Minnesota Rubber
and Plastics' thrust
rings act as rotating planetary carriers for helical shaped ring gears in
transmission assemblies. When precision molded of a high performance PEEK
formulation by MR&P, they incur less heat and surface abrasion resulting in
longer operating life than the aluminum components which they replace.
Their
material formulation included PEEK (Polyetheretherketone) providing high
temperature resistance (400 - 450F), carbon fiber providing high wear
resistance and PTFE for reduced friction. The manufacturer says in addition to
proving to be more durable over time, the MR&P design was 50 percent
lighter and cost significantly less than the aluminum thrust rings.
Important
assembly benefits were accomplished with the new MR&P thrust ring design. The
previous aluminum component design had two locating holes requiring tedious
riveting and assembly. Accurate alignment was required to avoid wasted
components and potential performance issues. The new MR&P design eliminated
the locating holes and added self-aligning features for easy and fast press-fit
assembly. Scrapped parts thus were eliminated.
