Managing and preventing corrosion is the main requirement in many industrial sectors as, for instance, industrial vehicles sector, automotive sector, naval sector, civil and military aeronautics, aerospace sector, or the railway sector. By not correctly dealing with the corrosion issue, people might put at risk not only the product’s performances, but also the safety of the product that the technopolymer lock protects. Continuous maintenance, moreover, might have negative consequences on the revenue
There are multiple chemical or electrochemical reactions that might lead to corrosion of the material – and oftentimes, these reactions are set off by one of the following agents: humidity, extreme temperatures, surface liquids, atmospheric dust, salts, industrial lubricants.
When the going gets tough…
Luckily, thanks to technology, there are plenty of new materials available for project and technical managers to support the production of corrioson resistant products.
Materials make the difference, especially when we talk about products like lock, that are mounted on ships and that must be functional under many different conditions: cold, heat, rain, wind, salt water, corrosion and high mechanical loads. Applications under such conditions require high performances and, for a long time, stainless steel has been the main material for this kind of use. Steel is, by itself, an amazing material that, depending on its different chemical compositions, is divided into four categories: carbon steel, alloy steel, tool steel and stainless steel. The latter doesn’t require protective coating and is characterised by resistance to corrosion, resistance to atmospheric agents and by a perfect ability to integrate with the surrounding environment, making it earn first place without too much effort.
However, innovative and surprising materials have come to life with the advent of nanotechnology, a reality that is everyday more tangible and that influences all areas able to revolutionise every sector by playing with atoms and molecules and by working with object of the size of a nanometer, i.e. one billionth of a meter (10^-9 m). Among these we find technopolymers, which are cheaper than machine-worked metal but just as reliable, strong and resistant for many different applications. Recently, technopolymers have even been used, instead of stainless steel, to produce of heart surgery equipment.
Classic and innovative uses of technopolymers
Plastic materials, or polymers, are notoriously used for various engineering projects and in the production of many objects, by injection molding, in many different sectors: electrical, electro-mechanical, electro-chemical, heating, electro-domestic, household appliances, optics, construction, transport, food, industrial automation, medical, personal care. Even in the access management sector and in the safety sector lock manufacturing companies still use plastic materials creating innovative products and taking maximum advantage of their qualities: a goof or optiamo dimensional stability, the keeping of good mechanical properties even under temperatures higher than 100°C, ease of processing, high resistancy to dynamic loads and resistancy to aging.
The state of the art of special locks – naval, railway and aeronautical sectors
O.M.R. Srl, always observant of innovation and meeting their clients’ needs, has been taking advantage for years of the versatility and innovation of technopolymers in the production of special locks for the naval and railway sector, as well as the aeronautics industry and valve sector. Moreover, thanks to their non-magnetic properties they can be used in furnishings and in the closure of equipment for radiology rooms, thanks to their anti-corrosion properties. They can be used on cleaning trolleys or on cabinets even if in contact with solvents and acids, while, also thanks to the their non-toxic properties, they can be used to close compartments and doors in the food or pharmaceutical sectors. Locks made of technopolymer not only guarantee the same performance as the same steel or zinc alloy models, but are real “chameleons” because, thanks to the various colors, they can perfectly integrate with the product, improving its overall aesthetic appearance.
Moreover, technopolymers are 100% suitable for recycling and avoid the necessary galvanic treatments on steel and zinc alloy, thus reducing the production process and the consequent greenhouse gas emissions, in favor of sustainable production, as required by the 2030 Agenda.