NASA Lines Up Hoosier Technology
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowPlainfield-based Jeco Plastic Products LLC has created a door liner it says will be used by NASA. It will be used to seal a cryogenic container on the Space Lab. August 26, 2013
News Release
PLAINFIELD, Ind. – Jeco Plastic Products-designer and manufacturer of plastic pallets and containers for the worldwide printing and automotive industries since 1973–recently produced a thermoformed door liner for a cryogenic container which will be used by NASA on the Space Lab. Producing the door liner required a proprietary Jeco plastic molding capability involving polypropylene sheets with continuous polypropylene fiber reinforcement, oriented 90 degrees from one another to produce structures that remain very strong and durable at cryogenic temperatures. The NASA project relied on Jeco capabilities including an internal vacuum chamber to keep the raw material sheets flat until forming is complete, as well as a proprietary clamping technique. The Jeco production processes and sophisticated tooling precisely controls the movement of raw material as molding occurs, thus maintaining proper orientation of the reinforcing continuous fibers.
Discussing the project, Jeco CEO Craig Carson commented: “Jeco is proud to have been selected to produce this specialized molding for NASA. Our proprietary thermoforming techniques are finding application in a wide variety of products requiring unusual thermal and structural properties.”
Jeco Plastic Products designs and manufactures extremely durable pallets and containers for the worldwide printing and automotive industries, as well as other industries handling heavy product which must be protected from damage. Other capabilities include the ability to produce large plastic structural components made with continuous carbon fibers in a variety of engineering thermoplastics. Jeco designers employ complex internal reinforcement to impart dimensional stability and structural integrity to their products. Jeco production facilities include rotational plastic molding and thermoforming capabilities unique in North America.
Jeco Plastic Products is located in Plainfield, Indiana, and may be reached at 317-839-4943 or www.jecoplastics.com.
Source: Jeco Plastic Products LLC