Leica wraps special-edition M10-P rangefinder in Kevlar armor

To mark the 40th anniversary of its Oskar Barnack Award photo contest, Leica has launched given its M10-P rangefinder a Kevlar overcoat and released it as the limited-edition Reporter model.Continue ReadingCategory: Photography, TechnologyTags: Leica, … Continue reading Leica wraps special-edition M10-P rangefinder in Kevlar armor

Nanofiber material tough as Kevlar but 20 times more heat-resistant

Kevlar and Twaron are famously tough materials, but there’s a bit of a trade-off to be made between strength, heat resistance and weight. Now, researchers have created a new nanofiber version of the material that’s just as strong, but much more insulat… Continue reading Nanofiber material tough as Kevlar but 20 times more heat-resistant

Stephanie Kwolek: Saving Lives with Kevlar

Like most accidents, it happened in an instant that seemed to last an eternity. I had been felling trees for firewood all afternoon, and in the waning light of a cold November day, I was getting ready to call it quits. There was one tiny little white pine sapling left that I wanted to clear, no thicker than my arm. I walked over with my Stihl MS-290, with a brand new, razor sharp chain. I didn’t take this sapling seriously — my first mistake — and cut right through it rather than notching it. The tree fell safely, and I …read more

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Ask Hackaday: What can you do with Origami?

At some point, most of us have learned a little of the ancient art of origami. It’s a fascinating art form, and being able to create a recognizable model by simply folding paper in the right order can be hugely satisfying. Most of us move on to other pursuits once we master the classic crane model, but the mathematics behind origami can lead some practitioners past the pure art to more practical structures, like this folding ballistic barrier for law enforcement use.

The fifty-pound Kevlar and aluminum structure comes from Brigham Young University’s College of Mechanical Engineering, specifically from the …read more

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3D Printering: Aramid and Carbon Fiber Infused ABS

Last week, we had a look at a carbon-infused PETG filament. This week, I’d like to show you two composites based on a more common thermoplastic in 3D printing: ABS. Among a whole lot of other engineering plastics, the french company Nanovia manufactures Kevlar-like aramid-fiber-infused and carbon-fiber-infused ABS 3D printing filaments. These materials promise tougher parts with less warping while being just as easy to print as regular ABS. Let’s check them out!

Lucky enough to obtain a huge pack of samples from Nanovia’s endless list of highly exotic filaments (Thanks Jacques!), I was able to run a few test …read more

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Dodging Stray Bullets in Lebanon With The World’s First Bulletproof Headscarf

As a way to avoid casualties in celebratory gunfire, Beirut designer Salim Kadi has made a keffiyeh from Kevlar, the same plastic material used for bulletproof vests. Continue reading Dodging Stray Bullets in Lebanon With The World’s First Bulletproof Headscarf