Working closely together with engineers and technicians along the supply-chain, the leading global PAEK-based solutions provider, Victrex, significantly contributes to speeding up manufacturing processes and lowering energy consumption with components that are up to 60% lighter than metal.
In addition, durable, strong VICTREX® PEEK parts help to extend total lifetime and service intervals in a broad range of industries. During JEC Europe in Paris from March 10-12, Victrex (Hall 7.2, Stand F41) will focus on delivering its cutting-edge solutions to the aerospace and energy sectors including the new Victrex hybrid molding technology enabling an unmatched combination of strength and design flexibility in aerospace components.
The newly-developed hybrid molding technique from Victrex represents an important part of the company´s JEC stand this year.
“Our game-changing technology opens up endless design possibilities. Not only are we able to offer a solution with unique performance characteristics, we are able to partner with customers to design by analysis and to move from concept to commercialization much faster,” said Tim Herr, Aerospace Strategic Business Unit Director for Victrex in the run-up to the show.
Designing by analysis establishes a framework where the latest modelling software is used to design a part to specific requirements. A prototype is built and the performance of the model is validated in a lab setting.
“By proving the value of this process using our extensive PAEK polymer knowledge, we are now able to expedite future part designs,” stated Herr.
Within the aerospace sector, escalating aircraft backlogs have airframers searching for solutions that can improve efficiency along the entire supply chain as a means to reducing total system costs.
Composites for aerospace: more flexible designs – less production and assembly time
The performance demands of aerospace components continue to push the limits of current metal and thermoset materials. With the launch of its hybrid molding technology, Victrex´s solution allows engineers to combine the strength of VICTREX PAEK-based continuously-reinforced composites with the design flexibility of VICTREX PEEK injection molding solutions.
This overmolding process enables the production of a part in minutes compared to the hours it could take for a metal or thermoset equivalent. In addition, achieving high specific strength with up to 60% weight savings as well as consolidating parts to create an elegant, highly-functional component, helps to reduce aircraft manufacturing time and weight.
Energy industry: Pushing the boundaries for future performance in extreme environments
The oil and gas sector, Victrex´s second focus during JEC, have a few things in common with aerospace - most importantly mitigating risks and the development of durable cost-effective solutions.
“To push the boundaries of downhole tool performance to new levels, Victrex invests in an ongoing and rigorous test regimens to assure that our solutions perform in the most extreme HPHT environments,” said Tom Swanson, Energy Strategic Business Unit Director at Victrex.
Victrex is heavily involved with standards committees such as NORSOK, ISO, and API in order to develop a comprehensive protocol for the lifetime prediction of high performance polymers.
Swanson also states:
“Victrex solutions have been used in more than 75 million sealing systems today. We are the only PAEK solutions provider able to offer 35 years of expertise and a vast portfolio of products to meet the ever-changing demands of downhole environments.”
Productivity is of the utmost importance in the oil and gas industry with tool failures costing $100,000 on average. One further challenge the industry faces is that unconventional reserves are forcing Exploration and Production (E&P) companies to expose valuable equipment to high pressures as well as corrosive fluids and gases across an extreme temperature range.
Victrex has a broad portfolio of solutions used in demanding applications in a variety of industries, from technologies with years of proven performance to new, innovative techniques such as hybrid molding. To learn more, please visit our booth (Hall 7.2, Stand F41) at the JEC Europe show in Paris, France on March 10-12, 2015 or visit www.victrex.com. For more information on the new hybrid molding technology, please visit www.victrex.com/hybrid-molding.