Engineering plastics
UHMWPE Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene
Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene is well suited to wearing applications such as wear strips, guides, sprockets, bushes and rub blocks. Its low coefficient of friction makes this an ideal material for lining of hoppers and chutes to improve bulk material flow. It is available in rod and sheet in natural, coloured and filled grades.
Attributes
o Excellent abrasion resistance
o Excellent impact resistance
o Low friction
o Good chemical resistance
o Temperature -250 to 80 degrees C
o Food contact natural grades
POM Acetal
Acetal is easily machinable and is well suited to the manufacture of bearings, bushes, sprockets, guides and machine parts. Its high dimensional stability makes this an ideal material for intricate and high tolerance machine parts. It is available in rod, sheet and tube in natural, coloured and filled grades.
Attributes
o Excellent machineability
o Low moisture absorption
o Good stiffness and hardness
o Good wear resistance
o Temperature -40 to 80 degrees C
o Food contact natural grades
PA Nylon
Nylon is an excellent choice for situations where heavy load, impact and high wear is expected. Nylon is used in heavy load bearings and slide pads, cable sheaves, cam followers and parts under high load and stress. Nylons wear ability can be improved with addition of solid or liquid lubricants during the casting process. They are available in rod, sheet, tube and custom cast shapes and come in natural, coloured and internally lubricated grades.
Attributes
o Excellent impact resistance
o High mechanical strength
o Excellent wear resistance
o Temperature -30 to 90 degrees C
o Food contact natural grades
o Low chemical resistance
PET-P Polyester
Polyesters have higher dimensional stability than Acetals and Nylons which makes these materials ideal for extremely accurate machine parts such as slide blocks, self-aligning bearings and precision components. Polyesters have excellent creep resistance which is ideal for components that need to hold their shape under load. They are available in rod, sheet and tube and come in natural and internally lubricated grades.
Attributes
o High mechanical strength
o Excellent wear resistance
o No water absorption
o Temperature -20 to 100 degrees C
o Food contact natural grades
o Low impact strength
PVDF
PVDF has excellent strength and stiffness as well as chemical resistance and the ability to be welded. PVDF is widely used for gaskets, pipe fittings and valve and pump components in the chemical industry. Limited availability in rod and sheet.
Attributes
o High mechanical strength
o High toughness
o Weldable
o Temperature -20 to 150 degrees C
o Food contact natural grades
o Chemical inertness
PC Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate is a tough see through material often used in glazing applications and machine guards. Its high impact resistance makes it a good material for use in prisons and outdoor areas such as bus shelters and shop fronts. Polycarbonate is available in abrasion resistant (AR) and UV resistant grades. Polycarbonate is available in rod and sheet in natural (clear).
Attributes
o High impact strength
o High toughness
o See through
o Temperature -50 to 125 degrees C
Bakelite
Bakelite was the first plastic and is a thermosetting material with excellent non conductivity and high heat resistance. Paper grade Bakelite is used in a variety of electrical components, fabric grade Bakelite is used in mechanical parts such as gears, machine slides, couplings and pulleys. Bakelite is available in rod and sheet in various grades with a paper (P1, P2 and P3) or fabric (F1, F2) substrate.
Also known as Formica, Novasteen and Tuffnol.
Attributes
o Non conductive
o High toughness
o Does not melt
o Temperature -100 to 90 degrees C.