KnuckleHead Rooftop Supports: The Secret Ingredient
KnuckleHead Rooftop Supports: The Secret Ingredient
The KnuckleHead support has been carefully engineered and features a distinct design. But there is something else unique about it: the material from which it is made. That material is a high-performance polymer called Nylon 66. Nylon 66 possesses properties that make it ideal for the conditions a rooftop support must endure: the heavy weight of equipment, harsh weather cycles, continual UV exposure, seismic events, ongoing equipment vibration and even impact.
Nylon 66 is used where excellent mechanical strength, rigidity, good stability under heat and/or chemical resistance are required. The polymer lends itself well to making structural objects usually involving the injection molding process. It is used extensively in auto and military applications, such as under-the-hood components, structural elements such as hinges, various machine parts, and polymer-framed weapons.
The particular grade used by GreenLink is 33% glass fiber reinforced, which enhances the mechanical properties of the polymer. Nylon 66 comes in pellet form and is injection molded under pressure. It is highly suited to fill molds where precise product detail is required, such as the unique shapes and details of the KnuckleHead. It is a strong material featuring tensile strength and modulus properties that are close to zinc and aluminum, and in fact, can be substituted for those metals in some applications.
Some specific properties include: flexural stress of 29,000 psi and tensile stress to break, 21,000 psi, which translates to its ability to easily carry 600 lbs. of weight indefinitely. The melt temperature is 500° F with a continuous service temperature of 275° F, so is completely suited to the highest rooftop temperatures of any climate. Relative to the composition of other supports which include a mixture of various types of plastics, recycled rubber and wood, the Nylon 66 KnuckleHead is superior in every respect.
