ZircoFlex® heatshield offers OEM’s ability to rapidly solve heat issues trackside and in the field.
Zircotec’s heatshield material provides a lightweight solution to OEM’s to quickly solve heat issues.
OXFORD – An automotive tier one supplier has selected Zircotec’s ZircoFlex® flexible ceramic heatshield to improve thermal management in an existing engine compartment application without having to make significant and costly engineering changes. Just 0.25mm thick and offering a ~64 percent reduction in surface temperature, it offers OEMs a robust material to solve heat issues easily without having to repackage existing components or invest in tooling changes. This makes it ideal to solve issues that have appeared late in the development process and threaten the timing of a programme or to solve any problems that may have appeared in the field.
ZircoFlex®, patented by Zircotec, is created by plasma-spraying molten ceramic in a platelet form onto an aluminium sheet. The flexible nature of the heatshield, allowing ZircoFlex® to be folded through 180˚ even in self-adhesive form, enables it to be easily applied line-side or even as a retro-fit in the field. ZircoFlex®, available in sheet form, can be cut with scissors, knife, laser and water jet allowing OEMs to custom cut parts to be as small as needed and therefore cost effective, with no waste or costly tooling costs. “After a thorough evaluation process ZircoFlex® was chosen as the most effective solution offering the best weight, ease of application and thermal management performance,” says Peter Whyman, sales and marketing director at Zircotec. “Its ease of application and our ability to ship cost effectively to overseas manufacturing facilities makes it the most appropriate heatshield for a high volume application.” The as yet unnamed automotive supplier has already placed orders for ZircoFlex®, that provides 64 percent surface reduction for applications up to contact temperatures of 500˚C.
This application is the first use of ZircoFlex® in an OE application and follows its successful adoption in motorsport and classic car markets. For Zircotec, it follows other OE announcements with its other thermal management products including composite coatings for the Aston Martin One-77 supercar as well as tailpipe coatings for Lamborghini.
About Zircotec
Zircotec www.zircotec.com offers a wide range of plasma sprayed ceramic and metallic coatings that protect components against the effects of heat, wear, abrasion and corrosion. Lightweight and easily packaged, Zircotec’s technologies can be applied to a broad range of different materials including metals and composites. Proven in F1 and the nuclear industry, the technology is now trusted by car manufacturers, industrial users, car enthusiasts and an increasing range of other applications to effectively manage heat and wear, enhancing performance and reliability. ZircoFlex® offers for the first time, a truly flexible ceramic heat shield material.
Press Enquiries
Zircotec
Nick Bailey, Propel Technology, Bloxham Mill, Barford Road, Bloxham, Banbury, Oxfordshire, UK, OX15 4FF.
+44 (0)1295 724130 / +44 (0) 7813 956664
Sales Enquiries
Zircotec
Peter Whyman, Zircotec, 22 Nuffield Way, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 1RL
+44 1235 54 60 50
Tags:
