product update | Applications SPORTS & LEISURE Piranha uses LFTs in new propellor
California, US-based Piranha Propellers is using a long glass fibre thermoplastic (LFT) compound from PlastiComp to manufac- ture the replaceable blades on its latest Hydrothrust propel- ler for houseboats and service barges. Piranha Propellers was set
up 25 years ago by Brad Stahl to provide a solution for boat owners to the problem of costly repairs following impacts with submerged objects. These can not only damage the propeller but often
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allows performance to be tuned to the specific application. This latest design,
for example, is claimed to provide up to 400%
more reverse thrust than also parts in
the lower motor drive system. Piranha’s composite
propeller design comprises a centre hub with three or four slots that carry interchange- able blades of varying size and pitch. The ability to easily change a blade lowers maintenance costs and also
AEROSPACE Xiaomi opts PEEK brackets fix savings
ForTii Chinese mobile phone maker Xiaomi is using Stanyl ForTii XS85 high temperature PA4T from DSM Engineering Plastics to produce the antenna frame splitters on its latest Mi4 smartphone. As a visible part of the
device, the splitter material must meet high levels of colour stability. The resin also has to offer high flow – the frames are manufac- tured using an insert moulding technique – and resistance to cutting fluids and alkalines during post moulded machining and cleaning processes where the polymer can be exposed to temperatures up to 100˚C. ❙
www.dsmep.com
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UK-based Denroy Plastics worked with aircraft manufac- turer Bombardier and high performance polymers group Victrex to develop a new range of PEEK brackets for aviation applications offering a 40% weight saving over metal alternatives. Manufactured in an
electrostatically dissipative grade of Victrex PEEK, the injection moulded brackets are used in hydraulic and fuel system applications in the wings, centre box and fuel tanks of aircraft, including Bombardier’s C-Series, Global and Learjet models. They replace aluminium and titanium alternatives. Aside from the weight savings, the manufacturing process for the polymer-based brackets is more streamlined
INJECTION WORLD | July/August 2015
www.injectionworld.com
resulting in lower cost. “We’ve invested in a manufacturing cell solely dedicated to the produc- tion of PEEK brackets. We have now developed optimised moulding processes and invested in new equipment,” says Denroy’s Sales and Marketing Manager Jim Knowles.
For Bombardier, the new
brackets provide significant operational fuel savings and help lower CO2
emissions.
The company also benefits from manufacturing cost savings due to improved part consolidation and feature integration. ❙
www.victrex.com
standard propellers and twice as much as competing metal types. “When the wind kicks up a houseboat can quickly become difficult to manoeu- vre,” says Stahl. “We do a lot of sales to the rental market, and it doesn’t take much for inexperienced people to have difficulty because reverse thrust performance is
significantly lower.” Piranha is using a PA6
LFT from PlastiComp’s Complet MT product line. This grade is formulated to provide up to 40% better impact resistance than standard LFTs, according to PlastiComp. The Complet LFT also
provides the flow necessary to incorporate performance features on the blade surfaces during injection moulding to modify water flow and turbulence vibra- tions, says Stahl. ❙
www.plasticomp.com
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