Aerospace
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Aerospace
Zeus polymer solutions are routinely found in applications where materials are exposed to difficult working conditions and environmental extremes. Our fluoropolymer and engineered plastics are quickly becoming the materials of choice for aerospace manufacturers and suppliers worldwide. These materials maintain their exceptional properties under the most demanding conditions of the aviation and space vehicle industries.
Engineered polymers are also cost-effective and weigh less than other materials such as metals. The use of performance polymers in aircraft design is expected to increase, and Zeus is prepared to support and accelerate future applications development by helping you determine your optimum material needs. Zeus continues to focus on producing the highest quality polymer solutions that meet or exceed industry standards.
Throughout our 50 year history, Zeus has remained vigilant to evolving markets and what our customers need to succeed in them. We stay informed of industry changes, policies, and statutes to help you through the regulatory process.
Contact us or call toll-free in the US 1-800-526-3842 or +1-803-268-9500 internationally to find out more about how Zeus can help get your project off the ground sooner.
- Applications
Composite Forming – Heat shrink release aids provide seamless coverings for composite forming mandrels or bladders that expand with heat and pressure for composite manufacturing. Our advanced heat shrinks replace labor-intensive film or tape while saving time to produce an improved surface finish on the end composite part.
Critical Fluid Transfer – Zeus offers customizable tubing with varying tolerances of wall thickness for increased burst pressure. Fillers are available to further optimize your tubing for your fluid management application. Zeus tubings are chemically inert to typical aerospace fluids such as JP fuels, Skydrol, De-icing, and Salt Spray.
Fiber Optics – Materials used in fiber optics require superior process control. Our sheathing holds machine grade tolerances (0.001″ / 0.0254 mm) on plastic tubing used in fiber optics. Fillers can also be introduced with our performance resins for added robustness. Complementing our sheathing, Zeus’ coated optical fibers offer options where harsh operating environments may be encountered to improve resilience against abrasion, chemicals, radiation, and extreme temperatures.
Motor / Magnet Winding – Zeus products are your source for motor winding applications delivering superiorly seamless wire insulation that drives motor performance. Our PEEK insulated wire offers superior dielectric properties, extended thermal endurance, and extreme abrasion resistance. Zeus also has the ability to work on custom extrusions over a range of wire profiles to increase insulation in inventive ways.
Wire Harness – Zeus provides an array of products for harnessing and insulating wires, cable, hoses, and other unwieldly bundles. Our products provide protection from environments of chafing, heat, corrosion, shock, and moisture. Our products are particularly widespread in the aerospace industry not only for their physical protection of the covered components but also for their insulating qualities.
- Products
Convoluted Tubing – This flexible conduit is chemically resistant and able to maintain its mechanical properties even at extreme temperatures.
Engineered Surface Tubing – For handling larger or difficult wiring, Zeus engineered surface tubing is an excellent option that eases pushing and pulling of wires into harness assemblies. This tubing also decreases friction and strain on fiber optic sheathing.
Fillers – Our melt extruded resins can be combined with fillers such as carbon to increase static dissipation and glass to enhance toughness.
Heat Shrink – Zeus’ state-of-the-art method applies tight and protective insulation for wires or other critical components subjected to the extremes of heat, corrosion, shock, moisture, and other harsh environmental conditions.
Heat Shrink Release Aides – Zeus can make Sub-Lite-Wall® (0.003″ / 0.076 mm) heat shrinks that offer seamless coverings for composite forming mandrels or bladders that expand with heat and pressure for composite manufacturing.
Insulated Wire – With excellent dielectric properties of more than 3000 volts/mil, our PEEK coated insulated wire is stable up to 500 °F (260 °C) and provides excellent abrasion resistance. Round, solid, stranded, square, and rectangle profiles are all available for PEEK coated wire.
Sheathing – Zeus is capable of maintaining machine grade tolerances on plastic tubing used for fiber optics protection. Fillers such as glass can be introduced to increase tubing robustness while maintaining the smooth bore of the furcation tubing.
Spiral Wrap – An expandable and highly flexible wrap, this spirally cut tubing is ideal for harnessing and insulating wires, cable, hoses, and other bundles.
Tubing – Available in a multitude of forms suited for the aerospace industry, our polymer tubing is chemically inert to fluids such as JP fuels, Skydrol, De-icing fluids, and Salt Spray.
- Materials
ETFE – A copolymer of ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene, this tubing affords excellent resistance to impact, abrasion, and stress cracking. ETFE possesses superior toughness, stiffness, and durability all while being chemically inert. The material can be extruded in multiple forms including flexible convoluted tubing. ETFE can operate in temperatures ranging from -238 °F (-150 °C) to 298 °F (148 °C) and has low water absorption. ETFE Heat Shrink provides a “shrink to fit” layer of protection for critical components and possesses inherent lubricity with abrasion and chemical resistance.
FEP – This thermostable material is a preferred choice where higher clarity and flexibility are most important. FEP tubing also has a lower heat shrinkable temperature than similar fluoropolymers. This melt processable material allows for long, continuous lengths and has several distinct advantages over PTFE. FEP can be made into heat shrink that meets AS23053. This chemically inert polymer has low gas permeability, possesses an excellent UV transmission rating, and superb dielectric strength. FEP can operate in sustained temperatures from -328 °F (-200 °C) to 399 °F (204°C).
High Purity PFA – The unique molecular structure of the High Purity (HP) PFA resin reduces metallic extractables and protects against micro-contamination. PFA HP is non-reactive with almost all chemicals and is flame resistant. This clear tubing displays superior chemical resistance, exceptional surface smoothness, and meets or exceeds SEMI F57 purity standards. PFA HP has low gas permeability and maintains its mechanical strength even at elevated temperatures. PFA HP is also ideally suited for laser or striped ID coding and can withstand temperatures ranging from -328 °F (-200 °C) to 500 °F (260 °C).
PEEK – This high-performance engineered polymer has excellent endurance to heat with one of the highest strength-to-weight ratios of any thermoplastic. This material can be used as an alternative to material such as aluminum, steel, glass, and even other polymers. PEEK tubing is lightweight and able to withstand operating temperatures of 500 ºF (260 ºC). This tubing tolerates high burst pressures; is thermoformable, resistant to wear and impact; and possesses exceptional torsion stability.
PFA – This fluoropolymer is known for its ability to maintain its mechanical integrity in extreme temperatures even when exposed to caustic chemicals. PFA can withstand temperature environments of up to 500 ºF (260 ºC) and can also be extruded in convoluted tubing forms that provide a highly flexible conduit. PFA exhibits excellent lubricity, clarity, and flexibility. PFA is also available in high purity versions that are SEMI F-57 certified.
PTFE – This material offers the lowest coefficient of friction of any polymer and is highly lubricious. PTFE has become the gold standard for tubing applications requiring the ultimate lubricity, high and low temperature utilization -328 °F (-200 °C) to 500 °F (260 °C), chemical resistance, and precision extruded tolerances. This diverse polymer is manufactured into heat shrink that meets AS23053, because of the material’s inherent properties. Zeus provides PTFE in many forms including, extruded tubing, Sub-Lite-Wall® tubing, special profiles, monofilament, and multi-lumen tubing.
PVDF – This polymer delivers high performance at a competitive cost. Also known as Kynar®, PVDF is characterized by low permeability as well as strong abrasion and chemical resistance. This tubing possesses a host of properties that make it useful in a variety of applications that need flexibility without sacrificing performance. PVDF tubing has a working temperature of -58 °F (-50 °C) to 300 °F (150 °C), is resistant to nuclear radiation, has low smoke and flame properties, and has excellent dielectric properties.