Acquired by WS Hampshire in 2017, Timco has provided decades of material expertise and been a proven leader in the expanded use of engineered thermoplastics for industrial equipment by improving efficiency and reducing maintenance requirements.
WS Hampshire is proud to carry on Timco’s excellent reputation of supplying into construction equipment, material handling equipment, and rolling mills while being the largest supplier of machined non-metallic sheaves in North America.
Engineering plastics are a form of polymer that are well known for their high mechanical strength, versatility, and ability to be melted and reformed into other shapes. For decades, engineers have seen plastics replace metal in applications where weight reduction, corrosion resistance or low coefficient of friction is needed to reduce wear on mating parts.
Plastics are lightweight so they are safer to maintain than steel and can reduce noise and vibration levels. Options exist to produce parts from fiber reinforced polymers as well as those that are self lubricating which can enhance the performance of plastics. These features help provide longer part life for the entire system, leading to cost savings for equipment manufacturers and end users.
For example, a significant reduction in the weight of sheaves and wear pads will increases the lifting capacity of cranes or aerial work platforms and may offer a reduction in power requirements. Additionally, the handling and assembly of these parts is made safer as most plastics are one seventh the weight of steel, and plastic materials cause very little wear on the contacted surface as seen where wire rope will last two to three times longer when plastic sheaves are used instead of steel. Scheduled maintenance for lubrication of parts is often reduced or eliminated completely when components are manufactured from plastics. With all of the benefits of using engineered thermoplastics in place of metal, it should be noted that there are recommended storage requirements to follow.
Thermoplastics will not rust like steel and can resist corrosion from a wide variety of chemicals.
Thermoplastic materials can be recovered and re-melted for future use.
Due to low coefficients of friction, thermoplastics are ideal for wear applications to protect costly components.
Most thermoplastics weigh one seventh that of steel. This reduces the weight of assembled equipment and increases safety.
Plastic materials are well known for reducing the amount of noise and vibration generated in comparison to metal components.
WS Hampshire offers a wide variety of advanced plastic materials to fit almost any application.
