Product category:
Materials and components
News Release from: Victrex USA | Subject: Victrex Peek
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 18 January 2005
Polymer parts enable Dyson Digital Motor
When Dyson wanted to develop a faster, more efficient motor it chose Victrex Peek for a number of components because of its superior toughness and fatigue strength.
When Dyson, one of the world's leading vacuum cleaner manufacturers, wanted to develop a faster, more efficient motor it chose Victrex Peek for a number of components because of its superior toughness and fatigue strength Called the Dyson Digital Motor, it has a life expectancy approximately double that of a conventional vacuum cleaner motor - an important factor as most vacuum cleaner motors wear out long before the rest of the product
This article was originally published on Engineeringtalk on 31 Dec 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Over the course of six years, a team of UK mechanical, electrical, aeronautical, materials and software engineers worked on developing the Dyson Digital Motor.
Says Simeon Jupp, Director of Research Design and Development at Dyson: "The selection of Victrex Peek was vital to the success of the development of the new motor".
"The polymer's exceptional fatigue performance and toughness made it the natural choice for us".
"Ease of processing was also vital for this application where complex thin sections are required".
The motor spins the fan that generates suction and airflow.
It contains no contacting components, which means it can operate at 100,000rev/min, a huge increase over conventional motors which operate between 30,000 and 40,000rev/min.
The faster motor means that the fan can be smaller and more efficient - less than half the diameter of a conventional vacuum cleaner fan.
To perform reliably at such high speeds, Dyson evaluated a wide range of materials for the fan, including cast aluminium.
They chose Victrex Peek (450CA30) because it was the only material that offered the right combination of toughness and fatigue strength.
The excellent dimensional stability and accuracy of moulding tolerances meant that the complex and accurate fan design could be readily injection moulded using Victrex Peek.
The fan and rotor assembly is fixed on a shaft using spacers made with Victrex Peek (450GL30BLK).
In addition, in the motor assembly where high-speed bearings are needed, Dyson uses specialised ball bearings with cages moulded from Victrex Peek.
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