Solvay gets into gear with Ifex PARA

Solvay has announced that its Ixef 1027 polyacrylamide (PARA) has enabled the development of a new clutch actuator system from FTE Automotive Group, a premier producer of drivetrain and brake system applications.

Ifex 1027 PARA was designed to replace a glass-filled polyamide 6/6 actuator that generated cabin noise at elevated temperatures, and has introduced lower thermal expansion and a higher dimensional stability to the new actuator design, which is now on board a leading heavy-duty diesel truck series sold in the US.

FTE has managed to reduce cabin noise with each new generation of the truck, but ironically this has caused once-quiet functions to become more noticeable, making the clutch pedal, and the hydraulic actuator system it activates, to be the latest target for improvement.

The actuator comprises a master cylinder consisting of a piston that attaches to the pedal and a slave cylinder that links to the truck’s drivetrain.

Depressing the clutch pedal transfers brake fluid form the master into the slave, which then disengages the transmission from the engine.

Solvay and FTE have been in collaboration for over 20 years, and worked together to select Ixef 1027 PARA as it delivers very high strength and rigidity along with excellent creep resistance.

The material flows and packs very well in the tool, which provides the inside bores of the moulding clutch cylinders with a very smooth, resin rich surface.

The aromatic ring structure of the PARA molecule, in contrast to conventional nylon’s straight chain, substantially reduces its moisture absorption and enables the clutch cylinders to be more dimensionally stable.