Meccanotecnica Umbra developed Mecflon, to reduce the sliding friction in bushings

PTFE bushings for auxiliary brushless water pumps

In many cases the auxiliary pumps are driven by brushless motor, still with some limited performances in terms of pump efficiency and vibrations/noise. Meccanotecnica Umbra developed a material for sliding parts such as bushings to reduce the sliding friction: the solution is the MTU PTFE material with appropriate fillers, Mecflon.

Mecflon, when compared to other grades of Ptfe, is formulated to provide increased efficiency, improved wear resistance, and decreased starting torque in demanding applications of food, spa, and drinkable water segments.

Thermal management through optimized or advanced engine cooling requires specific control strategies and components , such as switchable main pump and sometimes auxiliary electric pumps , more often brushless type.
Thermal management through optimized or advanced engine cooling requires specific control strategies and components, such as switchable main pump and sometimes auxiliary electric pumps, more often brushless type.

As it was for the mechanical seal of  dishwasher pumps,  Meccanotecnica Umbra analyzed the possibility of supplying in particular bushings and rings, made with same innovative materials to prevent sticking and noise, to Tier1s and OEs that are partially replacing the traditional pumps (equipped with mechanical seals).

Compared to Ptfe, Mecflon is formulated to provide increased efficiency, improved wear resistance, and decreased starting torque in demanding applications of food, spa, and drinkable water segments.
Compared to Ptfe, Mecflon is formulated to provide increased efficiency, improved wear resistance, and decreased starting torque in demanding applications of food, spa, and drinkable water segments.

The irregularities of performances in real conditions are related to the occurrence of irregular flow situations and for mechanical seal this phenomenon is bigger, because the lubricating film between the faces is typically very small.

Therefore the effect of Mecflon also for bushings has been again the key factor for avoiding sticking and noise, as it had been for traditional low power electric pumps, provided with mechanical seals.

The comparison of noise measurement in case of traditional carbon bushing and new Mecflon bushing.
The comparison of noise measurement in case of traditional carbon bushing and new Mecflon bushing.

In  the past two years  MTU  has got relevant progress in the definition of the project for brushless motors and has overtaken the preliminary testing activity on prototypes, with sizeable advantage also in terms of wear, and not only sticking and noise, in comparison with standard materials used for mass production.

Pumps equipped with Ptfe bushings don’t present axial wear of the front flange of the bushing and show lower wear of radial surface.  However the combined radial wear of bushings and shaft for Mecflon Y4 solutions makes significantly lower overall damage in terms of eccentricity and in facts the rotor never touched the housing.

Morerecently MTU has started a specific development program for application of PTFE bushing to cooling system water pump, taking into account the typical working conditions of the automotive segment ( -40 / 140 ° C , up tp 6000 rpm, high additivated coolant, continuous operation during in- house recharge of batteries of hybrid or electric vehicles …)

 

 

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