Choosing the right material: how the reliability of every Simplex product begins

Behind every Simplex Hydronic Technology component there is a stage of work the end customer never sees, but benefits from every day: the choice of material.

When a new product is conceived at Simplex, before its final shape is even drawn, our team analyses its intended use in depth: the pressures it will face, the thermal cycling it must withstand over time, the chemical agents, the UV exposure, the mechanical wear and the continuous stress typical of a hydronic system running for decades. Only after this analysis do we begin to select the most suitable polymer among the technical plastics available on the market.

Not a compromise, but a principle. On this point we allow no exceptions: every new product starts from the search for the best possible material for that specific application, not the cheapest or the easiest to process. We apply this criterion systematically, because it is the basis for the long-term reliability we guarantee our customers: mechanical strength, sealing at operating pressures and temperatures, dimensional stability and durability.

A concrete example is the reading sight glass of our flow meters — the component that must ensure a clear, stable view of the flow rate for the entire life of the system, in continuous contact with pressurised water at varying temperatures.

For this component we chose PA12 Grilamid TR55, an amorphous transparent technical polyamide: a polymer that combines properties normally hard to find in a single material. High transparency, stable over time and retained even after prolonged exposure to humidity and external agents; high resistance to chemicals and to stress cracking, critical for a component permanently wet and under pressure; good mechanical strength and rigidity, together with a fair toughness that reduces the risk of brittle failure.

Completing the picture: dimensional stability even under thermal variation — essential to maintain sealing and reading accuracy over time — and a high glass transition temperature, which lets the material keep its mechanical properties even in the most demanding operating conditions of a radiant system. Properties that make Grilamid TR55 the ideal choice for a component that must stay perfectly transparent, intact and reliable throughout the system's service life.

The flow-meter sight glass is not an isolated case: it is the picture of the method with which we approach the design of every single product in our range. Function and real working conditions first, then the study of available materials, finally the choice of the most suitable polymer, with no compromise. It is this approach that lets us offer our customers components built to last, system after system, year after year.

Contact us at sales@simplexhydronictechnology.com for any information.