Product category:
Materials and components
News Release from: RTP Company | Subject: Materials selection
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 24 February 2004
Wear resistant compound hits the target
In the quest for improved accuracy and increased safety in the sport of archery, New Archery Products developed its new CarbonGlide cable guide.
In the quest for improved accuracy and increased safety in the sport of archery, New Archery Products developed its new CarbonGlide cable guide With wear being a paramount concern, New Archery Products turned to specialty compounder RTP Company for help in finding the right material for the guide
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 23 Oct 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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When an arrow is being shot, the feathers (fletching) that stabilise flight often contact the arrow rest.
Because any contact can alter arrow trajectory, arrow rests, like New Archery Products' Quicktune drop-away, are designed to activate on bowstring draw, and on release, drop from the flight path.
The cable guide is designed to work in conjunction with the arrow rest and maintain the path of the bow's high-tension cables.
When drawn, two bowstring cables speed through the guide in opposite directions; a third cable activates the arrow rest.
On release, the cables speed back through the guide to their stops; the third cable deactivates the arrow rest, moving it safely out of the way.
Ultimately, the cables travel 3in in 8ms.
According to Bob Mizek, New Archery Products' Manager of New Product Development, the guide must perform as designed without abrading the high-tension cables.
Broken cables under tension can cause serious injury.
Competing products that were machined from solid PTFE have yielded low friction, but also low part strength.
Others made of reinforced nylon were strong but relatively abrasive.
To meet the requirements for the guide, RTP Company formulated an RTP 800 Series PTFE and silicone lubricated acetal compound.
"Originally, we tried nylon 6/6 compounded with some fairly high loadings of PTFE; friction was acceptably low, but strength suffered", said Mizek.
"Further", he added, "early field trials showed that high humidity combined with nylon 6/6's hygroscopic nature noticeably reduced its wear resistant properties".
According to Mizek, the RTP Company acetal compound offers strength values "three times that of the previous material and has undergone thousands of cycles in all weather conditions without sacrificing its low friction characteristics".
Expected use temperatures range from +43 to -26C.
Mizek credits RTP Company with "real skill in tailoring a material to an application, addressing each property and formulating the proper solution".
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