The winners of the 2022 LEAP Awards (Leadership in Engineering Achievement Program) were announced earlier this week across several categories. This year’s winner for Advanced Materials is Jabil.
Gold
Jabil
PK 5000
PK 5000 is an eco-friendly, powder-based additive material engineered to deliver improved strength, chemical resistance, and resilience in comparison to general-purpose nylon materials, such as PA 12. This patent-pending material has been formulated to support highly demanding automotive, consumer electronics, defense, medical, and industrial manufacturing applications.
Delivering Material Innovations from Beaker to Box
PK 5000 was created, tested, and validated at Jabil’s Materials Innovation Center in Chaska, Minn., where polymer formulations, compound developments, and material system integration are completed from start to finish under one roof. Highly experienced additive manufacturing engineers, chemists, materials scientists, and production experts leverage Jabil’s innovations in materials science to oversee each step of the beaker-to-box process of developing customized powders and filaments all under an ISO 9001-2015 quality management system.
This newest material features a unique combination of chemical and mechanical properties, such as high-impact strength, high-abrasion resistance, and improved elongation over other nylon materials to withstand functional testing and use. Equally important, PK 5000 has high-barrier properties and low-moisture absorption, which may be critical for ensuring the quality and resilience of certain parts and products exposed to fuel and water. Moreover, the polyketone resin used to make PK 5000 is an eco-friendly, low-carbon material that is made from carbon monoxide. The ability to leverage carbon monoxide, which is a leading cause of atmospheric pollution, may reduce overall carbon footprint.
Filed Under: Awards • acquisitions
