Sunday's THOUGHTFUL Post : Failure isn't the opposite of success.Failure isn't the opposite of success

Sunday's THOUGHTFUL Post

Failure isn't the opposite of success.

It's the material from which success is created.

We always look at people who've made it and assume the path was smoother than it was.

But zoom in on almost any success story and you'll find the same things:

→ Setbacks that felt like endings

→ Stretches where nothing seemed to move

→ Decisions that only made sense in hindsight

That's not a flaw in the process.

That IS the process.

The problem is, most of us expect progress to be linear.

And when things get messy or slow, it feels like something's wrong, even when it's just the middle of the journey.

I've felt this myself.

Looking back at my own path, all the biggest breakthroughs never came when I expected them to.

They only came after months of feeling like I was going in circles.

Work that seemed wasted at the time turned out to be laying the groundwork for what came next.

I couldn't see it then.

But I can see it now.

So if you're in one of those stretches right now, where the direction isn't clear and the progress feels invisible, I'd offer this:

You don't need to see the full picture before you move.

You just need to keep moving.

Direction tends to come from doing, not from waiting.

And if you're still going, even when it's slow, even when it's uncertain...

You're probably closer than it feels.

📷 Image credit: Gareth Lloyd

♻️ Share this to inspire someone in your network.

source: Francesco Gatti, for more.

Negative thinking increases cortisol

 The mind you feed is the one that wins

Be careful what you serve it

2025 has been a hard year for many.

Business has been unpredictable. Life even more so.

But here’s what science says:

Negative self-talk doesn’t just feel bad, it causes real harm.

There's real science behind it too:

-> Studies show that chronic negative thinking increases cortisol.

-> Long-term exposure impacts immune response and brain structure.

Have you heard of the water experiment by Dr Masaru Emoto?

It showed that water exposed to loving words formed beautiful crystals,

but the water exposed to hate formed distorted, chaotic structures

We’re 70% water.

What do you think your words do to you?

Another study by IKEA showed two plants treated the same, but one was bullied verbally:

↳ The bullied plant wilted faster

↳ The praised plant thrived

Words are energy.

And your mind? It's listening to everything you say.

So in a year that’s tested your patience, your business or career, and your belief in yourself…

Speak to yourself with more love, not less.

Because the mind you feed, in tough times especially, becomes the life you live.

⤵️ What’s one thought you’re choosing to reframe this month?

🔄 Repost this to remind someone to speak to themselves with kindness.

source : Jen Blandos

Thermoplastics: high-temperature reusable inflatable bladders and vacuum bags

RCF Technologies has engineered #bladders and vacuum bags from its patented #Rishonmaterial, which are resistant to #hightemperatures and multiple cycles. They are also designed to deliver superior part quality.

RCF’s Rishon bladders are intended to enable manufacturers to produce complex, hollow, #fibrereinforcedthermoplasticstructures. They are unique in their ability to withstand temperatures up to 850°F (454.44°C), unlike elastomer vacuum bladders and bags, which are limited to 500 °F (260 °C), and hard-to-find single-use options that only reach 600 °F (315.55 °C).

The Rishon bladder is an inflatable tool that aims to simplify and speed up the production of thermoplastic structures. When inflated, the bladder applies uniform internal pressure to the fibres, stretching them from the inside out. This eliminates wrinkles and improves consolidation. Manufacturers can thus achieve aerospace-quality parts with significantly higher reliability.

The Rishon bladder is reusable and designed for multiple manufacturing cycles. It also enables fast cycles and simpler preforming.

“Our Rishon bladders and vacuum bags represent a major leap forward for the thermoplastics industry,” said Dianne Zimnavoda, CEO of #RCFTechnologies. “Manufacturers have been asking for a high-temperature, reusable solution for years, and this product finally delivers the capability they need to scale advanced #thermoplastic production.

RCF’s Rishon bladders and vacuum bags must provide engineers and manufacturers with a reliable tool for large-scale production of strong, lightweight and complex thermoplastic components. They can be used in aerospace, defence, mobility and high-performance industrial applications, among others.

Cover photo: RCF Technologies

source : JEC Composites

Henkel and Sekab are shaping the future with bio-based raw materials

#Henkel Adhesive Technologies has entered into a strategic collaboration with Swedish chemical company Sekab to accelerate the transition from fossil-based to bio-based raw materials in #adhesive production. The partnership focuses on replacing conventional ethyl acetate with a sustainable, #biobased alternative, supporting Henkel’s ambition to lead with innovation and sustainability in advanced industrial adhesive solutions.

This initiative is a key step in enabling Henkel to strengthen its pioneering position by combining sustainability with a future-ready value proposition for customers. By integrating renewable raw materials into product formulations as a drop-in solution, Henkel is helping customers to achieve their climate goals, on top of reducing its own environmental footprint.

“We are proud to collaborate with #Sekab on this important journey towards more sustainable raw materials,” says Elodie Picard, Head of Sustainability for the Packaging division at Henkel Adhesive Technologies. “This partnership reflects our commitment to innovation with impact delivering high-performance solutions that offer benefits for our customers and for the environment.”

Adam Lindholm, Head of Sales and Business Development at Sekab added: “Our collaboration with Henkel demonstrates how fossil-free, bio-based chemicals can be integrated into existing value chains without compromising performance. This accelerates the transition towards a fossil-independent chemical industry. By working together along the value chain, we can bring scalable, sustainable raw materials to market and create tangible climate benefits.”

The collaboration with Sekab represents a key pillar of Henkel’s corporate sustainability strategy, which includes advancing circular solutions, reducing carbon emissions, and enabling customers to meet their own sustainability targets through cutting-edge adhesive technologies. 

The announcement is part of a broader series of sustainability activations from Henkel and its partners to highlight innovation and collaboration in climate leadership strategies across regions.

source : Henkel

Bcomp and Ather Push the Boundaries of Electric Mobility With a New Concept Moto-Scooter

Swiss cleantech materials innovator Bcomp has collaborated with leading Indian electric vehicle (EV) specialist Ather Energy to imagine how natural fibre composite solutions can shape the future of two-wheel mobility. The result is Redux, a new two-wheeler futuristic concept vehicle that uses ampliTex™ as a next-generation material, pushing the boundaries of sustainable design.

Ather Energy, founded in 2013 in Bengaluru, was one of India’s first electric scooter startups and has now sold over 5,000 scooters. Redux is its latest experiment in material innovation, interface design and mechanical features. It combines the nimbleness of a scooter with the dynamics of a motorcycle, falling under the motor-scooter category. At the heart of its visual and structural identity are Bcomp’s flax fibre composites.

Built on a lightweight aluminium frame with bodywork panels made from Bcomp’s ampliTex™, Redux demonstrates how sustainable materials can deliver both structural integrity and aesthetic appeal. This flax-fibre composite reduces bodywork weight while delivering the structural performance required for two-wheel vehicles.

ampliTex™ is a woven material made from flax fibres, which are renewable, and have a drastically lower carbon footprint than traditional materials such as ABS, glass fibre, or carbon fibre. This bio-based fabric, when combined with a thermoset matrix, offers up to 85% CO2 footprint reduction compared to equivalent solutions based on carbon fibre. It also provides viable end-of-life options through incineration with energy recovery.

Beyond sustainability, ampliTex™ delivers a distinctive woven aesthetic and mechanical properties ideal for visible composite applications, aligning with Ather’s “inside-out” design philosophy that celebrates exposed components and minimal panelling.

Redux follows an industrial design language where materials are treated as integral design elements instead of hidden infrastructure. ampliTex™ provides a textural, high-tech surface layer that blends form, function, and environmental responsibility; proving that sustainability and performance can coexist and complement one another.

As EV companies move beyond simple electrification toward a more holistic approach to sustainability, material choices matter as much as battery chemistry or motor efficiency. Bcomp and Ather are leading this evolution, showing how electric two-wheelers can become lifestyle products that redefine urban mobility.

source : Bcomp

photo : Ather Energy

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share : HyperPET 's energy saving in Injection and Extrusion processes

Today's KNOWLEDGE Share

In injection moulding and extrusion processes, using 𝐫𝐏𝐄𝐓 produced with 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗣𝗘𝗧 means achieving an 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴, because the energy required to melt the pellets is significantly lower compared to materials obtained with the technologies currently on the market.

The reason lies in the crystallinity: 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗣𝗘𝗧 delivers a final value between 𝟯𝟳% 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟰𝟬%, whereas competing systems exceed 𝟱𝟬%.

Why this difference?

Because, unlike other solutions, 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗣𝗘𝗧 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝘆𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗦𝗦𝗣) 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻.

As a result, the produced pellet is 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴, meaning it does not undergo what is often referred to as “secondary crystallization”.

The outcome is a lower crystallinity - yet 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀.

It's important to note that PET in the melt state is always amorphous: solid-state crystallinity is necessary for processing, but once it exceeds a certain threshold, it becomes an obstacle to melting, increasing energy consumption in terms of joules per gram.

In other words, a material with 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 requires 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 to be processed.

With 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗣𝗘𝗧, recyclers can instead offer their customers a 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱-𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗿𝗣𝗘𝗧 that combines recycled origin with reduced energy consumption during transformation.

A dual environmental benefit:

✅ Use of recycled material;

✅ Optimization of the energy required for injection moulding and extrusion.

For rPET producers, 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗣𝗘𝗧 represents a 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲: providing a material that is not only recycled, but also 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 for the end user.

A 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 by MAS Tech with no match on today’s market.

source : Christian Schiavolin

#HyperPET #MAS