In response to market requests to improve thermal properties, Polygon Company’s engineering team is proud to announce the unveiling of a new generation of PolyLube® High Temperature (HT) composite bushings at Con Expo 2011 in Las Vegas. The new PolyLube® HT 2 has demonstrated a glass transition temperature in excess of 500°F for an improvement of over 100° compared to the previous generation bushing.

PolyLube HT 2 applications are not just for elevated temperature environments but also for where the bushing may need to resist thermal expansion during operation. One example of this is in snowmobile clutch markets. In these applications, the clutch speed goes from 0 to very high RPM’s in micro-seconds and vice versa. During this cycling, friction is rising because speed is being dramatically increased. As the friction goes up so does the temperature of the associated components. A high temperature composite bushing material can resist these expansion phenomena and as a result offer better long term wear, improved bushing durability, and less seizure opportunity than conventional metal bushing materials.

Not all heat sources are from operational friction either. Welding can also lead to temporarily elevated temperatures. Higher temperatures grant the ability to pre-assemble the bushing into housings that can then be welded or further fabricated. This also leads to improved repair characteristics for your product in the field. While the sustained operating temperature is 500°F, limited amounts of time up to 700-800°F may be possible depending on your application.

This new high temperature bushing has tested well and is expected to feature physical characteristics similar to the current PolyLube® MRP line of bushings with an elevated temperature rating.