New Process Brings Increased COF to Fenner Precision Tires


Manheim, PA (August 2007) - Fenner Precision has been producing high-friction tire products in their Lincoln, UK facility for over 15 years. Until recently, the softest material used in their tire products would have been 20 shore hardness; the company is now producing products with a shore hardness as low as 5, allowing for increased coefficient of friction.

Fenner utilizes three different manufacturing processes to produce their tire products, which are used for paper transport in devices such as photocopiers, ATM's, bill validators and mail handling equipment. Fenner has several global customers that use them as their tire supplier, all with varying volume needs. It's the volume of product that is needed which determines the manufacturing process that is used. For high-volume needs, a process using injection molding of liquid silicone rubber is used.

According to Kevin Walker, Technical Manager at Fenner Precision, this is a process that allows Fenner to use softer materials than previously used in paper propulsion applications. "We have customers coming to Fenner because they are experiencing paper slippage with tires made using other materials. With Fenner's flexible processes and prototyping at low costs, they find that we can offer the final solution and provide them with a higher-quality and better performing product," explains Walker.

The high-friction tire products produced by Fenner have a bore size of 6mm to 200mm and all materials used are RoHS approved. They range from 5 degree shore hardness A to 80 degree shore hardness A.

Fenner Precision is a global leader in the design and development of belts, pulleys and tires for paper propulsion applications including consumer printers, office machines, mail handling machines and money handling equipment. The company also manufactures specialty technical coated fabrics for low friction and high temperature applications. Fenner Precision is a wholly owned subsidiary of Fenner PLC. For more information, visit www.fennerprecision.com.

Contact:
Brenda Devine - North Star Marketing
Phone: 717-392-6982, ext. 108
Email: bdevine@northstar-m.com

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