The Products for Life Challenge is now in the Enter stage, and applicants are invited to begin submitting their proposals. The total prize pool of $50,000 is funded by Swagelok, an international gas and fluid system company.
The challenge: to create environmentally friendly and long-lived fluidic products that dramatically outperform existing technologies. This includes valves, fittings, hoses, regulators, gauges, and more.
We've seen incredible advances in sustainable materials and tech in recent decades, but this progress isn't represented very well when it comes to systems that contain or control gasses and liquids. These systems are often hidden away, out of sight and out of mind, but they're always working in the background to help provide the comforts we're used to.
Unfortunately, instead of buying products that last for decades or even hundreds of years, things break down in what sometimes seems like no time. They aren't usually built to be easily replaced with upgrades, so they eventually end up in the trash when they're broken or obsolete.
It's time to build systems that are designed with higher standards in mind, meeting the consumer's demand for products that actually do what they should do for years without hassle. Swagelok is sure that it's now possible to create products to contain, heat, cool, purify, or pressurize gas and liquid that will perform flawlessly for an entire lifetime. And if you do need to replace a part, it should be fairly easy to upgrade with a newer version that will work even better.
Now, it might be relatively simple to design a system that's just a bit better than the current versions. But consumers won't spend money on something that's just a bit better than what they're using, especially if they might need to replace it again soon. That's why Swagelok is looking for systems that will dramatically outperform the current models, which will save consumers enough money in one to five years to pay for the upfront cost and won't need to be replaced any time soon.
This is a pretty big challenge, but Swagelok thinks that we have the smarts and the tech to do it. A system like this should sell itself, but not only that, it would set a new standard for products like these: one based on sustainability and efficiency, rather than obsolescence.
If you're an engineer, or are ready to become one, take a look at the Products for Life Challenge for more information, including how to get involved and guidelines for your proposal. The world is waiting for your big new idea!
