News & Insights

PART SUMMARY:   One of the high-performance thermoplastics that AIP machines is Polyetherimide (PEI), known by its tradename ULTEM.  Due to its weight-saving properties, high chemical and hydrolysis resistance and tensile strength, ULTEM is popular across several industries: Automotive, aerospace and defense, electrical and electronic market, medical and life sciences and industrial applications and appliances.  Read on to learn about what this incredible polymer can do!   MATERIAL PROPERTIES:  ... Read More

Learn about AIP’s precision machining capabilities for mission-critical components.   High-performance precision plastics require high-performance precision CNC machining.  CNC machines, or computer numerically controlled machines, are electro-mechanical devices that use tools at varying axes (usually 3-5) to produce a physical part from a computer design file.   Our modern society runs on CNC machined plastic components – from everyday household piping to critical spinal implants.  The breadth of materials, shapes... Read More

An Informational Brief on Polymer Machining   Among the many polymer materials we machine at AIP, High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) is a common material choice for commercial polymer applications.  HDPE is part of the Polyethylene (PE) family of thermoplastic polymers with variable crystalline structure.   First developed in the 1950s by German and Italian scientists Karl Ziegler and Giulio Natta, PE has become one of the most widely produced plastics... Read More

Learn about the re-useable capabilities of precision plastics   In the world of recycling, plastic tends to have a bad reputation or it gets whispered like a dirty word.  Indeed, according to the UN Environment Programm, one million plastic drinking bottles are purchased every minute.  This is certainly a disturbing statistic, and we are tasked with addressing the consequences of this waste.  However, it is important to distinguish the type... Read More

PART SUMMARY:   PEEK (PolyEtherEtherKetone) is a lightweight highly chemical resistant thermoplastic popular in the Aerospace & Defense and Medical & Life Sciences Industries.  From implants to custom medical devices or machined lightweight aircraft components, PEEK is ideal for a variety of specialized applications.   MATERIAL PROPERTIES:   PEEK is considered a semi-crystalline, high-performance thermoplastic. This gives it enough elasticity to be precision machined to various custom designs, with strong mechanical properties... Read More