Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co. KG, the world's leading producer of cleaning equipment has selected LyondellBasell's high-performance polypropylene (PP) resin Moplen EP240T, for the production of a new series of industrial cleaning equipment. The resin will be used to produce the chassis of the company's new mid-class and high-end range of hot-water high-pressure cleaners.
Traditionally using steel, the new chassis represents Karcher's first attempt at using a polymer in the application. Unlike standard resins, Moplen EP203T offers a unique balance of advanced mechanical properties, including high-flow ability, impact strength and chemical resistance.
Karcher's was looking for a product that was able to withstand the rigors of harsh outdoor environments, since the company's cleaning equipment is used for automotive engines, agricultural and industrial machinery.
As a load-bearing element for the cleaner, the chassis features very complex geometry that includes more than 300 pieces; the part is 1254 mm long, 747 mm wide, 495 mm high and weighs 22 kg.
“By using Moplen EP240T, we were able to eliminate several manufacturing steps,” said Bernd Gaßmann, Process Coordinator at Kärcher. “The outstanding process ability of the material enabled us to include parts such as the air duct and the holding tanks for water and detergents, directly into the chassis instead of assembling these parts in a separate manufacturing step. Our new model required a material that permitted more design freedom and production flexibility than steel.”
Meeting both the challenges and requirements needed for finished parts, Moplen EP 240T is being used to produce six models in the series.
“The PP resin from LyondellBasell has already proven its suitability in a variety of other Kärcher applications, due to its outstanding melt-flow rate (MFR), impact resistance and stiffness required for demanding applications such as industrial cleaners,” said Gaßmann.
With outstanding flow ability, standard PP grades with a comparable balance of stiffness and impact resistance, have a MFR of up to 25 g/10min, compared to Moplen EP240T a MFR of 48 g/10min.
“Flow ability on the one hand, with stiffness and impact resistance on the other hand, are diametrically opposing forces. However, the Moplen resin offers an ideal balance of both,” said Daniel Schneider, Application Development and Technical Service Manager for Injection Molding at LyondellBasell. “Kärcher also required high chemical resistance, and PP can address this specific need of applications for exterior use.”
According to Schneider, Karcher's manufacturing process requires a resin with improved welding ability. Using the latest infrared-welding technology, and due to the well balanced polymer structure, Moplen EP240T is suitable for this processing method. Stringent testing conducted by Karcher was done before mass production was started.
“As a producer of high-end units, the materials we use must withstand challenging tests. This application success clearly illustrates PP's ability to continuously deliver innovative and versatile solutions,” said Paul Turner, vice president of LyondellBasell's polypropylene business in Europe.
The world's largest and leading manufacturer of cleaning equipment, Kärcher is a family-owned company that sold 6.38 million units in 2008. In the same year, Kärcher relaunched its benchmark mid-class and high-end range of hot-water high-pressure cleaners. This marks another cutting-edge step for the company.
“Moplen EP240T PP resin delivered good results in terms of elongation, impact resistance at -20°C, and density,” commented Gaßmann. “As a producer of high-end units, the materials we use must withstand challenging tests. By using the lowest-density polymer available, we were able to save costs.
“The unit meets specific consumer needs for all uses, and thanks to the number of innovations realized in the application, our relaunched series has become the benchmark in terms of cleaning performance, mobility and environmental protection. We are very excited about the potential of this new and improved cleaner”
Moplen is a trademark owned or used by LyondellBasell group companies and is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.