Development of Industry’s Highest Load Resistance Plastic Pulleys for Engine Ancillary Belts
Market demand for more efficient fuel economy automobile is on the rise, and one way to make this happen is by decreasing the actual weight of the vehicle. In doing so, manufacturers in automotive industry are placing their interest in replacing various steel parts through a vehicle with plastic parts. One such part is engine accessory belt pulleys which can be made out of plastic to replace older steel pulleys. However, higher power output and rotational speed of engines in reaching greater efficiency of engines has often resulted in slip (creep) between the outer ring of bearing and plastic parts, resulting in deformation of the pulley which causes the mating between the outer ring of the bearing and seal to become loose causing grease to leak out as the seal rotates. In order to remedy this problem NTN has developed a “High-load Resin Pulley” based on high-rigidity plastic capable of withstanding high temperatures around the engine in the vehicle. Read more
