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Engineering plastics is generally the name given to a range of plastics that have been developed to replace or compliment outdated metals within the engineering industry. These materials were first developed many years ago with the invention of Tufnol type or bakelite materials and has further developed into the modern day high performance engineering plastics that now have outstanding properties and functions. Modern engineering plastics are capable of performing almost all of the functions of the more traditional materials such as phosphor bronze and other metals but with the advantage of being much more economical, easier and cheaper to machine and much lighter in weight. Some of the modern materials such as PTFE and PEEK offer incredible heat resistance as well as an exceptionally low co-efficient of friction which reduces energy consumption within a machine and increases the lifespan of the component.

Because these plastics are produced in either rod, tube or sheet and in a huge range of sizes it helps customers select an optimum size for their needs, reducing waste, machining time and cost. Most engineering plastics are manufactured oversize, which means that for instance, a component required to be machined to 100mm diameter rod, rather than having to select the next size up and increasing material waste. The majority of these materials are produced through the bye products of the oil or petrochemical industry and are processed along side and as a compliment. An important factor to note regarding any plastics is their expansion rates which can vary but there are grades available which are developed to reduce their rate and also moisture absorption which can make components expand slightly but again, there are grades which almost eliminate the feature.

Engineering Plastics Advantages

Engineering plastics are easier to machine
Many of these plastics will provide a much quicker machining time and are almost always easier to machine than materials such as brass and bronze, these materials will also impose less wear and tear on machine tools and so will save both time and money.

Engineering plastics are more economical
Although most of these plastics are made from oil derivatives, they are often more economical to purchase than traditional metallic counterparts and with continuous fluctuations in the marketplace, these materials provide a much more economical solution.

Engineering Plastics for a longer lasting solution
Because modern materials have progressed in terms of development over recent years, many of the currently produced plastics available will now last much longer in service than old fashioned metals, they will also often reduce noise in service and reduce any potential premature wear.

Engineering Plastics with self lubrication
Heavy investment and development in engineering plastics have lead to the production of plastics with excellent self lubricating properties these can vary from MOS² which is also known as molybdenum disulphide which is a black graphite type self lubricant, to oil filled nylons, these are a blended material and provide massively extended component lifetimes as well as reduced operational noise which save the typical customer substantial amounts of money in maintenance costs over extruded periods of time.

Engineering plastics and shock absorbing
Another important advantage of engineering plastics is their ability to absorb shock and to resist transferring vibration into surrounding equipment. This can protect any surrounding equipment and also improve health and safety issues with reduced noise.

Engineering plastics and heat transfer
This is an advantage which is often overlooked but most plastics will often insulate against sometimes harmful heat which is created during processing methods and help with reducing potential damage to other areas.

Engineering plastics for electrical insulation
Almost all natural grade engineering plastics will provide excellent electrical insulation, some grades such as PTFE and Tufnol are some of the highest performance materials around, this is sometimes a huge benefit as providing a simple barrier of these materials between components will protect from any electrical current passing through.

Engineering plastics are well known for their superb wear resistance and have many advantages over some of the existing metallic materials such as phosphor bronze and brass. Nylon is one of the most well known materials that has made an enviable name for itself for high wear resistance in challenging environments. Another material range that is maybe not as well known but can sometimes outperform Nylon are two other plastics known as HDPE and UHMWPE, these initials stand for: High Density Polyethylene and Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene respectively. These engineering materials are two of the best performing materials on the market and then UHMWPE grade is described in detail later.

Engineering plastics are a fantastic invention that are very important to manufacturing and the engineering industry over the many years of its development. Although some plastics were invented with other objectives in mind, such as Nylon. Nylon was originally developed as an alternative for silk but due to the realisation of its strength and wear resistance, Nylon processors developed a system to manufacture "Bulk" Nylon, one of the most popular and well known materials ever invented.

Engineering Plastics - Thermoplastics and Thermoset
There are two different types of engineering plastics, the thermoplastic and the thermoset. The differences are that the thermoplastic type of engineering plastic can be re-moulded or re-formed once heated and will take on a new form but the thermosetting grades of engineering plastics will not re-form and will become brittle if re-heated and reforming attempted.

Examples of Thermoplastics

• Nylon
• Acetal
• Polypropylene
• HDPE
• UHMWPE
• PVC

Examples of Thermosetting plastics

• Tufnol Laminates