PEEK Seals And Valves

PEEK seals and Valves - Why Choose PEEK Manifolds for High Temperature and High Load - PEEK Manifolds are Chemically Resistant and Dimensionally Stable

Considered one of the strongest materials in the polymer field, PEEK (polyether ether ketone) not only has a tensile strength in excess of 100Mpa, but can also withstand compression loads in excess of 300Mpa, making it strong enough for high load, wear and tear, and high rotational speed applications, where steel mating materials can be used without worrying about them wearing out the PEEK components. These properties can be further enhanced by the addition of carbon and glass, both of which greatly increase the overall strength of the material while making it more thermally stable.

PEEK seals and valves are typically used in applications involving high temperatures and high loads. While seals are relatively simple to machine, PEEK valves can be challenging, especially when multiple inlets and outlets are specified. Turning and milling centers or vertical milling centers may be required to produce valves of consistent size and quality.

An even greater challenge for valves is the PEEK manifold, which is typically machined from a solid block with its own set of holes on each of the six sides of the block. Manifolds are essential in many fluid transfer applications. It is designed and machined in such a way that it can be located within the system to ensure not only that all fluid lines are perfectly aligned, but also that there is no leakage during operation.PEEK is a very chemically resistant material, and manifolds are extremely durable in a wide range of fluids and substances, maintaining their dimensions even with wide temperature variations.

Machining a PEEK manifold is a difficult task. First, the PEEK blanks required for machining need to be molded into blocks. Most commercially available PEEK blanks are sold as round rods. This can be extremely wasteful when the final shape is rectangular, especially since PEEK is an expensive material. Even technically, machining a round rod into a rectangular shape creates significant internal stresses in the polymer. Considering that the more PEEK is machined, the higher the stresses become, such machining is bound to cause the final component to break at some point during operation.

In contrast, Jeho uses internal molding to create rectangular blocks that are as close to the final size as possible, minimizing excess machining while reducing costs. The addition of fiberglass or carbon fiber is also critical. Again, the commercially available grade will be manufactured using pure PEEK. This makes it essential in applications where high temperature variations may occur.

Once the molding is complete, the critical step is machining. Again, given that tolerances can be close to 10 microns, a 4- or 5-axis machine is essential to minimize the number of operations required. However, more important than the dimensions themselves is the handling of the material. Even with reduced machining compared to round bars, there is a high probability that internal stresses will build up when machining the block. Therefore, the block must be carefully annealed, not only after molding, but also between operations during processing.

As you can see, if handled properly, the end product can be quite satisfactory.The PEEK manifold is a very challenging part. Not everyone can do it well. In addition, our control of the entire process - from molding to mixing to machining - allows us to ensure that the final performance - both in terms of material and dimensions - is always top-notch. - is always top-notch.