The 4-ft-long by 14-in (157-cm by 35-cm)-wide trolley features a patented construction which includes 11 injection molded parts and three novel extruded parts. The extrusions set a new standard in terms of length and wall thickness for PPSU, according to Steve Kolste, director of market and business development for Bemis. “The challenge was extruding such a large profile with a thin wall thickness, and still providing the necessary high strength and low weight,” explained Kolste.
Using standard extrusion equipment, Bemis employed unique die technology to extrude two 39-in (99-cm)-high C-shaped parts for the body of the trolley. A key challenge was distributing the material evenly along the die, according to Kolste. Here, Radel R PPSU’s consistent melt flow played an important role in part processing. The hollow, multilayer, ribbed structures are then joined together with a proprietary technology that eliminates fasteners and further reduces overall weight. The 0.5-in (1.3-cm)-thick structures are believed to be the largest thin-wall extrusions made of PPSU, according to Kolste. The trolley also includes 3-ft by 10-in (117-cm by 25-cm) injection molded parts for the front and rear doors.
Solvay Advanced Polymers’ Radel R-7700 (extrusion) and R-7535 (injection) PPSU grades comply with all FAA flame, smoke, and toxicity (FST) requirements and provide exceptional toughness and impact strength. They are resistant to aggressive cleaning agents and provide molded-in color.
The Tigris recyclable trolley, available in half-size (10 kg/22 lb) and full-size (17 kg/37 lb) versions, are undergoing industry trials in order to achieve EASA/ETSO certification. AeroCat and gategroup will sell or lease the trolleys in a total service catering concept directly to the airlines.
Solvay Advanced Polymers, LLC, produces more plastics with more performance than any other company in the world. This gives design engineers worldwide more ways to solve top design challenges in automotive, healthcare, electronics, aerospace and other demanding industries.
Solvay is an international chemical and pharmaceutical Group with headquarters in Brussels. Its companies employ more than 28,000 people in 50 countries. In 2008, its consolidated sales amounted to EUR 9.5 billion, generated by its three sectors of activity: Plastics, Chemicals and Pharmaceuticals.
