Nylon Transport Services

Nylon is one of the most hygroscopic engineering polymers in common use, absorbing moisture from the atmosphere at rates that cause measurable dimensional swelling. Nylon 6 and nylon 6/6 can absorb 2 to 3 percent of their weight in moisture under humid conditions, with corresponding dimensional expansion that takes nylon rod outside its nominal diameter specification and nylon sheet outside its thickness specification. For precision machining operations where nylon is machined to tolerances measured in thousandths of an inch, incoming moisture content directly affects the dimensional results achievable in the machining operation. A machined nylon component that is within tolerance after machining dry nylon can be out of tolerance when the same machining program runs on moisture-swollen incoming stock.

Cast nylon for large-section wear parts and bearing applications is produced by casting molten nylon in molds, resulting in large cylindrical or rectangular sections with residual internal stress from the casting process. Those residual stresses make cast nylon susceptible to stress cracking at stress concentration points from impact during handling and transport. A cast nylon bearing block that is dropped from handling height or that receives an impact from a forklift tine can develop internal cracks that are not visible externally but that propagate under the compressive and shear loads the bearing experiences in service, creating premature failure before the design service life is reached.

Food-grade nylon for food processing equipment and food contact applications is produced with compound formulations that comply with FDA and NSF food contact standards. Those standards require freedom from contamination by substances that would not comply with food contact regulations. Contact with lubricants from handling equipment, reactive compounds from standard blocking and dunnage materials, and contamination from adjacent non-food-grade freight during transport all create chemical contamination events that may compromise food contact compliance. For food processing facilities where incoming material food-grade compliance is a regulatory requirement, chemical purity from the supplier through delivery is a supply chain quality obligation.

Glass-filled nylon compounds for high-strength structural applications contain glass fiber reinforcement that gives the material its enhanced mechanical properties. Those glass fibers are aligned during processing and are present at the surface of machined and cut glass-filled nylon in a way that makes the surface slightly abrasive. When glass-filled nylon surfaces contact other materials during transport, the glass fibers at the contact surface create abrasion that damages both the nylon surface and the contact material. For mixed loads containing glass-filled and unfilled nylon, separation between the two product types prevents the surface damage that glass-fiber contact creates on unfilled nylon surfaces.

Nylon rod for precision CNC turning and lathe machining operations is produced to straightness tolerances that allow the rod to run true in the machine chuck without excessive run-out. Nylon rod has a lower elastic modulus than most metals and deflects more under its own weight across unsupported spans during transport. A length of large-diameter nylon rod supported only at the ends across a 10-foot span develops a measurable bow under gravity during a long haul that can push the rod outside its straightness tolerance, creating run-out in the machine that produces out-of-tolerance parts from the affected rod length.

Standard nylon grades have heat distortion temperatures that are sufficient for most service applications but that can be approached during prolonged exposure to high trailer temperatures during summer hauls. Precision-formed nylon components and close-tolerance nylon plate in tight-fitting load configurations can develop thermal distortion during a hot summer haul that affects dimensional compliance at the receiving inspection. For high-precision nylon components where dimensional tolerances are tight, summer haul temperature management is a transport quality consideration.