The Many Uses of UHMW PE

As an Engineering Plastic material UHMW PE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) has many uses in industries as varied as food processing, waste water treatment, heavy equipment, and conveyor lines, just to name a few. To help illustrate UHMW PE’s broad usefulness in manufacturing we have compiled a photo album of UHMW PE in action. In these photos you can see how UHMW has been immersed in wet environments like waste water clarification tanks for up to a year at a time as well as conveyor lines where it is used in numerous applications and exposed to harsh cleaning chemicals and frequent wash downs.

The Many Uses of UHMW PE

UHMW is noted for having a very low coefficient of friction. In other words, UHMW sheet, rod, and tube are all very slippery and that slipperiness has turned out to be very useful in a number of applications. In addition, unlike nylon, another common Engineering Plastic material, UHMW PE has a very low moisture absorption and a good ability to withstand a wide variety of chemicals making it a good option for wet environments and applications that need regular harsh cleaning, like food processing facilities. Also on that point is that UHMW PE is both FDA and USDA compliant which adds to it’s popularity in the food processing industry.

What Customers Are Saying About UHMW PE

The results are in and time and time again we are hearing UHMW PE has gone above and beyond customer expectations. Customers who have shifted to using UHMW PE from other materials where appropriate, have enjoyed good results that include

Increasing the speed of their conveyor lines.
Less breakage of glass containers on bottling lines, even with increased speeds.
Chute liners improve the movement of dry items, like crackers and cereals to flow without the buildi-up of static electricity.
Chute liners in wet environments help to keep material moving and keep augers from binding up which reduces downtime
Quality and Workplace Safety Engineers are turning to UHMW PE parts to reduce noise
Reduction in energy costs! Less friction means less energy is needed

Just a few of the most common uses are

  • Food Processing (bearings and gears, chute liners, wear strips)
  • Material Handling and Packaging (anti-static chute liners, wear strips, bearings and gears)
  • Conveyor Systems (wear strips, gears, chain guides)
  • Marine (covers, doors, fixtures, handles)
  • Waste Water Treatment Facilities (wear strips, paddles, bearings, scraper blades, chute liners)

 

See you in the blogosphere again soon!

Lisa Anderson

Marketing Manager
ThyssenKrupp Materials, NA
AIN Plastics Division

 

_N1C1196-Edit-cropAbout Lisa Anderson
Ms. Anderson has been ThyssenKrupp Materials AIN Plastics Division for over 2 years. She brings 20+ years of advertising, award winning graphic design, social media and marketing. She has worked in book publishing, advertising agencies, printing, manufacturing, and the apartment industry. Ms. Anderson has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Arts from Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI.

For more on UHMW visit our website.