighter which will help in its overall performance.
The automobile industries could use such technology to make lighter vehicles which can offer a great deal of reduction in the power consumption of engines in a way of prolonging the life of the engines.
Graphene’s mechanical properties can be incorporated into methods used in the already existing industrial processes.
