Press Release

April 7, 2001

Composite Nylon/Steel Gears Turn Electric Power Steering Into Reality

Electric power steering for automobiles has arrived, and a key component of this revolutionary system is its worm gear made of Nylasteel, from Quadrant Engineering Plastic Products and Duragear.
    Electronic Power Steering (EPS) systems eliminate the traditional hydraulic system's power steering pump, hoses, hydraulic fluid, and drive belt and pulley on the engine. Further, EPS offers packaging flexibility and significantly reduces the amount of energy drawn from the engine, thus improving fuel economy, acceleration, and dependability. EPS offers the feel and handling of a traditional hydraulic-powered system, without the loss of power that results from a hydraulic pump running off belts and pulleys driven by the motor.
    Some systems allow for adjustment of the steering tightness, or feel, by the driver at any speed, while others are used primarily for slow-speed operation, where power assist is most needed. At present, EPS systems are used on smaller engine cars, where power consumption is a critical factor for all accessories.
    A typical EPS system has an electric motor, sensors, a worm-gear assembly and a set of complex algorithms to provide power assistance during steering. One of the biggest challenges to developing the EPS has been how to manufacture the worm gear through which the electric motor can supply the power assist.
    The requirements:

Resistance (during aggressive steering maneuvers) to both the maximum input torque and resultant axial force of the worm gear
Reduction of vibration and noise
Low friction and precision tolerances for all gear surfaces
Ability to be press-fit to a steel shaft
Durability and fatigue resistance for the life of the vehicle

    After extensive performance trials of many plastics, including specialty nylons, acetals and other reinforced engineering plastics, Nylasteel was found to provide the highest performance. The long-term strength and fatigue resistance of the nylon used to make Nylasteel is far greater than all other materials, including aramid-fiber-reinforced injection molded nylon compounds.
    NylaSteel comprises a family of products based on Quadrant's anionically-polymerized nylon 6, permanently attached by Duragear to specially treated steel cores, which are designed for power transmission components, such as gears, sprockets and rollers. The products are supplied as billets in both standard and custom sizes, and as custom-molded individual blanks, which can be cut and machined to final gear dimensions, using CNC lathes, before the final enveloping worm gear tooth profile is machined into the outside diameter.
    The advantages of NylaSteel include:

The ability to be rigidly attached to a steel shaft
Unmatched fatigue resistance and durability for applications below 200 °F ambient conditions
A cost-effective solution to the manufacture of many plastic/metal assemblies
Increased load, horsepower and torque capacity, due to the steel core

Duragear, Inc. & Quadrant Engineering Plastic Products, Inc. - April 7, 2001

NylaSteel is a joint product of Quadrant and Duragear, where Quadrant supplies the Nylatron and Duragear fastens it to a steel core with a patented process. Duragear then acts as a distributor of the composite material.

Edgerton Gear, Inc.
[email protected]

20 Gear Drive
Edgerton, WI 53534

Edgepack
[email protected]

Phone: 608-884-9445
Fax: 608-884-3862