Polygon Composites Blog

Polygon Company is proud to announce their new pneumatic cylinder known as CTT (Constrained Tube Technology). CTT is a complete pneumatic system that allows the composite tube to be fitted within the confines of a thin-walled outer host. The composite tube carries greater than 90% of the pressure vessel loads while the metallic host enables traditional assembly techniques such as welding, threading, retention rings, and etc.

A housing must be used to handle the additional pressure load for the complete tube assembly. “Housings can be 80/20 aluminum or other machined metal. It could be any material, even a wooden box,” said Paul Lashbrook, lead CTT engineer. Containing housings do not need to be cylindrical nor do they need to be honed or plated, and can even be a low-grade steel. “The housing provides a durable casing for CTT, supporting and protecting the lightweight cylinder,” Lashbook continued. The CTT cylinder is an entire thin-walled actuator system utilizing a new end cap attachment system.

The approach enables the design engineer to achieve the benefits of composite cylinder tubing such as corrosion resistance, improved seal life and unique fluid flow properties without manufacturing assembly changes.

For non-housed units, lower cost polymeric cylinders can provide the needed structure. “In traditional cylinders, the metal walls provide both pressure containment and structural strength. With CTT, the inner composite sleeve does all the load work while the thermoplastic outer tube and connection elements provide seamless and cost-effective assembly,” said James Shobert, Polygon Company CEO. End caps can be fitted to secure the host tube and provide a very traditional cylinder outline for non-housed units as illustrated. This blends the high performance characteristics of advanced composites with the durability and economics of standard polymeric materials.

One consistent Achilles Heel of retrofitting composites into existing applications is being able to assemble the finished product using traditional metalworking techniques. Composite cylinder tubing cannot withstand drilling and maintain structural strength. This limited previous composite tubing to tie-rod cylinder applications almost exclusively. CTT’s tubing is not immune to this attachment problem. However, the required housings can be chosen to provide ample attachment points for mounting the assembly.

CTT has surpassed 27 million cycles under elevated testing pressure and is the perfect solution to demanding pressure vessel applications. Balancing performance and cost, it is uniquely suited for today’s lean operational environments.

About Polygon Company
Founded in 1949, Polygon Company is a proven composite material engineering innovator, currently holding over 40 active patents on unique products, designs and proprietary manufacturing capabilities.

Headquartered in Walkerton, Indiana, Polygon has expanded to a worldwide manufacturing and distribution network providing composite solutions in multiple industries from bearings to laparoscopic surgical tubing.

To learn more, e-mail, or call: 

E-mail: sales@polygoncompany.com

Phone (574) 586-3145

Toll-free (800) 918-9261

Polygon Company can be your confidential engineering outsource for developing composite material projects.

Polygon Company is proud to announce the revitalization of Idea Center, an in-house team of design engineers with decades of collective composites engineering experience.

The engineering challenges faced when adapting a product to composites can be challenging.  New materials with unique properties increase lead times for design teams, straining internal engineering groups.

This is where Polygon’s Idea Center shines.  A confidential outsource staffed with an engineering team experienced in the caveats of composites can bring your vision to market.

Vertical integration  with on-site manufacturing also means that the team is grounded in the practical aspects of mass producing composites and their integration, assuring practical solutions. Manufacturing can also be provided by outside companies if desired.

Intellectual property created for projects can be exclusively owned by the client or retained by Polygon, according to pre-determined project contracts.

Since its’ founding in 1949, Polygon Company has provided unique composite materials solutions.  From baseball bats to boat hulls, well screens, surgical tubing, respirator actuators, and aircraft fuel lines, Polygon has been a constant innovator in the field.

For more information, visit http://polygoncomposites.com/ideacenter today.

About Polygon Company

Founded in 1949, Polygon Company is a proven composite material engineering innovator, currently holding over 40 active patents on unique products, designs and proprietary manufacturing capabilities.

Headquartered in Walkerton, Indiana, Polygon has expanded to a worldwide manufacturing and distribution network providing composite solutions in multiple industries from bearings to laparoscopic surgical tubing.

To learn more, visit our contact page, e-mail, or call:
Contact form: http://www.polygoncomposites.com/contact
E-mail: sales@polygoncompany.com
Phone (574) 586-3145

Impact loading is a significant concern when specifying a journal bearing. There are applications that present difficulties for composite or bronze bearing materials. For applications where impact is a known design limitation, there are a few considerations to be made when specifying a journal bearing. The three major concerns are diameter ratio, the range of clearance, and the wall thickness. The PolyLube® bearing family is uniquely suited to address impact loading in agriculture, construction and material handling equipment.

Polygon is pleased to be one of the first composite manufacturing companies with ISO 14001 certification.

The ISO 14001 Standard codifies the measurement and reduction of waste and its’ environmental impact. Composite materials are prone to waste in manufacturing, thus Polygon is pleased to be one of the first companies with this certification in their industry.

To achieve compliance, Polygon instituted a computerized quality control system to improve manufacturing feedback and reduce paper waste, and switched to polymer resins with indefinite shelf life when possible to reduce landfill use.

Polygon has a history of strong community ties.  “We have always been a socially responsible company, with charitable programs giving back to the local area.  Reducing waste is just one more way to be good members of our community”, said Bert Worrell, Six Sigma-Lean Manager.

Encouraged by the successes in waste reduction that were possible from attaining the standard, Polygon is pursuing continued efficiencies. Internal goals for further waste reduction have been established under a campaign dubbed W.A.R. – Waste Awareness Revolution. “Polygon has always been committed to being a low cost, high volume OEM supplier, and reducing raw material use is a part of that goal”, said James Shobert, CEO.

View Polygon’s ISO 14001 certificate online.

About the International Organization for Standardization
The International Organization for Standardization is recognized as the leading developer of voluntary, consensus-based international standards for business, government and society. There are more than 16,500 current ISO standards and related documents that specify the requirements for state-of-the-art products, services, processes, materials and systems, and for good conformity assessment, managerial and organizational practice.

About Polygon Company

Founded in 1949, Polygon Company is a proven composite material engineering innovator, currently holding over 40 active patents on unique products, designs and proprietary manufacturing capabilities.

Headquartered in Walkerton, Indiana, Polygon has expanded to a worldwide manufacturing and distribution network providing composite solutions in multiple industries from bearings to laparoscopic surgical tubing.

To learn more, visit our contact page, e-mail, or call:
Contact form: http://www.polygoncomposites.com/contact
E-mail: sales AT polygoncompany DOT com
Phone (574) 586-3145
Toll-free (800) 918-9261

Metallic bearings can be subject to severe corrosion in as little as 24 hours of basic immersion testing. PolyLube composite bearings are made from corrosion-resistant polymer resins and long strand fiberglass for superior corrosion resistance.  Read more on how composite bearings surpass metal backed bearings.

Founded in 1949 by a chemist working on advanced composite materials during World War II at Wright-Patterson Air Force base, Polygon Company has grown into an engineered materials company with multiple manufacturing facilities worldwide. Polygon’s original and ongoing patents stand as a hallmark in the development of fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite technology.

Corporate research and development activities, including an in-house test laboratory, are located in the company’s corporate offices and primary manufacturing location in Walkerton, Indiana (approximately 90 miles east of Chicago, Illinois).

Scott Adams