Akulon Ultraflow
Akulon® Ultraflow is a high-flow grade proven to help manufacturers reduce injection molding cycle times by up to 40%.
The oil sump is an automotive application ripe for innovation - particularly in metal replacement.
AKULON® ULTRAFLOW
Going with the flow
Manufacturers looking to improve flow and boost cycle time with excellent surface appearance are increasingly looking to Akulon® Ultraflow. This is easy-to-process polyamide 6 offers up to 80% improved flow and a 40% reduction in injection molding cycle times with no significant effect on mechanical properties compared to standard polyamide 6 grades.
Today, Akulon Ultraflow is being used in many demanding applications like engine covers, intake manifolds, automotive exterior mirror shells, furniture, and power tools. The bright science behind the faster flow of Akulon Ultraflow equates to lower system costs – and not just via faster cycle times.
For example, through enabling thinner wall thicknesses, less material is needed and engineers have more design freedom; an increased number of tooling cavities means lower production costs; while molding parts on lower tonnage machines enables more manufacturing flexibility. And of course higher flow equals lower molded-in-stresses and warpage reduction.
Further benefits
Other benefits of Akulon Ultraflow include improved surface appearance and less need for painting; along with increased scope for metal replacement – which in turn brings the benefits of weight, fuel and carbon reduction.
Good for people, planet and profit.
Spiral flow length
You can see here the spiral flow length of Akulon Ultrafow at 260°C (500°F) and 1400 bar. Akulon Ultraflow can reduce cycle time up to 40% thanks to shorter injection and holding times, faster crystallization rates, and lower processing temperatures. Lower processing temperatures also equate to lower energy costs.
The improved flow of Akulon Ultraflow can reduce clamping forces, bringing lower tonnage machines into play and adding more cavities per mold. The result: potential for reduced piece part price.
Cost savings
Here you can see the cost savings that Akulon Ultraflow unlocks through increased cycle time. In fact it achieves a cycle time reduction of 53-to-33 seconds.
Designing parts, like engine covers, with long flow lengths and thinner wall thicknesses allows for additional cost reduction opportunities.
More Akulon® Ultraflow cases
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MPC engine covers
Akulon® Ultraflow is our glass and mineral-reinforced polyamide 6 with outstanding flow properties and low warpage.
Surface appearance
Akulon Ultraflow delivers better surface appearance than standard polyamide 6 grades, eliminating secondary surface treatments like lacquering or painting, with less part rejects. Furthermore, the surface appearance of parts made of Akulon Ultraflow 50-60% glass reinforced grades is comparable to parts in standard 30% glass reinforced polyamide 6 grades. This superb surface appearance, especially true for highly reinforced grades in thin walled parts, comes thanks to better wetting-out of the glass fibers. The photos show the dramatic improvement in surface appearance that Akulon Ultraflow offers you over standard polyamide 6.
Metal and plastics replacement
Akulon Ultraflow K-FGH0 and K-FGH12 grades offer great opportunities for metal replacement, with potentially significant cost reductions. Weight and noise reductions achieved with Akulon Ultraflow help benefit the entire value chain; while another potential benefit is part consolidation.
Akulon Ultraflow also increases your options to replace high temperature thermoplastics: For example, it allows greater design freedom with the potential to combine higher glass loadings with thinner wall sections - resulting in the same stiffness and dimensional integrity.
Akulon Ultraflow also offers cost savings through substituting 30–40% glass-filled PPS or aromatic polyamides in applications where these products provide a combination of stiffness and/or appearance at operating temperatures above 100°C (212°F).
At these temperatures, Akulon Ultraflow K-FGH0 or K-FGH12 can provide stiffer, tougher, and more attractive looking parts than more expensive engineering plastics.
Tensile strength after heat aging at 150°C (300°F).