Walbro, the world’s largest carburetor manufacturer and leading supplier of fuel injection, ignition and fuel systems components, announces the release of a new ethanol-proof metering diaphragm technology that greatly improves carburetor life and performance consistency. Walbro will be demonstrating the technology in booth 7212 at the GIE+Expo show in Louisville, KY on October 21 to 23, 2015.
Walbro’s new Spiral Diaphragm technology incorporates advanced, ethanol-resistant materials to ensure consistent performance from the factory to the field in both year-round and seasonal use equipment. “Traditional rubber-based diaphragm materials become brittle and deteriorate with age,” states Tim Grifka, Walbro’s Vice President of Quality. “In time, this affects starting and running performance of gasoline powered handheld equipment. As the ethanol content in fuel increases, this process is accelerated, and is especially noticeable in seasonal use equipment where the diaphragm dries out during long periods of storage. Walbro’s new Spiral diaphragm eliminates these problems by incorporating materials that are unaffected by ethanol and other chemicals commonly used in commercially available fuels.”
“This technology has undergone years of rigorous testing in both laboratory and field evaluations to validate performance and durability in both cubic and rotary valve diaphragm carburetors,” adds Mike Pattullo, Walbro’s Senior Principle Engineer in charge of the project. “Throughout our testing the Spiral Diaphragm greatly reduced variations in fuel metering performance, which is especially important in advanced emission control carburetors and many of the new electronic carburetor applications.”
“This is the first major change in metering diaphragm technology in over 60 years,” says Matthew Riddle, Walbro President and CEO. “We are delighted to offer this innovative solution to our OEM partners and aftermarket customers, and to help bring greater value to the products they provide to industry professionals and consumers around the world.”
