News & Insights

The continuous service temperature, or continuous use temperature (CUT), is the maximum ambient service temperature in air that a material can withstand and maintain 50% of its initial physical properties after long-term service.   What is long-term service?  It's defined as 100,000 hours of service – well over 11 years, if used 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.  The continuous use temperature property tells machinists and users what... Read More

An Informational Brief on Polymer Machining   Copolyester elastomers (COPE) are high-performance, high-temperature elastomers that have several properties of thermoset rubber with the processing ease of engineering plastics. One of these thermoplastic elastomers (TPC-ET) is DuPont’s HYTREL®. It is known for toughness, tear resistance and good flex fatigue along with good chemical and temperature resistance. For these reasons, it is an excellent general engineering thermoplastic for everyday to mission critical... Read More

Most polymers have a natural tendency to absorb water. In fact, some superabsorbent polymers are highly sought after in advanced applications for medical, construction and more. Yet, moisture absorption of thermoplastics leads to changes with regard to processing and properties.   It is crucial for machinists and designers to understand the moisture absorption of thermoplastics for CNC machining. During the design phase, this not only helps with initial material selection,... Read More

An Informational Brief on Polymer Machining   Polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE) is a thermoplastic chlorofluoropolymer; some of its fluoropolymer cousins include: FEP, Kynar® PVDF, Teflon® PTFE and Halar® ECTFE. Fluoropolymers are known for their excellent chemical and hydro-resistance. This makes them candidates for critical applications, such as medical devices and industrial piping, where fluid exposure and hazardous materials can wear on a machined plastic part.   AIP has over 37 years of... Read More

The last step in finishing a part is to apply an appropriate finish. Finishing a machined part can be as simple as smoothing off the burrs and other sharp edges or painting and coating the material to improve aesthetics and functionality. In the initial design phase of your project, talk to your machinist about the finishing processes to get a highly precise and extremely resilient piece.   AIP has over... Read More