PEEK manufacturer Victrex has assisted high performance injection moulding specialist Performance Plastics (PPL) to improve the performance of poppet valves, deployed in hydraulic and pneumatic compressors, by substituting the metal originals.
Victrex Peek's combination of properties, including temperature performance, chemical resistance, friction and wear performance, as well as impact resistance made it a highly cost-effective system for improving the performance of PPL's poppet valves.The polymer enables operation in high and low pressure applications, improves impact resistance, maintains strength, reduces weight and allows for greater design flexibility. One of the benefits using Victrex Peek is that it allows the valves to operate in high and low pressure applications. It increases the number of applications in which their valves and compressors can be used. One of the reasons why valves fail are the fissures brought on by repeated impact pressure. 'Victrex Peek polymer has superior impact resistance,' said Joe Simmons, sales engineer at PPL. 'We have had applications where Victrex Peek has passed up to 20 million impact cycles.' Metal poppets have always posed a number of challenges. They can be difficult and costly to machine and the sealing surface can be inconsistent due to difficulties in machining defect-free seat surfaces. 'Because Victrex Peek is compliant and can conform to the mating seat surface, it provides better sealing performance and less leakage than metal poppets in many applications. It also offers excellent wear resistance and improves wear conditions on the mating seat surface. Wear and damage to the mating seat surface is an important issue with metal poppets, ' said Simmons.
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