Power Tools

Most people seem to have a favorite screwdriver, one they pick out of the toolbox more than any other. Given the choice, we tend to pick not just the best tool for the job, but also the one we like the best. There is much more to a tool than just its function. Balance, how it feels in the hand, even its appearance, all play a part in the decision to buy, or use, one particular tool rather than another.

The functionality and design flexibility offered by Ticona's engineering resins have made them very useful to tool designers. Where screwdriver handles were once wooden, they are now plastic. The same is true of hammers. For example, a hammer shaft made from Ticona's Celstran® long-fiber reinforced thermoplastics (LFRT) can provide lightweight, strength, toughness and durability as well as shock absorption.

Simple hand tools are a limited case - it’s with power tools that engineering resins come into their own. In an electric drill, double insulation and extreme toughness can be provided by Celstran LFRT nylon or polypropylene, or by Vandar® polyester alloy. These plastics also have excellent resistance to the oils and greases found in workshops and on work sites. These lumberjack-tough resins are also good candidates for gasoline-powered chain saw housings.

On the inside of electrical power tools, Celanex® polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) can be found in motor insulation, while in the drive train Celcon® and Hostaform® acetal copolymers (POM) provide low friction and good wear resistance in the various gears needed to step down the motor speed.