Volume 6
Issue 11

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“I was working on a new dual-lock latch assembly for the access door on one of our machines,” she says. “It’s a small but critical part of the equipment, and I was looking to make it work more smoothly, improve the arc of the pivot plate, and reduce the number of parts in the assembly. And, of course, we’re always looking for ways to control costs.” The initial design replaced a folded sheet metal slider bar and three PEM® studs with a single molded plastic part. In order to reduce friction and use a material that provided some lubricity, she chose Kepital®, an acetal POM copolymer that also provides good dimensional stability, thermal stability, and wear resistance.

In addition to reducing the number of parts, the new design improved the angle of the pivot plates and optimized contact points. Knowing that the part would be injection molded, she drafted the appropriate surfaces of the part for ease of ejection. The development process ran smoothly until Strachan needed a working prototype. “We wanted to test a sample part made of Kepital or something similar to make sure it would work in the machine. We called around to have sample parts machined, but no one would do it. We offered to take out the draft, which I

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