ECO.PLAST establishes superior PUR steering-wheel for tractors and construction machines in Europe

It belongs to the conception of agricultural- and construction-machines, that they have to be made of solid and durable material that can, with robust flexibility, withstand the rigorous demands of daily use. As the control centre of this heavy device, the operator's cab takes on greater importance. It has, in recent years, transformed itself from a purely functional unit to a comfortable space with optimal ergonomics. This improvement owes to newly available materials.

The most direct control element assembly in all vehicles is definitely the steering-wheel. As the direct interface between man and machine, it is responsible for the driving experience and feeling of control, and it plays the most elementary role in everyday-life at the construction-site, in the field or even just on the street. The basic design of the steering-wheel has proven itself to be exceedingly effective over the years and can only be optimised in nuances. The choice of material, however, is of particular importance - not only for the driving experience, but also for the visual effect.

The integral-skinned polyurethane, abbreviated PUR, has in recent times increasingly often been employed in the production of steering-wheels and other cab-parts in tractors, construction machines and conveyor vehicles. The special characteristics of PUR draw positive attention to themselves in this respect. Due to the specific mixture of materials, the surface finish and other special customer demands can be incorporated in the production process. Individually determinable material hardness and layer thickness give the steering wheel an optimal grip that it doesn’t lose despite a long-lasting life. Moreover, polyurethane is a non-conducting and impact-absorbing substance. The characteristics ensure an extremely comfortable feel, on warm or even cold days; and in case of a collision, the chance of injury is vastly reduced.

Polypropylene, abbreviated PP, competes with polyurethane as material used to make steering-wheels. PP-steering-wheels are made by the process of die-casting, which is why the unit prices are significantly lower than those of polyurethane. The described product characteristics of polyurethane, however, aren't achieved by this thermoplastic. The polypropylene steering-wheel is hard and hence causes a greater risk of injury and lesser comfort. It is not as insulating and heats up in the summer. It is thus quite apparent that the combination of inferior grip and sweaty hands present greater danger in a work environment where security plays a great role and heavy machines are being employed.

The agricultural- and construction-machines market needs a quality steering-wheel with the comfort features of polyurethane and the production costs of a polypropylene steering-wheel. Unfortunately, there are no such alternatives available at present, and because the features of both products are so different from each other, so are the prices. In this way, the evidently better steering-wheel for your vehicle is not considered an option due to its higher costs.

The Indian producer Pfeda Ltd. has years of experience in the production of PUR-parts and now, in collaboration with German joint-venture-partner ECO.PLAST GmbH, offers quality steering-wheels made of polyurethane in the European market. Through a special formulation of raw material and economical costs of production in India, the price difference between polypropylene- and polyurethane steering-wheels is reduced to a bare minimum. A crucial step for greater comfort and security in the operator's cabin.

ECOPLAST is the European representative office of the leading Indian supplier of high quality polyurethane plastics moulding components and vacuum deep drawn components - Pfeda Synthetics Private Limited.

Pfeda was founded 1983 in technical cooperation with the German company AKTEC GmbH (formerly Pfeba GmbH Kunststofftechnik). Today, Pfeda has two production sites with a total of 300 employees in the industrial city of Noida close to New Delhi. Pfeda distributes its products to the automotive industry, furniture manufacturers and other industry sectors. Pfeda annually produces 3 million components.

The production line includes steering wheels, gear knobs, arm rests, seat cushions for car seats and chairs as well as vacuum deep drawn components made of ABS-foil, like roof openings and mudguards for buses. Pfeda is certified according to DIN ISO 9001:2000 and ISO/TS 16949. In 2007, Pfeda received the „Supplier Award“ from the construction machine manufacturer JCB.

ECOPLAST GmbH
Hönnestraße 45
58809 Neuenrade
Germany
Fon +49 (0) 23 94 / 61 66 90
Fax +49 (0) 23 94 / 61 66 91
E-Mail info@eco-plast.de
Web www.eco-plast.de

This release was published on openPR.