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Porsche switches part to reinforced polyamide
APPLICATIN Themoplastics threaten GRP with clean, cheap process THANKS to its processing and emissions benefits, a n e w thermoplastics technology is threatening traditional polyester glass fibre r e i n f o r c e d plastic (GRP) lay-up. Using drapable thermoplastic and glass filament w o v en sheets, UKbased Euro-Projects has successfully p r o d u c e d articles as large and complex as boat hulls. The firm says that compared with conventional GRP, the process is cheap, no chemicals are used and no emissions are produced. Heat is all that is r e q u i r e d to f o r m t h e advanced composite. No emissions means that firms c h a n g i n g to the technology will not have to invest in e x t r a c t i o n technology to meet increasingly stringent styrene emission levels. The process involves bag moulding at a b o u t l 0 s Pa p r e s s u r e
and uses the firm's novel m e t h o d of keeping the fibres totally aligned. Dry f a b r i c is p l a c e d in a m o u l d t ool to f o r m a solid laminate w h i c h is said to be t o u g h e r than GRP. The composite is also made in less time and has high perform a n c e p r o p e r t i e s , says Euro-Projects. A range of fabrics are available including plain and satin weaves as well as non-crimping materials. Most of the work at Euro-Projects, w hi c h has a staff of about 10, is ba s ed a r o u n d using a twill. So far materials used include glass polypropylene, glass polyamide, carbon polypropylene, c a r b o n p o l y a m i d e and carbon polyetheretherketone (PEEK). Gerry Boyce, EuroProjects Ltd; tel: + 44509-890404; f a x : + 44509- 89080 7.
Porsche switches part to reinforced polyamide SPORTS car manufacturer Porsche plans to use a glass fibre reinforced polyamide composite rather than aluminium in the cam chain tensioners used in the engines of its 911 model. Porsche has designed the part with assistance from G e r m a n consultancy company V. Diem. It uses DuPont's Zytel 35% (by w e i g h t ) glass reinforced polyamide. Weight savings of
m o r e than 30% compared with the aluminium part are r e p o r t e d t o g e t h e r w i t h significant noise reductions. Manufacturing cost r e d u c t i o n s also result from the elimination of machining operat i ons and c r a c k and void d e t e c t i o n pr oc e dures. DuPont de Nemours International; tel: + 41-22-717-5111; f a x . . + 4 1 - 2 2 - 71 75109.
CRAY VALLEY STRUCTURAL
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Laporte Road, Stallingborough Nr. Grimsby, South Humberside DN37 8DR England Telephone 0469 572464. Fax 0469 572988
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and uses the firm's novel m e t h o d of keeping the fibres totally aligned. Dry f a b r i c is p l a c e d in a m o u l d t ool to f o r m a solid laminate w h i c h is said to be t o u g h e r than GRP. The composite is also made in less time and has high perform a n c e p r o p e r t i e s , says Euro-Projects. A range of fabrics are available including plain and satin weaves as well as non-crimping materials. Most of the work at Euro-Projects, w hi c h has a staff of about 10, is ba s ed a r o u n d using a twill. So far materials used include glass polypropylene, glass polyamide, carbon polypropylene, c a r b o n p o l y a m i d e and carbon polyetheretherketone (PEEK). Gerry Boyce, EuroProjects Ltd; tel: + 44509-890404; f a x : + 44509- 89080 7.
Porsche switches part to reinforced polyamide SPORTS car manufacturer Porsche plans to use a glass fibre reinforced polyamide composite rather than aluminium in the cam chain tensioners used in the engines of its 911 model. Porsche has designed the part with assistance from G e r m a n consultancy company V. Diem. It uses DuPont's Zytel 35% (by w e i g h t ) glass reinforced polyamide. Weight savings of
m o r e than 30% compared with the aluminium part are r e p o r t e d t o g e t h e r w i t h significant noise reductions. Manufacturing cost r e d u c t i o n s also result from the elimination of machining operat i ons and c r a c k and void d e t e c t i o n pr oc e dures. DuPont de Nemours International; tel: + 41-22-717-5111; f a x . . + 4 1 - 2 2 - 71 75109.
CRAY VALLEY STRUCTURAL
RES
NS
Laporte Road, Stallingborough Nr. Grimsby, South Humberside DN37 8DR England Telephone 0469 572464. Fax 0469 572988
n
JMM TOTAL mMI