Enhancing Durability in Construction Machinery with High-Performance Materials - The Official Blog of Polymer Technologies, Inc.

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are working on various ways to increase the lifespan of heavy construction equipment by incorporating advanced materials. These materials offer enhanced protection against factors that decrease longevity. We’ll explore how polyurethane molded foams and other solutions can improve the durability of track loaders, forklifts, and other heavy construction equipment and machinery by addressing sound, vibration, and heat-related challenges.

Mitigating Acoustic, Vibration, and Thermal Factors That Impact Construction Equipment

Protections Against Sound Factors

Construction equipment is inherently loud, and high noise levels often correlate with equipment vibrations. These high-frequency sounds make it difficult for the operator and lead to wear and damage to sensitive equipment components and materials. Too much noise in the cab from the engine may affect the operator’s ability to use the equipment correctly, further accelerating wear.

Proper insulation, in addition to lubrication and maintenance, can protect against these acoustical challenges and reduce engine noise to limit exposure. Our POLYFORM® polyurethane molded foams are designed to absorb sound over a broad frequency range. They can be fitted around engine compartments, reducing noise-induced vibrations and high-frequency sound waves that cause significant wear and tear on the machinery.

Our POLYDAMP® Floor Mat is another advanced material solution that helps absorb noise and vibrations in the cab that come up from the floor. Made from a vinyl-based polymer, these acoustical barriers are designed to provide effective soundproofing, reduce operator fatigue, and limit noise-induced vibrations that affect structural integrity and performance.

Protections against Vibration Factors

Vibrations within the machinery and from external forces can create immediate and long-term damage, affecting its durability and performance.

Mechanical vibrations from the machinery’s moving parts can lead to loosened or detached components, misalignments, or equipment failure.
Resonant vibrations can occur when the component’s natural frequency matches the frequency of the mechanical vibrations that originate from the engine or other moving parts, amplifying stress and accelerating fatigue.
Sudden impacts from heavy loads or hard environments can cause shock load vibrations that damage machinery immediately or cause long-term fatigue to its structural components.
Vibration-damping materials absorb energy and convert it to low-grade heat, reducing resonation from transmitting throughout the equipment and reducing mechanical wear and impact. PVC and asphaltic-based materials are often preferred for vibration-damping solutions because they are flexible, resilient, and have high damping capacity. They can also be customized to fit specific applications.

Our range of POLYDAMP® vibration damping solutions can be combined with polyurethane, melamine, and other foam polymers to maximize airborne noise absorption while also reducing panel resonance.

Protection against Thermal Factors

Thermal insulation is a requirement for heavy construction equipment to mitigate heat-related challenges stemming from engine heat, continuous friction from moving parts, hydraulic systems, pneumatic and electrical systems, and external environmental factors. Our solutions, with advanced standard thermal insulation options, are built from various high-performance materials.

This includes our PolyTech® Heat Shield and tubing, which are designed to reflect radiant heat while minimizing the effects of high heat exposure and preventing fires.

Our heat shields feature an aluminum foil-faced fiberglass fabric and PSA composite that can be used alone or as a facing to our POLYDAMP® Melamine Foam (PMF). They can be applied to gas tanks and any areas exposed to extreme heat from exhaust pipes and other heat-generating components.
Our heat shield tubing material is made from the same composite and is sewn into a continuous tube for various applications, including hoses and tubes, that require superior thermal protection.
We also offer high-performance silicone tubes for maximum heat resistance and protection for coolant systems in heavy construction equipment.

Explore Custom Solutions Made from High-Performance Materials

In addition to the solutions mentioned, we offer custom urethane and melamine products to support various applications and machinery in the construction industry. If we don’t have a ready-made solution for your specific application or requirements, our engineers will create one to increase your machinery’s longevity.

With more than 35 years of experience, we provide innovative, cost-effective solutions using high-performance materials to offset acoustic, vibration, and thermal challenges that impact the durability of heavy construction equipment.