Friedrichshafen, October 2009. The new Ambi Pur Renov’Air ®, from Sara Lee Household and Bodycare, is the first automatic air freshener with an alternating two-step cycle that continuously renews the air at home. A gear box mechanism within the unit, the components of which are all made of DuPont™ Delrin® acetal resin, is used to control the smooth, regular diffusion of the fragrance. The material’s dimensional stability and low friction and wear lead to the quiet and reliable operation of the air freshener, which was launched in June 2008 and is presently available in Spain, Portugal, Italy, France and Greece. The diffuser and its components were jointly designed by Sara Lee and Zobele España (Barcelona), part of the Zobele Group.
The Ambi Pur Renov’Air® renews the air at home in two stages: the first neutralizes the bad odors already present in the house, the second infuses the cleaned air with a natural and fresh fragrance (consumers currently have the choice of either wild eucalyptus or wild lavender). Each stage lasts sixty minutes, with a choice of three levels of fragrance intensity for the second stage – for high intensity, the fragrance is automatically sprayed every ten minutes in the course of one hour, for medium intensity every fifteen minutes, and for low intensity every 30 minutes. Diffusion of the sprays is controlled by a battery-powered timer and gearbox mechanism consisting of a pinion, two spur gears and a hammer – all molded from Delrin® 500P, a medium viscosity acetal homopolymer from DuPont. The intermediate housing of the air freshener is made of the same material.
“Key to the success of this consumer product was its smooth and reliable operation at the desired intervals. In order to attain this, our choice of material for the gear components, and their design, were key,” explains Cédric Morhain, material science center supervisor at Zobele España. “We identified polyacetal as the reference polymer for gears, and Delrin® as the reference name for polyacetal.” Because Delrin® can be precision molded to close tolerances, the gears run freely, quietly and consistently in terms of the precise timing and strength of the fragrance dispersion. The natural lubricity of Delrin® minimizes friction and the potential for any squeaks emanating from the device, whilst the material’s moisture resistance, heat resistance and thermal stability ensure the unit performs reliably for the duration of its lifetime, even in hot, humid conditions. Noise was further reduced to target levels of below 40 decibels by the use of an involute gear design, which enables their constant movement and thus minimizes the torque and speed variations which produce vibration and noise in gears.
Molding of the air freshener components took place in Hong Kong, where local representatives of DuPont Engineering Polymers teamed up with their Spanish colleagues in assisting Zobele in material selection, gear design and prototype testing. “We were highly satisfied with the contribution of Delrin® in achieving our performance requirements for the gear box mechanism, as well as the company’s global support in helping us find the best possible solution to meet our and Sara Lee’s requirements,” concludes Cédric Morhain.
Each and every day, Sara Lee (NYSE: SLE) delights millions of consumers and customers around the world. The company has one of the world’s best-loved and leading portfolios with its innovative and trusted food, beverage, household and body care brands, including Ambi Pur, Ball Park, Douwe Egberts, Hillshire Farm, Jimmy Dean, Kiwi, Sanex, Sara Lee,
Senseo and Bimbo. Collectively, these brands generate more than $13 billion in annual net sales covering approximately 200 countries. The Sara Lee community consists of 44,000 employees worldwide. Please visit www.saralee.com for the latest news and indepth information about Sara Lee and its brands.
The DuPont Engineering Polymers business manufactures and sells Crastin® PBT and Rynite® PET thermoplastic polyester resins, Delrin® acetal resins, Hytrel® thermoplastic polyester elastomers, DuPont™ ETPV engineering thermoplastic vulcanizates, Minlon® mineral reinforced nylon resins, Thermx® PCT polycyclohexylene dimethyl terephthalate, Tynex® filaments, Vespel® parts and shapes, Zenite® LCP liquid crystal polymers, Zytel® nylon resins and Zytel® HTN high-performance polyamides. These products serve global markets in the aerospace, appliance, automotive, consumer, electrical, electronic, healthcare, industrial, sporting goods and many other diversified industries.
DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.
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The DuPont Oval, DuPont™, The miracles of science™ Crastin®, Delrin® and Zytel® are registered trademarks or trademarks of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its affiliates.
Renov'Air® is a registered trademark of the Sara Lee company.
EP-Fakuma-2009-02
This press release is based on information provided by:
Zobele España, S.A.,
Contact : Cédric Morhain
Argenters 8, Edif. 3. Parc Tecnològic del Vallès, 08290 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona – Spain.
Tel. +(34) 93 5942400
Fax: +(34) 93 5824428
Editorial Contact:
Horst Ulrich Reimer
Tel.: ++49 (0) 61 02/18-1297
Fax: ++49 (0) 61 02/18-1318
Horst-Ulrich.Reimer@dupont.com
Andrew Wilkins
Tel.: +44 (0) 1353 663350
Fax: +44 (0) 1353 663350
dupont.press@btconnect.com
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