Materials: The Science Behind Resins

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Constant heat. Bitter cold. Prolonged UV exposure. Chemicals. Movement. Impact. For every application affected by environmental factors, we’ve developed fasteners using resins specially formulated to do the job – and then some. Part design is only part of the story. At HellermannTyton, materials science is heavily responsible for our esteemed position in the industry.

Customers know us as materials experts, a reputation we build upon with every opportunity.

Where we start

Materials - HellermannTytonThere are over 80,000 commercially available grades of plastic resin. Off-the-shelf materials are fine for some applications, and certainly some fastener manufacturers. But they don’t always lead to best-in-class solutions.

HellermannTyton scientists and engineers collaborate with material developers to explore the possibilities. We consider the intended purpose and environments, balancing the highest potential performance gains with return on value.

Proof happens between the lab and real-world tests – not on the computer

Every good molder uses flow analysis technology to predict results. And everyone who interprets the output relies on the same data.

Are the results valid? As we’ve come to discover, they are not.

One calculation of interest is the shear rate. Polymers rely on shear to melt and flow well. What is shear? Imagine spreading peanut butter on untoasted bread. Spreading the peanut butter slowly will leave the bread intact, whereas spreading it quickly will likely tear a hole in the bread.

Overshearing the resin can lead to degradation; undershearing can affect part quality and throughput. For many years, the industry has relied on the same data to evaluate shear rates. Manufacturers have designed parts and molds around these numbers.

Material Evaluation - HellermannTytonBut at HellermannTyton, we have developed real-world tests to fully understand the customized resins we use. The evaluation process evolves from the lab to the press as we watch the first batch leave the mold. Specialized materials require close scrutiny and may involve tweaks, but the resulting parts are why customers know us as materials experts.

So, at HellermannTyton, we don’t accept the industry’s typical method as a final conclusion toward a part’s performance.

We still believe in the basics, too

Materials - HellermannTytonNot every application demands advanced materials. We fulfill everyday needs with extraordinary solutions that deliver greater value than average, off-the-shelf parts.

Our goal is always to outperform any other choice on the market. Material leadership is one reason HellermannTyton will never be just another parts maker.

Learn more about our materials, click here.


About HellermannTyton

HellermannTyton is a global manufacturer of cable management and identification solutions for automotive, solar, electrical, construction, industrial automation, broadband and other OEM markets. The company's integrated approach to product design, sustainability, production, quality assurance and delivery is optimized to benefit local and global customers. HellermannTyton operates in 39 countries, with North American headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (www.hellermann.tyton.com).