Farewell To The Dishwasher?
By Hannah Isom
Those inventor-type persons at MIT have developed the solution to all of our dishwashing dilemmas. The DishMaker is a prototype machine that makes and recycles plates, bowls and cups, possibly signalling the end for washing up as we know it.
The DishMaker gives diners the potential to create dishes on demand, which they can simply recycle after use, without the need for washing or storage. The ingenious invention uses heat and moulds to create various receptacles out of food-grade, non-toxic acrylic discs.
First the acrylic is softened by heating to 300° Fahrenheit (about 150°C), then the material is shaped by a mould and to produce the desired tableware, all in 90 seconds.
When the dishes are no longer required, they can be popped back into the machine, which will crush them back into shape. The acrylic material has a structure similar to glass, which has a certain amount of elasticity, allowing it to be returned to its original form.
Each dish can potentially be formed and reformed up to 100 times, which has got tree-hugging environmentalists rather excited. The brains behind the DishMaker, MIT graduate student Leonardo Bonanni, says "If you made and recycled one of our plates three times a day for a year, the energy that goes into that is comparable to the energy required to make one ceramic plate (in a factory) because the ceramic is fired at about 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit".
Other eco-friendly plus points are that the DishMaker saves water used to wash dishes, and unlike conventional recycling, there is no need for people or trucks to transport the products to processing plants.
There are a few niggling design flaws to be flattened out; the dishes are pretty heinous looking, and there are worries that over time food grease may build up in the acrylic materials.
Regardless, the folks at MIT are optimistic of the future of this innovation and have big plans to develop. They hope that one day, the DishMaker may revolutionise the way we think about accessorising our homes, and that we may even be able to download new designs over the internet to create a moulded plastic paradise.
To find out more watch the video below. To find out other interesting things visit Hannah's page.
The DishMaker gives diners the potential to create dishes on demand, which they can simply recycle after use, without the need for washing or storage. The ingenious invention uses heat and moulds to create various receptacles out of food-grade, non-toxic acrylic discs.
First the acrylic is softened by heating to 300° Fahrenheit (about 150°C), then the material is shaped by a mould and to produce the desired tableware, all in 90 seconds.
When the dishes are no longer required, they can be popped back into the machine, which will crush them back into shape. The acrylic material has a structure similar to glass, which has a certain amount of elasticity, allowing it to be returned to its original form.
Each dish can potentially be formed and reformed up to 100 times, which has got tree-hugging environmentalists rather excited. The brains behind the DishMaker, MIT graduate student Leonardo Bonanni, says "If you made and recycled one of our plates three times a day for a year, the energy that goes into that is comparable to the energy required to make one ceramic plate (in a factory) because the ceramic is fired at about 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit".
Other eco-friendly plus points are that the DishMaker saves water used to wash dishes, and unlike conventional recycling, there is no need for people or trucks to transport the products to processing plants.
There are a few niggling design flaws to be flattened out; the dishes are pretty heinous looking, and there are worries that over time food grease may build up in the acrylic materials.
Regardless, the folks at MIT are optimistic of the future of this innovation and have big plans to develop. They hope that one day, the DishMaker may revolutionise the way we think about accessorising our homes, and that we may even be able to download new designs over the internet to create a moulded plastic paradise.
To find out more watch the video below. To find out other interesting things visit Hannah's page.
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