THIN SECTION EXTRUDED NYLON & ACETAL APPLICATIONS: STILL GROWING AFTER ALL THESE YEARS
When Nylon 6/6 was introduced in the late 1930s, followed by Acetal Circa 1960, it would have been nearly impossible to foresee the revolutionary effect these two workhorse industrial plastics would have and the myriad of industrial, mechanical, appliance, automotive, aircraft and commercial applications which followed.

Nylon materials provided toughness, excellent bearing and wear properties, relatively high service temperatures, chemical resistance, weight and noise reduction, and little if any, need for lubrication. Acetal materials provided these benefits and more -- particularly for bearing and wear applications in wet environments.

Almost from the beginning, pioneer manufacturers began extruding and fabricating Nylon and Acetal into thin section sheets, strips, washers and punched parts. Nylon and Acetal soon became the materials of choice in the replacement of metals in thousands of traditional applications.

As Nylon and Acetal continued to gain wide acceptance, new applications were made possible by the introduction -- by the leading "raw material" producers -- of a series of improved or specialized material formulations. Nylon and Acetal materials became available in a wide range of glass filled, heat stabilized, wear resistant, low moisture, higher impact, and many other enhanced formulations.

According to Penn Fibre, the addition of these specialized formulations is just one reason for Nylon and Acetal's continued popularity and growth in today's ever-changing marketplace.

Today, the range of applications for basic and specialty Nylon and Acetal thin section products remains as wide as ever. A small random sampling of industries and/or applications includes: Cams, cam followers, spacers, shims, washers, gaskets, gears, guides, slideways, orthotic components, and yes, Duck Call Components! Automotive applications include components for: dashboards, seating and tracking, headlights, taillights, and controls. Appliances from hand tools, refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, televisions, stereos, and copiers to telephones and fax machines. Aircraft applications include: seating components, controls and instrumentation. General applications include: marine, off highway, farm equipment, sports equipment, fishing reels, covers for pick up trucks, m.r.o., process industries, pharmaceutical equipment, and thousands more!

So, whether it's heavy shapes or thin section parts - the next time someone tells you that Nylon and Acetal are over the hill, you might remind them how nice it will be if we are all as strong and dynamic when we turn 60!

Dave Pincin is the National Sales Manager for Penn Fibre & Specialty Co., Inc., manfacturers of a wide range of Polyolefin, Engineering Grade, and specialty plastics.

For more information, contact Dave Pincin, Penn Fibre & Specialty Co., Inc., 401 Commerce Dr., Ft. Washington, PA 19034, 800-662-7366, 215-793-9200, FAX 215-793-0700.