Material solutions for machinery and plant construction
Reliability under maximum loads
High demands are placed on machine elements. When in service, they must function absolutely reliably for the longest possible time. Production loss due to maintenance work should be minimized as far as possible. Consequently, the materials used must have a large number of properties. One demand, for example, might call for good slip characteristics, low wear and high heat resistance all combined with high strength.
Multifunctional materials
LUVOCOM® high-performance compounds offer many advantages over traditional materials such as metals. Carbon-fibre reinforced LUVOCOM® high-performance compounds combine low weight with good mechanical properties such as strength and rigidity. Lubricant-modified compounds reduce wear and guarantee better slippage. Thermally conductive and electrically conductive compounds dissipate heat and electrostatic charges and thus help to ensure greater safety and better performance. Detectable compounds raise safety in food production and avoid damage – for the consumer as well. Coating powders protect components against corrosion and wear. Via selective laser sintering and semi-finished goods, it is also possible to create unusual shapes and produce both small and large series.
LUVOCOM® XCF compounds – highly strong, stiff and tough
The LUVOCOM® XCF product family offers carbon-fibre reinforced compounds for increased requirements. Machine components subjected to a high dynamic load require a low weight combined with good mechanical strength and a high degree of rigidity. LUVOCOM® XCF compounds impress with tensile strengths of up to 530 MPa, elastic moduli of up to 52 GPa, high impact strength and elevated thermal conductivity.
Benefits of XCF compounds for engineering:
- Exceptional mechanical properties
- Easy processing
- Reduction of costs and component weight compared to metal and composites
Cost benefit from injection moulding and 3D printing
Wherever tensile strength, dimensional accuracy and impact resistance are demanded, injection-moulded components with LUVOCOM® compounds represent an excellent alternative to metals. They give the design engineers a chance to deploy lighter and generally more economical parts. Typical applications are fast-moving components in the construction of machinery and apparatus – for example thread carriers, pump impellers, gear wheels, cams and connecting rods. Our materials have also proven their worth as an alternative to aluminium in the fabrication of casings.
In addition to classical injection moulding, 3D printing has also established itself as a production method for volume components. In terms of quality, selective laser sintering offers the best opportunities in this field. We offer proven solutions for this technique with our materials in the LUVOSINT® product series.
Running smoothly
Machine parts such as friction bearings, sliders and gear wheels are generally subject to high tribological requirements, which modified plastics are often able to meet. The materials used here are mainly compounds with incorporated lubrication. By adding lubricants and reinforcing materials such as PTFE, graphite, nanoadditives, carbon fibres and aramid, we selectively improve the tribological properties of thermoplastics. Tribologically adjusted LUVOCOM® compounds have deposits of lubricant, thus eliminating the need for the expensive and time-consuming work of additional surface lubrication.
Another advantage is that the components and assemblies remain clean and their reliability is significantly improved. These materials also offer outstanding oxidation and corrosion resistance to aqueous solutions, acids and bases which would have a decomposing effect on metal.
Your personal contact
Thomas Collet
Director 3D Printing Materials & Marketing
Phone: +49 40 44197 412
thomas.collet@lehvoss.de
