"There is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong gear"

PLYMOUTH, Mich., March 3, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- From clothing and shoes to sports equipment and winter sport facilities, Freudenberg products have found applications in a variety of winter gear.

"There is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong gear." Many people hit by extremely cold temperatures this winter will find an issue with this statement. While snow and cold weather are a nuisance for many, winter sports enthusiasts live by this old Scandinavian saying, enjoying the opportunity to get out and hit the slopes. Snowboarding, snowshoeing, skiing or snowmobiling, whatever the preference, it is likely that a Freudenberg technology or product might play a role in creating the right gear for the right winter sports experience. A variety of Freudenberg's nonwoven materials, lubricants and sealing products have found their application in winter sports clothing and equipment.

It is impossible to fully enjoy a winter adventure without adequate clothing and shoes. These products must satisfy essential requirements: maintaining body temperature while inactive (standing in line on a ski lift), wicking away moisture from perspiration while enjoying the slopes, and keeping people dry from snowy conditions. In particular, Freudenberg has two products that satisfy those requirements.

Airliner® technology, currently used in the Gallus Clima series of snowboarding shoes by German shoemaker Deichmann, combines a nonwoven material with moisture absorbing powder. The fabric is attached to the insole by a special Strobel stitch. In combination with a perforated sole, the Airliner creates a breathable moisture barrier. The next generation of the product, Airliner 2.0, which is currently in development, has the same features of moisture absorbency and wicking, but is softer and smoother in texture; therefore, it can be used not only in insoles but also as a full lining of the shoe.

Freudenberg's Comfortemp®, a thermo-regulating nonwoven material with textile sensation that provides high quality and comfort, is an optimal solution for winter clothing. It is an intelligent nonwoven material with phase change material (PCM) contained inside a durable microcapsule. PCM's are substances that change their physical state with change in temperature. The best example of a PCM is water that changes from liquid to solid when temperature changes. With Comfortemp®, the process will repeat whenever the temperature crosses the preset value, keeping the wearing temperature within a desired range. Comfortemp® is used in famous European brands of sports and outdoor clothing.

Once outdoor goers have the right clothing and shoes, they focus on the right gear for winter sports. In this area also, Freudenberg products are likely components of a person's gear. Kluber Lubrication, for example, has products both for skis and ski lifts.

Klubertop TP 15-810 is a black air-drying bonded coating based on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and an organic water-miscible binder. It is a fluid, ready-to-use, nonflammable product with good resistance to oils and greases. Once applied and hardened, this bonded coating dries rapidly and ensures good resistance to wear and chemicals, a low friction coefficient, no stick-slip at low speeds and good corrosion protection on phosphate surfaces.

Klubertop TP 15-810 was used in coating the skis of the German ski jumpers competing in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, where Germany took home the gold medal for the men's team event. With the coating, athletes were able to significantly increase their starting velocity and consequently achieve better results in jumping distances.

Extreme climatic situations require special lubricants with exceptional outdoor behavior. Klubersynth EM 94-102 was developed specifically for such extreme applications. Based on synthetic hydrocarbon oil and a new calcium complex soap, Klubersynth EM 94-102 provides extreme water resistance, fantastic corrosion protection, excellent behavior under heavy loads and good shear stability. Klubersynth EM 94-102 is intended for the lubrication of bearings and plain bearings in ski lifts, slope vehicles and other winter sports installations as well as many other applications.

Freudenberg products also play a role in off-road winter vehicles, which withstand some of the harshest weather conditions. The company engineers diaphragms that use cylinder pressure to actuate the variable exhaust valve mechanisms in snowmobile's two-stroke engines. Since mid-1950's, Freudenberg-NOK Sealing Technologies has worked in close partnership with Polaris snowmobile manufacturer to engineer reliable diaphragms and introduce materials and design improvements to extend the life of these important components.

With its extensive portfolio of products and competencies, Freudenberg continues exploring new applications for both its traditional and new products. As a result, a number of Freudenberg products have found their application in winter clothing and sports equipment.

About the Freudenberg Group: The Freudenberg Group is a family company offering its customers technically challenging product solutions and services. The Group develops and manufactures seals, vibration control components, filters, nonwovens, products for surface treatment, release agents and specialty lubricants, medical and mechatronic products. Especially for mid-size companies Freudenberg develops software solutions and IT services. The end-user can find modern mechanical household cleaning products from Freudenberg in the shops under the brand names of vileda®, O-Cedar®, Wettex®, Gala® and SWASH®. The Freudenberg Group employed about 40,000 people in about 60 countries and generated sales of more than €6.6 billion in 2013 (including pro-rata consolidation of our 50:50 joint ventures). For further information, please go to www.freudenberg.com

About Freudenberg in North America: Freudenberg North America Limited Partnership is the North American holding company for Freudenberg & Co. of Weinheim, Germany that owns a family of companies which operate 15 unique businesses at 86 locations in North America. Together, these companies provide innovative products and solutions to customers in industries ranging from automotive, aerospace, and medical to chemical, oil and gas, and construction. For further information, please visit www.freudenberg.us.

SOURCE Freudenberg North America

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