Thermoset Moulding

Injection Moulding

Helvoet's thermoset moulding experience dates back to 1939. As the moulding process is different to thermoplastics the process know-how is key to a functional product. During the moulding both a physical and a chemical reaction takes place inside the material producing a strong internal cross-link which cannot be deformed afterwards.

Injection Compression Moulding

The material gets injected into the mould where then a compression process starts to guarantee the best homogene filling and to improve for example the roundness of a product.

Insert Moulding

As in thermoplastics we also insert components precisely into the tool before the moulding and like this integrate those components completely in the final part.

Metal to Plastic

We have a wide range of examples running in serial production where metal has successfully been replaced by different plastics. Our team is ready to assist you in the part and process design translating your requirements into a functional thermoset product.

Engineering, Simulations and Laboratory

In our engineering department we have a team of thermoset experts helping you to develop the best part design. We are able to assist you in 3d CAD and in flow simulations and FEA studies together with our partners. For product testing Helvoet has an in-house laboratory to perform all kinds of analysis (strength, thermal stability, swell, SEM/EDX).

Thermoset

Thermoset plastics contain polymers that cross-link together during the molding and curing process to form an irreversible chemical bond. This significantly improves the material’s mechanical properties (strength), providing enhanced chemical or heat resistance and dimensional stability. The compounds mainly are made out of phenol and epoxy resins which are reinforced with up to 80% of glass fibers, carbon fibers, glass balls, mineral powder, etc.

Bulk Moulding Compound (BMC)

Bulk Moulding Compound (BMC) is a glass fiber reinforced thermoset polyester material. It's a material which has a pasty form before moulding and has a very low shrinkage as final part, guaranteeing a high dimensional precision.

Deflashing

Thermoset resins use to have an even higher viscosity as thermoplastics and the easy flow paired with the required ventilation of the tooling result in flash. Deflashing or deburring techniques using water, grain, air and numerous other techniques have been developed by Helvoet to remove this flash and maintain the integrity of the parts.

Post Curing

Thermosets require a post-curing step after the moulding process to reach their final state where the final phase of the chemical reaction and outgasing is controlled to secure homogene and functional products. This process removes stress, helps guarantee dimensional stability, and removes final volatile materials that are inherent in materials. Helvoet has numerous post curing profiles that have been developed for the different compounds.

Flat Grinding (Single)

Altough it is always the goal to get ready-to-use products straigth out of the mould, tighter tolerances mean higher perfomance for our customers. Maintaining thickness capability at 0.002 mm requires a secondary process: flat grinding or lapping. Helvoet has delivered close to 500 Million parts that have used this technology ensuring micron precision.

Flat Grinding (Double)

Double sided flat grinding is a high precision process that is necessary to achieve a very accurate thickness, parallelism, surface flatness and surface roughness. R-bar/R charts are typically used to control the process.

Centreless Grinding

In many instances, Thermoset parts are replacing machined aluminum. In order to maintain roundness Helvoet has developed machining applications such as Centerless Grinding. These parts will offer the same or better tolerances and surface qualities than aluminum, because they do not require additional coating.

Pocket Grinding

Challenging applications that require CNC grinding have been developed by Helvoet to meet highest tolerance requirements in metal to plastic conversions. Pocket Grinding is a Helvoet term used for numerous applications including fuel pump components requiring micron level tolerances.

Pocket Milling

When the shape of the part becomes offset, grinding becomes an issue. Pocket milling has been perfected by Helvoet and runs in serial production for metal to plastic conversions with tolerances on micron levels. The total cost of a e.g. a pump can be reduced by a pocket milled thermoset housing.

Washing / Rinsing

Helvoet measures their products in microns and understands that contamination can occur in the numerous processes. Thus we have developed a sophisticated washing and drying process to remove contamination and ship products that meet your demanding requirements.

Coating

Why make something entirely of metal in a costly process when you can coat a low-cost plastic component with aluminum, or even gold! We offer PVD coating (Al, Cr) of thermoset parts in high volumes and count with own testing facilities for coating thickness, climate chamber etc.

Measuring

If you can measure it you can improve it! Measuring in nanometers and microns is becoming the norm in industry today. Helvoet's measuring capability includes state of the art equipment such as interferometers, air gauging, video measuring, contour roughness, 3D whitelight and other contactless measuring devices.

Manual Assembly

We offer final functional products to our customers as for example in fuel pumps, where we pre-assemble the parts in one of our best-cost-locations and help to reduce the total manufacturing cost of our partners.

Semi-Automated Assembly

A project that has a combination of low and high risk components, is a great target for semi-automated assembly. Using automation for the most critical components, and low-cost flexible labor for others, Helvoet offers their clients the lowest landed cost with highest levels of quality.

Automated Assembly

Using more than 3, 4, 7 or 11 components? Helvoet has answered numerous industrial challenges and designed dedicated, fully automated assembly lines running continuously. With automated assembly including in-line quality controls like vision or leakage tests or functional tests, the part quality is ensured by 100%.

Flexline Technology

Using over 40-years of experience in assembly of precision components, Helvoet has developed an own Flex-Line Technology. By utilizing interchangeable modules for each assembly step, Helvoet offers the quality of a fully automated line while it is a flexible and cost effective solution due to lower investment and changeover times. Contact us to get more information about the Flexline.