Ford is exploring new options for making their vehicles lighter, and hence, fuel efficient. They do this by injecting bubbles in a honeycomb configuration into the plastic material. They claim their new MuCell plastic is 20 percent lighter and 33 percent easier to manufacture. A win win situation for them.
Sounds very much like principle 31 of the TRIZ inventive principle: Use of porous materials! Not a very new idea, as Nestle has been injecting bubbles into their Aero-brand of chocolates for awhile. The porous nature creates a new fizzy texture for their chocolates, but for Ford's case leads to weight savings and rigidity through a new honeycomb-like structure.
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