Does your part need Flexibility & Strength – Consider Nylon®

January 26, 2023  |  , , ,

Nylon® is a synthetic thermoplastic polyamide that is known for its strength, temperature resilience, and chemical compatibility. It has been proven to be a lightweight, heavy-duty industrial engineering plastic replacement for metals that are resistant to both heat and corrosive chemicals.

Nylon® is a great material for parts that undergo flexure and bending.  With wear resistance far greater than many metals and other thermoplastics and a low coefficient of friction, Nylon® is ideally suited for use in slides, bearings, and other parts that need to stand up to high levels of motion and wear. Performance Plastics offers expertise in developing Nylon® resin formulations and combinations with other polymers such as glass, carbon, and mineral-reinforced versions.  For example, Minlon®, a mineral-reinforced Nylon® provides greater dimensional stability and creep resistance than unreinforced Nylon®, and lower warpage than glass-reinforced Nylon®. As a result, it is popular for use in compressor valves and big industrial parts, as well as in demanding aerospace applications.

Performance Plastics has seen Nylon®’s applications grow to include a range of applications to move water, acids, lubricants, solvents, chemicals, and fuels in automotive, military, and aerospace environments.  Although pump makers traditionally used various metals for pump housings, shaft guides, impellers, seals, bushings, and other elements, the desire to reduce pump weight, material, and processing costs have led many to opt for various Nylon® formulations instead. Performance Plastics can use Nylon® to offer a combination of physical strength, wear resistance, self-lubrication, and high cost-effectiveness.

Choosing the optimal Nylon® resin for an application depends on several factors, including the levels of pressure, temperature, and speed involved. In addition, the abrasiveness of the liquids or slurries involved, the degree of contamination that can be tolerated, and projected uses for the part must also be considered.

Nylon®’s toughness and elongation properties make it suitable for designs that involve snap-fits or press-fits. Injection-molded Nylon® parts from Performance Plastics are well-suited to secondary machining processes such as turning, drilling, tapping, and grinding, as well as ultrasonic insertion, ultrasonic welding, pad printing, and assembly.

To discover how Performance Plastics is partnering with world-class polymer scientists and industry-leading material suppliers to deliver nylon solutions, visit our website at https://performanceplastics.com or contact Rich Reed, our Vice President of Sales and Marketing, at (513) 321-8404 or [email protected].

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Product Spotlight – EnduroSharp® Nutplate Abrasion Tool “NAT” Kit

January 19, 2023  |  , ,

 

Now Offered With and Without the Case

With Case ESNAT 1C
Without Case ESNAT 1NC

 

 

EnduroSharp® has changed the way aerospace maintenance professionals remove sealants and adhesives from substrates and fasteners.

Adhesively bonded nutplates are increasingly being utilized in the manufacture of aerospace structures, with extensive use in securing removable maintenance access panels.

Traditionally, aerospace maintenance professionals prepared nutplates using manual methods such as abrading files or grinders.  This proved very inefficient because the abrading was often uneven, leading to adhesively bonded nutplate failure.  While rotary abrasion tools (RATs) were better, they were often bulky and expensive.

That’s why EnduroSharp® developed the Nutplate Abrasion Tool (NAT).   Precisely designed to work with adhesively bonded nutplates, the product consists of an aluminum upper and lower handle and 4 nutplate base inserts.  The product is packaged in a convenient, rugged case which is handy for transporting.

Performance Plastics is a custom precision injection molder of high-performance, tight-tolerance thermoplastic components. We specialize in geometrically complex precision parts that consist of chemically inert materials. Our expertise led to the development of our patented EnduroSharp® line of Aircraft Maintenance Tools.

For more information on the EnduroSharp® Nutplate Abrasion Tool or any of our EnduroSharp® product lines, please contact Aileen Crass at [email protected] or visit our website at www.performanceplastics.com.

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Plastic Injection Molding vs. Machining Parts

January 17, 2023  |  

Plastic Injection Molding vs Machining

We are often approached by customers who are currently machining their parts out of high-performance plastic materials.  How do you decide when it is better to injection mold versus continuing to machine parts?

Injection molding has many advantages.  It minimizes molding costs, is very precise, and is a highly repeatable way of producing resin parts.  Once set up, molding produces large amounts of parts per hour from many different materials.

While many companies do not have the capacity to injection mold materials, Performance Plastics has an extensive history of injection molding filled ultra and high-performance thermoplastics resins (PEEK, PFA, FEP, Torlon®, Vespel®, Ultem®, Extem®, etc.), and partnering with world-class polymer scientists and industry-leading material suppliers to develop unique custom resins formulations.

So, how do you make the decision to pivot from machining to investing in an injection molding process?

  • How many parts do you need?

Plastic injection molding is far less expensive per part than plastic machining. Machining a part is usually 25 times more expensive than an injection molded part.  But, the upfront cost of the mold is steep, usually several thousand dollars.  So, it makes sense to continue machining as long as your quantity is small.

  • Will you need to change your design?

As long as your project is still in the development stages of your design, you should continue to machine.  It doesn’t make financial sense to invest in an expensive mold if your design is not final.

  • The preciseness of your part.

The more precise your part.  While injection molding is very precise – within .005 inches – parts that have tolerances within .001 inches of specifications may still need to be machined.  The decision ultimately lies in the nature of the product.  Clients in medical equipment often continue to machine for its precision.  Others – such as integrated chip clients can tolerate slight variations.

  • How perfect your part needs to be?

Plastic injection molding can produce slight cosmetic imperfections that may or may not be acceptable based on your product.  Machining is likely your preference if your part can not display even a minor cosmetic defect.

  • Material

Your selection of resin materials is more limited to plastic injection molding.  Some harder, high-performance materials can only be machined.

To learn more about how Performance Plastics can cut your production costs while helping you take advantage of the unique properties of engineered materials, please visit our contact page or contact Rich Reed, our vice president of sales and marketing, at (513) 321-8404 or [email protected].

 

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Vespel vs Torlon – Which material is best for my application?

January 12, 2023  |  , ,

When it comes to extremely high-temperature applications, engineered fluoropolymers are an optimal choice for reliability and performance. While there are several engineered resins available on the market, for the most demanding applications, project leaders often request Vespel® or Torlon®. Understanding the differences between these two resins, the production methods involved and the labor costs associated with the materials will help you determine which one is correct for your project.

Vespel® vs. Torlon®

Vespel® is a polyimide plastic that is often used in high-heat environments that cause thermoplastic materials to lose their mechanical properties. It is one of the most dynamic engineering resins available and can be found in hostile and extreme environments, such as oil & gas, semiconductors, and aerospace applications.

With the ability to perform at temperatures of 500ºF and to endure temperatures up to 900ºF for limited periods, Vespel® has superior thermal stability. This material is also known for excellent friction and wear characteristics, being extremely creep resistant, and having a high resistance to chemicals. Vespel® is a lightweight alternative to metal, offering high tensile (8,750 psi) and flexural (16,000 psi) strength at one-half the weight of metal.

Characteristics of Vespel® include:

• High impact resistance
• Extremely high purity
• Minimal electrical and thermal conductivity
• Low water absorption
• Radiation resistance

Torlon® is a high-performance engineered thermoplastic that is difficult to injection mold, can readily hold tight tolerances, and is easy to machine. This polyamide-imide plastic offers exceptional toughness, even when operating in continuous temperatures of 500ºF. It excels in chemically harsh environments and is stronger at 400°F than most engineering resins at room temperature. Torlon® parts are commonly used in aerospace, chemical processing, and bearings.

Torlon® features:

• High dimensional stability
• Low creep
• High thermal endurance
• Tensile strength of 27,847 psi
• Flexural strength of 35,390 psi

Injection Molding is Our Specialty

Whether your application needs extreme thermal resistance, purity, thermal conductivity or exceptional toughness, our expert staff can assist in the material selection that will hold tight tolerances and meet all your production specifications.
We have developed proprietary molding and tooling processes enabling the injection molding of otherwise complex parts. Our expertise in fluoropolymers and injection molding can assist you in selecting the correct material for your application.

For more information on Vespel® or Torlon® please contact Rich Reed, our Vice President of Sales and Marketing, at (513) 321-8404 or [email protected].

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Performance Plastics offers Robotic Precision in a Clean Room Environment.

January 3, 2023  |  , ,

A cleanroom is a controlled environment where products are manufactured and assembled in a dust-free, temperature-controlled environment. They are designed specifically to reduce the risk of contamination and minimize the potential for product defects. Cleanrooms are becoming increasingly important in the manufacturing industry as they are used in the production of a wide range of products, from microelectronics to medical devices.

Performance Plastics utilizes robotics in its clean room to offer customers the best of both technologies. Automation offers solutions to the four Ds in manufacturing, dirt, danger, dullness, and difficulty.
The primary objective of a cleanroom is to maintain a dust-free environment with minimal airborne particulate matter. To do this, cleanrooms are equipped with special filters and air-handling systems that remove and trap dust particles.

The primary objective of robotics is to maintain quality and consistency during the production of a product. Robots produce more accurate and high-quality work. Robots rarely make a mistake and are more precise. They can produce larger quantities in the same amount of time. They work at a consistent, sustainable speed.

In addition to controlling the environment, cleanrooms are also equipped with advanced temperature control systems. This ensures that the temperature and humidity levels remain consistent, which is important for the proper functioning of the products being manufactured.

Cleanrooms also help to reduce the risk of contamination. Products are kept in a sterile environment and are subject to rigorous cleaning protocols. This helps to ensure that the products are free from any potential contaminants.
For more information as to how Performance Plastics can provide you with a manufactured clean room solution, please visit our website at www.performanceplastics or contact Rich Reed, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at [email protected].

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