Case Study: Thrust plugs made from Vespel® material increase reliability and lifetime of wiper motors
The wear and friction characteristics of Vespel® SP have helped electrical motor manufacturers to simplify their designs while improving performance.
Application Description
Significant force is required to accelerate wiper blades quickly across the windshield. To generate this type of force, a worm gear is used on the output of a small electric motor. Worm gears are used when large gear reductions are needed. It is common for worm gears to have reductions of 20:1, and even up to 300:1 or greater.
The thrust plugs for this rear windshield wiper motor are used to take the axial load from the worm gear. They must withstand axial loads and resist creep and wear.
Materials Selected and Why
DuPont™ Vespel® SP was chosen because of its excellent mechanical properties. It resists high impact with good dimensional stability between -40°C and +150°C, and has excellent wear and friction characteristics.
