High Tech Marketing by Tony Green

My employment in high tech environments comprises almost ten years. During that time, on occasion, various television programs report on the latest trends in technology and how it could impact our lives. However, I fail to remember where any of these programs provided a crystal clear definition of what hi tech is.

People more often than not think of high tech as computers, integrated chips, software and other products people create and design and in due course market and sell. However, my question was is there a definition which can be used to define high tech?

Nowadays when someone wants to find the answer to a question they look on Google or they go to their nearest library.

I picked up a text book by on Marketing and Innovation of High Tech products by Jakki Mohr, who happens to be a marketing professor at the University of Montana, after looking at some books at a public library in Silicon Valley.

As I read through the text she noted three things which, in her view, characterize high tech markets.

The first of these is Marketing Uncertainty. This was described as ambiguity about the type and extent of customer needs can be satisfied by the particular expertise. The technology in question may perhaps be enormous but will the advances solve the problem to the degree the customer believes they cannot live without the benefits brought by the knowledge?

The second of these is Technological Uncertainty. This is defined as being unsure whether the know-how can deliver on its promise. If new widget supposed to change the way something is done does the breakthrough idea execute in the promise? Is the expertise truly disruptive?

The last of these is Competitive Uncertainty. This raises the question of whether there is uncertainty in the competitors, offerings, and strategies for the product. Who will be the future competitors/partners? What applications other than the original design can the knowledge pertain to?

I am extremely interested in alternative energy and I thought about one industry which is receiving a good deal of press lately. I wanted to determine if these guidelines would clarify the question if any of the target industries can be described as hi tech.

Lithium ion batteries are being tested as the power supply to be used in electric vehicles. A normal automobile uses a lead battery which is designed to start the vehicle until the gas engine kicks in. The electric vehicle would use the lithium ion battery to be the sole source of powering up the car.

The automobile industry, by tradition, has been thought of as low tech due to the established procedures utilized by the industry for many years. Yet when lithium ion batteries are examined against the three benchmarks of uncertainty Marketing, Technological, and Competitive these seem to fit the definition of being high tech. The marketing of lithium ion batteries will be determined by how well the processes are streamlined to make the battery and battery packs, which are the modules which are assembled from the individual battery cells. The final cost will play a large part in the ultimate cost of the electric vehicle. This, of course, will be a determining factor in the demand for the electric by the consumer. The price will need to be on par with or lower than ordinary vehicles to encourage wide scale adoption.  The technological uncertainty with battery technology is summarized by which cathode material will ultimately gain widespread adoption. The Competitive uncertainty is highlighted by the fact it is unclear at the moment which alternate fuel technology will gain hold with the America driver in the future. Technologies include Hybrid, Plug In, and Electric not to mention diesel, biodiesel, and fuel cells. Ultra-capacitors are being considered to be used in conjunction with batteries in alternative cars.

My analysis clarified the fact the automotive industry in general is not a high tech industry but the battery portion currently underdevelopment should be considered high tech as it meets the criterion.

I left the library accomplishing what I had set out to do. It felt good to at last possess at least an idea, albeit not a clean cut definition, of the nature of the industry that has been the source of my employment for the last decade.

Epoxy in the Automotive industry by Tony Green

There are various polymers that are utilized in manufacture of automobiles. Some include silicone, urethane, polyester and epoxy which are designed for applications ranging from the painting on the outside of the car, to forming the material used make the bumper, to bonding the wire to the PCB board which form many of the control electronics.
The polymers types are used include polyesters, urethanes, silicones, and epoxy. All of these polymers share the characteristic of enabling technology. Epoxy in particular has played a role due to its high chemical and heat resistance.
There are many uses for epoxy in the assembly of an Automobile. For instance, Epoxy is used in many of the motors by adhering the magnet to the commutator, in wire harnesses to protect wiring in the harsh automobile environment, in compressors to pot the wiring in the clutch, just to name a few.
Due to the gas crisis and a new desire to leave a more environmental footprint the automotive industry as a whole is moving away from gasoline power vehicles to alternative energy vehicles power by electricity, Fuel cells, and ethanol.
The usefulness of epoxy is still clear in light of the change in automobile due to its flexibility. By adjusting the some of the ingredients epoxy can be formulated with customized properties which can be catered to any specific automotive application.
Examples of these applications include potting for Flex Fuel sensor due to resistance to ethanol environment and Lithium ion battery packs due to its ability to adhere in alkaline/acidic environments.
The future is guaranteed to bring changes in customer requirements which will spur changes in technology. Participants in the industry will need to ensure their product offering meet the changing requirements of their customers. Epoxy will continue to play large role in the automotive industry due to its versatility.
Originally published on 3/10/2009 at http://www.markanthonygreen.blogspot.com

Epoxy in the Heavy Electric Industry

The journey of electricity from its generation point to your house takes a long path. Whether the power source is hydro, coal fired or wind the current has to be transported from the supply to where the electricity can be used.
High potentials involved during this journey. From the source of generation the flow of high voltages electrons goes through various substations and distribution lines adjusting the voltage until the level is appropriate for household appliances. This requires systems and equipment to protect the environment and personnel against the associated hazards.
Part of equipment utilized in the heavy electric industry is epoxy manufactured components. Among these are switchgear (solid insulated and gas insulator) refers to equipment used to isolate electrical equipment. Switchgear is used both to de-energize equipment to allow work to be done and to clear faults downstream, transformers (current and potential) which adjust the voltages and current to the levels required, insulators, which isolate electricity from ground and bushings, which are components that allow conductor to pass safely through an earthed metal wall or casing. They are used with switchgear, transformers, circuit breakers and most other high voltage equipment. A bushing is hollow, allowing a conductor safe passage along its centre and connect at both ends to other equipment. All of these use epoxy’s electrical properties to insulate against the high voltages.
An important part of using epoxy in these applications is the process that is used to manufacture the parts. This is crucial to ensure apart with optimal properties is created after the manufacturing is complete.
Presently three different production methods exist for molding the mixture of resin and hardener. The first is Compression Mold which high pressure is applied during the molding process. The second is the Vacuum Casting process which the cast is performed in a vacuumed fixture and lastly Automatic Pressure Gelation (APG) which uses applied pressure is maintained on the resin system during curing was developed. Parts manufactured by APG are known for excellent void and shrinkage free properties.
The epoxy, in combination with these processes, enables the successful use in heavy electric applications. Consequently the future seems bright for epoxy in transmission and distribution (T&D) applications. If new neighborhoods/homes are being built require equipment to transport the power required in these new homes there will be strong demand for these epoxy components.