New Whitepaper Technology and Testing

Download the Whitepaper

The free of charge whitepaper, is available in the Trelleborg Sealing Solutions Technical Library, together with a collection of webinars, whitepapers and technical articles covering various topics in the world of seals and sealing technology.

>> Download the whitepaper Aerospace Composite Solutions

Reid Hislop, Product Manager for the Trelleborg Sealing Solution composites facility in Albany, New York, in the US, says: “As manufacturers focus on the development of next generation helicopters, they are looking to new technology, materials, and designs to meet their aim for a helicopter that is faster with a longer range and better payload. They also want greater reliability, easier maintenance and operation, lower operating costs, and a reduced logistics footprint. Advanced composite materials are essential for the light weighting needed to achieve these goals.

“Thermoplastic composites that are In-Situ Consolidated (ISC) offer significant advantages over other composite methodologies for dynamic components. Their high levels of damage tolerance have made their application to drive shafts a reality.” 

Prove Performance of Thermoplastic Composites

Trelleborg Sealing Solutions undertook research and development to prove thermoplastic composites in the driveshaft application. The results were overwhelmingly positive, with them providing superior impact tolerance and durability. In particular, weight savings over aluminum tubes were up to 33%. 

In addition, tests demonstrate the ability to tailor shaft properties for a balanced structural design with shaft frequency. This provides the ultimate successful operation of a tailored drive shaft in a dynamic environment.

The success of the program and previous research has laid the groundwork for Carbon Fiber/ PEEK and its derivatives to be considered in numerous air and ground vehicle applications, both static and dynamic, offering advances in performance at lower weights than given by traditional materials.

>> Download the whitepaper Aerospace Composite Solutions

>> Find out more about advanced composites for aerospace
>> Contact us to discuss composites for your aerospace application