General Information about the
Dry Lubricants from Micro Care
Micro Care has developed a unique family of sophisticated chemistries
specifically for customers requiring nonflammable, non-migrating lubrication of metal, plastic and
ceramic parts. Generally termed “dry film” or “thin film”
lubricants, these products are packaged for dip, spray or
aerosol applications.
Most frequently these coatings are used to lubricate
medical devices such as catheters, cutting tools, staplers,
hypotubes, and complex assemblies where metal or plastic
components slide against each other “surface to surface.”
Based on proprietary “microdispersion” technology, these
products deposit a thin, smooth film of a dry lubricant over
the desired surfaces. This coverage is more uniform than
that provided by traditional lubricants, without streaks or
clumping. While the cosmetic improvement alone is significant, there also is an important performance
improvement.
The performance improvement stems from the extra lubricity
provided by the smooth, uniform coating. It enables
ultra-low “break-away” actuation forces and minimizes
the “stiction” problems common in low speed, light load
applications. This improves the “feel” of the device, delivering
a silky, almost effortless actuation. Customers report
that Micro Care’s dry film lubricants impart an improvement
in “feel” that can not be obtained any other way.
In addition, by lubricating components it becomes much easier to assemble
individual parts into final assemblies.
This is particularly true in robotic operations, or in semi-automatic
systems with feeder trays and slides. The parts
simply move more smoothly so technicians and robots can
assemble them with fewer problems.
Lastly, these new products also can replace older lubricants
based on ozone-depleting HCFC-141b chemistries.
Improved Product Performance
In today’s marketplace, it is all about improved product
performance. Customers around the globe have chosen
dry film lubricants from Micro Care because these coatings
make their products work better at lower cost. Here
is quick summary of the important money-saving benefits
Micro Care microdispersions provide:
Easy to apply, even in high-volume assembly
lines
No secondary treatment required (heat treatment,
curing, etc.)
Minimal capital investment
Outstanding lubricity
Non-migrating deposition
Extraordinary microdispersion stability, even
with minimal agitation
Easy, nonflammable handling, storage and use
A non-nutritive environment inimical to biologic
growth
Excellent materials compatibility
Compatible with gamma radiation and gas sterilization
procedures, and
Excellent environmental properties, and…
U.S. E.P.A. “SNAP”-approved.
[ Photo, right ]
 Micro Care microdispersions
deliver superior coverage and
lubricity. Here, the coated surfaces of two
eyelets are compared. The left eyelet demonstrates
the irregular streaking and "runs" of
traditional powdered PTFE materials. On the right the smooth,
“fog-like” coating of the VCG dry
lubricant can be seen. Both dips
were 3% concentrations.
Today Micro Care offers about fourteen different microdispersion products. Most of
these have been customized for a specific customer's application. Many of these
are among the most demanding applications found in industry. They are used:
On medical instruments and devices, because of their ease of application, compatibility and environmental compliance.
On precision equipment such as musical instruments, audio-visual
gear, camera equipment, magnetic recording tapes and film.
On leather, plastics and elastomers for use in drive belts,
gaskets, gears, bearings and chain drives.
Coating both natural and synthetic fibers used in fabrics,
thread, cord, twine and rope.
On extruded cable coatings.
On machined parts and fittings, including nuts and bolts,
linkage and connectors, locks, power saw blades, electrical equipment and office machines.
Metal working operations, including extrusion, rolling,
drawing and sizing.
On processes in the manufacture of glass and paper.
Home furniture and hardware, including door hinges,
locks, catches, window guides, slide channels on storm windows and antique furniture drawer guides.
As a mold release, for all plastics and elastomers.
Savvy engineers have two excellent choices. They can select a standard
Micro Care thin film lube for their
application, or allow Micro Care to custom-design a blend specifically for the
situation. Then, they can select either a concentrated form of the product --
which they dilute before applying the coating -- or a hassle-free ready-to-use
concentration, which eliminates the quality problems which can arise in
handling. In either case, engineers will be saving money
and improving performance with the
reliable assurance of Micro Care
quality and innovation.
A Quick Summary of the
Most Popular
Dry Lubricants from Micro Care
This lubricant family features fast-evaporating DuPont
Vertrel® XF with different concentrations of PTFE solids.
It is formulated for high-volume applications where universal
materials compatibility is essential. In general, the
KFX series provides the finest, most consistent coating of
any product offered by Micro Care.
KFX mixtures are plastic-safe on all normal materials of construction. The
carrier is an ozone-safe, nonflammable hydrofluorocarbon solvent. Some blends
include a small proportion of isopropyl alcohol. These mixtures are safe for
people, safe for the environment, noflammable and
completely inert on all types of plastics.
For engineers needing a uniform and consistent lubricant
coating with high quality cosmetics, KFX is the best
choice. The material is available at up to 15% concentrations
(suitable for dilution by the customer) or at ready to-use blends prepared to the client’s requirements. KFX
series lubricants are generally compatible with gamma radiation
and gas sterilization procedures.
These products are versatile. For example, KFX series
chemistries also can be custom formulated without PTFE
to serve as excellent carrier agents for other types of customized
coatings, such as silicones.
Micro Care developed this highly cost-effective family of
dry film lubricants. It is based on DuPont Vertrel® solvents
and the different blends use a range of concentrations of
PTFE solids. Nonflammable and plastic-safe, these dry
film lubricants are easy to handle. This makes them well-suited for in-house application on high volume assembly
lines, avoiding the cost and delays or out-sourcing the coating
process. Compared to other lubricants, the smoother,
more even coverage of the XC Dry Lubricants can deliver
a 30% reduction in the breakaway force required to actuate
precision medical assemblies.
These lubricants can be customized to adjust drying rates as well as the
actual lubricant surface finish. They have
excellent materials compatibility and provide the potential
for added savings to the customer versus other available
technologies. XC series lubricants are generally compatible
with gamma radiation and gas sterilization procedures.
Slightly less versatile than the KFX series, the XC series
is solely used for PTFE–based coatings.
The XC family of dry film lubricants are available at
various PTFE concentrations; all use a fast-drying HFC carrier. The carrying
agent is a unique, nonflammable,
proprietary mixture. The XC series lubricants are generally
compatible with gamma radiation and gas sterilization
procedures.
The VDX Dry Lubricant is a non-migrating “pinpoint” lubricant.
Unique in the industry, this product combines a plastic-
safe, nonflammable, ozone-safe HFC carrier with 1.5%
solids for optimal effectiveness. It is most widely
used when oils and
silicone lubricants fail due to
their tendency to
migrate.
Select VDX when there are
problems with the migration of traditional (wet) lubricants.
There is one other product in the Micro Care family of dry film lubricants.
While this product uses older-style ozone-depleting solvents, some customers
may find this package a convenient but temporary choice, as the ozone-depleting
materials are being phased-out.
The KTX Dry Film Lubricants uses fast-evaporating HCFC-
141b as the carrier, with 1.5% solids. Usually
found in high-volume applications involving
metal components, this is Micro Care’s least
expensive option. KTX is recommended when
cost control is critical and universal materials
compatibility is not essential. Not ozone-safe.
it's important to realize that most of the PTFE microdispersions from Micro Care
have been customized for individual customers. For example, they can be packaged in
ready-to-use blends or in denser concentrations: the customer specifies their
choice. Other customers need a specific concentration of the PTFE materials, or
require other additives to the carrier agent for enhanced functionality.
Whatever you need, we can do it. After all, we are the world's cleaning experts.
So contact Micro Care today. We can prepare custom concentrations
and custom carriers to maximize the effectiveness of the lubricant,
improve coating quality and reduce your costs.
Related Information:
Back to the Vertrel® Product Gallery
|
