A The best material for your component depends on a number of factors. The choice of material will depend on your requirements for chemical resistance, heat resistance, dimensional stability, optical clarity, visual effect, impact strength or cost.
Contact us for advise on the range of materials best suited to your application or visit our Technical Info page to view data for a range of plastic materials.
Q My product is still in development, can you make a prototype?
A Yes, we can produce prototypes at cost. We work closely with you ensure your components deliver exactly what you require and can offer advice on the machining practicalities of the material(s). Visit out Prototypes page to learn more.
Q Do my components need to be annealed or normalised?
A If your component is acrylic, acetal, nylon or PTFE then it may benefit from heat treatment.
Acrylic is particularly susceptible to crazing due to stresses inherent to the material. Normalising (before machining) and annealing (interprocess heat treatment and as a final operation) can eliminate these stresses improving the appearance a durability of acrylic parts.
Heat treatment can also improve the dimensional stability of acetal, nylons and PTFE components.
Q I need a bearing. Should I use nylon or acetal?
A For dry apllications, there will be a nylon grade suitable for your application. In wet applications, acetal grades give far superior performance because they do not absorb water to the same extent as nylons.
Q I need a small precision part which must not distort - which material should I use?
A Polyester has excellent dimensional stability. The dimensional stability of other plastics is greatly improved by the inclusion of fillers, typically 25-30% glass fibre. Other fillers, such as carbon or graphite, are available in certain materials, such as Acetal or PEEK, but the increase in dimensioal stability is reflected by the increased cost of the materials.
Q My component will need to be sterilised by gamma radiation - what material should I use?
A Polycarbonate, UHMWPE or most high performance plastics are suitable. See our Technical Info page to learn more.
Q My component will need to be food safe - what materials could I use?
A Polycarbonate, polyethylene, polypropylene,PES, PPS, PEEK, PTFE, PVDF, Delrin, Nylon 66 and Ultem are all approved for food applications by the FDA.
Q My component is for medical use - what material should I use?
A PES, PPS, PSU, PEEK, PTFE, PVDF and Ultem are all approved for medical applications.
Q - My component needs to resist solvents - what material should I use?
A PTFE and polyethylene offer good all-round resistance. Other plastics generally offer good resistance to most chemicals but each case should be considered on its own merits. Contact us if you require reassurance for a specific chemical.
