CMT Materials

HYTAC® WFT improves on the strength and clarity of the popular HYTAC® WF through the incorporation of PTFE into the formulation. The result is a 425°F (218°C) high temperature syntactic plug material for use where excessive buildup of residue from the sheet is a problem. HYTAC® WFT may be easily polished for use where a smooth surface is critical to part quality.

HYTAC® WF is a high strength, high clarity thermoset epoxy syntactic plug assist material that maintains a performance characteristics even at temperatures up to 450°F (230 °C). Designed to result in improved clarity for APET and other clear polymers, HYTAC® WF incorporates glass spheres less than ½ the diameter of most syntactic foams. This translates to a more easily polished surface finish and provides nearly three times the strength and twice the stiffness of standard epoxy syntactic plugs.

Hytac® FLX raises the bar on easily polished syntactic plug assist materials. This copolymer syntactic exhibits superb machinability plus excellent toughness and durability in use. FLX provides superior material distribution often leading to increased throughput for thermoformers. With more than 4 times the elongation to break, HYTAC FLX will withstand the most rigorous plug environment without the brittle failure often encountered in epoxy syntactics.

HYTAC® C1R is a toughened copolymer thermoset syntactic foam modified to provide high friction and the highest durability of any copolymer syntactic foam. Relatively new to the market (introduced in 2012) it has gained popularity for deep draw or zero draft application areas where high friction is needed. C1R was featured in the show daily at NPE 2015 after successful trials with Milliken Chemical and uVu Technologies demonstrated superior performance with transparent PP. Excellent surface characteristics are obtained straight from machining and may be easily modified with sandpaper to carry more or less material into the mold as needed. It may be polished to a very smooth surface when necessary for working with transparent plastics.

Hytac® XTL is the latest generation of syntactic foams with enhanced toughness and superior machinability. This material is easy to machine and polish without dust. HYTAC-XTL is suitable for a wide range of plastics and allows users to machine fine details.

HYTAC® W was CMT’s first commercially-produced epoxy syntactic foam. With low thermal conductivity and CTLE associated with the syntactic structure, it proved to the thermoforming industry that felt-covered wood plugs could be resigned to the dustbin of history. While still used in low-volume or low-cost applications, W has been supplanted by other, superior levels of HYTAC® materials. It has low thermal conductivity and specific heat, this translates to lower heat transfer reducing warm-up time and virtually eliminating material sticking to the plug. It is dimensionally stable which means, that the low coefficient of thermal expansion means the plug maintains its shape over a wide temperature range.

HYTAC® FLXT is a tough copolymer syntactic plug assist material optimized to provide an ideal balance between surface drag for material distribution, a smooth surface for excellent finish and PTFE-impregnation to eliminate part sticking. This combination has been found to be most beneficial when thermoforming multi-layer films, including those with PE inner surfaces or multi-layered EVOH materials. As with all HYTAC® syntactic plug assists, thermoforms realize instant start up, shorter cycle times and lower plug operating temperatures. HYTAC® FLXT is easily machined with little or no dust and minimal wear on tools. The plug is easily polished for and long lasting.

HYTAC® B1X is the world’s number one choice in plug assist material due to unique properties of toughness and durability combined with easy machining that results in no dust during manufacture. This thermoplastic syntactic foam resists chips, dings and breakage that result from even the most abusive production conditions. HYTAC® B1X may be machined at up to 3x the speed of typical syntactic foams forming large, non-abrasive chips. In use, this tough plug assist material reduces downtime due to damaged plugs. Less downtime reduces overall costs and yields more consistent quality from the production line.