Electrical Case Study
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ELECTRICAL

Polygon Composite Tubes Keep Consumers Safe and Costs Low in Market Leading Power Tools

Insulating tubes protect end users while also eliminating the need for costly 3-prong cords.

Polygon Company celebrates its longstanding partnership with one of the world’s foremost power tool manufacturers, in which it has supplied insulating composite tubes for use in the company’s handheld power tools. These tubes protect end users from electrical shock risks and also keep costs low by eliminating the need for a grounded 3-prong cord and plug.

Challenge

One of the world’s largest power tool companies, this customer supplies tools to users with everything from the most basic DIY needs to heavy commercial power tool use. The company’s consumer-level products utilize AC motors and two-prong power cords without an integrated ground, making it critically important that the tool itself have reliable, safe, and durable grounding materials insulating the rotating shaft from the motor’s copper wiring.

“The challenge in the case of these handheld power tools is to create a press fit design insulating tube that fits firmly between the armature and shaft. A tube with a thermo internal diameter gives the product the highest level of insulative properties, and protects the end user,” said the customer’s Director of Sales.

Polygon’s solution

Over the past 30 years, Polygon has been able to deliver custom composite tubes to this customer that outperform injection-molded thermoplastic and other insulating materials in terms of cost, durability, and insulating properties. Each of these tube designs are customized to individual products in the power tool product line. Polygon’s double-insulated tubes are composed of braided composite fibers impregnated with naturally insulative resin for reliable electrical insulation throughout the power tool’s lifetime. What’s more, the press-fit tube design ensures that each tube is securely fit to the motor and shaft, maintaining a constant internal diameter and eliminating slippage. The resulting UL-certified insulation is lightweight but capable of withstanding at least 5,000 volts, enough to protect consumers without adding a costly grounding plug to the equipment.

Results

“Polygon produces a high-quality product and always delivers on time. I deal with over 70 suppliers, Polygon is one of the easier ones to work with,” said the company’s Global Supply Chain Manager. “When our engineers are designing a part, they can simply design it, send the design to Polygon, and know that Polygon will make it to our specifications. Polygon makes the design and manufacturing processes easy for our engineers.”

“Our long-time relationship of more than 15 years has added more value to our company than standard suppliers,” said the company’s Commodity Manager.

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