Lifespan of Plastic Parts

Degradation of plastic and rubber parts does not only take place during service in application, but also in the earlier stages of the life cycle. This talk will give a short introduction to different degradation mechanisms along with examples of failure cases, where these different mechanisms play a role.

Failure under static or dynamic loading conditions is a major concern in the application of polymers in load-bearing components. The question is not whether it will fail but rather on what time-scale it will fail. It is therefore imperative to be able to estimate the lifespan of load-bearing components under design-load specifications. Moreover, utilization of filled thermoplastic material requires in-depth knowledge of the complex interaction between material, design and processing to design for success. This talk will give an overview of the development of predictive models to evaluate the long-term performance of (filled) thermoplastic materials. Such predictive models can be used to improve predictive accuracy in CAE simulations as well as speed up material data characterization, which serves material specification purposes.

Knowing the material properties and requirements for a material in an electrical, electronic, and mechanical application can help you make more informed decisions on the choice of plastics, and lets you move from design phase to production faster. This presentation will discuss the following questions: What testing is done to establish the long term properties (RTI) of a plastic material? What testing is done in an outdoor investigation (f1)? It will also show where can you find the outcome of these investigations (in the database of recognized materials (Yellow Cards)). References will be made to general standards with requirements for plastic materials in E&E applications.

Polycarbonate’s unique combination of properties – heat stability, transparency and toughness – enables a broad spectrum of applications. UV protected grades are of high importance in this context. Depending on the application, dedicated approaches are necessary to meet the demanded customer requirements. Typical examples are safety goggles, LED lenses for luminaires, automotive lighting and sheets for construction or sun glasses. Each of these applications require specially adapted and optimized formulations, so that the remaining key properties are affected as little as possible.

The hearing aid industry has used 3D printed materials for production of custom made hearing aids for decades. This presentation will describe some of the developments of the process over the years, including materials used, the process improvements made, and how they each affect the quality. Special focus will be on the quality of the end product in test and in a lifetime perspective.

While additive manufacturing is considered a revolutionary technology by some, physics, chemistry and certainly the material science remain the same as for traditional manufacturing methods. However, the selective and layer based approach of additive manufacturing, which provides great geometric freedom, also allows for material modification on the voxel level and new hybrid materials, which enables new design possibilities. This presentation will give you an introduction to the unique design and material opportunities that additive manufacturing provides and also which knobs to turn to achieve it.

Characterization services are in demand by a wide range of industries in connection with failure analysis, problem solving, quality assurance, product development, etc. But more precise methods of characterization down to micro and nano levels can contribute with new and valuable knowledge. They can contribute with a completely different basic understanding of the functional properties of materials, and the mechanisms that lead to degradation and failure or affect the durability and longevity of the materials. This talk will also present the OFGRIP project on surfaces and interfaces in industrial Products.