Best Methods for Choosing a Quality Performance Plastic Sheet and Rod Supplier
Quality Performance Plastic Sheet
Finding a Quality Performance Plastic Sheet supplier might seem like a monumental task with all the different suppliers out there – but there are a few ways that you can narrow down your choices.
Here are five key factors to consider when you’re looking for a quality supplier of plastic sheets.
1) Where do they source their Quality Performance Plastic Sheet?
With dozens of manufacturers through out North America, and many more in far off lands, it is important to know who makes your Performance Plastic materials. Material sources from North America have been considered the premier quality in Performance Plastic materials. Not only is the quality of extruded or molded sheets and rods important, but also the long process of secondary annealing. This removes residual stress from the material, and this will produce a better finished part with reduced warp and twist, and even eliminating center-line cracking. Not only should the materials look good, they must machine well without cracking. Quality matters.
2) Do they carry what you need?
This might seem straightforward, but it is one of the most important things to keep in mind, especially if you’re looking for large-scale products or highly specialized resins. Often, different plastic suppliers will specialize in resins with similar end uses as well, so it’s important that you find one that understands the requirements of your particular industry. Many suppliers are actually ‘brokers’ and don’t really have a warehouse with material ‘in stock’. Look for a supplier that has a wide variety of quality performance plastics in stock and ready for you to pick up.
3) Do they meet your quality standards?
Many plastic suppliers have to meet particular certifications and regulatory compliance standards, especially if they want to maintain a professional and accurate business. The bare minimum for a quality plastic sheet supplier is an updated ISO 9001 quality management system and ITAR compliance, but there are several other standards and material certifications available as well, such as ANSI and RoHS compliance, which ensure that the supplier does not sell or consume unethical products in the course of their business. Are the customer service staff members certified by an outside agency?
4) Don’t forget communication and customer service
Good communication is important in any supplier-customer relationship. A quality Quality Performance Plastic Sheet supplier will communicate professionally and quickly with you, and they will be transparent about their products, quality certifications and compliance, and their capabilities. Many suppliers have reviews or testimonials on their websites that you can read to get a better idea of their service–or you can contact them directly as well. The best customer service companies have trained staff, in the plastic industry one of the keys to a trained staff would be are they IAPD (International Association of Plastic Distribution) certified?
5) Balance quality and price
With all of the Quality Performance Plastic Sheet suppliers out there, it’s important to find one that not only meets your standards of quality, but also offers you competitive pricing. Balancing the quality of the material you receive with the budget set out for it is an important task when choosing a plastic supplier. Sourcing all High Performance Plastic materials from North American manufactures helps to insure quality products, and at a competitive price. While not the cheapest, the quality of North American Performance Plastic is second to none!
Choose Industrial Plastic Supply, Inc. for your Performance Plastic needs
If you are looking for a quality plastic sheet supplier, then you should consider Industrial Plastic Supply, Inc. We have been in the business since 1975 and maintain a vast and varied inventory of performance plastic materials, all sourced from North American Manufacturers, and are proud of our trained customer service staff – all IAPD certified.
Quality Performance Plastic Sheet – American Made
Industrial Plastic Supply, Inc. also Check out our website to learn more.
HDPE vs UHMW: When to Use High-Density Polyethylene
HDPE and UHMW are popular and well known types of plastics across many different industries for their reliability, so much so that many people have started to use them interchangeably. However, their uses don’t coincide nearly as often as many think–HDPE has different qualities that lend well to different applications. While both materials are very light, with a density of .94 – which means they both float in water.
When best to use HDPE
High-Density Polyethylene or HDPE is known for its versatility and low moisture absorption, which result from its high-density chemical makeup. Its chemical composition also makes it highly chemical resistant, so it’s excellent for applications that involve moisture or mild chemicals.
HDPE is also very easy to machine and shape. As a result, it has been used successfully to make plastic lumber, milk jugs, containers, cutting boards, and many other products.
In addition to being easy to machine, HDPE sheet and rod are also relatively lightweight, and can be NSF and FDA compliant. This very durable material can not be glued or bonded, and thus must be heat welded together or attached with mechanical fasteners. HDPE is excellent for applications where reduced weight and low costs are paramount. This, combined with its easy machinability, allows HDPE to be cut, drilled, routed and shaped for many different end uses. Food cutting boards, piping, storage vessels, marine components, and many more benefit from HDPE. It’s also been successful in outdoor furniture, signage, playground equipment, structural tanks, food processing equipment, vacuum-formed parts, transfer boards, tank liners–and this is just a small number of its applications.
When not to use HDPE Sheet
While HDPE and UHMW have similar properties, they are often better suited to different tasks. Both plastics do have high impact resistance, but UHMW Sheet (Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) performs better in applications where friction and constant impact are present. The UHMW molecular chain is much longer, thus giving UHMW the extreme wear resistance. This results in UHMW being used more often in functional components, like conveyor systems, concrete chute liners, mated parts, bumpers, and bearing applications. HDPE does not perform as well as UHMW sheet under constant friction, making HDPE sheet materials better for food processing surfaces, chemical resistant parts, decorative products, or components that will not experience constant friction. If a reduced friction application is needed, the use of UHMW sheet with a coefficient of friction of just 0.08 (compared to HDPE with a coefficient of friction of 0.20) is much more suitable.
Find all your performance plastics at Industrial Plastic Supply
We are performance plastics experts, with a vast inventory available and the most experienced customer service team to offer our customers. Contact us today for more information about what we can do for you.
HDPE or High-Density Polyethylene is part of a widely-used family of thermoplastics, HDPE ‘Polyolefin’, which is produced through polymerizing ethylene and propylene for properties that are excellent in applications such as food handling, food preparation equipment, wear resistance, consumer goods, and much more.
Why this thermoplastic is so popular
HDPE is known for its excellent strength-to-density ratio, as well as its strong intermolecular forces, high impact and tensile strength. These properties combine for a hard, durable plastic that is excellent for many applications from containers for consumer goods to chemical and structural tanks components. At the same time, HDPE is lightweight and highly resistant to stains, odor, moisture, chemicals, and abrasion. Most importantly, HDPE doesn’t contain harsh or toxic chemicals that could be harmful to users, making it excellent for a wide variety of consumer and commercial products. Specifically, HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) does notcontain: BPA, Phthalates, Allergens, Heavy Metals or Harmful fumes.
High-Density Polyethylene has excellent wear and chemical resistance. HDPE is a commonly used material for rub strips, chute liners and bottling plant components. An example of wear resistance is the yellow plastic playground slides which are made of HDPE. This versatile plastic material is often the choice for use for chemical and toxic containers and bottles.
The HDPE material is the common material used to make the one gallon milk jugs. These are easily recycled, and 8 – 10 milk jugs is equal to about one pound of recycled HDPE material. On average, over 115 million milk jugs are recycled each year.
Some common uses of High-Density Polyethylene
HDPE is FDA, USDA, and NSF compliant, making it especially popular for making components such as cutting boards, food preparation surfaces and equipment components. HDPE is often used in a wide range of food processing equipment, food containers and bottles, as well as valve and pump components. However, the Food processing industry isn’t the only industry relying on HDPE. Its excellent impact strength makes this plastic popular for everything from impact parts to dasher boards in ice rinks, to personal protection gear.
In addition, HDPE has excellent properties that make it perfect for heat-formed or vacuum-formed parts, producing food trays and containers and much more. The plastic’s durability and impact resistance makes it an excellent choice for the linings of conventional freezers, bed liners for heavy trucks, and liners in silos. The marine industry is an active user of HDPE due to its toughness and very lightweight to size ratio.
As one of the most used plastics, HDPE has a density of just .941 – .965 per ASTM D792. While many think of Aluminum as a lightweight material, it actually is 2.8 times the weight of HDPE plastic material.
HDPE also has been successfully used in a variety of cement molds and various types of transfer and storage boards. This plastic can be found in crates and bottles for holding not just food products, but also detergents and cosmetics. Industrial pallet wrapping benefits from HDPE film durability, while petrol tanks benefit from this plastic’s inherent chemical resistance.
Looking for a supplier of High-Density Polyethylene thermoplastics?
Industrial Plastic Supply, Inc. is an expert in performance plastics, and has one of the largest material inventories in the World. To learn more, check out full line Performance Plastic materials on our website.
Acetal Copolymer vs Dupont Delrin® Homopolymer: Properties and Benefits of Each
Industrial Plastic Supply, Inc. has been supplying a vast inventory of plastics to a wide customer base since 1975. Today, we put the spotlight on two products that are incredibly similar, but have key differences that result in each performing optimally in certain applications: the Acetal Copolymer and the Delrin® Homopolymer.
Both of these acetal plastic materials are incredibly similar, with similar beneficial properties. They are both compliant with FDA, ITAR, and RoHS standards. Both are very stiff plastics with excellent dimensional stability in average environments. They are self-lubricating, easy to cut with standard tools, and abrasion and wear resistant. The major differences between them however are a result of their differing structures.
What Is Polyoxymethylene
Polyoxymethylene (also known as POM for short) is an important and commonly used engineering plastic material. There are two distinct types of POM; the first is Homopolymer Acetal plastic and is commonly called TJC LP Delrin® (formerly Dupont Delrin®). The other is Copolymer Acetal and is referred to by the trade names Celcon®, Sustarin® C, Tecaform®, Ultraform®, Kepital® acetal plastic and many others. Both versions of POM are very popular thermoplastic materials. They both are commonly used for parts that need to be stiff, dimensionally stable and have low surface friction.
The homopolymer possesses much more regularity in its structure, with a repeated, crystalline pattern throughout the plastic. As a result of its strong, crystalline makeup, the TJC LP Delrin® Homopolymer has superior physical properties, such as better fatigue and creep resistance, and bearing properties. Also, it has better short-term heat resistance compared to the acetal copolymer, with a much higher melting point.
However, this homopolymer does experience minor and inherent center-line porosity. This is basically a band area of tiny porous holes along the center of a rod or sheet. Depending on the severity of the porosity, these holes could weaken a finished part or cause other problems with its performance.
Acetal Copolymer
We’ve found that our customers tend to gravitate towards the acetal copolymer when they require a wider processing window, lower costs, and better long-term resistance to heat and alkaline environments. The acetal copolymer is not as crystalline in its structure, which causes it to not only have a generally lower melting point, but when incorporated with other materials, also increases the tolerance for high melting temperatures.
The less crystalline structure of the copolymer means that this plastic isn’t quite as strong. However, its mixed molecular structure has several benefits. The acetal copolymer has improved resistance to oxidation, improved chemical resistance, and much better long-term resistance to heat. That difference in chemical resistance is much more pronounced with exposure to hot water, especially chlorinated water. The acetal copolymer (polyacetal delrin) survives much longer than the homopolymer in these conditions.
Final Thoughts
Both the Acetal Copolymer and the TJC LP Delrin® Homopolymer have their benefits. Depending on your application and requirements, you can choose the best acetal plastic for your needs. In need of a local plastic distributors or plastic suppliers of plastics and plastic materials, or plastic distributors near me (plastic companies near me)? Check out the best ‘plastic supplier near me’, and 50 years experience at Industrial Plastic Supply today!
High Standards And Procurement From Reliable U.S. Manufacturers
Industrial Plastic Supply Inc. is ISO-9001:2015 certified. This benefits our customers since this certification communicates that we take quality and consistency seriously. We distinguish ourselves by providing Acetal Copolymer rods and sheets of exceptional quality over and over again so customers don’t have to wonder what they are getting when they do business with us.
American sourcing is another point of pride. In a time of global trade, a distributor may choose to do business with suppliers outside the U.S.. However, we believe that American quality and standards are top of the line. As such, our Acetal Copolymer is sourced from U.S. manufacturers. Our business partners – customers and vendors alike – can take pride knowing that their investments and dealings with Industrial Plastic Supply benefits U.S. customers, employees, and communities.
U.S. Sourcing Advantage
The benefit to customers in sourcing plastic from U.S. producers is more than patriotic or sentimental. Fact is, supply chains are more delicate than many of us imagine. Whether due to natural disasters, materials shortages, or politics, supply chains can fray and even snap. When that happens, price predictability and long-term supply/shipping agreements are thrown into disarray. Customers don’t want to hear excuses and “maybes” after they have signed contracts, paid money, and anticipate Acetal Copolymer products.
We pride ourselves on stocking and providing quality North American made Acetal Copolymer produced under the trade names: Tecaform® AH, Sustarin® C and ZL® 900. Each of these quality brand names are widely known for exceptional quality, consistency and durability.
Why Acetal Copolymer Is A Good Investment
Acetal Copolymer Performance Plastic
Acetal Copolymer is FDA compliant, opening up its use for food processing and packaging. The material is also stiff, resilient, and abrasion-resistant to a very high degree. Industrial Plastic Supply provides Acetal Copolymer materials in natural (white), black, and blue. Its stiffness and ability to hold shape under harsh conditions means that Acetal Copolymer sheets and rods can be shaped with standard cutting tools. This quality Copolymer Acetal material is FDA and NSF approved.
There are several special grades of Acetal that are formulated for tough food processing applications. Acetal Copolymer is available in a food grade blue for optical detection during food processing. This eliminates broken parts from getting into finished food products. There are also ultra detectable grades that are visual, x-ray and metal detectable for high end food processing applications. Contact us for more information on these special materials.
Automotive, Aerospace, and Medical Use
This plastic has exceptional ability to hold shape under stress, making it an excellent product in automotive and aerospace hardware. Gears, rollers, fuel lines, pumps and medical equipment all make use of Acetal Copolymer. However, care must be taken that the Acetal Copolymer is not exposed to temperatures above roughly 230 Fahrenheit (110 Celsius).
Safety Considerations
There are several factors to keep in mind when handling Acetal Copolymer:
Upon intense heating, Acetal Copolymer releases formaldehyde and carbon monoxide.
If machining or grinding, small Acetal Copolymer dust particles pose an inhalation and explosion hazard.
Prolonged exposure to UV light degrades Acetal Copolymer exposed surfaces and may change physical resilience.
Therefore, proper procedures must be taken when handling and machining this material. This is something Industrial Plastic Supply Inc. takes very seriously, not just for compliance reasons but also for the health and well being of our employees, customers, and ultimately the end-users.
Contact Industrial Plastic Supply for Acetal Copolymer
Industrial Plastic Supply Inc. is proud to be a distributor of Acetal Copolymer and other polymers. Contact us today for a quote and details about products, delivery, prices, and more. Call us @ 866-832-9315
cide nearly as often as many think–HDPE has different qualities that lend well to different applications. While both materials are very light, with a density of .94 – which means they both float in water.
