Precoloured materials help in cutting-edge design
A
RTP Company product story
Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team
Apr 9, 2002
When F5 Networks of Liberty Lake, WA, wanted to distinguish its products from the competition, it developed an eye-catching front bezel incorporating a two-piece lighted logo sphere.
When F5 Networks of Liberty Lake, WA, wanted to distinguish its products from the competition, it developed an eye-catching front bezel incorporating a two-piece lighted logo sphere.
The company turned to specialty compounder RTP Company, of Winona, MN, for help in finding the right materials to meet the design requirements.
According to F5 Networks mechanical design engineer, Bret Britz, "The material for the logo sphere needed to be translucent, allowing sufficient light transmittance to accent the F5 logo.
The materials for both the sphere and the bezel required colour; they had to be flame resistant; and they had to be able to fill thin walls and hold exacting tolerances".
RTP Company recommended precoloured compounds of RTP 300 Series high flow and flame retardant polycarbonate (PC) for the application.
The materials met requirements for appearance, with the additional benefit of lowering overall costs.
Notes Britz, "The precoloured materials allowed us to eliminate the painting process and impart an attractive, textured surface to the part".
The materials' high flow properties helped eliminate visual flaws around flow fronts.
"The materials flow extremely well", said Britz, adding that, "Knitlines were overcome with hardly any visible deviation".
A light pipe transmits a softly diffused glow through the translucent materials and the logo sphere is set off in dramatic contrast against the textured grey bezel.
The PC is an amorphous material with a mould shrinkage of 0.4% at 3.18 mm.
It fills and comfortably holds the necessary 0.5% tolerance across the bezel length.
It also meets the even more exacting logo sphere tolerances of nearly 0.2%.
This dimension is critical as the logo is sandwiched with a snap fit between a metal plate and the bezel on F5 Networks equipment.
RTP 300 Series flame retardant PC compounds are capable of achieving a V0 rating at 1.50mm with some grades being UL recognised.
In the logo sphere material, flammability requirements are met with the use of a non-halogenated flame retardant.
This allows compliance with the requirements of eco-friendly product labeling, increasingly in demand throughout the world.
With this technology, RTP Company incorporates a unique char-forming mechanism that reduces smoke and toxic off-gasses without the use of halogens.
Britz credited RTP Company with "providing materials promptly and having our questions answered quickly and by extremely knowledgeable people".
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