Aug 7 2013
Quadrant Engineering Plastic Products (EPP), the global leader of machinable plastics and composites, visits the AUVSI (Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International) Unmanned Systems 2013 trade show on August 12-15, 2013 with its innovative family of Materials and expert Application Specialists for the Unmanned Systems industry.
The unique formulation of Quadrant EPP's advanced materials for Unmanned Vehicle Systems (UVS) are aimed at lowering overall weight and increasing durability in the harshest of environments.
The unique formulation of Quadrant's advanced materials for Unmanned Vehicle Systems (UVS) are aimed at lowering overall weight and increasing durability in the harshest of environments in order to provide tactical advantages in marine, ground, and aerospace applications by global governments, law enforcement agencies and homeland defense departments.
Unmanned vehicles operate without a person ("man") on board. They are remotely guided -- some are even autonomous vehicles capable of sensing their environment and navigating on their own. Best known for their military and special operation applications, they are also used in a growing number of civil applications such as policing and firefighting, and non-military security work such as surveillance of pipelines and underwater research. Unmanned Vehicles are often preferred for missions that are too dull, dirty, and/or dangerous for manned vehicles.
"Due to Quadrant's application experts and innovative materials, unmanned vehicles are experiencing performance improvements due to superior part design as well as lighter weight components that greatly enhance durability -- all at a lower cost for the production part development, not otherwise achievable with traditional materials such as metals and alloys," says Rick Hilblom, Application Development Manager. "Since the beginning of UV technology we've been working with design engineers to deliver the most advanced materials that are also practical in cost for their applications."
Quadrant offers the widest range of lightweight, high-wear resistance polymers and composites specially developed for Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV), Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (UUV), and Unmanned Spacecraft.
"When constructing the Torsion Arm Suspension on the M113 UGV for the Australian Military, they required a thermoplastic with frictional heat resistance and increased load bearing surfaces to maximize performance," said Rick. "We delivered using Quadrant's Techtron® HPV, a high strength polymer filled with synthetic lubricants to lower the coefficient of friction and increase payload." In UAV applications, Quadrant materials such as Duratron® and Fluorosint® excel in their durability, their ability to withstand harsh environments, and their resistance to hydraulic fluids and aviation fuels without corrosion -- all with zero lubrication. Duratron® provides superior performance in extreme heat environments, withstanding temperatures upwards of 600ºF guaranteeing structural and tribological reliability. The Fluorosint® materials are more durable than PTFE materials when used for energized seals in hydraulic actuators.
Quadrant's other featured family materials, developed by Quadrant Plastic Composites, include Glass Mat Thermoplastic(GMT), a replacement to steel and aluminum for weight savings, and SymaLITE®, an impact-resistant, non-weathering material for outdoor applications. See for yourself the industry's most innovative and broad family of materials at AUVSI Unmanned Systems 2013, booth #3818 in Hall A of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington D.C from August 12-15, 2013. Application specialists and technical experts will be in attendance to answer questions related to their innovative materials and to provide expert guidance for engineering and application solutions.