In today's article we talk about T8 composite, a material that is generally used as a guide element for heavy-duty hydraulic equipment. Read on to discover the advantages of using this material in the manufacture of guideways.
Let's start by defining what is T8. It is a composite material of polyester fabric, polyester resin and PTFE. It is used for guiding hydraulic cylinders exposed to high loads, as can occur, for example, in mobile hydraulic equipment and presses. For reference, it can be considered equivalent in structure and colour to Trelleborg Orkot®.
Its most outstanding features? Its high mechanical strength and low wear capacity increase the service life of both the guide itself and the seals. This is because the increase in the extrusion gap due to wear of the guides is limited.
T8 guides are manufactured by machining. As standard, they are machined in the form of a shaped guide ring with an angled cut for ease of assembly. It is recommended to leave an opening proportional to the guide diameter, as always, according to the formula:
L= 1.5 + (D x 0.03)
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Advantages of using T8 composite
The advantages of using this material in the manufacture of slides are sufficiently striking that T8 is present in a wide variety of applications.- - High compressive strength with some deformation capacity, which implies better load distribution, avoiding stress concentration and providing the capacity to withstand shocks and vibrations.
- - Thanks to the addition of PTFE, good performance in poor lubrication conditions and good sliding properties.
- - High wear resistance and longer life.
T8 composite in facts
Below are some values that will help the reader to better understand the origin of the benefits associated with this material.- - Density: 1.25 g/cm3
- - Operating temperatures: -40 to +130 °C
- - Rockwell hardness: 96 HRM.
- - Compressive strength: 245 N/mm2
- - Moisture absorption: < 0.1%
- - Colour: Blue.