Amalga composite as an alternative to metal
Amalga composite
Textbook definition:
A composite material is a macroscopic combination of two or more distinct materials, having a recognizable interface between them.
Practical definition:
A versatile solution to today’s design problems.
Amalga Composites offers a variety of light weight and high strength structures that can solve your design challenges. A wide variety of properties can be achieved through proper selection of fibre type, fibre orientation and resin matrix of the composite structure required for your application.
Strong and stiff fibres carry the load imposed on the composite while the resin matrix distributes the load across the fibres.
Resin matrix:
Amalga Composites has the technical background and experience to engineer a variety of resin systems for filament wound thermo set plastics.
The proven composite structures described on this page have been fabricated with anhydride cured epoxy systems. Anhydride cured epoxy systems offer the following advantages: high strength/stiffness properties, low shrinkage, excellent corrosion resistance, and impact and abrasion resistance.
Fibre types:
In the composite industry, over 90% of all fibres used are glass. Electrical or E-glass is the commonly used and economical glass fibre while structural or S-type glass has slightly high strength and corrosion resistance.
Advanced fibres such as carbon and Kevlar exhibit high tensile strengths and stiffness than glass fibres. Due to the high costs of these fibres, they are typically reserved for applications demanding exceptional performance.
Fibre Orientation is the basis of fibre architecture of the composite structure. Orientation refers to the fibre direction in the laminate typically near parallel (15°) to circumferential (85°) to the centreline of the part.
Combining various fibre orientations with the available resins and fibre types creates a wide range of structural properties that can be manufactured by Amalga Composites.
Based on over forty years of successful product development, Amalga offers standard laminate constructions for the common applications. Custom design of laminates incorporating complex fibre orientation, hybrid fibres, and exotic resins are avail-able for your demanding applications.
Precision inside diameter without the expense or delays of honing operations. Precision tooling developed and maintained by Amalga Composites is a critical element in providing the close tolerance pressure tubing you demand. Cylinder tubing offered by Amalga Composites has the following inside diameter characteristics that improve piston performance. The table provides geometric characteristics and tolerances for the range of diameters available.
Outside diameter grinding:
Amalga Composites uses centre less grinding as the standard OD finishing process. The table provides tolerances for the range of diameters available and the process features.
75% Reduction in Weight-Black Amalgon reduces material handling and shipping costs. Approximately 1/4 the weight of steel or brass and 3/4 the weight of aluminium, BA is much easier to handle than traditional metal tubing. Assembly times are reduced and stress loads on connected component parts are decreased.
Superior corrosion resistance-Trouble-free performance in chemical, high moisture and other adverse environments including salt and chlorinated water which results in significant reduction in life cycle costs.
Reduced maintenance costs-No piston lock-up. BA’s manufacturing process ensures a smooth self-lubricating inside surface that prevents pistons from sticking, even after they have remained idle for months.
Ongoing tests conducted on non lubricated cylinders resulted in cycles of greater than a million strokes without requiring seal replacement.
Storage Capacity-Amalga can stock products to meet your JIT, MRP, or KAN BAN requirements.
Eliminate Honing Costs-A surface smoother than honed steel without the costs of honing. A 5-15 Ra micro-inch surface finish performs just like a honed surface.
Shape stability and impact resistance-Ship, store and cut BA, it will retain its circular shape. Unlike metals, the product does not dent. Material impact strength is 5.53 lzod kg-m.
Excellent thermal stability - With a low coefficient of thermal expansion, BA operates efficiently up to 135 °C and customers have reported success in using our product at temperatures below -184 °C.
Non-magnetic material-Permits magnetic sensors to control piston movement directly through the wall thickness.
ACRODYNE stocks varying internal diameters from 50mm to 300mm and 1” to 20”.
30-Aug-2007