Oystertec plc uses Stanyl^® TW200f8 for the locking parts of new automotive high-pressure quick-connect

Oystertec Plc (York, UK) is using DSM Engineering Plastics’ STANYL® TW200F8 40% glass-reinforced, heat-stabilized Polyamide 46 for the locking components of its new Oystertec High Pressure Quick Connects for automotive applications. STANYL® TW200F8 was selected for its high-temperature properties, low creep, high strength, flexibility, good chemical resistance and ease of processing. The Oystertec product is designed for easy assembly without any tools. The Quick Connect system can be used for both low- and high-pressure industrial and hydraulic fluid fittings, as well.

The Oystertec Quick Connect system features a metal female fitting (either direct to port or via an adapter) with machined internal sealing surfaces and retaining flange; fluid tubing with O-ring and collar; STANYL® retaining ring with six locking fingers; and STANYL® locking collar. Assembly requires only that the tubing be inserted into the fitting, the retaining ring brought down, and the locking collar snapped into place. Assembly time is far less than for conventional threaded fittings, which require care in starting the threads, initial torque of flange nuts, and final torque to achieve a reliable seal. Field service of the Oystertec system is likewise far less time-consuming, and far less likely to result in damaged fittings on disassembly than older, competitive threaded designs.

“We worked with STANYL® as a material of choice almost from the beginning, “said Richard Colegate, Oystertec’s Product Development manager for the Quick Connect product line. “We evaluated another reinforced PA and a PPA [polyphthalamide], but STANYL®’s extremely good mechanical properties and thermal capabilities were paramount to our product and its applications. The availability and expertise of our DSM technical advisor also played a part in our decision.”

“Oystertec’s advanced engineering is part and parcel of the thermoplastics world that we seek out,” said John Tulip, [UK Product Sales Manager Stanyl]. “We find that creative new applications like Oystertec’s add a great deal to the potential of STANYL®, just as STANYL adds to the performance of their products.”

STANYL® TW200F8 withstands up to 290 °C (554 °F) under load without deformation and provides tensile modulus up to 13,000 MPa, critical qualities for the Oystertec quick-connect in automotive applications, where there is rapid cycling of pressures and temperatures. STANYL® combines high stiffness and a high resistance to creep, fatigue and vibration. In addition, the moldability of STANYL TW200F8 enables the forming of the high-detail locking fingers and ridges on the retaining ring that could be problematic with other high-strength resins.

Typical automotive applications of the Oystertec Quick Connect include braking systems, air-conditioning systems, power steering, turbocharger lines, and transmission and engine cooling. The system, which withstands pressures up to 250 bar (3626 psi), has been approved by several automotive manufacturers for power steering applications and air-conditioning systems, and brake application testing and validation is well under way.

STANYL® is a family of heat-resistant polyamides from DSM Engineering Plastics. STANYL®’s high crystallinity (70% versus 50% for conventional PA66) results in high heat distortion temperatures of 190 °C for unreinforced grades, up to 290 °C for reinforced. STANYL® grades are used in automotive clutch plates, charge air coolers, chain tensioners; electrical components including motor frames and end laminates, circuit breakers, controls and connectors; and home and power tool components, including heat shields and heat-resistant utensils.

Reader enquiries