Both the aerospace and military industries demand the highest quality products. In these industries, only the best materials and product suppliers can be trusted. That is why aerospace and military companies choose non-metallic washers from New Process Fibre in durable, corrosion-resistant materials such as Nylon, FR polypropylene, Teflon®, and G-10 FR4.
Nylon and polypropylene are both ideal for aerospace and military washers because of their light weight, durability, and resistance to abrasion, heat, and chemicals. Nylon is a malleable, low-friction material and offers non-flammability, while polypropylene provides superior mechanical strength to better handle physical stressors and impact. Teflon® can withstand water, oil, chemicals, and heat, and washers of this material are a good choice for low-temperature applications, as well. An electrically insulative and water-resistant material, flame-retardant G10 FR4 has a high strength-to-weight ratio and is ideal for high-temperature applications.
All of our non-metallic material options produce high-quality washers that can withstand the elements, chemical exposure, fluctuating temperatures and pressures, and rugged applications within these industries.
Aerospace & Military Industries Overview
In the past 10 years, the aerospace sector has experienced a significant shift in plastic material demand, with plastic components now having common applications in air- and spacecraft projects. Modern plastic materials and fabrication techniques have enabled enhanced torque handling, load capacities, gear drive abilities, and material properties comparable to those of metal parts. These improvements are crucial to aerospace applications, where parts must offer superior resistance capabilities, high performance, and reliable durability under harsh and variable environmental conditions.
Specialized plastics, such as Nylon, PPS, PEEK, and acrylic-polyvinyl chloride materials like Kydex®, are satisfying the needs of the aerospace industry as non-metal materials that still provide:
- High strength and dimensional stability
- Impact, thermal, chemical, corrosion, and radiation resistance
- Low friction
By adding glass, lubricating oils, or other additives and fillers, manufacturers can improve certain material properties to tailor plastic resins to specific applications.
As for plastic components for the military, New Process Fibre can create Mil-Spec and military washers to suit the industry’s material, manufacturing, uniformity, and performance requirements. Like aerospace washers, non-metallic military washers must be able to withstand rugged applications for reliable, mission-critical performance.
Why Use Plastic Over Metal for Aerospace & Military Products?
Metal is known for its strength and durability. Manufacturers continue to develop new, innovative plastics and experiment with additives. However, aerospace and military programs are increasingly adopting high-performance plastics into their operations over metals. Plastic materials can match or even surpass the benefits and functionality of metal. They can maintain their integrity even when aerospace and military applications expose them to high temperatures, fluctuating pressures, moisture, weather conditions, and corrosive chemicals. These resistance capabilities also support longevity in your components.
Plastic has an optimal strength-to-weight ratio, as well. In the aerospace and military sectors, product weight is particularly important. Air- and spacecraft must keep weight loads in mind when choosing products to allow for flight, and lighter components reduce overall fuel usage for greater efficiency and cost savings. Lightweight plastics allow manufacturers to create reliable products like engine and satellite parts, flight control components, structural elements, panels, and more with improved operational safety and performance as compared to their metal alternatives. For example, Teflon® washers resist water and oil even at high temperatures, making them a more effective sealing option than metal washers.
Benefits of Plastic Washers in the Aerospace & Military Industries
Non-metallic washers lend aerospace and military applications the following advantages:
- Lasting strength, with a good strength-to-weight ratio
- Reliable durability
- Superior resistance to water
- Good resistance to wear, vibration, heat, chemicals, and corrosion
- Absorption of energy
Aerospace & Military Plastic Washer Applications
At New Process Fibre, we produce custom non-metallic washers for numerous aerospace and military applications, including:
- Avionics
- Engine parts
- Airframes
- Systems for flight control
- Pneumatics
- Hydraulics
- And more…
While military washer designs make them applicable for specific uses in the defense field, they can also effectively serve industries like aerospace, automotive, and general industry. Our Mil-Spec washers undergo rigorous testing to meet the military’s certification requirements and are assigned Mil-Spec standard part numbers.
Why Work With New Process Fibre?
Our fabrication capabilities are industry-leading, with 75 punch presses of various tonnage ratings, 14 high-speed presses, and a super high-speed Bruderer press, capable of producing millions of washers per day. This equipment lends us the necessary speed and capacity to offer fast turnaround times and scalable solutions to suit your non-metallic washer needs. Additionally, we offer more than 10,000 washer dies in stock, and a massive inventory of non-metallic materials. We are confident in our ability to fabricate the highest-quality washers for the aerospace and military industries.
Need more reasons to work with us? Consider the following:
- We have been in this business for a long time — since 1927
- We are one of the most trusted Nylon part suppliers to the aerospace and military industries
- We build our own washer die-sets in-house
- We offer very fast turnaround times for both short and long runs
- We can fabricate custom washers with a wider range of dimensions than our competitors
- We control the entire manufacturing process — we don’t need to outsource
- We make all our parts in America at our Delaware facility, all under one roof
Complete In-House Fabrication for Custom Aerospace & Military Washers
At New Process Fibre, we produce standard and custom military washers and aerospace washers in-house for maximum efficiency, accountability, and quality control. We serve our customers through an extensive inventory, a wide material selection, advanced equipment, and industry knowledge that comes from nearly 100 years of fabrication experience.
With a focus on quality and cost-effectiveness, we offer development, manufacturing, and testing capabilities for our product line of plastic washers, as well as other non-metallic parts like spacers, shims, and gaskets, to support some of the most demanding industries on the planet. Contact us today to learn more about our products’ applications in aerospace and military operations, or begin by reviewing our extensive online catalog.
