Future Links February 17th

Ecommerce contributes to a mountain of cardboard boxes
Ecommerce deliveries are accelerating: Packages are sent overnight and in some cases even within hours several times a day. As the speed is increasing, so is the mountain of cardboard boxes that serve as packaging for everything from books to toys to electronics to fresh produce. Scientists and consumers are worried about the impact of the boxes on the environment: 35.4 million tons of containerboard were produced in 2014 in the United States alone, with e-commerce companies among the fastest-growing users.
More at The New York Times

The automotive industry is a fast adopter of printed electronics
The overall market for printed and flexible electronics is expected to reach 5.5 billion USD by 2026, primarily driven by the growth of technologies such as structural/in-mold electronics and OLED displays, according to a recent IDTechEx report. OLED displays are among the fastest growing products and the automotive industry has proven to be a fast adopter.
More at Printed Electronics World

3D printing has the potential to transform the medical landscape
3D printers are increasingly used in the medical device industry at the development and prototyping phase. However, its use is heavily restricted by the materials available for use with them. Today, the medical field accounts for about 15 per cent of today’s 3D printer market, according to a Deloitte report. As technology advances and more materials become available, the growth is expected to accelerate.
More at MDDI

Movie Coraline wins award for using 3D printing
The movie Coraline has not only fascinated kids and adults alike, it has also been the first stop-motion feature to utilize 3D printing. Stop-motion animation involves moving and photographing models made from clay or other materials one frame at a time so that they appear to move. The drawback is that this technique can only show a limited amount of facial expressions. Enter 3D printing: The studio’s 3D printer created a total of 6,333 faces for Coraline, allowing for 207,000 possible facial expressions. The artists at the animation studio Laika were honored with a Scientific and Engineering Award at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Scientific and Technical Awards.
More at 3D Print

Canon introduces two all-in-one printers for SME
Canon Europe launches two new entry-level large-format multi-function printers: the Canon imagePROGRAF iPF770 MFP L36 and imagePROGRAF iPF670 MFP L24. The new devices offer convenient print, scan and copy functionality to small businesses in the architecture, engineering and construction, manufacturing, and education markets.
More at Graphic Repro Online

Herma increases release liner recycling
Release liner has been notoriously difficult to recycle because of its silicone content. The recycling company Cycle4Green has found a solution and has worked with Herma, a specialist for self-adhesive labeling solutions, for the past five years. During that period, the initial quantity of about 100 metric tons has been increased to a total of 226 metric tons of siliconized release liner that Herma recycled in 2015.
More at Narrow Web Tech

Four noteworthy functional food packaging solutions
Several innovations have been introduced in recent months to keep products fresh for longer time periods. Packaging Digest has collected four examples. One packaging solution for meat and fish called ActiveStick lifts the protein off the bottom of the tray to keep it from soaking in its own juices. A second compartment, separated by a porous seam and covered by a pre-printed film or label, neatly collects the meat’s excess liquid. Another packaging solution keeps the bacterial level inside the packaging low.
More at Packaging Digest