The engineers at Weippert are drawing very clear comparisons at HANNOVER MESSE 2016. The WT M6x40 plastic screw made from PA6 GF30 is just 1.6 grams and the one made from PA6 GF50 only 1.8 grams – compared to the equivalent A2 metal screw, which weighs in at 9.3 grams. It’s not always necessarily a problem that plastic screws aren’t as robust as steel. In many cases, a single design modification to reflect their mechanical properties is enough to make plastic screws a viable alternative to steel. And even if the plastic screw needs to be slightly larger than a steel one, e.g. an M6 in place of an M4, this still saves considerable weight.

Weippert is showing visitors to HANNOVER MESSE 2016 the measures it takes to make plastic screws a real alternative to steel – such as modifying the shape of its WT plastic screw heads to improve their mechanical properties. Besides the main advantages of plastic screws such as their corrosion-resistance, additional chemical benefits can also be gained thanks to the huge variety of plastic granulates and fillers available, such as GF, LGF and CRP. These offer various different qualities such as UV-resistance, electrical conductivity, heat-resistance, food safety, and weather- or acid-resistance. What’s more, plastic screws can be colored any way the customer likes or requires. This all goes to show why plastic screws should appeal to a great many sectors, such as the electrical and electronics industry, plant and tank construction, robotics and gripping technology, automotive engineering, the furniture industry, and water and sewage technology.

Weippert Kunststofftechnik GmbH & Co. KG (74613 Öhringen, Germany), Hall 6, Stand E30 Topic: Baden-Württemberg pavilion – Baden-Württemberg International, co-exhibitor with Baden-Württemberg International