applicationshowcase
GAR-DUR® UHMW-PE helps protect racing karts
Rick Vance, owner of Victory Lane
Indoor Karting, came to Garland
Manufacturing looking for a cost ef-
fective, low friction, unbreakable
material to act as bumpers surround-
ing the bodies of their karts and for
the rub rails surrounding the entire
track. The UHMW bumpers would protect the karts when im-
pacting other vehicles as well making contact with the track
walls. With up to 200 feet of straight-aways, these open four-
wheeled vehicles can attain speeds of up to 60 MPH (miles per
hour). With as many as six to eight drivers on the track at one
time, contact with other cars and the track walls is frequent.
Dan Garland said, “We agreed that our GAR-DUR® brand
UHMW polyethylene was the perfect material for both lining
the cars and the track walls. Our GAR-DUR UHMW is made
from the highest molecular weight resin consistently available
for the industrial market. At 4.2 million and up, the higher
molecular weight enhances both the abrasion and impact resist-
ance along with receiving a ‘no-break’ rating by way of a double-
notch Izod break test.”
The low surface friction of UHMW allows for glancing blows
between cars and the rub rails. Rubber tires, which have been
more commonly used, have a much higher friction value and
can cause a harder impact and spin-outs of the karts.
Another plus is Garland’s stock lengths of 50-foot bars and
boards, said to be longer than any UHMW sheet on the market.
The longer length allows the rub rails to bend more easily around
corners with fewer fasteners and joints between sections.
Dan added, “The UHMW installation has been very successful.
Several of today’s top professional race car drivers began their
careers in kart racing, and now GAR-DUR UHMW is potentially
helping to train the next generation of drivers.”
For more information, contact Garland Manufacturing Com-
pany, (800) 727-1900, www.garlandmfg.com.
Delstar’s Naltex® extruded netting utilized in
an award-winning outdoor installation
DelStar Technologies, Inc. has reported
that OBRA Architects, a New York City-
based firm, selected Naltex® netting as
the primary shade cover in BEATFUSE!,
their award-winning outdoor installa-
tion for the Seventh Annual Young
Architects Program, organized by The
Museum of Modern Art and P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center.
Custom-designed Naltex polyethylene netting serves as a
shade cover over the largest of three outdoor spaces. This tepi-
darium encompasses seven curved, interconnected shells made
of plywood in a triangular shaped courtyard which is home to
the critically acclaimed Warm Up summer music series.
The Naltex mesh, cut into hexagonal sheets, covers the open
plywood structure. Each “scale” spans three to five feet and is
attached in only one location, allowing it to flex under windy
conditions. One of OBRA’s principals, Jennifer Lee, said the mesh
“created a certain level of shade to counteract sun in an outdoor
environment and offered a moiré effect with layering that was
an added, incredible phenomenon.”
After working with the Naltex mesh throughout installation,
Lee says that, “the Naltex mesh perfectly suited our application
46 april/may 2007 • the iapd magazine
because of its rigidity and openness. This wonderful combina-
tion of qualities allowed it to span a particular distance and be
lightweight.”
The Naltex polypropylene sheets were customized specifi-
cally for the OBRA Architects project. The Naltex sales team
worked closely with OBRA’s designers to ensure their needs were
understood and to create product specifications suitable for
their temporary outdoor application. More importantly, they
made recommendations to assist them with keeping to their
allotted design budget.
Specific considerations were made to ensure the UV-stabilized
mesh could withstand up to one year in an outdoor environ-
ment. Plus, the product was supplied in custom-sized sheets that
could be easily handled and converted into the hexagonal shaped
scales needed for OBRA’s design. The OBRA construction team
found this decision to be a critical time saver, and they were
pleased to have easily completed the entire installation in time
for the public opening in June 2006.
For further information, contact DelStar Technologies, Inc.,
(800) 521-6713, www.delstarinc.com.
VICTREX® PEEK™ chosen for high temperature
protective tubing for critical components
Due to the demand for higher perfor-
mance tubing and heatshrinks, Zeus
Inc., a world leader of polymer extru-
sions, wanted to offer a high tempera-
ture alternative to traditional protective
materials such as PTFE. It chose VICTREX®
PEEK™ polymer because of its ability to
withstand extreme temperatures, high pressures and caustic flu-
ids. Its inherent purity and lubricity make it an ideal choice for
PEEKshrink™, a new heat-shrinkable tubing, and PEEK Lay-Flat®
tubing. Providing thermal, chemical and electrical insulation,
the tubing is used to protect critical wire and electrical compo-
nents in oil exploration equipment, electronics, medical devices
and telecom hardware.
According to Dr. Stephen Davis, staff scientist of the Advanced
Materials Group at Zeus, “We chose VICTREX PEEK polymer be-
cause it is considered the highest performing thermoplastic ma-
terial due to its ability to withstand the harshest environments. In
down-hole applications, for example, the tubing is exposed to a
variety of extremes including high temperatures, oil, gas, steam
and chemicals. With VICTREX PEEK polymer, we get high ten-
sile, mechanical and dielectric strength. In addition, it offers sta-
bility in hot water, steam, solvents and chemicals, and provides
excellent resistance to stress cracking and bursting.”
When shrunk onto components such as wire or round man-
drels, PEEKshrink forms an impenetrable “second skin” that is
impervious to contaminants, thus preserving the integrity and
performance of what’s inside. With a continuous operating tem-
perature of 400°C (752°F, NEMA MW 1000) the heat-shrinkable
tubing provides a “shrink to fit” layer of insulating protection
against environments where extreme heat or cold, intense pres-
sure, chemicals, water or dielectric interference pose a threat to
wires and electrical components. PEEK Lay-Flat tubing is thin-
walled tubing that delivers high dielectric protection, strength,
lubricity, chemical inertness and abrasion resistance for a broad
range of applications including down-hole equipment.
For further information, contact Victrex USA Inc., (800) VIC-
TREX, www.victrex.com.