What to Consider Before Engineering Plastic Parts

Nov 20
08:26

2015

Rosario Berry

Rosario Berry

  • Share this article on Facebook
  • Share this article on Twitter
  • Share this article on Linkedin

Plastics are regularly used in order to replace more expensive materials such as metals like bronze, aluminum, and stainless steel when used a variety of different applications. The main reasons for this are the fact that plastics are cheaper, can provide a longer life for the parts they are used in, require practically no lubrication, and are resistant to corrosion.

mediaimage

Engineering plastic firms are well aware of the benefits of using plastics and have the experience to know what sort combination of materials to use when developing a plastic part. However for those that do not know what considerations should be taken,What to Consider Before Engineering Plastic Parts Articles carry on reading.

 

What Will It Be Used For?

 

Rather obviously, the first thing that should be considered is what the plastic product is going to be and what it will be used for. Once you know what your plastic product is going to be and what its main function will be, you will then be able to determine what material groupings you feel will be best during production.

 

What Will the Thermal Requirements Be?

 

Another big consideration that will have to be thought about is the sort of environment the parts will be used in. If the part is going to be used in extreme conditions you will want to be sure that it will not fail once exposed to these conditions. Certain materials that can be used when engineering plastic will be more resistant to hot and cold.

 

What Chemicals Will Be Used to Clean the Plastic?

 

Next up is to consider how the plastic will be cleaned and what chemicals will be used during that process. This is important because certain plastics will not be suited to environments where aggressive chemicals are used. An example would be nylon, which is often used in industrial environments, which does not perform at its optimum when it is regularly exposed to chemicals.

 

What Additional Material Characteristics Will There Be?

 

When engineering plastic products one of the biggest factors you will have to consider are what other material characteristics are required. What sort of impact strength will the part require? What sort or water absorption levels are required? There may also be certain industry level regulations that will have to be followed regarding the types of materials that can be used.

 

Cost-Effectiveness

 

The cost-effectiveness of the product will also have to be considered. The materials that will be used and the production processes such as extrusion, injection moulding, and casting will all have to be thought about when considering cost-effectiveness.

 

Conclusion

 

By making sure each of the above considerations is made in the pre-production phase of engineering plastic, there is a better chance of being able to put together the right combination of materials when it comes to production. This on its own will save time, save money, and more importantly, ensure the correct end result.