Plastic machining allows the creation of the most complex parts without missing a single detail. So in this blog, will be looking at several materials, their benefits as well as their disadvantages. So you can make the best choice of plastic for your next project.
ABS plastic
It is a round common-purpose plastic that provides high-impact strength, toughness, and electrical resistance. ABS plastic is easy to use, paint, weld, and glue. It may be a little shiny however when you leave it for machining, it will give you a matte effect, depending on the machining.
Benefits
ABS plastic is the best for general-purpose prototypes, pre-formed prototypes, parts that will be impacted and require sturdiness, or parts that demand low-cost parts.
Application
Injection molding (electronic products, household appliances, and iconic Lego bricks)
Nylon
It is a strong durable plastic, suitable for several purposes. Nylon comes with tensile strength and durability.
Benefits
Its strength and rigidity help maintain good electrical insulation in a wide temperature range along with good chemicals and abrasion resistance.
Application
You can find nylon in medical equipment, circuit board mounting hardware, automotive engine compartment components, and zippers. It is often used as an economical substitute for metals. Nylon is used in the automotive industry to make various parts such as door handles and radiator grills.
Acrylic
It is also known as plexiglass or fluorite. It comes with strength, it is scratch resistant, and it can easily be bonded with acrylic cement.
Benefits
Acrylic is scratch and rugged-resistant. It is good for an application that requires optical transparency or translucency, or an alternative to non-durable and inexpensive polycarbonate.
Application
Processed acrylic is transparent so it is commonly used as a lightweight alternative to glass or light pipes.
Delrin
It is a special brand of acetal homopolymer and also known as POM. Delrin is a smooth, low-friction, surface, with excellent dimensional stability as well as high rigidity.
Benefits
Delrin is a stable and simple material to process within a tight tolerance. These features make it perfect for the production of extremely hard, low-friction parts.
Application
Its ideal application includes gears, bushing, bearings, and fasteners. It can also be used to make jigs and fixtures for assembly.
HDPE
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is a general-purpose thermoplastic polymer with high tensile strength like concrete and high impact resistance.
Benefits
It’s chemical resistant and provides electrical insulation and a smooth surface. Due to its chemical resistance and slippery properties, it is suitable for the manufacturing of plugs and seals.
Application
HDPE is a popular material for commercial pipes. As it is usually provided in a variety of preparation forms, it is a perfect material for subtractive CNC machining.
Polycarbonate
It is a thermoplastic polymer that contains carbonate groups in its chemical structure. Polycarbonate is the most durable kind of plastic for machining.
Benefits
It comes with high impact resistance and rigidity. It maintains function in a wide temperature range. Polycarbonate is opaquely transparent however it can be dyed black if you need it to be opaque. It is best for applications that require very strong plastic.
Application
It can be utilized to make optical discs, safety glass, light pipes, and bulletproof glass.
Bottom line
We hope that this blog has provided you with enough information to help you choose the right material for precision CNC machining in China. If you are still not sure, let the experts help you.