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 New, high-pressure aluminum compressed gas cylinders are
finished in a rigorous washing, coating and curing system. The cylinders
suspend from a conveyor by plug hooks that provide a grounding
path for
the
powder coating. Luxfer Gas Cylinders, the world's largest
manufacturer of aluminum high-pressure cylinders, reduces costs and lead
times for its plug hooks by specifying a conductive RTP Company
compound.
"We used an RTP 4000 Series PPA material for years," said Tim
Bruder, Sales Representative for molder Southwest Plastics. "In order
to get conductive properties in the hooks to provide a grounding path,
we had to insert an aluminum cast part into the mold and machine it. The
new conductive compound gives us the same performance and eliminates these
expensive steps."
Bruder estimated that the new conductive compound reduced Luxfer's cost
by approximately 40%. More importantly, the lead time for plugs was reduced
from 16 weeks to a few days.
"Another big plus—besides cost and time—is maintenance," added
Mark Churchman, Manufacturing Engineer for Luxfer. "Paint and powder
accumulate on the plugs. We used to chemically clean them — a taboo
in Southern California. Now, with our lower cost, we can throw away or
recycle them."
The compound exhibits volume resistivity of 103 ohm-cm and surface resistivity
of 105 ohm/sq. In addition to conductivity, the material is chemically
resistant to withstand the paint and washing chemicals. It adapts well
to the high-temperature curing process, with a heat deflection temperature
of 540 degrees F (264 psi) or 282 degrees C (1820 kPa).
Holding the heavy cylinders while they twist and turn throughout the
coating process demands high strength and rigidity. Tensile strength of
the compound is 35,000 psi (241 MPa) and flexural strength is 49,000 psi
(338 MPa).
Luxfer Gas Cylinders is the global leader in the manufacturer of high-pressure
aluminum gas cylinders with six manufacturing facilities on three continents
and U.S. corporate headquarters in Riverside, California. Luxfer has three
plants in the U.S.: one in Graham, NC, and two in Riverside. Visit their
website at www.luxfercylinders.com. Southwest Plastics in Glendora, California,
can be reached at (626) 963-6919. Their website address is www.southwestplastics.com.
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