Any noises – no matter how
apparently inoffensive in
isolation – can become a
real nuisance to a sensitive
artist, and even more so to
a recording engineer. igus,
with its unique tribopolymer
material, has enabled Phoenix
“Our test piano,
o ers a fabulous
sense of control and
immediacy, and superbly
controlled hammer ight.
Pianists report that D3D
is ‘like stepping into
to develop a bushless action.
Called the D3D Hammer System,
it offers all the advantages of a
traditional system in prime condition,
as well as climate resistance and,
what designers at Phoenix con dently
predict, an enormous longevity.
“Indeed, we even expect these
assemblies may well exceed the
lifespan of the piano itself,” says Dain.
“We use 2mm roller bearings as
centre pins for our bushless system.
These ultra-high-grade pins offer
buttery-smooth operation, and with
approximately a 30% increased
diameter, are stronger, smoother
and more dimensionally precise
than traditional wire centre pins. igus
was of the utmost help to us in their
selection and provision of material for
our hammer ange assemblies.”
Already formulated for
industrial bearing applications, the
tribopolymer material is perfect
for this application in terms of
performance, whilst boasting ne
aesthetics. Its ivory-white colour
COVER STORY | PIANO DESIGN
This chaos gives rise to
unpleasant overtones, when the
hammer does not contact the
strings with precision.
The entire system in a
traditional wooden assembly
suffers from inef ciency due to
exing of the hammer shank. By
way of remedy, Phoenix chose
a complex-weave carbon bre
shank to replace hornbeam.
This material is superbly strong
and uniform, offering superior,
climate-resistant performance
throughout the registers of a piano.
Such advantages come with no
increase in weight.
The hinged hammer
ange is also traditionally
made of wood. Phoenix
considered a range of
materials to replace the
ange, with one very
speci c aim in mind: to
create a ‘bushless’ hinge
assembly. Traditional
bushes are made from
cylindrical felt inserts, that
provide an interface between
metal journals (called centre pins)
and the wooden parts. They must
provide enough “snugness” for
the hammer not to wobble from
side to side, but must also be
suf ciently free from friction for the
system not to feel stiff. High friction
perfectly complements the carbon
bre shanks, and black inner felt
Abel hammers. Tuning technicians
appreciate the cream colour, which is
easy to see in the con ned space of a
piano action.
“From building our prototypes
we have been able to ream the igus
material with relative ease, ensuring
a perfect t for our centre pins,”
adds Phoenix’s James Bacon, who
advised on and built the prototype.
“Our test piano, which is tted with a
prototype of D3D Hammer System,
offers a fabulous sense of control and
immediacy, and superbly controlled
hammer ight. Pianists report that
D3D is ‘like stepping into a Ferrari
after driving an Austin Seven’.”
Once acclimatised, pianists nd
that they can produce more power
with less effort, and that they have a
sense of connection with the piano
that they have never experienced
before. “All of us on the Phoenix team
are con dent that we have not only
remedied the age-old limitations
with hammer assemblies, but that
we have produced a world-beating
system without parallel, that is a joy
for pianists to use,” enthuses Richard
Dain.
This was borne out by Anton
Lyakhovsky, a leading Russian
concert pianist, who demonstrated
the piano featuring the new hammer
system and said: “At rst it’s strange
because the keys feel so responsive,
but once you’ve adjusted to that, the
sound and the consistency of the
sound are fantastic.” !
a Ferrari after
driving an Austin
Seven’.”
from a tight bearing will feel like
‘sluggishness’ to a pianist and is
another form of energy loss.
When a new hammer ange
is correctly bushed, it is by
de nition already at a critical
point with tiny margins of error.
As wear inevitably takes its toll
on the bushing, looseness af icts
the system, causing a loss of ne
control over the path of hammer
ight, whilst noises and clicks are
prone to develop as the pin rattles
against the bushing. Swelling of
felt in periods of high humidity
cause stiffness and even seizure.
It is worth noting that a
piano soundboard
is a giant
ampli er.
16
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