The last week was exam week and we didn't have group meeting but I'm going to tell you some things about the last group meeting, the steering group meeting and the main events during these almost two weeks.
Firstly, we have accorded to change the working style. Now we are going to work in smaller groups and only some of use are focused in each part of the work. During the general meetings, held on Thuersdays yet, we are going to present to the other the advances made by each group during the last week, we are going to take the necessary decisions to the work of the next week and we are going to discuss the next meeting agenda.
Later, each group has explained their advances during the last week:
-Markko have told that the strontium aluminate applied as a paint is the most commun form to give phosphorescence to the objects. He would try to purchase the paint in a hobby store.
-Jani has explained that the best form to validate the coins is the current method based on the electromagnetic field of the metals.
-Antti has told that the self cleaning product is avaliable as a paint too and that it is able to be applied outwardly to the coin with whatever design or material.
-Heikki was the responsible of the transparent materials of the coin and he has stated that the best material is probably polycarbonate, despite of its poor wear resistance, because other polymers present problems like bad recyclibility and the ceramics are very fragile.
-I have spoken to the others about the metallic materials for our coin. We have accorded that the silver is maybe the best option due to its nice appearence and maleability and ductility. Another option, if the silver is too expensive could be cupronickel which is already used in manufacturing coins.
-Finally, Simo and Mirva have told us that the normal LED lights are the best option to our coin since they can work with a little amount of energy and because they are really cheap while the OLED light are expensive and hard to made. Simo showed us a nice product out of the LED's to see the brightness and we have accorded to put in the coin blue (and maybe white) LED lights which have around 200 mcd.
To close the meeting we have decided to make 2 different prototypes to the seminar in Mint, one of them with LED lights (scale 1:3) and another one without LED lights but with the correct final size.
The next day(Friday) we had the steering group meeting where we explained to the Mint guys and to the teachers all our progress and decisions. Tuoppi seems really excited with our design and he gave us some useful piece of advices.
Everything looks nice but during the week a big problem have emerged. Jani and Ari went to Mint to have a meeting with Tuoppi and one of the Mint's designers told Ari that the his design should be modified to be able to be manufactured, so the the manufacturing process can't start yet and we have only two weeks until the seminary!
By the other hand the paints to give to the coin phosphorescence and self-cleaning surface could e purchased soon. Tomorrow we have the group meeting, let's see how we work under pressure!
-Pedro
