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AURUM®
Thermoplastic Polyimide
Injection Molded Thrust Washers Selected
by Ford for the 1999 Super Duty F-Series
Pickup Torque Converter
Automotive/Transmission (Released 7/7/98)
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Livonia, MI - When Ford Powertrain Operations required a high-performance torque converter thrust washer material for its redesigned electronic 4-speed automatic overdrive transmission, the company selected injection moldable AURUM Thermoplastic Polyimide from Mitsui Chemicals (Purchase, NY). Installed on all 1999 Ford Super Duty F-Series pickups equipped with 7.3-Liter diesel turbo engines, the AURUM JCL 3030 injection molded washers were chosen for their low wear and friction and long service life in a demanding torque converter environment. The 1999 Ford Super Duty Pickups were introduced in January.
The function of the AURUM JCL 3030 thrust washers is to prevent wear between a 12 inch diameter converter clutch piston and a converter turbine hub when relative motion occurs. AURUM JCL 3030 is a self-lubricating and high strength carbon fiber reinforced polyimide designed to function as a low wear surface at high pressure and velocity levels in either lubricated or unlubricated operating environments. Ford's AURUM JCL 3030 thrust washers are injection molded by LDM Powertrain, a division of LDM Technologies, (Pt. Huron, MI) on a standard 150-ton Battenfeld injection molding machine and 4-cavity mold equipped with a hot runner system. According to Dan Evans, Engineering Manager at LDM Powertrain, "AURUM JCL 3030 is an outstanding material for harsh automotive transmission applications requiring low wear, a low coefficient of friction, robust mechanical properties, compatibility with automotive fluids, and resistance to extreme temperatures. The processing attributes of AURUM such as low mold shrinkage and hot runner capability allow tight tolerances to be achieved at a reasonable component cost." High volume production of the AURUM JCL 3030 thrust washer commenced at LDM in November 1997.
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Long-term ASTM heat aging tests were conducted with AURUM JCL 3030 samples immersed in two Exxon automatic transmission fluids specified by Ford at 350°F for 1,760 hours. Consistent with the reputation of polyimides for delivering impressive thermal and chemical resistance, no change was exhibited in AURUM properties including tensile strength, elongation, and izod impact strength compared to the measured pre-test values. Throughout the 3-year Ford test program, AURUM JCL 3030 exhibited excellent resistance to wear and an innate ability to handle the severe thermal and PV conditions presented in the application. According to Lee J. Hyde, Director for the Performance Polymers Division of Mitsui Chemicals, "The polyimide family of engineering plastics has a long history functioning as a thermally and chemically resistant, low wear surface in automotive transmission applications and AURUM Thermoplastic Polyimide is no exception. AURUM's exceptional heat resistance and ability to withstand high pressures and velocities is founded on its high glass transition temperature of 482°F. A unique combination of extreme thermal resistance, low wear factor and coefficient of friction, resistance to automotive fluids, and conventional injection molding capability have made this advanced engineering plastic a reliable and economic selection for demanding transmission and torque converter tribological applications."
According to Mr. Hyde, besides transmission and torque converter thrust washers, AURUM has entered other demanding automotive and off-highway vehicle applications including oil seal rings and check balls, turbocharger bearings and retainers, and wear and wear resistant components for steering, suspension, small motor, and braking systems. Elsewhere, AURUM injection molded applications include high-performance bearings and gears for high-speed copiers and printers; ultra-purity and low-outgassing components for semiconductor wafer processing and handling equipment; and components for jet engines, industrial compressors, appliances, and power tools. These AURUM injection molded components are utilized by a long list of multinational companies including Xerox, Kodak, GE, IBM, AlliedSignal, and United Technologies. AURUM Thermoplastic Polyimide is also available as a film, thin-wall tubing, metal laminate for flexible circuit applications, composite prepreg, extruded stock shape, and wire & cable insulation.
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