Synthetic lubricants that reduce noise and convey a quality tactile feel to hand-operated interior components, while ensuring material compatibility.
Compartments such as pull-out bins, door compartments, cupholders and the glove box. In most instances, the sliding surfaces of these interior components are exposed when pulled into their open positions. A lubricant that stays in place and gives plastic a quality sound and feel is recommended.
Sun Visor. A visor’s two rotating parts stay at rest for long periods – a difficult duty for grease, which tends to get squeezed out of the surfaces that are in contact. Additionally, due to the visor’s location, lubricants cannot leak oil or emit odour. A odourless, synthetic hydrocarbon grease is recommended, enabling the visor to remain in place for extended periods, yet move smoothly when activated.
Seat lubrication is common; lubricating seat tracks is an aesthetic and mechanical challenge. When seats are pushed completely forward or back, a portion of the tracks is exposed, so neutral coloured greases are preferred. Because of the track’s proximity to seat fabric and carpeting, the grease cannot stain or leak oil. Finally, the seat track assembly has to allow for play without rattling or vibrating at high speeds.
Climate control systems. Contemporary climate control systems rely upon a series of motorised vents to re-route airflow for operator comfort. A synthetic lubricant for this application should be engineered specifically to work with plastic gears and be virtually odour free. It should also offer stability at low temperatures.
Shifter & Gear Levers. PRNDL assemblies require lubrication mainly to dampen noise and create a perception of quality not often found in plastic parts. The synthetic lubricant should enable the mechanism to slide smoothly between notches, while imparting a quality feel to the thumb-activated release mechanism. It should withstand the cold and offer vibration and noise reduction.
Take a look the automotive interior articles below, including theory, test videos, product selection guides and case studies.
Automotive trim interior noise (a.k.a. squeaks & rattles) can be a major quality concern for automotive manufacturers and their tier one and two suppliers. The perceived value of a vehicle can be negatively impacted by interior trim noise problems. Our range of water based Antifriction Coatings are the cost effective…
The Silicone oil family is a group of synthetic polymers that combine an inorganic silicon-oxygen backbone with organic side chains, which can include methyl, phenyl and trifluoropropyl. Variations on the chemical structure affect the properties. Silicones are also called Polysiloxanes. Poly(dimethylsiloxane) are the most common silicone used commercially. PAO summary:…
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a fluorocarbon-based polymer which has the appearance of a white powder but the particle size varies from micron to sub-micron; final particle size depends on the milling process. The polymerisation process controls the molecular weight of PTFE and the density is approximately 2.2 g/ml. PTFE has a…
If you are trialling the use of a grease or oil in a prototype device then you will appreciate how crucial lubricants can be; extending the functional life of components, improving the tactile feel of customer operated controls…the reasons to include a lubricant are many and well worthwhile. Before you…
Polyalphaolefin (PAO) oils are stable, lubricious fluids that are compatible with most plastics and elastomers. PAO oils are considered a great replacement for petroleum based products, are used in countless applications and industry sectors. PAO summary: Temperature range of -60 to 125°C Relatively low cost Excellent wear reduction Good plastic/elastomer…
What constitutes a grease? There are three main components that make a grease, base oil, thickener (sometimes called gellent) and an additive package. Making a grease is thought to be like extreme cooking and in the video, we tried to give an insight into the almost bewildering options and permutations…
Why should you choose a grease rather than an oil, if you have the choice? There are some simple or practical reasons and some more chemical advantages. First and foremost, a grease will ‘stay in place’. How good a grease is at staying where it has been applied is down…
When selecting a synthetic grease for a customer, we often discuss oil viscosity and the implications of higher and lower base oil for their application. We decided to make it easier with a video explanation so our customers can better understand the centistoke (cSt) numbers on a data sheet. This…
Making sure a lubricant does not have any compatibility issues with a plastic or rubber is very important, especially if you are similar to our typical customer and are using one of our synthetic lubricants inside your own finished device that will be manufactured in large volumes; any deformation or…
This case study video shows a noise problem associated with the parcel shelf on a premium sports car. The video shows the effectiveness of the F27 product from the Antifriction Coating range. The noise which is coming from the parcel shelf in the tailgate/boot area is due to a hard…
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