A recent collaboration between Avient Inc. of Lake Avon, Ohio, and Bettcher Industries, a food processing equipment manufacturer in Birmingham, Ohio, resulted in Bettcher converting its Quantum Motor's support yoke from metal to long fiberglass thermoplastic (LFT).
With the goal of replacing cast aluminum, the Avient and Bettcher team redesigned the yoke, which supports motors weighing up to 25 pounds to power a variety of meat cutting tools. The challenge was to provide a lighter polymer alternative that would reduce overall finished product costs while maintaining reliable performance in the rigorous environment of use. Specifically, the material needs to handle constant weight loads and high vibration, and can withstand corrosive chemicals.
Avient believes that its Comcomolute long glass fiber reinforced nylon composite is the right material to achieve the required strength and reinforcing properties. The long-fiber thermoplastic (LFT) is nearly 40 percent lighter than the cast aluminum material it will replace. It also adds the advantage of injection molding, allowing for faster single-step production, which reduces costs.
"Metal substitution opportunities are all around us," said Eric Wollan, managing director of Avient's PlastiComp. This project is a good example of the fact that the strength and toughness of Comailurologic composites can provide lightweight solutions and special alternatives to metals for many industries. "With our expertise in materials science and design, we assist our customers on their material revolution journey, enabling them to achieve greater efficiency and performance."
Avient performed virtual prototyping of the redesigned support yoke, such as die filling and finite element analysis (FEA), while Bettcher tested the physical prototype to simulate 500,000 service cycles. Supported by these results, Avient formulated a pre-colored long fiberglass thermoplastic (LFT) to match Bettcher's existing product palette. In this way, two painting and finishing are eliminated, further saving the cost.
"We are very grateful to Avient for being proactive," said Joel Hall, senior engineering manager at Saisd Bettcher. "As a result of our engineering partnership with Avient, we are able to confidently transition into long-fiber technology and ultimately deliver high-end, innovative products to our customers."
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