West Conshohocken, PA, USA – February 9, 2009 – When Metaldyne (Plymouth, MI, USA), an industry leader in balance shafts and balance shaft modules, wanted to improve upon traditional technology, it chose VICTREX® PEEK™ polymer to replace metal in its balance shaft module gears. The result is an innovative gear design that delivers enhanced performance and improved efficiency.

Using VICTREX PEEK polymer for the gears contributes to improved noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) performance.

“Compared to traditional iron and steel gears, the VICTREX PEEK polymer gear gives us about 70% less inertia and weight,” explained Aaron Clark, Engineering Manager for Metaldyne Powertrain Products. “That’s important because lower weight and inertia gives us about a 3-9% reduction in power consumption which results in improved fuel economy in the vehicle. Using VICTREX PEEK polymer for the gears also contributes to improved noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) performance.”

Balance shaft modules are used to cancel the inherent shaking forces associated with in-line 4-cyclinder engines. “Because the modules spin at twice engine speed — up to 15,000 rpm — polymers are not normally used,” said Clark. “The maximum operating temperatures in 4-cylinder engines are approaching 155°C (311°F) and most polymers can’t survive in these conditions. We chose VICTREX PEEK polymer because it has the unique ability of not only being able to survive at 155°C (311°F), but also of maintaining all of its material properties including fatigue strength, chemical resistance, high temperature resistance and strength. The result is a gear that can perform at a very high level not only in terms of durability and reliability but also in terms of improved NVH performance at elevated temperatures.”

When compared to metal gear production, gears made with VICTREX PEEK polymer require a substantially lower capital investment and have a shorter lead time. “The lead time to manufacture the VICTREX PEEK polymer gears is roughly half that of metal gears,” said Clark. “Because they are injection molded, the VICTREX PEEK polymer gears require no post machining and this eliminates the need for grinding equipment. We can immediately assemble the gears into our balance shaft modules and use them. This results in a significant cost savings.”

Metaldyne co-developed the balance shaft gears with Victrex. “We started working with Victrex almost 7 years ago,” explained Clark. “At that time we approached Victrex and told them what our operating environment was and they suggested using VICTREX PEEK polymer. Victrex provided us with the polymer. We worked with a gear molder and ran the gears through a series of tests. We went back and forth with Victrex and the molder in order to optimize the design and are extremely confident that it performs at an even higher level than our typical iron and steel gears.”

“Industry and economic influences are forcing automakers to look for materials that can improve part performance and bring added value on automobile platforms. No product design is being overlooked, and Victrex is working closely with OEMs, tier one suppliers, molders and machine shops to identify new opportunities,” said Janice Grzywa, Victrex Automotive Manager.

About Victrex
Victrex USA, Inc., a division of Victrex plc, is the sole manufacturer and supplier of VICTREX PEEK polymer worldwide.

Victrex plc is an innovative leading manufacturer of high performance materials, including VICTREX® PEEK™ polymer, VICOTE® Coatings and APTIV™ Film. These materials are used in a variety of markets and offer and exceptional combination of properties to help processors and end users reach new levels of cost savings, quality and performance. VICTREX® is a registered trademark of Victrex Manufacturing Limited. PEEK™, PEEK-HT™, T-Series™, MAX-Series™ and APTIV™ are trademarks of Victrex plc. VICOTE® is a registered trademark of Victrex plc. For more information visit: http://www.victrex.com.