Product category:
Materials and components
News Release from: Lati Industria Termoplastici | Subject: Latamid, Latigloss, Laramid and Larton
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 18 January 2008
Metal substitutes cut manufacturing
costs
The good processibility of the polymers means that components can be manufactured in a single injection moulding process, which leads to significant manufacturing cost reductions.
Lati Industria Termoplastici is expanding its portfolio of metal substitution products with new grades for its Latamid, Latigloss, Laramid and Larton ranges Due to their excellent mechanical properties they are suitable for use in sanitary, heating and plumbing applications instead of brass and other metals that have previously been used
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 21 Jan 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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The good processibility of the polymers means that such components can be manufactured in a single injection moulding process, which leads to significant manufacturing cost reductions.
Further potential for cost savings can be achieved by integrating functional components at the injection moulding stage, removing the need for downstream assembly steps.
During the development of the new grades the company worked closely with a number of national and international manufacturers from the sanitary, heating and plumbing sectors.
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Latamid and Latigloss polyamide (PA) 66 grades can contain up to 60% by weight glass fibre and are very cost-effective.
They have comparable mechanical strength to aluminium and at 220MPa approximately the same tensile stress at break as metals.
In comparison these polymers have better chemical resistance, toughness and notched impact strength.
The compounds in the Latigloss range also have a very good surface finish despite the high glass fibre loadings.
On top of this various custom and metal effect colour matches can be produced.
Typical applications for Latamid and Latigloss are pneumatic valves and pump casings as well as control elements.
Laramid compounds are based on partly aromatic polyamides (PPA) that are very strong, stiff and creep resistant and have excellent dimensional stability.
Due to their good chemical resistance, low water absorption and heat deflection temperature they are suitable for humid and aggressive environments as well as high temperatures.
Typical applications for Laramid are pump casings for refrigeration units as well as covers for hydraulic pumps.
The Larton range is comprised of compounds based on polyphenylene sulfide (PPS).
They are available with a glass fibre content of up to 40% by weight and are characterised by their good dimensional stability even at high temperatures, excellent chemical resistance and high levels of creep and fatigue resistance.
They are used for example for flow rate valves.
The Lati portfolio contains a large number of engineering and high-performance polymers that are suitable for metal substitution in a variety of applications.
Due to the industrial expansion in the emerging markets of the Far East the demand for metal is constantly growing.
As a result of this steel, aluminium, copper and its alloys are in short supply and increasing in price.
Engineers in many industries are therefore looking for opportunities to replace metals with polymers.
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