Plastics offer an excellent alternative to traditional materials and are therefore becoming increasingly popular in a wide range of industries. Nylon is one such material. It's lightweight, durable, and has excellent mechanical properties. It also significantly reduces noise and is available in a variety of grades.
Here are 4 industrial applications where nylon is a valuable asset.
The agricultural sector
Increasing workloads have led farmers to rely more heavily on automation for certain daily tasks. In addition to reducing labour costs, automation also significantly minimizes energy costs. From feeding robots to rotary milking parlours, the scope of innovation in this area is constantly expanding. As this type of equipment is subject to wear, it should be equipped with high-performance wear parts.
Rollers for rotary milking parlours
The technology behind rotary milking parlours allows farmers to milk multiple cows simultaneously. These carousel systems rotate on a series of rollers made of natural nylon, which possesses excellent mechanical and wear-resistant properties. Compared to some materials, such as UHMW, cast nylon offers a longer service life for parts in continuous use, primarily because it’s more resistant to compression, shock, and wear. With the increased emphasis on maximizing equipment in the agricultural sector, natural cast nylon is a material of choice for this industry.
Natural nylon is also available in a variety of formats, including rods, discs, rings, and bars.
| REPLACES MATERIALS |
PARTS | BENEFITS |
| N.A. | Bearings, bushings, gears, pulleys, seals, sprockets, wear pads, wear plates. | Easily machinable, good wear resistance, and high tensile strength. |
The oil industry
Focused primarily on the discovery, exploitation, transportation, refining, and commercialization of oil, this industry operates a variety of equipment, including oil pumps, on a daily basis.
Oil pump cylinders
Oil extractors contain a number of machined parts, including cylinders. These are often continuously exposed to hydrocarbons, sunlight, and a variety of potentially complex soil conditions. This constant exposure causes rust to form on the cylinder's contact surfaces while minimizing lubrication. Poorly lubricated metal cylinders have limited capacity, which directly affects the flow of motion. NYLOIL® is the ideal material for these conditions.
Thanks to its durability and self-lubricating properties, NYLOIL® is widely recognized as a superior bearing material for oil pump cylinder equipment. Unlike bronze, NYLOIL® performs exceptionally well even after extended periods of inactivity. Finally, nylon also offers a significant cost advantage over some metals.
| REPLACES MATERIALS |
PARTS | BENEFITS |
| Bronze | Bearings, bushings, gears, sprockets, seals, start wheels, valve seats, wear pads, wear plates. | Low coefficient of friction, self-lubrication, and optimal dimensional stability. |
The maritime industry
The maritime industry is in constant evolution. While there are several types of materials used in this industry, nylon is the preferred material for the manufacture of davits.
Davits
Bronze, steel, and aluminum are some of the most commonly used metals in the manufacture of bearing and wear surfaces for slewing and telescoping motions on boat cranes. These metals are exposed to many corrosive elements when on water, accelerating the development of rust on the equipment. NYLOIL® is the material of choice for this type of application as it’s a high-performance material with a proven track record for bearing and wear components. This nylon provides the ideal load-carrying capacity in corrosive and demanding environments. It's an excellent alternative to metals, which are typically more expensive and heavier than NYLOIL®.
NYLOIL® is characterized by its green colour.
| REPLACES MATERIALS |
PARTS | BENEFITS |
| Bronze, steel, aluminum | Bearings, bushings, gears, sprockets, seals, start wheels, valve seats, wear pads, wear plates. | Good wear resistance, low moisture absorption. |
The automotive industry
Unsurprisingly, the most common materials used in the automotive industry are metals. Manufacturers typically use lubricated steel or bronze to produce wear pads for lift booms and hydraulic lifting legs. Although metal bearing surfaces are stable, they require more maintenance as they need constant lubrication to prevent premature wear.
Wear plates for tow trucks
NYCAST® 6PA MoS2 is the material of choice for this type of application. MoS2 is designed to offer superior wear resistance. It's also known for its strong lifting properties, self-lubrication, and high resistance to compression and deformation. This plastic is highly durable and continues to perform well over long periods of time. It's used in the lifting mechanisms of tow trucks and certain transportation equipment, among others.
NYCAST® 6PA MoS2 is available in black and offered in both cast and extruded rods.
| REPLACES MATERIALS |
PARTS | BENEFITS |
| Lubricated Steel, Bronze, or UHMW-PE | Bearings, gears, pulleys, sheaves, sprockets, thrust washers, valve seats, wear pads, wear plates, wear shoes. | Sliding properties, good compressive strength. |
In short
The remarkable properties of nylon meet the diverse needs of most industrial sectors. Increasingly used as a substitute for metals, it's therefore an excellent solution that contributes to the durability of a product and to the reduction of overall operating costs of industrial machinery.
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