Performance plastics provide numerous advantages for any manufacturing operation. They're lightweight, hold up well under extreme conditions and are an excellent cost-effective alternative to metal — from bushings and gears to guards, housings and structural parts.
Applications
- Bushings and bearings
- Electrical insulators
- Gears, manifolds, pulleys, cams
- Rollers
- Patterns
- Parts carriers
- Dunnage
- Sheaves
- Slide pads
- Sprockets
- Valve components
- Corner tracks, rails, bumpers
- Wheels
- Housings
- Guards and safety shields
- Structural parts
- Chain guides, machine guards, wear strips
- Seals and gaskets
- Star wheels
- Windows
- Shaft collars
Advantages May Include
- Lightweight — easier to handle and store
- Reliable, durable, long-lasting
- Easy to fabricate
- May eliminate the need for additional lubrication
- Excellent electrical properties
- Quiet
- Minimizes wear on mating metal parts
- High strength-to-weight ratio
- Excellent surface appearance
- Impact and abrasion resistant
- Machinability and weldability
- Chemical and corrosion resistant
- Cost effective
- Excellent bearing and wear
Materials
- Acetal (POM)
- Acetate (AC)
- Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS)
- Acrylic (PMMA)
- Chlorinated Polyvinyl Chloride (CPVC)
- Glycol Modified Polyester Terephthalate (PETG)
- High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
- Nylon/Cast Nylon (PA)
- Phenolics (Industrial Thermosets)
- Plastic Lumber
- Poly-Imide (PI)
- Polyamide-Imide (PAI)
- Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT)
- Polycarbonate (PC)
- Polyetheretherketone (PEEK)
- Polyester films
- Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET/PETE)
- Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS)
- Polypropylene (PP)
- Polysulfone (PSU)
- Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
- Polyurethane (PU/PUR)
- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
- Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF)
- Silicone (SI)
- Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMW-PE)
Sustainability Advantages of Performance Plastics
5-30%
MRO can make up anywhere from 5-30% of a manufacturing company's spending. Longer-lasting performance plastics parts create cost savings and reduce waste.
Source: verusen.com
600%
Nylon sheaves can increase the life of steel cables by up to 600%.
Source: redwoodplastics.com
Nylon sheaves deliver a strong strength-to-weight profile for manufacturing operations:
¼ Weight
Of steel
4,000 psi
Load-bearing capability
15,000 psi
Compressive strength
Source: redwoodplastics.com
10 to 1
With a low coefficient of friction and superior abrasion and corrosion resistance, UHMW has been proven to outlast mild and hardened steel by as much as 10 to 1.
Source: redwoodplastics.com
40 Years
PVC windows last up to 40 years and are 100% recyclable.
Source: shiniusa.com
200x
Polycarbonate is 30x stronger than acrylic and more than 200x stronger than glass, for greater longevity in safety shield applications.
Source: piedmontplastics.com
iapd
the performance plastics association
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