Benefits of Plastics
The use of plastic materials suitable for thermoforming in manufacturing has revolutionised the way designers are able to use shape, colour and style when developing products. It enables these designs to be placed in conditions considered unsuitable for other materials, i.e. UV, chemical, extreme temperature, high impact, fire retardant or radioactive environments.
At AV Engineering we work with a wide range of materials ensuring that there is one suitable for any product:
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene)
Properties
- Good strength and impact resistance
- Can be colour matched
- Can be formed from 1mm to 10mm sheet thickness
- Good quality surface finishes which do not require painting
- Can be chromium plated
| EMC coating | Welding/bonding | Working temperature | Recyclable |
| Yes | Plate or chemical welding | -10°C to 80°C | Yes |
One of the examples of AV Engineering team working with this material is the manufacturing of a rear light mould:
Rear light mould
ABS Flame Retardant
Properties
- UL94 VO High Classification for aircraft use
- Good strength and impact resistance
- Can be colour matched
- Can be formed from 1mm to 10mm sheet thickness
- Good quality surface finishes which do not require painting
| EMC coating | Welding/bonding | Working temperature | Recyclable |
| Yes | Plate or chemical welding | -10°C to 80°C | Yes |
One of the examples of AV Engineering team working with this material is the manufacturing of side panels for a floor sander:
Floor sander side panels
Acrylic
Properties
- Good UV characteristics
- Extruded acrylic can be vacuum formed
- Cast acrylic can be fabricated and machined
- Good strength and impact resistance
| EMC coating | Welding/bonding | Working temperature | Recyclable |
| Yes | Chemical welding | -10°C to 50°C | No |
One of the examples of AV Engineering team working with this material is the manufacturing of an electrophoresis apparatus for DNA gels:
Electrophoresis apparatus for DNA gels
Acrylic capped ABS
Properties
- Excellent for interior and exterior decoration
- Good UV resistance
- Good strength and impact resistance
- High gloss finish with plain or metallic finishes
- High gloss maintained when using female tooling
- Can be colour matched
- Can be formed from 1mm to 10mm sheet thickness
- Good quality surface finishes which do not require painting
| EMC coating | Welding/bonding | Working temperature | Recyclable |
| Yes | Chemical welding | -10°C to 80°C | Yes |
One of the examples of AV Engineering team working with this material is the manufacturing of a rear light mould:
Rear light mould
HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene)
Properties
- Versatile
- Ideal for general use in low cost items, point of sale, refrigeration and sanitary components
- Stock colour materials up to 3mm thickness available
- Can be colour matched
- Sheet thicknesses from 0.5mm to 10mm
- Can be high-definition formed with textures and label recesses
- Can be supplied in Flame Retardant grade
- Can be capped with Stryrosan to give UV stability
| EMC coating | Welding/bonding | Working temperature | Recyclable |
| Yes | Chemical welding | -10°C to 70°C | Yes |
One of the examples of AV Engineering team working with this material is the manufacturing of a tank for an inject printer:
HIPS
PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate Copolymer)
Properties
- Good strength and impact resistance
- Good optical qualities
- Excellent for packaging
- Can be colour matched
- Can be formed from 0.5mm to 10mm sheet thickness
- Readily thermoforms into complex shapes
| EMC coating | Welding/bonding | Working temperature | Recyclable |
| Yes | Chemical welding | -10°C to 60°C | Yes |
One of the examples of AV Engineering team working with this material is the manufacturing of a cover for the dispense of continuous welding wire:
Cover for the dispense of continuous welding wire
Polycarbonate
Properties
- Good strength and impact resistance
- Favourite material for body protection components
- Available in clear and colour
- UV resistance grades available for use on Radomes
- Fire retardant grades available
- Extremely rigid material even in thin sections
- Can be formed from 1mm to 10mm thickness
- Supplied in Frame Retardant grade for aircraft use, e.g. cabin panelling
- Meets UL294V0
| EMC coating | Welding/bonding | Working temperature | Recyclable |
| Yes | Chemical welding | -10°C to 110°C 180°C for ultra-high temperature polycarbonate | Yes |
One of the examples of AV Engineering team working with this material is the manufacturing of a unit showing in-mould labelling:
Unit showing in-mould labelling
HDPE (High Density Polyethylene)
Properties
- Excellent impact and chemical resistance
- Good UV stability
- Can be colour matched
- Can be high-definition formed with textures and label recesses
- Used for tanks, chain guards, fascias and mouldings in difficult environments
- Can be formed from 0.5mm to 10mm sheet thickness
- Available as HDPE (high density polyethylene) or LDPE (low density polyethylene)
| EMC coating | Welding/bonding | Working temperature | Recyclable |
| No | Plate or hot gas welding | -50°C to 100°C depending on type | Yes |
One of the examples of AV Engineering team working with this material is the manufacturing of a weather proof cover:
Weather proof cover for the pivot point on the conservatory
PP (Monopolymer or Copolymer Polypropylene)
Properties
- Good impact and chemical resistance
- Can be colour matched
- Can be high-definition formed with textures and label recesses
- Used for moulds in difficult environments
- Can be formed from 0.25mm to 10mm sheet thickness
| EMC coating | Welding/bonding | Working temperature | Recyclable |
| No | Plate or hot gas welding | -30°C to 100°C | Yes |
One of the examples of AV Engineering team working with this material is the manufacturing of chassis:
Chassis for a filtration unit with incapsulated fixings
PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene)
Properties
- Excellent chemical resistance
- Electrical stability showing high insulation characteristics
- Can be CNC machined from sheet, rod and tube form
- Cannot be thermoformed
| EMC coating | Welding/bonding | Working temperature | Recyclable |
| Yes | Can only be bonded if surface is treated | Up to 400°C | No |
One of the examples of AV Engineering team working with this material is the manufacturing of a PTFE machined filter casing:
Filter casing
PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride)
Properties
- Excellent chemical resistance
- Can be colour matched
- High UV resistance
- Used in electrical industry for covers, chemical tanks, signage and packaging
- Can be fabricated or formed
- Good quality surface finishes which do not require painting
- Can be chromium plated
| EMC coating | Welding/bonding | Working temperature | Recyclable |
| No | Chemical or hot gas welding | -10°C to 60°C | Yes |
One of the examples of AV Engineering team working with this material is the manufacturing of a belt-fitted control cabinet:
Belt-fitted control cabinet
PVDF (Polyvinylidene Fluoride)
Properties
- Good strength and impact resistance
- Excellent chemical resistance
- Can be formed with textures and label recesses or fabricated
- Can be colour matched
- Can be formed from 1mm to 10mm sheet thickness
- Good quality surface finishes which do not require painting
- Can be chromium plated
| EMC coating | Welding/bonding | Working temperature | Recyclable |
| No | Hot gas welding and plate welding | -50°C to 100°C | No |
One of the examples of AV Engineering team working with this material is the manufacturing of a tank for an inject printer:
Inject printer tank