Materials, Materials Development & Sustainability
For technical reasons, we primarily use plastics for our sealing elements and plain bearings, which are machined exclusively by cutting. Because of this manufacturing process, which is not tied to a specific production facility, prototypes can be produced very quickly and cost-effectively; they are immediately ready for series production and can be adapted to changing requirements at any time with minimal effort.
These high-performance plastics are custom-designed for each specific application. The blanks required for this are then manufactured to close tolerance according to our specifications. PFOA and PFOS are necessary for the production of fluoropolymers. However, due to concerns surrounding PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), we have reevaluated our approach.
Through our in-house materials development, we are conducting intensive research into PFAS-free plastic blends that are intended to gradually replace the fluoropolymers used to date over the long term. Materials such as PTFE, PTFE compounds, and PVDF—which have been used until now—will increasingly be replaced by materials developed on the basis of UHMW-PE and other “harmless” plastics.
Through intensive research in the field of sustainable materials, we aim to do our small part to continue enabling sophisticated technical solutions—increasingly without the use of fluoropolymers and thus without the concerning release of volatile PFAS. Selecting materials derived from natural resources, as well as recycling and reusing generated shavings, will also become a central focus of our efforts in the future.
Our philosophy of sustainability therefore dictates that we no longer favor the use of PTFE, etc., in new projects.
