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Delrin® Case Study
Low-friction, Low-noise Delrin®
Unleashes the Power in OPPO’s Smartphone
With Pivot-rising Camera
Smooth, quiet operation
The movement of the camera had to be fast and quiet. Friction
had to be minimized, if not eliminated.
Compact size
The slider mechanism had to fit within the confines of a
smartphone. The OPPO Reno measures just 7.43cm wide and
9mm thick. Designers needed a material to enable a hinge design
that was thin, lightweight and with a low coefficient of friction.
Solution
Project
In 2018, through partnership with the OPPO Research and
Development team, Delrin learned that this global smartphone
maker was designing an innovative pivot-rising camera that
would slide up from a hidden position on the top of a
smartphone, the series we now call Reno.
The pivot-rising camera is the hallmark of OPPO’s new Reno
flagship model, a truly bezel-less phone that offers an
immersive full-screen display. The mechanism to raise and lower
the camera had to work in under one second without noise. Plus,
it needed to be durable enough to withstand over 200,000 uses.
OPPO had tested other materials for the pivot hinge, but they all
failed on repeated, rigorous reliability tests.
After the Delrin technology team stepped in and studied the
performance requirement, they recommended two Delrin
products to the OPPO team for the pivot-rising components that
move the camera into position for taking pictures and stow it
away inside the phone when not in use.
Challenges
OPPO’s pivot-rising camera needed to be integrated seamlessly
with their smartphone design. OPPO designers wanted to wow
consumers with sophisticated camera movement and excellent
photo-taking performance without losing screen area for the
embedded camera. This unique new shark fin-like pop-up module
brings greater camera zoom capability than previous OPPO
models.
Reliability with repeated use
Smartphone cameras must be reliable in a world where over 100
million photos and videos are uploaded to Instagram each day.
OPPO required that the camera slider work flawlessly for the fiveyear life of the phone; that meant at least 200,000 cycles of use.
Two grades of Delrin acetal homopolymers succeeded in
delivering the performance OPPO required for the compact,
sliding component that pivots the camera up from the top edge
of the Reno smartphone.
In-lab testing that simulated smartphone use proved that where
other products like copolymers had cracked and failed, Delrin
materials remained strong and operated smoothly.
Delrin reliability for
wear resistance and
low friction allows
the OPPO pivot-rising
smartphone camera
to operate 200,000
times without fail or
noise.
Delrin® 100AL was the solution for the sliders. Delrin® 500AL
was employed for the brackets that hold the slider. Both grades
have an advanced self-lubricating characteristic in addition to
the superior properties of low wear, low friction and low noise
against metals and plastics. The performance of Delrin materials
allowed the pivot mechanism to deliver reliable operation for at
least 200,000 cycles. When the OPPO Reno camera goes into
action, it rises from the smartphone in just 0.8 seconds. The
pivot movement is intricate, first moving fast then slow.
With Delrin® 100AL’s extremely low coefficient of friction, the
camera components move without a sound. If the phone is
dropped while the camera is up, it automatically recedes.
Why Delrin is the industry standard
For over 60 years, Delrin acetal homopolymers have been
the industry standard for plastic gears because they provide
superior properties such as:
• Increased design flexibility
• Thinner wall sections at same physical part performance
• Lighter parts and less material usage
• Improved mold filling
• Shorter molding cycle times
Delrin® 100 resins are distinguished by their high viscosity
versus other acetal grades. This, along with their natural
high crystallinity, yields materials that have:
Delrin is the key to reliable and smooth operation of OPPO’s unique shark
fin pivot-rising camera.
The phone has been well received by critics who praise the
camera’s design and performance. The pivot-hinge component
of the Reno includes a selfie camera on the front. On the back,
it has powerful zoom features and a flash. These attributes
complement the standard camera built into the back of the
smartphone.
OPPO has developed an innovative contender that has grabbed
the attention of consumers in Asia, the Middle East and Europe,
making OPPO the fifth largest – and growing – smartphone
provider globally. Delrin is proud of the role it played in
optimizing the pivot-rising camera.
• Toughness, ensuring high impact strength and high
resistance to repeated impact
• High elongation to allow higher deformation
• High mechanical strength and rigidity for high-loading
applications
• Outstanding creep resistance and long-term fatigue
endurance helps enable lifetime performance
Delrin® 100AL and Delrin® 500AL both contain an advanced
system of lubrication designed for low wear, low friction and
low noise against metals and plastics. Delrin® 100AL has
very high mechanical properties to ensure lifetime
performance and Delrin® 500AL’s better flow helps improve
productivity and facilitates design freedom.
To learn more, contact your Delrin representative or visit Delrin.com.
Delrin® is an industry-leading premium industrial polymer business. Grounded in strong innovation, Delrin is a category creator with a longstanding
reputation for quality, reliability, supply and product performance. The iconic Delrin brand, coupled with proprietary technology and deep application
expertise make us a leader in the high-end engineering polymer market. Delrin has exciting growth prospects from exposure to automation, actuation,
healthcare, mobility and consumer applications.
Copyright 2023 Delrin®
Form No. HMC1123