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2006-01-30 News Headlines
DSM Engineering Plastics
material innovation improves bobsleigh stability
Special vibration dampers from DSM Engineering Plastics, working in close
collaboration with the Netherlands Olympic Committee, could be the success
of the bobsleighers in Turin.
Bobsleigher Ilse Broeders: "'Smart blocks' a good step on the road
to success in Turin"
The bobsleighs to be used by the Dutch Olympic Team at the Olympic Games
in Turin contain special DSM vibration dampers that make the bobsleigh
more stable. This reduces the risk of steering errors and means that better
times can be achieved. The vibration dampers reduce the number of vibrations
in the bobsleigh runners to 40% compared with the dampers traditionally
used for bobsleighs.
As a major Partner in Sport of the Netherlands Olympic Committee/Netherlands
Sport Confederation NOC*NSF, DSM has been closely involved in the preparations
by the Dutch bobsleigh team in the run-up to the Olympic Games. The innovations
that could be made available to the two-man and four-man bobsleighs have
been decided in close collaboration over the last few months. In doing
so DSM has worked together closely with the Netherlands Organization for
Applied Scientific Research (TNO).
Vibration dampers
An important factor in achieving the fastest time in bobsleighing is the
stability of the bobsleigh on the track. This depends on the input of
the bobsleighers and on the dynamic properties of the bobsleigh. The sleigh
rests on runners that are cushioned by vibration dampers, which improve
the handling. These dampers were traditionally made from rubber, and the
damping effect was therefore heavily dependent on the outside temperature:
the lower the temperature, the colder and harder the rubber and the less
effective the damping.
In collaboration with TNO, DSM has now developed vibration dampers that
provide a constant level of damping at different temperatures. This leads
to a 40% reduction in vibrations, so that the sleigh sits more firmly
on the track. In addition the bobsleighers no longer have to keep adapting
the material to the outside temperature.
Ilse Broeders, one of the pilots of the Dutch bobsleigh teams, is highly
satisfied with this new innovation for the bobsleigh: "We have tested
the vibration dampers extensively. It's nice to know that our impression
that the DSM dampers were reducing the amount of vibration in the sleigh
has now been confirmed by scientific measurements. These 'smart blocks'
on the runners of the sleigh are a good step on the road to success in
Turin."
Arnitel*
The innovative vibration dampers are made from the high performance material
Arnitel®, a thermoplastic elastomer of DSM Engineering Plastics. A
major advantage of Arnitel® is that its properties remain constant
over a wide range of temperatures - in this case from -30 to +10 degrees
Celsius.
TNO testing
On behalf of DSM, the Arnitel vibration dampers were extensively tested
at the end of December 2005 by TNO and the Dutch bobsleigh teams at the
bobsleigh run in Altenberg (Germany). With the aid of acceleration recorders
and a data recorder, two kinds of Arnitel products were compared in various
variants with the standard rubber material.
The tests revealed that the Arnitel B damper with four teeth was the most
effective for the two-man bobsleigh. In the case of the four-man bobsleigh,
where the vibration dampers have to bear a greater weight, the Arnitel®
B damper without teeth achieved the best results.
DSM, headquartered in the Netherlands, with locations in Europe, Asia
and North and South America, is active worldwide in nutritional and pharma
ingredients, performance materials and industrial chemicals. The company
creates innovative products and services that help improve the quality
of life. DSM's products are used in a wide range of end markets and applications
such as human and animal nutrition and health, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals,
automotive and transport, coatings, housing and electrics & electronics
(E&E). DSM's strategy, named Vision 2010 - Building on Strengths,
focuses on accelerating profitable and innovative growth of the company's
specialties portfolio.
Arnitel* is a registered trademark of DSM. All other trademarks recognized.
See the latest News Headlines; DSM
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