Coatresa shock absorber piston coatings win a top prize for innovation with Du Pont Teflon

Citation

(2000), "Coatresa shock absorber piston coatings win a top prize for innovation with Du Pont Teflon", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 52 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/ilt.2000.01852fab.001

Coatresa shock absorber piston coatings win a top prize for innovation with Du Pont Teflon

Coatresa shock absorber piston coatings win a top prize for innovation with Du Pont Teflon

Keywords: Du Pont, Coatings

Innovative applications of Du Pont Teflon fluoropolymer resins from around the world won recognition at an awards ceremony held last month at the Greenbrier Resort, White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, USA. The ceremony honoured winners of the Du Pont Plunkett Awards 2000 competition in the Europe-Africa, Americas and Asia-Pacific regions.

"This year's Award winners and entries again demonstrate the enduring value of Teflon, and its versatility in so many different applications," said Klaus Kimpel, director Europe for Du Pont Fluoroproducts.

First prize in the Europe-Africa region went to Coatresa S.L., of Barcelona, Spain, for developing a process to apply a 25 micrometer layer of Teflon PTFE to pistons in automobile shock absorbers, reducing engineering tolerances and friction, cutting oil seepage, and significantly extending the service life and safety of these vital automotive suspension units (see Plate 1). The patented coating technology, which has been extensively adopted in the automotive industry, achieves precision tolerances of only 30 micrometers between piston and cylinder, compared to 1-2 mm of conventional sleeve methods.

Plate 1 This year's award winners demonstrate the enduring value of Teflon, its versatility in so many different applications

A revolutionary polymeric and fluoropolymer-based rear silencer exhaust system for automobiles, that creates less noise, offers significant weight and space savings, and produces lower heat reflection compared with standard steel exhaust systems, won second prize in the Europe-Africa region for Poly-Zhaust (Pty) Ltd, of Germiston, Republic of South Africa. The company chose Teflon PTFE for the bushings between the stainless steel exhaust pipe and polymeric silencer shell because of its noise and heat absorbing qualities, and non-ageing durability (see Plate 2).

Plate 2 This year's award winners demonstrate the enduring value of Teflon, its versatility in so many different applications

Holscot Industrial Linings Ltd, of Grantham, UK, won third prize in the Europe-Africa region for a new type of fuel tank that relies on 100 per cent Teflon FEP to contain aggressive liquid rocket fuels in a very light thin-wall membrane over extended periods without permeation, as a replacement for heavier systems using alloys (see Plate 3). The novel fuel tanks are being used for satellite launch rockets and missile systems in Europe and the USA, and have significant potential in other demanding applications such as the aircraft industry and in chemical processing.

Plate 3 This year's award winners demonstrate the enduring value of Teflon, its versatility in so many different applications

First prize in the Americas region went to Entegris, Inc., Chaska, MN, USA, for non-metallic fluid-handling components for pharmaceutical processes with all wetted surfaces moulded from Du Pont Teflon PFA HP fluoropolymer resin. In another pharmaceutical manufacturing innovation, STA-PURE tubing for peristaltic pumps reinforced with an expanded membrane of Teflon PTFE fluoropolymer resin that offer higher pressure ratings and longer service than conventional rubber tubing, won second prize for W.L. Gore and Associates, Inc., Elkton, MD, USA. Third place honours were won by Lumenyte International Corp. Irvine, CA, USA, for its Lumenyte LEF linear emitting optical fibre clad with Teflon FEP that puts illumination right where it is wanted in display cases, signs, and other areas.

For the Asia Pacific region, liquid-level sensor bodies of Teflon PFA HP won first prize for Nissei Denki Co. Ltd, Hamamatsu City, Japan. Second place went to Heliro Pty Ltd, Warriewood, Australia, for lenses of Teflon FEP for underwater lamps. A fitting of Teflon PFA HP for high-purity chemical transfer systems took third place for Nippon Pillar Packing Co. Ltd, Osaka, Japan.

The winners of the Du Pont Plunkett Awards 2000 were chosen from entries covering a wide range of applications, including aerospace, automotive, chemical processing and electronics. Entries were required to have been in commercial service no more than five years prior to entry. Winners in each of the three global regions received US$5,000 for first place, US$3,000 for second place or US$1,500 for third place.

Judges for the competition were Robert Leaversuch, executive editor of Modern Plastics Magazine; Carry Lambert, a freelance rubber and plastics industry journalist from Switzerland; Xina Quan, head of photonics packaging research, Lucent Technologies, and Herbert Eleuterio, visiting professor, National University of Singapore. They made their selections based on degree of innovation, breadth of application and commercial significance.

This year's competition is the seventh of the Du Pont Plunkett Awards programme. They were established in 1988 in honour of the 50th anniversary of the discovery of Teflon PTFE fluoropolymer resin by Dr Roy J. Plunkett, a Du Pont scientist.

Du Pont is a science company, delivering science-based solutions that make a difference in people's lives in food and nutrition; health care; apparel; home and construction; electronics; and transportation. Founded in 1802, the company operates in 65 countries and has 94,000 employees.

For more information contact Andrew Wilkins, Du Pont (UK) Limited, Wedgwood Way, Stevenage, Herts SG1 4QN, UK. Tel: +44 1438 734835; Fax: +44 1438 734550; Email: andrew.wilkins@gbr.dupont.corn; Web site: www.dupont.com/teflon