Plastics have revolutionized tool and process design across various industries, offering a multitude of advantages that enhance functionality, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Here’s how plastics contribute to these advancements:

  • Design Flexibility and Customization: Performance plastics can be molded into intricate shapes and sizes, providing unparalleled design flexibility. This ability allows for the creation of highly specialized parts tailored to specific applications. Unlike metals, which require extensive machining, plastics can be precisely shaped during manufacturing processes like injection molding, making it easier to achieve complex geometries and detailed features.
  • Cost Efficiency: The use of performance plastics such as FEP/PFA often results in significant cost savings. Plastics are generally less expensive than metals, and their manufacturing processes, such as injection molding and extrusion, are cost-effective, especially for high-volume production. The lower material and processing costs contribute to a reduction in the overall expenses associated with tool production.
  • Performance Enhancements: Plastics offer a range of performance benefits that enhance part functionality. Performance plastics are resistant to wear and environmental corrosion, which helps in extending the lifespan of tools and minimizing maintenance needs. Additionally, plastics can be engineered to have low friction properties, reducing wear and tear on moving parts and improving the efficiency of mechanical components.
  • Precision and Consistency: Plastics can be manufactured with high precision and consistency, ensuring that tools perform reliably and meet stringent specifications. This precision is crucial for applications requiring exact measurements and high performance. The uniformity in plastic components helps maintain consistent quality and reliability in tools.
  • Innovation in Process Design: Plastics enable innovative process designs by allowing for the integration of multiple functions into a single component. This capability reduces the need for assembly and can streamline manufacturing processes. Moreover, the lightweight nature of plastics can lead to ergonomic improvements, making tools easier to handle and reducing user fatigue.
  • Thermal and Electrical Properties: Certain plastics are designed to provide excellent thermal and electrical insulation, making them suitable for tools and components that need to operate safely in challenging environments. Advanced plastics can also withstand high temperatures, expanding their applicability in processes involving heat.

Performance plastics enhance tool and process design through their flexibility, cost efficiency, performance improvements, and innovative potential. As material science evolves, the role of plastics in advancing tool design and manufacturing processes continues to expand, driving both practical and sustainable advancements in various industries.

Pexco engineers are experts in metal-to-plastic conversions. Performance Plastics uses various grades of resins as metal replacements in applications where historically only metal was an option. Performance plastics are widely used in industries such as aerospace, medical, industrial, and energy (fossil fuel and renewable). To discover how resins can make the transition from metal to thermoplastic easier, please visit our website at https://pexco.com or contact our office at (513) 321-8404

At Pexco, our strength lies in our solution diversity.  From custom solutions to solving specific engineering challenges, our expertise guarantees outstanding results. Pexco has been helping our customers bring ideas to life for nearly half a century.

Pexco specializes in the manufacturing of extruded, injection, and compression molded plastic parts. We deliver customized manufacturing solutions to meet the specific needs of each customer.  These solutions can help companies of all sizes accelerate time-to-revenue, lower production costs, and establish a flexible, resilient, and scalable supply chain for custom manufacturing. Each of these methods has its strengths depending on the complexity, volume, and specific requirements of the item.  Below is a brief outline of each method, and their typical advantages:

Extrusion Molding:

Extrusion Molding is used to form plastic materials into a pre-defined shape. During the process, the material is melted and pushed through an extrusion molding machine, forming a long, tube-like shape or rod.  This is cooled and cut to the required specs.

  • Process: Plastic material is melted and pushed through a die to create a continuous profile.
  • Advantages: Suitable for producing continuous shapes with consistent cross-sections. It’s efficient for high-volume production of items like pipes, tubes, and some profiles.
  • Materials:  Silicone, Polysulfone, Polycarbonate & Acrylic

Injection Molding:

Injection molding is a manufacturing technology for the mass production of identical plastic parts with good to tight tolerances.  The materials are first melted and then injected under pressure into a mold, where the liquid plastic cools and solidifies.

  • Process: Molten plastic is injected into a mold cavity under high pressure and cooled to form the part.
  • Advantages: Ideal for complex shapes and precise dimensions. It’s highly automated and efficient for large production runs, offering good repeatability and minimal material waste.
  • Materials:  Peek, Ultem PEI & Torlon® PAI

Compression Molding:

Compression molding is a forming process in which a plastic material is placed directly into a heated metal mold then is softened by the heat and therefore forced to conform to the shape ofthe mold.

  • Process: Plastic material is placed in a heated mold cavity, then compressed to shape the part
  • Advantages: Suitable for large parts and materials that require high-strength properties. It can be more cost effective for smaller production runs compared to injection molding.
  • Materials: PTFE

Pexco specializes in manufacturing extruded, injection, and compression molded plastic parts. We leverage years of expertise to bring your product to market – on time and on budget.

For more information on Pexco and how we can help you with your project, please visit our website at www.pexco.com.

Pexco.locations

At Pexco, our strength lies in our solution diversity.  From custom solutions to solving specific engineering challenges, our expertise guarantees outstanding results. From inspiration to application, Pexco has been helping our customers bring ideas to life for nearly half a century.

Pexco embrases the value of working together as One Pexco. This philosphy drives business-level product innovation, location efficiencies, client responsiveness and helps us attract talent. We are able to take advantage of the economies of scale, scope and skill while creating strong accountability and ownership, by pushing decision making down as close to the customer as possible.

Pexco places great value on firm-wide coordination in decision-making, cooperative teamwork and institutional committment. We have one way of doing things and utilize cross-facility teams to address client innovation.

Pexco’s multiple specialty manufacturing facilities across North America help control costs and provide the flexibility needed for fast and efficient product delivery.  And with 13 locations nationwide, we can meet most of your market’s product needs, On-time and on budget:

  • Asheboro, NC   
  • Athol, CT
  • Atlanta, GA – Headquarters
  • Bristol, CT
  • Cincinnati, OH
  • Grand Falls, NB, CA
  • Monterey, MX
  • Philadelphia, PA
  • Plastow, NH
  • Ravena, OH
  • Sparta, NJ
  • Tacoma, WA
  • Wallingford, CT

Pexco specializes in manufacturing extruded, injection, and compression molded plastic parts.  We leverage years of expertise to bring your product to market – on-time and on-budget.

For more information on One Pexco and how we can help you with your project, please contact Rich Reed, Vice President of Sales – Custom, at [email protected] or visit our website at www.pexco.com.

Plastic Molding Comparison

In manufacturing, molding refers to the process of shaping material into a rigid form. Pexco is the North American Leader in plastic molding, offering our customers a variety of techniques and materials to best meet their needs.

Choosing the appropriate molding process for manufacturing plastic parts depends on several factors, including the design, size, complexity, production volume, and material properties required. Here’s an overview of when to use each type of molding:

Plastic Injection Molding

Plastic Injection Molding is a process that involves heating a polymer above its melting point and then injecting the molten resin into a mold.

  • High-Volume Production: Ideal for producing large quantities of identical parts.
  • Complex Geometries: Suitable for intricate designs with detailed features and tight tolerances.
  • Material Variety: Can be used with a wide range of thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers, such as FEP, PFA, PAI (Torlon®), Peek, and PEI (Ultem®).

Blow Molding

Blow molding is the forming of a hollow object by inflating or blowing a molten polymer into the outside shape of the mold.

  • Hollow Parts: Best for making hollow objects, such as bottles and containers.
  • Medium to High Production Volumes: Economical for large production runs in materials such as HDPE, PP, PETG and PC.
  • Lightweight Products: Ideal for products where weight reduction is important.

Compression Molding

Compression Molding is a process that uses heat, pressure, and time to shape pre-measured materials into parts with various lengths, thicknesses, and complexities.

  • Large, Flat, or Curved Parts: Suitable for producing large and relatively simple parts.
  • Thermosetting Materials: Commonly used for thermosetting plastics and composites such as silicone, polyurethane and phenolic.
  • Low to Medium Production Volumes: Effective for lower production volumes than injection molding.

Extrusion Molding

Extrusion molding is used to form plastic materials into pre-defined shapes.

  • Suited for long, hollow formed applications.
  • Continuous Profiles: Best for creating long continuous shapes with a consistent cross-section in materials such as acrylic, polycarbonate, PVC and polyethylene.
  • High Production Volumes: Economical for high-volume production of parts.

Rotational Molding

Rotational molding is a technique that creates hollow plastic parts of any size. A hollow mold is filled with powdered resin, and the mold rotates bi-axially and then is transferred to an over.  The mold continues to rotate as the resin melts and coats the wall of the mold.

  • Relatively low-cost tooling.
  • High durability, stability, and strength using materials such as LDPE, HDPE, PP and PO (nylon).
  • Fine-detail surface textures, symbols and/or lettering

Thermoforming

Thermoforming is the process a heating a thermoplastic sheet or block to its softening point.  The items are then stretched across a single-sided mold and manipulated into the desired shape.

  • Flexibility and low cost of entry
  • Durability, color and texture options using materials such as ABS, HDPE, PVC, and PC.
  • Sustainability

Choosing the right molding process depends on the project’s specific requirements, including its design, material, production volume, and cost considerations. Each method offers distinct advantages that make it suitable for different applications.

Pexco offers expertise in material engineering, materials and processing and can assist you in choosing the best process for your project.  Pexco processes over 500 different materials including FEP, PFA, PAI, PEEL, PPS, PEI, acrylic, polycarbonate, PVC and polyethylene, and can help you find the best fit for your next project.

For more information on these processes, materials, or how Pexco can help you with your project, please contact Rich Reed, Vice President of Sales – Custom, at [email protected] or visit our website at www.performanceplastics.com.

 

 

What material is best for my project?

 

Thermoplastics, elastomers, and thermosets are three distinct classes of polymers, each with unique properties and characteristics.  How do you know which one is best for your project?

Thermoplastics:

  • Definition: Thermoplastics are polymers that become pliable or moldable when heated and solidify upon cooling. This process can be repeated multiple times without significant degradation.
  • Behavior: They soften when heated and can be reshaped or remolded, making them highly versatilefor manufacturing processes like injection molding, extrusion, and 3D printing.
  • Properties:
    • They typically have good impact resistance and mechanical strength, depending on the specific type.
    • Examples include polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
    • They are recyclable and often used in a wide range of applications from packaging and consumer goods to automotive parts and medical devices.

Elastomers:

  • Definition: Elastomers are polymers that exhibit elastic properties, meaning they can return to their original shape after deformation when the applied stress is removed.
  • Behavior: They are characterized by their ability to stretch significantly and then retract to their initial shape, due to the cross-linked polymer chains.
  • Properties:
    • They have excellent elasticity, resilience, and fatigue resistance.
    • Examples include natural rubber, silicone rubber, and polyurethane elastomers.
    • Elastomers find applications in seals, gaskets, tires, footwear, and various vibration dampening components.

Thermosets:

  • Definition: Thermosets are polymers that undergo a chemical reaction (often called curing or cross-linking) during processing, leading to a permanently set shape.
  • Behavior: Once cured,thermosets cannot be remolded or reshaped by heating, as they undergo a chemical change that irreversibly hardens them.
  • Properties:
    • They typically have excellent dimensional stability, high temperature resistance, and chemical resistance.
    • Examples include epoxy resins, phenolic resins, and polyurethane thermosets.
    • Thermosets are commonly used in applications requiring durable and heat-resistant materials such as in electronics, aerospace, automotive parts, and in household appliances.

Key Differences:

Response to Heat:

  • Thermoplastics: Soften with heat and can be reshaped.
  • Elastomers: Can stretch and return to their original shape due to elasticity.
  • Thermosets: Hardenirreversibly with heat or chemical curing.

Recyclability:

  • Thermoplastics: Generally recyclable.
  • Elastomers: Recycling potential varies; some can be recycled.
  • Thermosets: Difficult to recycle due to their irreversible curing process.

Applications:

  • Thermoplastics: Widely used in consumer goods, packaging, and automotive industries.
  • Elastomers: Commonly found in seals, tires, and flexible components.
  • Thermosets: Used in applications requiring heat resistance and durability, such as electronics and aerospace.

Understanding these differences helps inselecting the appropriate polymer for specific engineering, manufacturing, orproduct design needs based on properties like flexibility, durability, and recyclability.

Performance Plastics, a Pexco Company, has experts in material engineering that can assist you in choosing the best material class for your project.

Fort more information on any of these materials, or how Pexco can help you with your custom project, please contact Rich Reed, Vice President of Sales – Custom, at [email protected] or visit our website at www.performanceplastics.com

Precision and purity are vital to semiconductor production.  Plastics assist in maintaining the standards necessary in production, ensuring that less time and resources are spent and that the items function properly.

Unlike traditional materials like metal or ceramic, plastics such as FEP, PEEK, and PTFE are more impermeable to corrosive acids, which are key to the production of microchips.

High-performance plastics such as Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (FEP), Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK), and Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), are characterized by their exceptional properties in different areas. High-performance plastics are largely used where the highest demands are placed on thermal or chemical resistance or product mechanics.

Microchips are primarily made from semiconducting materials such as silicon, not plastics. Silicon wafers undergo a complex series of processes including photolithography, etching, doping, and layering to create the intricate circuitry that forms the basis of microchips.

However, plastics do play a role in certain aspects of microchip manufacturing, and Performance Plastics, A Pexco Company, produces many of the necessary components.

  1. Components: Resins are used in various components used to manufacture microchips. This includes components of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, such as chambers, tubing, and fittings, which often utilize specialized plastic materials resistant to high temperatures and chemicals.
  2. Cleanroom Materials: In semiconductor fabrication facilities or cleanrooms, where microchips are produced, stringent cleanliness standards must be maintained to prevent contamination of the delicate semiconductor materials. Plastics are used extensively in cleanroom construction and furnishings due to their ease of cleaning, resistance to chemicals, and ability to meet cleanliness requirements.
  3. Chemical Handling: During the fabrication process, various chemicals are used for etching, doping, and cleaning semiconductor wafers. Plastics are often used for the storage, transport, and handling of these chemicals due to their chemical inertness and resistance to corrosion.
  4. Consumables: Plastics are used in the production of consumable items such as gloves, face masks, and packaging materials used in the handling and transportation of microchips and semiconductor wafers within the fabrication facility.

Overall, while plastics may not be directly visible in the final product of a microchip, they are indispensable in various stages of the microchip manufacturing process, contributing to its efficiency, reliability, and cost-effectiveness.

For more information on high-performance plastics such as FEP, PEEK, and/or PTFE, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Rich Reed, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at [email protected], or visit our website at www.performance plastics.com

Injection molding has advanced significantly with the use of biocompatible fluoropolymers. Fluoropolymers are a type of synthetic polymer that contains fluorine atoms, providing unique properties such as high thermal stability, chemical resistance, and low friction. When these fluoropolymers are made biocompatible, they become suitable for various medical and healthcare applications.

The use of biocompatible fluoropolymers in injection molding offers several advantages:

  1. Biocompatibility: These materials are designed to be compatible with living tissues and can be safely used in medical devices and implants. This makes them ideal for applications where direct contact with the human body is necessary.
  2. Chemical Resistance: Fluoropolymers are known for their excellent chemical resistance. In medical environments, where exposure to various chemicals is possible, these materials provide a protective barrier against corrosion and degradation.
  3. High Thermal Stability: Fluoropolymers can withstand high temperatures without losing their structural integrity. This property is crucial in medical applications where sterilization processes involve elevated temperatures.
  4. Low Friction: The low coefficient of friction of fluoropolymers makes them suitable for applications where smooth surfaces and minimal friction are essential, such as in medical devices that come into contact with bodily fluids.
  5. Precision Molding: Injection molding allows for the production of complex and precise shapes. This is particularly beneficial in medical device manufacturing where intricate designs are often required for optimal performance.
  6. Cost-Effectiveness: Injection molding is a cost-effective manufacturing process, especially for high-volume production. This makes it an attractive option for producing medical components and devices on a large scale.

Applications of biocompatible fluoropolymers in injection molding include the manufacturing of components for medical devices such as catheters, connectors, seals, and implantable devices.

It’s important to note that the adoption of these materials in medical applications requires compliance with regulatory standards and guidelines to ensure the safety and efficacy of the produced devices. Manufacturers must adhere to strict quality control measures to meet the stringent requirements of the healthcare industry.

Expertise in custom plastic injection applications not only ensures the technical accuracy of the manufactured parts but also builds trust and fosters long-term partnerships between manufacturers and clients.

For more information on the top of Biocompatible Fluoropolymer Advances, please see our white paper at:

https://performanceplastics.com/blog/biocompatible-fluoropolymers/

Performance Plastics is a world-class complex injection molding company.  We work with our customers to leverage the capabilities of ultra and high-performance materials such as PEEK, Torlon®, Ultem®, PFA, FEP, PVDF, and ETFE and can achieve extreme dimension or tight tolerance injection molded parts.

For more information on Performance Plastics’ capabilities, please contact Rich Reed, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at [email protected], or visit our website at www.performanceplastics.com.

 

Aircraft Maintenance Professionals are always looking for better and more efficient ways to complete their tasks.  Sometimes, in an effort to complete their tasks faster, they use items that were not designed for use in removal and damage to the underlying surfaces.

While there are currently many scraper blades on the market that are designed for adhesive removal, , not all materials are created equal.  Most of the blades currently on the market are made of three materials:  ABS, Phenolic, and Torlon.

 

ABS

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene is a very tough, very durable thermoplastic used in a wide variety of applications. ABS is a common choice among other plastic production materials because of its durability, structural stability, and good corrosion, impact, chemical, and wear resistance.

ABS plastic is made when acrylonitrile and polystyrene monomers are polymerized with butadiene rubber to create acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS). This blending is typically accomplished using an emulsification process, wherein materials that would otherwise not mix are formulated into a cohesive single product (think milk, where fats, oil, and water do not separate out of solution but exist as a homogenous mixture)

Phenolic

Phenolic is a laminated plastic used in a variety of custom plastic components due to its high strength, resistance to solvents, dielectric strength, and many other features.

Phenolics are manufactured by impregnating layers of material with a phenolic resin, and then applying heat and pressure, which transforms these layers into a solid mass. The result is a thermoset that is dense, dimensionally stable, structurally strong, has low creep, and is an excellent insulator.

Torlon

 

 

Torlon® is a high-strength, high-performance, melt-processable plastic material. It’s ability to perform under severe stress combined with its resistance to elevated temperatures makes it ideal for various applications across many industries.  Torlon (PAI) is recognized as being the highest-performing plastic that is melt-processable.

Polyamide-imides (PAIs) are thermoplastic amorphous polymers prepared by the condensation of an aromatic diamine, such as methylene diamine, and an anhydride, such as trimellitic acid chloride. PAIs have good mechanical, thermal, and chemical resistance, high strength, melt processability, and high heat capacity.

So, ABS is blended thermoplastic, Phenolic is impregnated plastic, and Torlon is a heat-treated, condensed thermoset.  Condensed thermoset materials are stronger, more resilient, and exhibit consistent performance without the risk of damaging the surfaces.

EnduroSharp® Torlon® aircraft maintenance tools were specifically designed by Performance Plastics, the Airforce Research Laboratory (ARL), and the University of Dayton Research Institute at Wright Patterson Air Force Base to safely and efficiently remove adhesives, sealants, and coatings while maintaining an effective edge and not damaging the underlying substrates.

For more information on Torlon® and/or EnduroSharp Torlon® Aircraft Maintenance Tools, please contact Aileen Crass, Product Marketing Manager at [email protected], or visit our website at www.performanceplastics.com/endurosharp.

 

Performance Plastics is pleased to announce two additions to its EnduroSharp® line of aircraft maintenance tools: the EnduroSharp® Torlon® Sealant Remover (TSR) and three new EnduroSharp® Adhesive Reamers (TAR).

The EnduroSharp® Torlon Sealant Removers (TSR) are non-metallic, spiral single-fluted cutters designed to remove non-metallic debris such as cured sealants and adhesives from larger surface areas such as fuel tanks.

Designed for use with a power drill, the cutters have a hex drive mounting feature and are reusable because they are made of a re-sharpenable material called Torlon®. The cutters were designed to remove sealants, filers, and coatings cleanly with no abrasion to the underlying paints, primers, or metal substrates.

The EnduroSharp® Torlon® Adhesive Reamers (TAR) are non-metallic, multi-fluted, straight-walled reamers. They can be used to remove debris such as cured sealants and adhesives from fastening and bushing holes in metallic or composite structures without damaging the structures. Originally offered in nine sizes, we have added three new sizes to the lineup: the TAR 171 (0.171” Diameter, Straight Fluted, ¼ Inch Hex Drive), TAR 234 (0.234” Diameter, Straight Fluted, ¼ inch Hex Drive), and TAR 296 (0.296” Diameter, Straight Fluted, ¼ inch Hex Drive).

Performance Plastics developed all EnduroSharp® Aircraft Maintenance Tools in conjunction with the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI), and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to provide reliable and dependable material removal tools for military and commercial aircraft maintainers.

Approved for use by the USAF, USMC, USN, and many foreign military organizations, EnduroSharp® tools are designed to prevent damage to metallic and non-metallic components such as composites, metals, and fiberglass. The EnduroSharp® tools are stiffer and maintain a superior cutting edge compared to other alternative thermoplastics tools.

For more information on the new EnduroSharp® offerings, please contact Rich Reed, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at [email protected], or visit our website at www.performanceplastics.com/endurosharp.

Fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) and perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) are fluoropolymer materials that are often used in the construction of certain components in batteries, particularly as insulating materials. While they may not directly store energy in batteries, they play a crucial role in enhancing the safety, efficiency, and performance of battery systems. Here’s why FEP/PFA plastics are important for the energy storage function of batteries:

 

  1. Chemical Resistance: FEP and PFA plastics are highly chemically resistant, which is crucial in battery applications. They can withstand exposure to various corrosive electrolytes and chemicals found within batteries without degrading or reacting. This resistance helps ensure the long-term stability and integrity of the battery components, leading to improved battery durability and lifespan.
  2. Thermal Stability: FEP and PFA materials have excellent thermal stability and can withstand a wide range of temperatures, from extremely cold to very hot conditions. This property is essential for batteries, as they can operate in environments with varying temperature conditions. Maintaining thermal stability helps to prevent short circuits, leakage, and overall performance issues.
  3. Dielectric Properties: Both FEP and PFA injection molded parts are excellent electrical insulators. They have a low dielectric constant and low dissipation factor, meaning they have the ability to insulate and isolate electrical components in batteries effectively. This is vital for preventing short circuits and ensuring the safe operation of the battery.
  4. Low Permeability: FEP and PFA plastics have low gas and liquid permeability, which is essential for battery separators. The separators in batteries are critical for preventing direct contact between the positive and negative electrodes, while still allowing the passage of ions. Low permeability materials help maintain this separation, preventing electrolyte leakage and maintaining the battery’s overall performance.
  5. Mechanical Strength: FEP and PFA injection molded materials are durable and mechanically robust. They can withstand mechanical stresses and pressure changes that batteries may experience during manufacturing, assembly, and use. This strength is particularly important for maintaining the integrity of battery components and preventing damage.
  6. Non-reactive Nature: FEP and PFA are non-reactive with most substances, which is essential for ensuring the purity of the battery components. They do not react with the electrolyte or other battery materials, helping to maintain the chemical stability of the battery system.

While injection molded FEP and PFA plastics do not store energy in batteries themselves, they are crucial components for ensuring the safe and efficient operation of battery systems. Their chemical resistance, thermal stability, dielectric properties, low permeability, mechanical strength, and non-reactive nature all contribute to the overall performance, safety, and longevity of energy storage systems, making them indispensable for the function of batteries in various applications. For more information on FEP and PFA plastics for batteries, please call Rich Reed, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at 440-785-7122.