Jyco develops PP co-extruded core for weatherstripping
ERJ staff report (DS)
Dexter, Michigan -- Jyco Sealing Technologies said it has developed a co-extrusion technology, which the company is patenting and trademarking as JyCore, that replaces the metal carrier with a polypropylene one that's extruded right in the production line. The main seal is co-extruded in a TPV compound.
During the process, the plastic carrier is selectively notched only at the points and to the degrees that the part needs to conform to the flange. A softer TPV sealing surface is extruded and permanently bonded to the structural carrier in the same production line.
The company says the development offers all three key benefits: lower cost, lower weight and improved visual appearance. Jyco said this offers an opportunity to change the industry standard.
Currently, most weatherstripping is made by extruding an EPDM profile over a notched metallic core. The notches permit the metal carrier to bend in strategic places. The metal carriers brought with them three issues that persisted until now: the weight and cost of the metal, plus a visible waviness that occurred where the rubber was bonded over the notches.
Jyco said that the new JyCore process can reduce the weight of the part as much as 46 percent. Lower raw material costs along with easier processing (no exposed metal ends needing to be finished or rust-proofed) reduce overall costs as well.
Jyco's patent-pending process enhances TPV's green appeal in several ways. TPV is recyclable. EPDM is not. Scrap that contains metal components requires the extra step of separating the materials before they could be reprocessed. Any scrap from Jyco's coextruded TPV/PP process is directly recyclable.
Jyco claims the new process improves the seals' aesthetics as well. A drawback of the old process was that a slight waviness - known as "hungry horse" in the industry vernacular - occurred in the rubber where it was bonded over notches in the metal. The problem was more noticeable in straight areas where the notches weren't functional. For decades it was considered an aesthetic compromise that rode along with the economies of using pre-notched metal.
"The key was integrating precise selective notching during the process," commented Shawn Jyawook, Jyco's chief operating officer. "The co-extrusion solution resolves the waviness issue that's saddled the industry for 30-plus years.
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Press release from Jyco
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