Rhodia Engineering Plastics introduces a new polyamide 66 specifically designed to meet the demands of thermoplastic engine rocker covers

Brussels, June 8, 2004 – Rhodia Engineering Plastics today announced the launch of a new polyamide 66 grade offering a unique combination of thermal and mechanical properties along with good surface aspect and productivity gains that makes it an ideal choice for automotive engine rocker covers.

The development of this material was based on the experience gained in more than a decade of work commercializing polyamide engine rocker cover applications. Today, Rhodia boasts more than 30 different Technyl® polyamide rocker cover applications worldwide.

Excellent mechanical properties particularly fitting to rocker covers

Technyl® A 218 MZ15 V25 combines excellent stiffness and mechanical strength under heat with outstanding thermal ageing performance to address the demanding requirements of rocker covers and other under-the-hood applications.

Technyl® A 218 MZ15 V25 offers excellent mechanical properties at 150°C working temperature, especially stiffness and strength; characteristics critical to rocker cover performance. Also, this new material offers exceptional low-warpage due to the low and isotopic shrinkage behavior achieved through a well-balanced combination of mineral and glass fiber fillers.

In addition, due to the low thermal expansion behavior of Technyl® A 218 MZ15 V25 at elevated temperatures, molded components tested to 5000 hours exhibit low creep behavior, thus avoiding oil leakage.

Its good impact resistance, coupled with its dynamic behavior (fatigue, damping), and excellent welding properties, makes it a new offer that exceeds the performance of thermosets.

Typical for a polyamide matrix, Technyl® A 218 MZ15 V25 has a very high resistance to chemicals which also contributes to its good paintability.

Apart from these mechanical and physical properties, particularly fitting to rocker cover applications, Technyl® A 218 MZ15 V25 brings two significant improvements versus other standard polyamide grades: excellent surface aspect and processing productivity improvement.

Good Surface Aspect

The good surface aspect offered by Technyl® A 218 MZ15 V25 comes from both the inherent fluidity of the PA 66 matrix and specifically selected fillers. The coverage of the filler by the polymer is significant to creating a resin-rich surface, key for good surface aesthetics.

Productivity gains

Technyl® A218 MZ15 V25 has a melt flow index which is 28% higher than traditional grades used for rocker covers and the spiral flow exceeds previous grades by as much as 20%. Thus, the material processes more easily to accommodate large and complex part configurations. Higher flow also enables molders to use lower injection clamping force. These productivity enhancing characteristics translate directly to cost reduction since parts can be run on smaller presses with higher output.

Technyl® A 218 MZ15 V25 was tested in partnership with leading rocker cover manufacturers and consistently met or exceeded all customer requirements and specifications.

The new product can also open new innovation windows such as:

• Function integration (oil separation systems, pressure control valves, air filters and/or air intake manifolds)

• Direct assembling of ignition coils

• Fixation optimization without inserts

• Increased stiffness through gas or water injection molding technology

Rhodia’s long experience with engine rocker covers has allowed it to offer its customers a variety of analytical finite element modelling and simulation tools including finite element – mesh generation, static and dynamic structure analysis, NVH–acoustic, flow simulation and shrinkage, as well as warpage simulation.

Rhodia also offers post-production testing expertise for polyamide rocker cover applications that includes standard and proprietary tests in such areas as:

• Leakage

• Screw Release Torque

• Insert Pull-out Force

• Insert Torque Resistance

• Pressure Pulsation

• Heat Ageing

• Thermal Shock

• Resonance Measurement

• Fatigue Behavior

Access to Rhodia’s development tools and testi

Reader enquiries

Rhodia Engineering Plastics
Avenue Ramboz
F-69192 Saint-Fons Cedex
France

+33 4 72 89 27 53

christine.bourguignon@​eu.rhodia.com

www.rhodia-ep.com