The impeller, also known as the heartbeat of the fuel system, is a key factor in finding efficiency in a fuel pump. Not only does it determine fuel mileage and help reduce CO2 emissions, it also provides the performance your engine requires when you really need to get moving. When you press the pedal you are asking this small piece of plastic to rotate faster and pump more fuel to your engine.
Fuel pump designers and manufacturers come to Helvoet to develop their platforms for the future. The ability to create a turbine blade that has a thickness of less than 0.2mm, rotates at 9000 RPM, is nearly perfectly balanced which reduces noise, and floats inside a chamber that has a total clearance of 0.017 – 0.025mm is what Helvoet does.
Impellers require demanding tooling standards that meet this level of precision. These tools must be maintained and remain in production for decades. Helvoet understands the abrasiveness of the materials that are filled with glass and minerals up to 80%. Whether it is thermoplastic materials such as 65% Filled PPS or 80-85% filled thermoset materials, Helvoet has developed a high level of competence in the tool design and maintenance procedures. One impeller that Helvoet introduced in 1993, is still in production today!
Consider that this 5-6 gram piece of plastics endures the following process; from molding, annealing, deburring, grinding, lapping, milling, and then sending it all contamination free to a clean room for assembly half a world away. As mentioned above over 100 Million have been delivered directly to Ford, another 200+ million to Tier 1 Suppliers. Our quality standards, and continuous improvement methods have increased capabilities on impellers to exacting standards, delivering some components to < 0.0025mm in overall thickness and parallelism.
If you are designing a new pump, and looking for a partner that has been working inside the automotive fuel systems for 3 decades, Helvoet is your partner for the future…