Product Spotlight – EnduroSharp® Torlon® Adhesive Cutters

July 27, 2021  |  , ,

Product Spotlight – EnduroSharp® Torlon® Adhesive Cutters (TAC)

EnduroSharp® has changed the way aerospace maintenance professionals remove sealants and adhesives from substrates and fasteners. EnduroSharp® tools are made from Torlon®, a high strength polymer, creating a non-metallic tool that will not damage composite structures during use. The EnduroSharp® lineup consists of a variety of scraper blades, gap blades, reamers, cutters, bits, and discs for removal of adhesives on aircrafts. The product line also includes a variety of kits containing a selection of parts and sizes.

Cutters traditionally are used for enlarging, cleaning or preparing surfaces with cylindric or conical shape.  But most common cutters are made of materials such as steel, carbide or ceramics and tend to damage complex composite materials.

The EnduroSharp® Torlon® Adhesive Cutters (TAC) are designed to be used with the standard (non-segmented) and tetherable (segmented) mandrels.  They can also be used with electric (corded and battery powered) and pneumatic drills rated at 600 RPM or less.  TAC tools are available in boxes of 10, or as part of the EnduroSharp® surface preparation kits.

The EnduroSharp® Torlon® Adhesive Reamers are just one of the many different items offered in the EnduroSharp® Product line. Contact Rich Reed our Vice President of Sales and Marketing, at (513) 321-8404 or [email protected],  for more information on our EnduroSharp® kits and products.

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Injection Molded Peek Seals

July 21, 2021  |  , , , , , ,

Performance Plastics offers the expertise and technology to produce net shape seals in high-performance materials such as PEEK.  PEEK (polyetheretherketone) polymer is a high-performance thermoplastic material with outstanding mechanical, thermal and chemical resistance properties

Seals have been used since ancient times and have evolved into a wide variety of shapes and materials. Mechanical seals are used to seal the openings of and joints between mechanisms to contain pressure and form a barrier to prevent the fluid (water or oil) used by a machine from leaking to the external environment.  Commonly used in pumps, motors, and compressors, seals are one of the most essential components to ensure a machine operates reliably and effectively.

PEEK is an organic thermoplastic polymer that offers excellent mechanical and chemical resistance properties for applications that are maintained at high temperatures. PEEK seals can be heated, cooled, and heated again without degradation since they are composed of thermoplastic materials.

PEEK polymer seals are well suited for demanding applications such as aerospace, automotive, and medical because of their robustness. They offer outstanding chemical resistance over a wide range of temperatures and are an excellent option for extreme applications where failure is not an option.  Performance Plastics’ team of experienced engineers possess the expertise to design technically challenging seals and offer complex solutions across a wide range of industries.

For more information on how Performance Plastics can solve your seal selection   challenges, please contact Rich Reed, VP Sales & Marketing at 513.321.8404 or [email protected].

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Product Spotlight – EnduroSharp® Torlon® Adhesive Reamers

July 8, 2021  |  , ,

EnduroSharp® has changed the way aerospace maintenance professionals remove sealants and adhesives from substrates and fasteners. EnduroSharp® tools are made from Torlon®, a high strength polymer, creating a non-metallic tool that will not damage composite structures during use. The EnduroSharp® lineup consists of a variety of scraper blades, gap blades, reamers, cutters, bits, and discs for removal of adhesives on aircrafts. The product line also includes a variety of kits containing a selection of parts and sizes.

Reamer’s are traditionally a rotary cutting tool of cylindric or conical shape used for enlarging and finishing to accurate dimensions holes that have been drilled, bored or cored.

One of our most popular products, the EnduroSharp® Torlon® Adhesive Reamers (TAR) are non-metallic, multi-fluted, straight-walled reamers. They are used to remove non-metallic debris such as cured sealants and adhesives from fastener and bushing holes in metallic or composite structures without damaging the structures.

EnduroSharp® Torlon® Adhesive Reamer (TAR) tools are shipped 10 parts per box.

The EnduroSharp® Torlon® Adhesive Reamers are just one of the many different items offered in the EnduroSharp® Product line. Contact Rich Reed our Vice President of Sales and Marketing, at (513) 321-8404 or [email protected],  for more information on our EnduroSharp® kits and products.

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Performance Plastics – Experts in Direct Gating Technology

June 30, 2021  |  , , ,

 

For decades, Performance Plastics has been delivering the highest quality custom plastic injection molding solutions in the industry for our customers. We take a highly specialized and consultative approach, working closely with our customers to develop the solutions needed to solve the most complicated issues.

Direct gating is a molding technique designed to drastically reduce the material waste associated with runner systems. This is critically important when working with sheer sensitive, expensive materials such as fluoropolymers (FEP, PFA, PVDF) and PEEK.

Direct gating is ideally suited for deep draw parts and/or small parts like medical components.  The technique saves resin and typically cuts cycle time by up to 50%.  In addition, it eliminates the need for downstream processing such as surface finishing or grinding.  The part quality achieved by direct gating is in many cases improved over parts manufactured with a cold runner.

We work with design engineers to create better products.  Direct gating is an advanced technique that increases value and provides advantages for new, innovative concepts.  Our hybrid direct gate technology eliminates the runner waste associated with conventional molding, significantly reducing material use and per part cost. Polymers are injected directly into the part mold eliminating the need for runners.

Performance Plastics excels at intricate injection molded components needing some combination of high temperature, low surface adhesion, chemical and organic resistance in a package with complex geometries and/or tight tolerances.

For more information on how Performance Plastics can solve your tight tolerance molding challenges, please contact Rich Reed, VP Sales & Marketing at 513.321.8404 or [email protected].

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Product Spotlight – EnduroSharp® Torlon® Gap Filler Removal Bits (GFR)

June 23, 2021  |  , ,

EnduroSharp® has changed the way aerospace maintenance professionals remove sealants and adhesives from substrates and fasteners. EnduroSharp® tools are made from Torlon®, a high strength polymer, creating a non-metallic tool that will not damage composite structures during use. The EnduroSharp® lineup consists of a variety of scraper blades, gap blades, reamers, cutters, bits, and discs for removal of adhesives on aircrafts. The product line also includes a variety of kits containing many of the parts and sizes.

EnduroSharp® Torlon® Gap Filler Removal Bits (GFR) are designed for use with an ergonomically designed pneumatic tool.  The tools provide maintenance professionals with an effective method of safely removing flexible epoxy gap materials from gaps and epoxy fillers from fasteners without damaging composite substructures and fasteners.

EnduroSharp® Torlon® Gap Filler Removal (GFR) Bits are available in a spiral single fluted, 1.70″ X 0.162″ configuration and shipped 10 parts per box.

The EnduroSharp® Torlon® Gap Filler Removal Bit is just one of the many different items offered in the EnduroSharp® Product line. Contact Rich Reed our Vice President of Sales and Marketing, at (513) 321-8404 or [email protected],  for more information on our EnduroSharp® kits and products.

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Performance Plastics – Experts in Extremely Tight Tolerance Custom Injection Molding

June 17, 2021  |  , , , , , , ,

For four decades, Performance Plastics has been delivering the highest quality custom plastic injection molding solutions in the industry for our customers. We take a highly specialized and consultative approach, working closely with our customers to develop the solutions needed to solve the most complicated issues.

We have the experience to take a project from concept to production in-house. Every step of the process, from design and engineering, to tooling, protype, and full production, is done under the supervision of our experienced team. We produce complex, tight tolerance custom molded products of all types for the aerospace, medical and diversified industrial sectors.

We are technical specialists in collaborating and executing advanced, custom solutions for our customers. Injection-molded product fabrication is a complex process, especially when dealing with parts that are the size of a pin.  Our process is comprehensive and efficient to ensure that custom solutions can be delivered quickly and cost-effectively. High performance materials include PFA, FEP, ETFE, PVDF, PEEK, ULTEM, and Torlon.

With the ability to injection mold shot sizes as small as .015 grams with a wall thicknesses as thin as .008 of inch, Performance Plastics is anything but typical.  We are one of the leaders in tight tolerance, highly detailed medical parts.

For more information on how Performance Plastics can solve your tight tolerance molding challenges, please contact Rich Reed, VP Sales & Marketing at 513.321.8404 or [email protected].

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Plastic Injection Molding vs 3D Printing

June 3, 2021  |  , , , , , ,

Choosing the best technology for your application

Plastic injection molding and 3D printing are both viable technologies. 3D printing has given engineers the power to create designs and bring them to life in a matter of hours. Injection molding, on the other hand, is the proven technology for complexity, quality, and value. It is used to produce high-volume runs of complex plastic designs quickly and reliably. They are complimentary processes.

The use of 3D printing in innovative and experimental scenarios is a viable technology for its ability to create custom plastic part designs quickly.  The medical industry has embraced the use of the quick-turn technology to create custom items such as prosthetics, dental products, orthopedics, implants and more.  3D printing is the optimal choice during the design process, when low volume and design changes are necessary in refining the design process. However, the 3D process limits your material choices, as all materials are not a fit or even available in a form suitable for 3D printing.

3D printing is best used for:

  • Quick turnaround times
  • Low volume, slower production speeds
  • Parts in the design phase with frequent changes – prototyping, lower product quality
  • Smaller part sizes

Once a design has been finalized, plastic injection molding becomes the optimal process.  Most of today’s plastic parts are manufactured using plastic injection molding – it’s best for producing large quantities quickly and reliably in high volume runs. You have greater material options with plastic injection molding, and you can control material weight, cost, flexibility with endless combinations of materials.  It helps organizations control the cost and integrity of designs with complexities and tight tolerances.

Plastic Injection molding is best used for:

  • High volume
  • Finalized part design
  • Enhanced strength and durability
  • Complex, precision, detailed parts

At Performance Plastics we have been presented with many opportunities that were previously manufactured using 3D printing, only to discover that injection molding was the more appropriate technology.  As experts in FEP, PFA, PAI (Torlon), Ryton PPS, PEEK and Ultem resins we frequently work with mission-critical applications.  We understand that 3D printing can be an essential component of the design process.  If you have a project that requires high volume (5,000+ parts per year), has high-temperature resin requirements, tight tolerance with complex geometries, plastic injection molding is your solution.

If you don’t have a lot of time, need a lot of flexibility, and need a few parts right now, 3D printing may be your choice.  But, if you need to do large, repetitive product runs with complex geometries, tight tolerances, with high quality, consider plastic injection molding.

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Performance Plastics – Experts in Molding High Performance Plastics – Torlon®

May 12, 2021  |  , , , , , ,

Performance Plastics specializes in precision injection molding of high-performance plastics. Our precise production process gives us the ability to injection mold difficult polymers, producing high quality thermoplastic products.

High performance plastic materials, such as PAI (Polyamidimide) Torlon®, possess ideal properties when it comes to molding for strength and durability. Recognized as one of the highest performing thermoplastic materials, Torlon® exhibits greater compressive strength and impact resistance than other high-performance plastics. Torlon’s high creep resistance and extremely low coefficient of linear thermal expansion (CLTE) provides excellent thermal stability. This provides for creating manufactured parts that exhibit high levels of tensile strength, friction wear, compression strength, and rigidity, ensuring exceptional mechanical loading capabilities up to 525°F (275°C).

At Performance Plastics, we are experts in injection molding, specializing in high performance plastics. High performance plastics, such as Torlon®, can be extremely difficult to injection mold due to the polymers unique structure. Torlon® is a reactive polymer, which can cause complications during the injection molding process. A specific set of conditions, equipment, and processing procedures must be followed to effectively injection mold Torlon®. Our proprietary tool design software, processes and equipment enables us to injection mold components having complex geometries made from challenging ultra, high-performance thermoplastic materials and reinforced compounds.

We utilize a unique combination of extensive material knowledge, mold flow analysis, a design system and process expertise to eliminate or minimize the need for secondary operations. Our expertise in process control allows us to effectively injection mold Torlon® in parts with extremely tight tolerances. This gives us the ability to provide you with an injection molded part made from the highest strength and stiffness of any commercial thermoplastic.

Torlon® is one of the many high performance polymers Performance Plastics offers.  For more information on Performance Plastic’s capabilities, please contact Rich Reed, our Vice President of Sales and Marketing at 513.321.8404 or email at [email protected].

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Product Spotlight – EnduroSharp Torlon Gap Blade & Holder Kit (Part 2)

May 5, 2021  |  , ,

EnduroSharp® has changed the way aerospace maintenance professionals remove sealants and adhesives from substrates and fasteners. EnduroSharp® tools are made from Torlon®, a high strength polymer, creating a non-metallic gap blade tool that will not damage composite structures during use. The EnduroSharp® lineup consists of a variety of scraper blades, gap blades, reamers, cutters, bits, and discs for removal of adhesives on aircrafts. The product line includes a variety of kits containing all the parts and sizes.

Gap blades are designed for use in smaller spaces where scraper blades are too large.  With a multi head edge, they are a quick, safe and effective method of removing gap materials, sealants and adhesives from composite structures.

The EnduroSharp® Gap Blade & Holder Kit is one of the most popular kits offered.

This Kit contains:

15 EnduroSharp® Torlon® Gap Blades – 1 each of EnduroSharp® part numbers:

TGB-75-75, TGB-75-16, TGB-75-25, TGB-10-75, TGB-10-16, TGB-10-25, TGB-12-75, TGB-12-16, TGB-12-25, TGB-17-75, TGB-17-16, TGB-17-25, TGB-23-75, TGB-23-16, and TGB-23-25), 1 each, “Pocket” Scraper Blade Holder (Part Number: ESSBH002), and 1 each, Standard Scraper Blade Holder (Part Number: ESHH003).  The blades slide and lock into the detent pin of the standard gap holder handle, to easily alternate between the sizes as needed.

The EnduroSharp® Gap & Holder kit is just one of the many kits offered in the EnduroSharp® Product line. Contact Rich Reed for our Vice President of Sales and Marketing, at (513) 321-8404 or [email protected], more information on our EnduroSharp® kits and products

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Overview of EnduroSharp™ Nonmetallic (Torlon®) Aircraft Maintenance Tools Presentation

April 13, 2021  |  , , ,
  • New Torlon(R) Nonmetallic Tools
  • Under contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials
    Integrity Branch (AFRL/RXSA), the University of Dayton Research
    Institute (UDRI) developed improved material removal tools & accessories
  • Transitioning developed tools to multiple weapons systems for material
    removal applications on composite components
  • Injection molded from Torlon® 5030 – Solvay’s polyamide-imide (PAI) resin
    30% glass reinforced plastic
  • Commercially available from Performance Plastics (Cincinnati, OH)
    • EnduroSharp™ trade name

Overview-of-EnduroSharp™-Nonmetallic-Torlon®-Aircraft-Maintenance-Tools-Presentation

 

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