Rampart Products specified a Victrex polymer blend for a HPHT (high pressure high temperature) rotatable electrical connector, providing reliable transmission of power and data in oilfield drilling equipment. The connector was designed for temperatures of 200° C and pressures at 1380 bar, and ensures reliable electrical connection while protecting expensive sensors and electronics.
The rugged environment electrical connector specialist worked closely with Victrex during material selection and the development of the molding process. The resulting custom Victrex Peek blend-based Rampart Products’ male rotatable connector is a completely molded unitized solution that is structurally much stronger than traditional machined and assembled devices, having no internal wire or solder joints to fail under shock or vibration, and also presenting fewer components. In addition, the unitized all-molded design creates a high pressure, integrated bulkhead. The female rotatable connector has a semi-unitized body, also eliminating wire while allowing Rampart to mold a high-pressure seal where the connectors shoulders, while incorporating a machined/assembled solution for ease of assembly.
Rampart Products was already using other high performance materials supplied by Victrex, so it was natural working together to develop a polymer for long-lasting components that help reduce downtime and risk of failures and compliant with oil & gas standard requirements. Victrex has also invested in dedicated technical and commercial resources in the Houston area to better serve its energy customers to support application development efforts, ranging from feasibility assessment to technical qualification to commercialization stages of projects.