GIANT OFFSHORE PULLEYS IN LUBRICANT-FILLED CAST NYLON 6 LAST LONGER

Tielt, Belgium – June, 2007 – A lifting device installed on the top of a North Sea drilling platform has been equipped with giant pulley wheels made by sandwiching rim segments in a molybdenum disulphide-filled nylon 6 between steel flanges.

The segments of the five-metre diameter pulley wheels, or sheaves, were cast by Quadrant Engineering Plastics (Quadrant EPP) in its own Nylatron GSM, a high-performance filled caprolactam that reacts to form nylon 6 during the moulding process. Each sheave contains eight segments, and each segment is almost two metres long and 85 kg in weight.

The molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) dispersion acts as a solid lubricant capable of performing under high pressure and speed. It enhances the load bearing capabilities of the nylon 6 while maintaining its inherent impact resistance. The final product has very high resistance to wear and to weathering, making it last far longer than standard nylon 6, and the smooth non-abrasive nature of the castings also extends the lifetime of the cable compared with steel sheaves. The sheaves also weigh much less.

The lifting device is built by National Oilwell Varco, a world leader in the design, manufacture and sale of equipment and major mechanical components used in oil and gas drilling and production. Quadrant EPP supplies the Nylatron GSM parts through the Norwegian branch of European distribution company Vink, ready to mount onto the steel flanges. After casting them, Quadrant EPP then machines critical areas to exact dimensions.

This is the second time Quadrant EPP has supplied such parts to Varco. Sheaves installed some ten years ago, and still in use, have operated virtually faultlessly, according to sales engineer Luc Debruyne. “That’s the reason they came straight back to us for this new lifting device,” he says.

“They know they can count on our experience in working with the offshore industry, our ability to produce huge parts using custom casting technology, the high performance of Nylatron GSM, and our technical service.”

Other offshore applications that take advantage of Nylatron GSM’s special properties include supports and clamps in pipeline systems, track plates, wheel sprockets and impact strips on sub-sea vehicles, and equipment clamps and bushes.

Nylatron GSM is one of several grades of cast nylon 6 that Quadrant EPP offers for a wide range of engineering applications that include sprockets, bearings, gears and wear pads. Nylatron is used in numerous industries, including offshore, mining, railways and steel mills.

Reader enquiries

Quadrant EPP
Hardstrasse 5
5600 Lenzburg
SWITZERLAND
Switzerland
+ 41 62 8858 150
contact@​qplas.com
http://epp.quadrantplastics.com

---

Notes for editors

About Quadrant EPP

Quadrant Engineering Plastic Products (Quadrant EPP) is the world's leading manufacturer of engineering plastics in stock shapes (rod, plate, tube) for machining. Other specialities include custom nylon castings and finished parts. Quadrant EPP's catalogue of General and Advanced Engineering Plastics covers the broadest range (in terms of materials and dimensions) of standard and custom shapes for machining. Products are available through a worldwide network of branch offices, technical support centres and authorized dealers.

Learn more about Quadrant EPP at www.quadrantplastics.com

About the Quadrant group

Quadrant, a global leader in high-performance polymer materials in the form of semi-finished and finished products with locations in 18 countries, generates annual sales of over CHF 800 million. The specialty engineering thermoplastics and composites manufactured and marketed by more than 2’400 employees worldwide are superior in performance to metals and other materials and are used in a growing number of applications, primarily in the capital goods industry. Together with leaders in a wide range of customer markets, Quadrant is continuously developing new areas of application. Thanks to its clear strategic orientation and focus, Quadrant has generated substantial added value for customers and shareholders since it was established in 1996 and is well prepared to continue expanding its market leadership in future.