Ford's recently launched Ford Fiesta will feature Arnitel thermoplastic copolyesters from DSM Engineering Plastics for the production of vacuum brake tubes. As per the company, the material was selected owing to its performance, processability and design freedom - very important requirements for hoses and tubes in automotive engineering. The car maker has already used Arnitel in similar applications its other models including Ford Mondeo, Ford S-Max, Ford C-Max, Ford Galaxy and Ford Focus. Relative to the metal-rubber system, the tests conducted demonstrated that Arnitel's high temperature resistance enables a more compact design of the vacuum brake tube, leading to a significant system cost reduction.
According to the company, Arnitel's outstanding heat resistance can often eliminate the need for additional heat shields or over-length tubes, thus reducing system costs and vehicle weight. In addition, Arnitel meets the strict requirements of the FMVSS 106 standard with regard to the ozone resistance of materials used for brake tubing. In addition, they also show maximum resistance to puncture, tears and cracks. The material delivers the ductility to meet these requirements over a wide range of continuous use temperatures from 40°C to +110°C as well as at short-term peak temperatures of up to 180°C.
31-Mar-09 
{{comment.DateTimeStampDisplay}}
{{comment.Comments}}