Progress for nylon crawler pads

Quadrant Engineering Plastics Products (formerly Erta and Polypenco) has produced what it claims are the largest plastic track plates in the industry. They were made for a subsea tractor developed by Soil Machine Dynamics. The machine runs on a D6 chain.

The subsea tractor is used to install cables used to gather the power from offshore wind turbines. Despite weighing almost 60t when fully loaded, the Nylatrack track plates can support and propel the vehicle on the weakest soils typical at wind farm sites.

Nylatrack track plates are cast from a specially modified nylon and can be fitted on various kinds of machines operating on all types of surface, says Quadrant. On paved roads, they cause no damage, and on soft ground do not sink. Quadrant says that Nylatrack plates are more resistant to wear and corrosion than steel plates, and up to 80% lighter, saving as much as 2,500kg per machine. Because of the flexibility of track plates, vibrations are absorbed and the noise of the undercarriage is muffled. The bending force is absorbed so that chains do not break, according to Quadrant.