In the coming years, global demand for outdoor power equipment for lawn maintenance, gardening and commercial landscaping is projected to grow from $22.3 billion USD in 2019 to $26.1 billion by 2024. In the near term, fuel-powered equipment is expected to continue to lead the market.
However, consumer demand for more sustainable products is driving the growth of electric alternatives. For example, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) has recently proposed new regulations to ban the sale of all gas-powered lawn and garden equipment in the coming years.
This increases the need for advanced material solutions that curb emissions while enabling more sustainable and lightweight design. For many years, DSM has worked with the world’s leading manufacturers of outdoor power equipment to build the next-gen material solutions for lawn, garden and agricultural applications.
Today’s consumers and landscaping professionals want a product that’s lightweight without compromising uptime, durability, efficiency, or performance. Original equipment manufacturers trust DSM’s family of high-performance thermoplastics—Stanyl PA46, ForTii PA4T PPA, Akulon PA6/PA66, Xytron PPS—for challenging engine and powertrain components.
Akulon Fuel Lock is a proven and superior alternative to fluorinated HDPE for outdoor power equipment. It enables redesigned fuel tanks with thinner walls, reducing weight and providing an excellent barrier to evaporative emissions guaranteed to last for the lifetime of the product.
DSM offers a broad portfolio of material solutions for structural parts (e.g., metal to plastic conversion), including electric power equipment components. ForTii Ace offers a unique combination of high stiffness, low creep and peak temperature resistance as high as 300◦C. This has made it a popular solution for demanding applications such as gas trimmer head shields.
For electrical systems, Xytron PPS offers a rugged material solution for e-motors with high impact strength and hydrolysis resistance.
With big changes in consumer preference and the regulatory landscape coming soon, outdoor power equipment OEMs will need the certainty of an increasingly advanced portfolio of material solutions and a partner to support innovation.
To learn more about DSM’s advanced materials for outdoor power equipment, contact us or visit plasticsfinder.com.
Senior Application Development Engineer
05 March 2020
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Senior Application Development Engineer
Tony Padden is a senior application development engineer for DSM Engineering Materials in the Americas region. He leverages his expertise in program management, material specification and design to deliver advanced material solutions for the world’s leading manufacturers. Padden has led the successful launch of numerous complex applications for thermoplastic gears, actuation systems, non-pneumatic tires, and other key applications for automotive and industrial customers. Prior to joining DSM, Padden was a program manager for United Plastics Group.
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