2023-05-03 08:13:43
Hhat you ever seen moss animals? If not: That is hardly surprising. Because these creatures are microscopic. But their colonies are striking. They form these among other things on seaweed. On closer inspection, these dwellings look something like an airy but precisely crocheted cushion from grandma’s sofa. However, the polygonal patterns do not remain on the surface, they go deeper and represent chambers. The moss animals live in them. Scientists at the Technical University of Central Hesse, who are working with researchers from the Frankfurt Senckenberg Society and the listed Grammer AG on new seats for trains, have been inspired by such chambers.
With this project you are taking part in an ideas competition funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. They will receive 280,000 euros for this. What is striking is the manageable time frame: the project was originally only planned for one year, but the scientists were able to squeeze out a few more months. Apparently it was worth it. Udo Jung, professor in the university’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics and Materials Technology, and his research assistant Tobias Ballreich can show twelve models for innovative seat cushions from the 3D printer. Grammer’s signals are encouraging, Jung says. There is still no talk of series production. “But that can happen quickly,” says the mechanical engineer from Friedberg.
Bryozones from nature as models
The university, known as THM for short, and Senckenberg have been in contact since 2019, as Ballreich explains. With regard to the seat project, both partners looked for role models in nature. The fruiting body of a boviste, i.e. a fungus, a spider’s web and the dwellings of bryozoans, called bryozones, came into question. The team finally took a closer look at them. Small holes in the Bryozon chambers can be seen under the microscope. According to Ballreich, they filter the water from which the bryozoans fish their food and also serve to communicate.
The researchers cut a chamber out of a colony and subjected each side to different pressures. The purpose of the exercise was to explore whether this structure can serve the purpose of the work. Firstly, there is a physiologically adapted pressure distribution on the seat. Secondly, the surface on which a passenger sits should be better ventilated than with a conventional product. And thirdly, a lower weight is desired. Because fewer kilograms ultimately mean less energy consumption while driving.
Not copied, but learned: The model was developed from thermoplastic polyurethane, a synthetic material.
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Image: Ben Kilb
Unlike the bryozoans, the scientists did not make their models, known as demonstrators, from lime, but from thermoplastic polyurethane, a synthetic material. In bionics, which transfers models from biology to technology, it is not about mere copies, as Ballreich emphasizes. Rather, the aim is to learn from nature. According to him, the models meet the specifications from Berlin.
Focus more on bionics in the future
The temperature when sitting is 0.7 degrees lower than with conventional foam products. That doesn’t sound like much, but it’s noticeable. The employee had to sit still for two hours during the measurement, he says. “You go inside yourself,” he adds with a laugh. The demonstrators therefore weigh a fifth to 60 percent less. Last but not least, they exerted about 40 percent less pressure on the backs of their knees. This was shown in a Grammer laboratory. This is important, because constant pressure increases the risk of thrombosis. In other words, the new development could also benefit health.
So far, technology and models are not patented. But that can still come. The Giessen company for technology transfer TransMIT accompanies the project. “We are close to the application,” says Jung. But the most exciting thing about it is the collaboration between biologists and engineers. Bionic models for new developments are still rare. But politics and business called for shorter development times. This is possible with bionics. Together with Senckenberg and the Institute for Composite Materials GmbH from Kaiserslautern, the THM now wants to create a bionics database. According to Jung, the application for funding has been submitted.
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