APPLICATION TECHNOLOGY
3M helps shape wheelchairs of the future
Great Britain’s wheelchair basketball team can be assured of optimum reliability in the wheelchairs in which they compete thanks to a novel solution from 3M.
deformation of the titanium or steel bearing housings, which control the direction of the castor wheels, when they are welded to the main wheelchair frame. The welding process was on occasions causing the housing to become misshapen and exceed the tight manufacturing tolerances – as low as 0.02mm. This could potentially cause premature failure of the bearing which could itself become misshapen, resulting in substandard performance of the wheelchair. The engineering team contacted 3M’s industrial adhesives and tapes division
S
who proposed the use of 3M Scotch-Weld EPX Adhesive DP460, a two-component gap filling epoxy adhesive, which offers heat and environmental resistance and is designed for applications where toughness and high strength are required. 3M Scotch-Weld EPX Adhesive DP460 was used to secure a machined part into the bearing housing which would hold the bearings in place rather than relying on the main housing to do so. This completely eliminated the need for rework plus the fact that the bearing performance is no longer affected by any deformation of the titanium or steel housing. Mike Sheen, design engineer at RGK, commented: “The reworking of the tubes
as a result of the welding process was something we were keen to eliminate. Meanwhile, we were keen to take every opportunity to optimise product reliability and the 3M solution has contributed significantly to that as bearing performance is not affected by any distortion of the housing shape caused by welding.
At the top of its game L
Robinson & Co. (Gillingham) Ltd, manufacturer of the Jubilee hose clip, via Auto Agencies Limited the company’s distributor in Christchurch, New Zealand, fulfilled a contract to supply a batch of its High Torque clips to contractors constructing and installing the roof on the new Forsyth Barr
Stadium in Dunedin, New Zealand. The clips, 208 in total, were air-freighted out to New Zealand in July 2011 in
double-quick time to meet the tight construction deadlines and to ensure the project was signed off and handed over prior to the Stadium’s 5th
August opening ceremony. “Being involved in such a high-profile project is great news for us and is
testament to the solid reputation, built on high-performance and value that Jubilee Clips enjoy throughout the world,” commented Dave Jennings, managing director, Auto Agencies Ltd. Jubilee High Torque clips were specified for the project from the start, with
performance characteristics and attributes including durability, strength and resistance to corrosion particular advantages that the stainless steel Jubilee High Torque clips had over other competitor products. “Jubilee Clips are ubiquitous and the High Torque clips, now being used on the Forsyth Barr Stadium’s roof, are popular and are
always in demand,” says Ian Jennings, managing director of L Robinson & Co. (Gillingham) Ltd. “Our High Torque clips are part of an extensive product range (over 580 different product types) we offer to customers and all our products are manufactured to the same exacting quality standards.”
118 Fastener + Fixing Magazine • Issue 72 November 2011
taffordshire-based RGK Wheelchairs designs and engineers a range of state-of the-art wheelchairs for both daily use and specialist sports, including basketball, tennis and sledge hockey. An issue that the company was keen to address was the
Jubilee Clips were specified and installed on the roof of the Forsyth Barr Stadium – one of the venues at the recent 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
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