Tool maker Performance Plastics Ltd has reportedly chosen Solvay’s Torlon polyamide-imide (PAI) material to make its line of EnduroSharp scraper blades. The blades are designed to remove tough materials from delicate fiber-reinforced composite surfaces, and are molded from Torlon 5030, a 30% glass fiber reinforced resin.
‘The task of removing gap materials, sealants and adhesives from aircraft surfaces once forced maintenance technicians to choose between potentially harmful metal blades and polymer tools that could not hold their edge for long,’ said Rich Reed, vice president at Performance Plastics. ‘The unique properties of Solvay’s Torlon PAI balances the best of both materials. It can be sharpened and hold an edge like metal, but it will not damage delicate composite surfaces.’
The blades can also withstand the high heat and friction of resharpening, which can produce burrs on blades machined from PEEK and PEI, Solvay says. Torlon PAI is also resistant to aerospace fluids and solvents.
This story uses material from Solvay, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
