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Category: Plastic Machining
An Informational Brief on Polymer Machining
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) is a fluorocarbon-based polymer, known more commonly as Dupont’s brand name Teflon®. The enhanced electrical properties, high-temperature capabilities and chemical resistances of this thermoplastic make it a favorite for backup rings, coatings, distribution valves, electrical insulation applications and more.
Our latest machining guide discusses what goes into machining Teflon and how its considerations differ from other manufacturing options such as metal machining, injection molding, and 3D printing.
Read on to learn more about Teflon’s machining, applications and properties in AIP’s informational polymer brief below, starting with the difference between working with a thermoset and a thermoplastic.
Machining Thermoplastics vs Thermosets
We’ve already said that Teflon is a thermoplastic, but what does that mean exactly?
All polymers can more or less be divided into two categories: thermoplastics and thermosets. The main difference between them is how they react to heat. Thermoplastics like Teflon, for example, melt in heat, while thermosets remain “set” once they’re formed. Understanding the technical distinction between these types of materials is essential to CNC machining them properly.
What type of thermoplastic is Teflon in particular? PTFE is a fluoropolymer, making it a semi-crystalline thermoplastic. As a fluoropolymer, PTFE possesses an inherent high resistance to solvents, acids and bases.
Properties & Grades of Machined Teflon
Teflon has excellent electric stability in a wide range of conditions and environments, and its coatings are popular in the aerospace sector. Offering excellent chemical resistance and sliding properties, PTFE finds many applications in seals, housings, linings and bearings. Teflon also maintains very good UV resistance, hot water resistance and electrical insulation at higher temperatures.
Unfilled PTFE is chemically inert and has the highest physical and electrical insulation properties of any Teflon grade. Mechanical grade PTFE is often made up of reground PTFE and exists as a cost-effective alternative for industries that don’t require high purity materials while providing superior compressive strength and wear resistance to virgin Teflon.
There are several different modified PTFE materials available with unique properties. Many of these modified grades offer greatly reduced deformation percentages under load, as well as a lower coefficient of friction. These include glass-filled, nanotube, synthetic mica and carbon-filled grades. Teflon (PTFE) is more commonly used as an additive to numerous other base polymers in order to provide reduced friction and wear properties.
Some of the PTFE grades we regularly machine at AIP include FLUOROSINT 207, FLUOROSINT 500, DYNEON, SEMITRON, ESD 500 HR, and SEMITRON PTFE.
Machining Teflon
Annealing & Stress Relieving Teflon
The process of annealing and stress-relieving PTFE reduces the likelihood of surface cracks and internal stresses occurring in the material. Post-machining annealing also helps to reduce stresses that could potentially contribute to premature failure. AIP’s special annealing process for Teflon is designed to take the specific properties of PTFE into account, and we advise anyone working with PTFE to hire a manufacturer that understands its unique demands.
Machining Teflon
PTFE’s density and softness make it deceptively easy to machine, and in virgin grade, has a temperature range from -450°F to +500°F (-267.7°C to +260°C). Teflon has low strength when compared to materials like Nylon, which has almost two to three times the tensile strength of Teflon. You’ll want to use extremely sharp and narrow tools to work with this material.
Teflon’s high coefficient of expansion and stress creep properties can make it difficult to achieve tight machining tolerances. It’s essential to design your application with PTFE’s inherent properties in mind, instead of trying to force the polymer to act against its nature.
We also suggest non-aromatic, water-soluble coolants, such as pressurized air and spray mists, to achieve optimum surface finishes and close tolerances. Coolants have the additional benefit of extending tool life as well.
Preventing Contamination
Contamination is a serious concern when machining polymer components for technically demanding industries such as medical and life sciences. To ensure the highest level of sanitation down to the sub-molecular level, AIP Precision Machining designs, heat-treats and machines only plastics, with any sub-manufactured metalwork processed outside our facility.
Teflon Machining Guide: Supportive Information
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This post was originally published in August 2017 and updated in March 2019.
When in need of a custom-machined component for a project, choosing a metallic material may be the instinctive consideration to the design engineer. This article is intended to provide educational insight as to a more sensible alternative for precision-machined, high-strength, durable parts: machined polymers and composites. Let’s explore the benefits of opting for a plastic material versus the more traditional metal materials for precision parts.
Benefits Across the Board
Machined polymer and composite components are the most cost-effective solution when compared to metal.
Machined plastic parts are lighter and therefore provide immense advantages over metals by offering lower lifetime freight costs for equipment that is regularly transported or handled over the product’s lifetime. In bearing and wear applications, polymers provide extensive advantages over metals by allowing for lower power motors for moving parts due to lower frictional properties of polymer wear components compared to metals. The low frictional properties provide for less wear as well. The lower wear rates allow for less maintenance-related downtime. Now your equipment can be online longer producing you more profit. Not only are plastics lighter, but they’re also less expensive than many raw metal materials used for parts. Plastics are produced in faster cycles than metals which helps keep manufacturing costs down as well.
Plastics are more resistant to chemicals than their metal counterparts.
Without extensive and costly secondary finishes and coatings, metals are easily attacked by many common chemicals. Corrosion due to moisture or even dissimilar metals in close contact is also a major concern with metal components. Polymer and composite materials such as PEEK, Kynar, Teflon, and Polyethylene are impervious to some of the harshest chemicals. This allows for the manufacture and use of precision fluid handling components in the chemical and processing industries which would otherwise dissolve if manufactured from metallic materials. Some polymer materials available for machining can withstand temperatures over 700°F (370°C).
Plastic parts do not require post-treatment finishing efforts, unlike metal.
Polymer and composites are both thermally and electrically insulating. Metallic components require special secondary processing and coating in order to achieve any sort of insulating properties. These secondary processes add cost to metallic components without offering the level of insulation offered by polymer materials. Plastic and composite components are also naturally corrosion resistant and experience no galvanic effects in a dissimilar metal scenario that require sheathing. Unlike metals, plastic materials are compounded with color before machining, eliminating the need for post-treatment finishing efforts such as painting.
Let’s Break It Down by Industry
The benefits and features of plastic materials over metals discussed above span across multiple industries, showcasing the utility and versatility that plastic brings to the table.
Aerospace & Defense
- Lightweight: Polymer and composite materials are up to ten times lighter than typical metals. A reduction in the weight of parts can have a huge impact on an aerospace company’s bottom line. For every pound of weight reduced on a plane, the airline can realize up to $15k per year in fuel cost reduction.
- Corrosion-Resistant: Plastic materials handle far better than metals in chemically harsh environments. This increases the lifespan of the aircraft and avoids costly repairs brought about by corroding metal components an in-turn reducing MRO downtime provides for more operational time per aircraft per year.
- Insulating and Radar Absorbent: Polymers are naturally radar absorbent as well as thermally and electrically insulating.
- Flame & Smoke Resistances: High-performance thermoplastics meet the stringent flame and smoke resistances required for aerospace applications.
Medical & Life Sciences
- Sterility: In the medical industry, cleanliness is vital when it comes to equipment. Infection is the greatest threat facing hospital patients. Polymer and composite materials are easier to clean and sterilize than metal.
- Radiolucency: Radiolucency is the quality of permitting the passage of radiant energy, such as x-rays, while still offering some resistance to it. Surgical instruments and components manufactured from polymer materials allow the surgeon a clear unobstructed view under fluoroscopy. This allows for safer, more precise surgeon outcomes in the OR. Metal instruments impede the surgeon’s view.
- Lightweight: Plastic and composite surgical components allow orthopedic OEMs to meet ergonomic weight limits for surgical trays. Each metallic instrument adds weight and strain to the surgical team carrying and using metal instruments.
- Reduced Stress-Shielding: Stress shielding occurs when metal implants and bone don’t become one nor work in unison. In medical-grade polymers like PEEK, however, its similar modulus to bone “fuses” with the bone into a single construct.
Specialized Industrial
- High Tensile Strength: Several lightweight thermoplastics can match the strength of metals, making them perfect for industrial equipment metal part replacement.
- Chemical & Corrosion Resistances: Semiconductor equipment and electronics require survival in extreme, high-pressure environments.
- Flexibility & Impact Resistance: Polymers are resistant to impact damage, making them less prone to denting or cracking the way that metals do.
- Excellent Bearing & Wear Properties: Bearing-grade plastics can withstand repeated friction and wear for your high-load solutions.
Power & Energy
- Weight, corrosion, and sealing: Plastic materials allow the oil and gas industry to explore deeper depths than ever before by offering tool weight reduction without a loss of strength as well as materials which offer superior sealing attributes.
- Superior Insulation: Naturally insulating plastics provide for superior thermal and electrical insulation over metals, which is a must for power generation equipment that deals with electrical currents.
- Chemical, Wear & Corrosion Resistances: Plastic components with a strong chemical, wear and corrosion resistances reduce downtime and yield long-lasting performance and reliability.
- Extreme Water & Earth Depth Capabilities: These qualities are necessary for high pressure and temperature applications that involve surviving extreme environments.
As you can see, plastics have a variety of unique attributes which place them above metals in terms of utility, cost-effectiveness and flexibility for precision-machined components. Search specific plastic materials and their applications per industry with our useful material search function.
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An Informational Brief on Polymer Machining
Delrin®, also commonly known as an acetal (polyoxymethylene) homopolymer, is an impact and wear resistant semi-crystalline thermoplastic popular for a broad range of machining applications. To list just a few of its impressive qualities, Delrin offers great stiffness, flexural modulus, and high tensile and impact strength.
Our latest machining guide discusses what goes into machining Delrin and how its considerations differ from other manufacturing options such as metal machining, injection molding, and 3D printing.
How does AIP approach Delrin and its machining process? To start, we’ll explain the difference between machining Delrin, a thermoplastic, and machining thermosets.
Machining Thermoplastics vs Thermosets
We’ve already said that Delrin is a thermoplastic, but what does that mean exactly?
All polymers can more or less be divided into two categories: thermoplastics and thermosets. The main difference between them is how they react to heat. Thermoplastics like Delrin, for example, melt in the heat, while thermosets remain “set” once they’re formed. Understanding the technical distinction between these types of materials is essential to CNC machining them properly.
What type of thermoplastic is Delrin in particular? Acetal homopolymer is a semi–crystalline, engineering thermoplastic.
Properties & Grades of Machined Delrin
This strong, stiff and hard acetal homopolymer is easy to machine and exhibits dimensional stability and good creep resistance, among several other desirable qualities. Delrin is also known for its superior friction resistance, high tensile strength, and its fatigue, abrasion, solvent and moisture resistance.
The latter quality allows Delrin to significantly outperform other thermoplastics like Nylon in high moisture or submerged environments without losing high-performance in the process. In other words, Delrin can retain its low coefficient of friction and good wear properties in wet environments.
One of the main reasons for Delrin’s popularity is its sheer versatility. The above blend of unique qualities makes Delrin broadly applicable to various industries in the medical, aerospace and energy sectors. For example, you can machine Delrin for medical implants and instruments, or for industrial bearings, rollers, gears, and scraper blades. It is ideal for smaller applications at temperatures below 250 °F (121°C) and can have centerline porosity.
Some of the Delrin grades we regularly machine at AIP include:
PTFE-Filled Acetals
PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) filled grades of Delrin is ideal where impact strength and wear capability are of the highest importance.
Glass-Reinforced Acetals
Acetals that are reinforced with glass have a much higher strength and greater heat resistance than other grades of Delrin.
FDA-Compliant Acetals
There are FDA-compliant grades of Delrin available for use in medical and food-related applications.
Machining Delrin
Machining Delrin
It’s true that Delrin is an easy material to work with in terms of machining. It is a very stable material, which makes precise, tight tolerances easier to achieve for this thermoplastic.
While machining, keep in mind that Delrin is sensitive to heat at or above 250 °F (121°C).
Balance the material removal as best as you can to keep your dimensions stable.
We also suggest non-aromatic, air-based coolants to achieve optimum surface finishes and close tolerances. Coolants have the additional benefit of extending tool life as well.
Preventing Contamination
Contamination is a serious concern when machining polymer components for technically demanding industries such as medical and life sciences. To ensure the highest level of sanitation down to the sub-molecular level, AIP Precision Machining designs, heat-treats, and machines only plastics, with any sub-manufactured metalwork processed outside our facility.
Delrin Machining Guide: Supportive Information
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AIP explains the advantages of using plastics over metals in our infographic below, with special emphasis on how each industry benefits from using polymers. Read on to learn all about it from the plastics professionals.
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An Informational Brief on Polymer Machining
Nylatron® is Quadrant’s trademark name for a whole family of wear resistant and low friction Nylon polymers, most of which are filled with molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) powder. What makes this material popular for industrial and bearing applications is its mechanical properties and impressive wear-resistance.
In our latest machining guide, we discuss what goes into machining Nylatron, and how its considerations differ from other manufacturing options such as metal machining, injection molding, and 3D printing.
Machining Nylatron: A Plastics Guide shows you how AIP Precision Machining approaches this material and its machining process. To start, we’ll explain the difference between machining Nylatron, a thermoplastic, and machining thermosets.
Machining Thermoplastics vs Thermosets
We’ve already said that Nylatron is a thermoplastic, but what does that mean exactly?
All polymers can more or less be divided into two categories: thermoplastics and thermosets. The main difference between them is how they react to heat. Thermoplastics like Nylatron, for example, melt as heat is increased to the material’s melt point, while thermosets remain “set” once they’re formed regardless of heat; rather, they simply char or burn. Understanding the technical distinction between these types of materials is essential to CNC machining them properly.
What type of thermoplastic is Nylatron in particular? As part of the Nylon family, it is a semi-crystalline, engineering thermoplastic polyamide.
Properties & Grades of Machined Nylatron
Nylatron’s main characteristics include a high mechanical strength, stiffness, hardness and toughness. As a semi-crystalline thermoplastic, Nylatron has good fatigue resistance as well. With excellent wear resistance and good electrical insulating properties, it’s not surprising that this material is often used for specialized industrial applications. One feature that’s of special interest to us at AIP is Nylatron’s ease of machinability with high precision. However, it’s also easy to extrude and fabricate.
Like Nylon, Nylatron is resistant to chemicals and hydrocarbons; the latter characteristic is especially useful in the oil and gas sector. Add in abrasion resistance, low coefficient of friction and outstanding corrosion resistance and you have a long-wearing material that can serve as a cost-effective replacement for metals and rubber.
Some of the Nylatron grades we regularly machine at AIP include:
Nylatron GSM PA6
Also known as MoS2-Filled Type 6 Nylon, this filled Nylatron grade has improved strength and rigidity over other Nylon variants, including a lower coefficient of linear thermal expansion. This is because the MoS2 (molybdenum disulphide) enhances the bearing and wear of the material without compromising its impact and fatigue resistance. This grade is often used to replace cast iron industrial applications, as lightweight Nylatron can both reduce weight and eliminate corrosion. As a result, it’s commonly used for gears, bearings, sprockets and sheaves.
Nylatron GF30 PA66
This extruded grade of Nylon 6/6 is 30% glass fiber reinforced and heat stabilized to provide improved creep resistance and dimensional stability as well as enhanced strength, stiffness and abrasion resistance. It has almost double the tensile strength of unmodified Nylon 6/6, with an elongation rate of about 1/6th that of unmodified Nylon 6/6. It has good resistance to high energy radiation (such as X-rays or gamma- rays) and allows for higher maximum service temperatures when compared to other grades.
Nylatron LIG PA6
Nylatron LIG PA6 is an internally lubricated Nylon grade that can perform up to ten times longer than its unmodified counterpart thanks to its lubricated additives. It strikes an optimal balance of strength and toughness. This makes it work well for industrial and consumable applications including gears, industrial bearings and wear pads.
Nylatron NSM
Nylatron NSM is the highest wear resistant thermoplastic available. As a self-lubricating grade of Nylon 6, it’s designed to outperform other wear grade materials and give long-lasting part life for applications that otherwise experience continuous wear and damage, such as bearings and wear pads. Other benefits of Nylatron NSM are its ease of machining, corrosion-resistance and noise reduction.
Nylatron GSM Blue PA6
Named for its dark blue color, Nylatron GSM Blue PA6 is the first cast Nylon to combine MoS and oil for the load capacity of Nylatron GSM PA6. This material performs exceptionally in higher pressures and at low speeds of up to 40 fpm. It’s preferred over Nylatron GSM PA6 for slide pads, thrust washers and trunnion bearings due to its 20% lower coefficient of friction, 50% greater limiting PV and its lower “k” factor.
Nylatron 703XL
High precision applications machined from Nylatron 703XL benefit from its near-zero level of “stick-slip,” which eliminates chatter to allow for an incredible level of control. Nylatron 703XL possesses a good balance of strength and toughness, as well as good mechanical and electrical properties. This grade works well in critical bearing applications for construction and production equipment industries.
Nylatron MC901
Nylatron MC901 is a heat-stabilized Nylon 6 grade that offers long-term thermal stability to 260 °F. This material has high toughness, flexibility and fatigue resistance. It is used in many bearing and structural applications, its most popular being gear wheels, racks and pinions.
Machining Nylatron
Annealing Nylatron
The process of annealing and stress-relieving Nylatron reduces the likelihood of surface cracks and internal stresses occurring in the material. Post-machining annealing also helps to reduce stresses that could potentially contribute to premature failure. We recommend stress relieving Nylons in a nitrogen environment.
Machining Nylatron
As stated earlier, Nylatron precision machines easily. This makes it a popular choice for machined industrial components that require precise, tight tolerances. We advise using HSS cutters instead of carbide on Nylatron for its surface finish. Stringer or chip removal during machining of Nyaltron is critical in order to maintain tolerances and surface finish.
When under high humidity, or while submerged in water, Nylons can absorb up to 7% by weight of water. This is important to keep in mind for machining Nylatron and designing applications of the material, as this effect can result in dimensional changes and a reduction of physical properties. There are proper design techniques that can compensate for this, so be sure you’re working with a Nylatron expert.
We also suggest non-aromatic, air-based coolants to achieve optimum surface finishes and close tolerances. Coolants have the additional benefit of extending tool life as well.
Preventing Contamination
Contamination is a serious concern when machining polymer components for technically demanding industries such as aerospace. To ensure the highest level of sanitation down to the sub-molecular level, AIP Precision Machining designs, heat-treats and machines only plastics, with any sub-manufactured metalwork processed outside our facility.
Nylatron Machining Guide: Supportive Information
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PPS Wheel Bushing | AIP Precision Machining
If you’ve been to a popular Florida amusement park, then it’s possible you’ve encountered the latest part starring in our “Where Does This Part Go?” series.
Find out why this part really makes a “splash” in the section below…
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An Informational Brief on Polymer Machining
Did you know that PPS (or Polyphenylene sulfide) products offer the broadest resistance to chemicals of any high-performance thermoplastic? It’s no surprise that this makes them a popular choice for industrial applications such as wheel bushings, chemical pumps, and compound clamp rings for semiconductor wafers.
What goes into machining this thermoplastic, however, and how does it differ from metal machining, injection molding, or 3D printing?
With Machining PPS: A Plastics Guides, AIP provides you with a guide to this material and its machining process. First, let’s start with the basics: thermoplastics vs thermosets.
Machining Thermoplastics vs Thermosets
We’ve already said that PPS is a thermoplastic, but what does that mean exactly?
All polymers can more or less be divided into two categories: thermoplastics and thermosets. The main difference between them is how they react to heat. Thermoplastics like PPS, for example, melt in heat, while thermosets remain “set” once they’re formed. Understanding the technical distinction between these types of materials is essential to CNC machining them properly.
What type of thermoplastic is PPS in particular? It’s a semi-crystalline, high-performance thermoplastic that has an extremely stable molecular structure. The chemical resistance of PPS is often compared to PEEK and fluoropolymers.
Properties & Grades of Machined PPS
There’s a lot to like about PPS’s material properties. As we mentioned before, PPS has exceptional chemical resistance that makes its bearing grades especially favorable for the chemical industry or caustic environments. In particular, its resistance to acids, alkalis, ketones, and hydrocarbons lend PPS stellar structural performance in harsh chemicals.
Additionally, PPS materials are inert to steam as well as strong bases, fuels and acids. Combine that with a low coefficient of thermal expansion and zero moisture absorption, and you get a material that is ideal for continuous use in corrosive or hostile environments. PPS has replaced stainless steel for a lot of industrial applications for this reason.
Most impressively, PPS will not dissolve at temperatures below approximately 200 °C, no matter what solvent is used. In fact, all grades of PPS share UL94 V-0 flammability ratings, without requiring flame retardant additives, resulting in an excellent material for aircraft where flame resistance is paramount.
Some grades of PPS that we regularly machine at AIP Precision Machining include Ryton®, Fortron®, TECHTRON®, TECTRON® HPV, TECATRON PVX and TECATRON CMP.
Machining PPS
Annealing PPS
The process of annealing and stress-relieving PPS reduces the likelihood of surface cracks and internal stresses occurring in the material. Post-machining annealing also helps to reduce stresses that could potentially contribute to premature failure. AIP’s special annealing process for PPS is designed to take the specific properties of PPS into account, and we advise anyone working with PPS to hire a manufacturer that understands its unique demands.
Machining PPS
PPS is a fantastic material for machining. Its low shrinkage and stable dimensional properties make it easy to machine to incredibly tight, precise tolerances. A unique characteristic of PPS is that when dropped, it sounds just like a piece of metal hitting the floor.
PPS, like many other thermoplastics, is notch sensitive, so take care to avoid sharp corners in design. We recommend carbide tipped cutting tools for working with PPS as they provide an ideal speed and surface finish.
We also suggest non-aromatic, water-soluble coolants, such as pressurized air and spray mists, to achieve optimum surface finishes and close tolerances. Coolants have the additional benefit of extending tool life as well. No known coolants attack nor degrade PPS.
Preventing Contamination
Contamination is a serious concern when machining polymer components for technically demanding industries such as aerospace. To ensure the highest level of sanitation down to the sub-molecular level, AIP Precision Machining designs, heat-treats, and machines only plastics, with any sub-manufactured metalwork processed outside our facility.
To learn more, read our article “Three Ways to Ensure Sterilization in Your Plastic Machined Medical Applications.”
PPS Machining Guide: Supportive Information
Chemical Resistant Materials Guide
Aerospace Sector Materials Guide
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Ask the Plastics Professionals at AIP Precision Machining!
Do you know why AIP Precision Machining includes stress-relieving and annealing plastics as part of our machining process? We’ve talked about this a bit in our plastic machining guides (like our polymer machining brief on RADEL, but this post serves as a more thorough explanation of annealing does to improve your machined parts.
What’s the purpose of stress relieving and annealing plastics, then? Read on to learn the answer from the plastics professionals at AIP Precision Machining.
What is annealing, and how does AIP anneal its plastic parts?
Let’s start with the basic definition of annealing: it’s a heat treatment that changes the properties of a material to make it easier to machine. Annealing does this by increasing ductility and reducing hardness for the material.
AIP Precision Machining has programmed annealing ovens for plastics that heat the material above its recrystallization temperature. By maintaining the heat at that specific point, the structure of the material changes to become finer and more uniform. This process relieves internal stresses in the material.
The final part of annealing is allowing the material to cool back down once after it’s been heated for a suitable amount of time. Proper annealing requires precise temperatures and timing control to accomplish the right result, which is why AIP uses computer controlled annealing ovens for plastics.
Why is annealing & stress-relieving crucial for plastics?
While not every machined component has to rely on annealing, we at AIP believe it is an important part of the plastic machining process for several reasons. For one thing, it reduces stress in the material.
Plastics that experience internal stress can turn out warped or cracked, have inferior physical properties, or finish with unexpected changes in their part dimensions. Obviously, we want to avoid this as much as possible.
Reducing stress enhances the mechanical and thermal properties of a material by limiting the opportunity for cracking and other issues like the ones above. Since stress build-up can lead to part failure or reduced performance, stress-relieving improves the overall quality of your product.
By doing this, annealing extends the life of your machined plastic parts and components.
Is the process of annealing plastics the same for different materials?
Not at all. Some engineering plastics like ULTEM and TORLON benefit enormously from post-machining annealing. At AIP, proper annealing of TORLON can require more than seven days in special ovens!
Other materials that will undergo a lot of machining time, like some applications of PEEK, can require more intermediate annealing steps to make sure they maintain critically tight tolerances and flatness.
That means it’s essential for your machinist to know what plastic material you’re working with and what particular needs it has. Be sure you’re working with an experienced plastics manufacturer like AIP or else you risk having a lower quality product.
With over 35+ years of experience working with hundreds of polymers and composites, we’re more than just familiar with the machining process. We’re ready to handle any geometry and any challenge.
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How Aluminum Got Dethroned by Thermoplastics in Aerospace
Cup holders. Magazines. Suit cases. Aircraft engines. Here’s a riddle, what do these items all have in common? If you’re an aircraft operator, the answer is obvious: they all add weight, making them a drain on your fuel costs.
If weight is one of the main operating costs of an aircraft, then it’s no surprise that airlines want to lose a few pounds. Over the last 35 years, AIP has witnessed firsthand the incredible weight savings that can be gained from using lightweight polymers and composites for aerospace applications.
How Airlines “Slim Down” Operating Costs
How much can an ounce cost you? Plenty. In the case of United Airlines, removing a single ounce from its in-flight magazine has translated to saving $290,000 a year. Yes, a single ounce can hit an airline with up to six digits in costs.
If thinner paper can have such an impact on your bottom line, then you can imagine the significant cost savings that can come from manufacturing lighter aerospace components. What’s the most lightweight solution for aircraft operators today? We have one word for you: plastics.
What Makes Plastics the Secret to Aircraft Fuel-Efficiency
Aluminum was popular during the “Golden Age of Aviation” because of its strength and durability as well as its lightness when compared to other metals like steel. As a result, many aircraft components have traditionally been metal, from aircraft interiors, to landing gear, aircraft engines and structural components.
Now consider the fact that polymer and composite materials can be up to ten times lighter than metal. It’s no wonder that as more thermoplastic materials come on the market and new manufacturing opportunities arise, metal replacement has been seen as one of the best opportunities to reduce airline weight.
How big is the impact of switching from aluminum to plastic parts like PEEK and ULTEM in aerospace applications? Operators can earn weight savings of up to 60%. This translates to lower lifetime fuel costs, reduced emissions and extended flight range for operators.
“Weighing” the Option of Plastics in Aerospace
Weight alone is a massive reason to consider thermoplastics for aerospace, but weight isn’t the only factor at play in material selection.
After all, wood is lighter than metal, but there’s a reason we don’t build spruce airframes like the first plane from the Wright brothers: it wouldn’t be safe today to fly a wooden plane! Aerospace components need to be able to survive in corrosive, harsh environments as well as provide resistance to high temperatures.
In other words, it’s crucial that your mission-critical components aren’t just lightweight, but also high-performing.
At AIP, we carefully apply our decades of material expertise to select the right material for your application’s needs. Remember that your aerospace plastics manufacturer should understand the unique demands of your industry and your application, and have experience machining the material you require.
Want to learn more about how AIP reduces costs for aircraft operators?
Read how machined polymer components can take a load off aircraft interiors in our aerospace case study.
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