22 Oct 2002
Edlan Elekem develops new process for Manufacturing tubes in Victrex® PEEK™ polymer
Edlan Elekem Ltd, the UK-based specialist in the fabrication of PTFE components, is developing a novel process for the manufacturing of tubes in Victrex® PEEK™ polymer. The process, which is proprietary to Edlan Elekem, is particularly suited to the range of high temperature performance Victrex® PEEK™ polymer materials in combination with a broad cross section of reinforcements and fillers.
Edlan Elekem’s new process, which is more flexible than compression moulding, provides for tubes with outside diameters of 36 mm to 280 mm at wall thicknesses of 3mm to 15mm and lengths of 90 mm to 500 mm. The tubes, which have inherently low built-in stress, can subsequently be machined into seals and back-up rings for applications in industries for which the performance criteria include high temperature, wear, abrasion and chemical resistance, such as oil exploration and production. Other applications currently envisaged are machined valve seats.
Successes with the process include tubes manufactured in standard Victrex® PEEK™ polymer as well as tubes incorporating glass fibre and carbon fibre reinforcements, and PTFE/graphite filler. The ability to incorporate custom filler systems will enable the tailoring of properties to meet specific application needs. Initial tests have shown that the unreinforced tubes have similar properties to an injection moulded or extruded tube.
Although still in the development phase these tubes will shortly be available as one-off semi-finished products or in production runs to satisfy application requirements. To find out more about Edlan Elekem please visit: www.elekem.com
Reader enquiries
Helen SwarbrickVictrex plc
Victrex Technology Centre
Hillhouse International
Thornton Cleveleys
Lancashire FY5 4QD
United Kingdom
Tel +44 1253 897700
Fax +44 1253 897701
United Kingdom
Notes for editors
Victrex plc, which has its sales, technical and production headquarters at Thornton Cleveleys in Lancashire, UK, had a turnover of more than £59m in the last financial year. The company exports 97 percent of its Victrex® PEEK™ polymer output to OEMs in the automotive, industrial, medical, food and electronics market sectors in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific.
Information on products, technical support services and sales and distribution contacts worldwide, can be accessed through the company’s web site: www.victrex.com
The PEEK™ Trademark
For many years Victrex plc has been using the PEEK™ trademark to refer to its brand of Polyaryletherketone. Victrex plc is the sole manufacturer and supplier of the Victrex® PEEK™ brand polymer world-wide. PEEK™ is a trademark of Victrex plc.
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Edlan Elekem develops new process for manufacturing tubes in Victrex® PEEK™ polymer