Extrusion International 6-2017

29 Extrusion International 6/2017 Custom-Engineered TPE and more The halogen-free system offers users in the electric and elec- tronic industry a very flexible and efficient solution for new installations and retrofitting of cables and hoses, as well as pneumatic and hydraulic lines in enclosures and control cabi- nets. The systems make use of no fewer than five different Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPE) from KRAIBURG TPE: a PA adhesion-optimised THERMOLAST ® K compound for the system inlay seal, in addition to flame retardant and custom- engineered TPE materials for sealing elements. “The KDSClick cable entry system was our first TPE project, so that we needed a competent partner who would provide us with optimal support, from the choice of a suitable ma- terial for the application, mould design, colour matching all the way to series production,” says Jörg Nowastowski-Stock, Head of Product Management at CONTA-CLIP. “The special- ists at KRAIBURG TPE were committed to fulfilling our re- quirements from the very beginning and were instrumental in the fast implementation of the project.” One of the challenges of the system was to ensure an ab- solutely reliable seal of the frame mounted on the control cabinet in accordance with IP 66 protection, as required in process and industrial automation. The frame consists of glass-fibre reinforced PA 6.6 and a TPE compound. It was necessary to find a TPE material that enables excellent adhe- sion to polyamides and is soft enough to adapt to different surfaces in order to seal the system. CONTA-CLIP decided to use an adhesion-optimised TPE compound from KRAIBURG TPE that is processed with the polyamide of the inlay in a two-component injection moulding process. The THERMO- LAST ® K material features excellent adhesion and ensures a reliable seal even on painted or rough surfaces. The system also includes seal elements of different sizes, which enclose the cables, hoses and lines. In close coopera- tion, CONTA-CLIP and KRAIBURG TPE optimised the design of the seal elements to achieve IP 66 protection. The slotted elements are designed for easy installation and exact enclo- sure of the cables without deformation. The flame retardant THERMOLAST ® K materials used for the KDSClick system are self-extinguishing in accordance with UL94 and are rated as non-dripping (Category V0). In addition, the TPE compounds developed for the electric and electronic market are halogen-free in accordance with IEC 61249-2-21. “The modular cable entry system from CONTA-CLIP is an outstanding example of the innovative commitment of our advanced Thermoplastic Elastomers,” says Dr. Thomas Wag- ner, Product Management EMEA at KRAIBURG TPE. “This project also emphasises our extensive development compe- tence and our consistent customer orientation in support of high-end applications.” FLAME-RETARDANT MATERIALS With KDSClick, the connection technology manufacturer CONTA-CLIP Verbindungstechnik has created an extremely flexible cable entry system that comprises inlays and various seal elements manufactured using Thermoplastic Elastomers from KRAIBURG TPE. The TPE specialist developed for example halogen-free flame retardant materials in accordance with UL94 and are rated as Category V0. KRAIBURG TPE GmbH & Co. KG www.kraiburg-tpe.com Easy assembly and fast installation: the modular cable entry system KDSClick from CONTA-CLIP with inlays and seal elements of Thermoplastic Elastomers from KRAIBURG TPE offer maximum configuration flexibility (Photo: © CONTA-CLIP)