Versatility of Product Lines, Applications and the Solutions Provided: Q&A with Saint-Gobain® Norgard® Product Manager
In the last quarter of 2023, Saint-Gobain Tape Solutions welcomed a new product family into our diverse product portfolio for bonding, protection and insulation needs.
The Norgard Product Portfolio is extremely diverse and encompasses three different product lines including PTFE films, PI films and silicone coated fabrics.
To better understand these products and applications, we partnered with Victoria Ammermann, Product Manager, Norgard.
We asked her to share how these products can help serve multiple markets and to focus on applications within the aerospace market in particular. She also took a deeper dive into one product that has been of particular interest amongst many of our current customer base: PTFE films!
Victoria, please tell us about yourself.
I graduated from Lehigh University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering. I have worked in chemical and materials manufacturing for 10 years, holding various roles. I started my career as a process/production engineer. After 3.5 years, I accepted a customer facing role as an applications development engineer. About 5 years ago, I transitioned into my current role as Product Manager.
Could you specify what your role as product manager entails?
I like to describe product management as a wheel with spokes — product managers dwell in the middle of the wheel, balancing a customer and business focus with different spokes reaching out to quality, process engineering, manufacturing, purchasing, R&D, marketing and sales. Product management bridges the gap to ensure all teams are supported and collaboratively working towards growth and development within the product line.
If we look at the Norgard Product Line more broadly, could you share what main customer pain points could these products help solve?
Each product line within the portfolio serves different needs. Capabilities include providing protection barrier, non-stick release, insulation, dielectric control and friction control. This makes these products ideal within aerospace, but also within a variety of other market areas as well. I will briefly share an overview of each.
PTFE films enable unprecedented electrical performance for the most demanding cable builds within aerospace and military markets. They are very common in wire and cable (W&C) and serve as insulation and dielectric control within this market segment.
PTFE films can also serve as a protection barrier film, like in Zn-air battery cells. They regulate airflow to the cathode and ensure proper function of the battery. They also ensure protection for manufacturing belts in process manufacturing.
PI films can serve as either a protection barrier or dielectric control. They are used for release liners in aerospace composite molding. Other PI film applications include insulation for down-hole pump power cables or insulation of solid Li-ion battery packs in electric vehicles. They are also used as insulation for mag-wires which are used in MRI machines within the medical market.
Silicone coated fabrics are mainly used as a protection barrier. They can be formulated to meet various conductivity values and serve as a heat sink in electronic applications.
If a product within the portfolio is not suitable for a specific application, the Saint-Gobain Tape Solutions team can formulate and develop a product that meets specific demands.
There has been a lot of interest in PTFE films. Could you tell us more?
Tape Solutions Norgard PTFE Films are manufactured to the highest quality standards and formulated to maximize typical PTFE properties. Norgard PTFE Films are widely used as gasketing materials to prevent unwanted leakage while protecting design integrity, belt edging to maximize lifespan of processing belts, and release liners to ensure full release in coating processes leading to process optimizations leading to cost reductions. The industries Norgard PTFE Films serve include, but are not limited to, medical, industrial, aerospace, military and green energy solutions.
Could you tell us about why PTFE films are hot product in today’s aerospace market?
The physical properties of PTFE films make them extremely unique. There currently isn’t another product available within the market that offers the same features, benefits, chemical structure or capability. Essentially, no replacement product could perform in the same manner as a PTFE film.
There are many different utilizations and applications of Norgard Products within the aerospace industry. To manage time and length of the article, I will focus on just a few applications.
- Improving the Performance of Jet Engines
In mission-critical turbine gasketing, we have products such as Zitex® Microporous PTFE Films that act to prevent the leakage of fluids across a boundary. These bondable, low-friction, abradable products help engines to perform at their highest level.
- Ensuring Best Electrical Performance in Wire and Cable
Norgard PTFE Films are widely used in the wire and cable market. Tape Solutions manufactures high quality products that deliver superior electrical performance for any cable build used in military, aerospace and other demanding applications where high-performance cables are necessary. Our PTFE products within the Norgard portfolio are specifically designed to minimize signal loss and maximize velocity of propagation.
The product line of Norgard has both versatility and durability in a variety of applications. Norgard Films are a go-to within challenging applications such as aerospace due to their superior strength, conformability, and customizability. With access to global resources, testing capabilities and the ability to customize, our team is always ready and willing to serve customer needs, even in the most demanding applications.