One of the most critical choices any engineer will have to make while designing a part is which material they will use. A design engineer must consider how the material will affect performance and handle a particular product age.
Plastics are becoming popular as they are lightweight, easy to process, and cheaper than metals. There is a wide variety of machined plastics with their advantages and downsides.
You can produce parts for diverse applications with many different technologies like industrial grade plastics cast, injection molded, printed, or machined. But If you need precision or to produce a mirror-like finish on another type of part, then machining is the best way.
What is CNC Plastic Machining?
It’s essential also to understand what “CNC” stands for. CNC stands for Computer Numerical Control, which refers to a machine that allows machines and machinery to create products that are not just limited to grinding, milling, and lathing. Because CNC machines offer the highest design accuracy, versatility, and versatility; therefore, they are used in many industries.
Another benefit of using CNC plastic machining is that it allows for complex three-dimensional components to be created without any additional intricate handling from human operators. However, manual machining basics still requires one person at the operator level, which is not necessary with the automated process.
Choosing the best material for CNC Plastic Machining
Here is the 3-step guide for choosing the best CNC Plastic Material, and most CNC machinists use it to select a material:
Importance of material requirements:
Your part requirements are the base for your CNC machining process. If you know about the material you want to use or if you know where you want to produce your product, then this information helps the machine configure itself appropriately. Among the most common part requirements is whether or not it will be an environmental or a functional requirement.
Recognize Potential Materials
Identifying materials that fulfill all or most of these parts will help you prioritize your materials. List the goods or services needed according to the above instructions.
Choose the best suitable material for your need:
The compromise is between two or more design requirements, such as mechanical performance and cost.
Materials Used For CNC Plastic Machining
Following are the material that can use for CNC Plastic Machining:
ABS Plastics
ABS is an abbreviation for acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, a common thermoplastic material. It has excellent impact strength, heat resistance, and good machinability. Acrylic is usually used for prototyping the part functions before mass production.
ABS is a material that’s not recommended used in industrial settings. It doesn’t have good abrasion resistance, and its chemical resistance drops in acetone. ABS is also a less durable plastic type.
It is often used in injection molding or manufacturing. Generally, there are two ways to use ABS: a thermoset model and an engineering thermoplastic. Companies like Lego use this technology to make short polymer bricks.
Nylon
Like ABS, nylon is a plastic with high strength and rigidity, can maintain good electric insulation in a wide temperature range, and has good chemical and abrasion resistance.
Nylon 6/6 can be affected by moisture and become warped. If a large amount of displacement happens during fabric processing, it will warp.
Nylon is frequently used because it can replace the high cost of metals in many applications. It’s often found in medical equipment, automotive engine compartment components, and cable ties.
Delrin
Delrin is a type of engineering thermoplastic processed using a high degree of processability. It is usually considered the most economical plastic. It has a smooth and low-friction surface, dimensional stability, and rigidness, making it an ideal material for challenging applications such as friction, precision requirements, or require high stiffness. One disadvantage is that it isn’t the most accessible material to bond with, meaning you’ll need an industrial glue to use with Delrin.
Delrin is typically used to make gears, bearings, bushings, and fasteners or to manufacture jigs, fixtures, and assemblies.
HDPE
HDPE, a type of polyethylene, is a material with a high strength-to-weight ratio. This material has properties that can withstand severe weather conditions and resist impact well. HDPE surfaces are smooth and can reduce friction while maintaining high-impact resistance.
HDPE is a type of plastic that can’t stand the abuse of stretching and bending.
One plastic used frequently in outdoor and electronics applications is HDPE. This plastic is made with low-cost, lightweight, and chemical-resistant ingredients that make it ideal for projects involving plugs, seals, and sensitive electrical devices.
Acrylic
Acrylic is a rigid, transparent plastic that can quickly bond with other plastics. It has excellent impact strength and is resistant to scratches.
Acrylic can be used in optics applications and is transparent because it’s primarily made from acrylic resin.
Acrylic is a fragile material that can crack or break under too much pressure. Polishing may be used as an additional post-processing step to restore transparency when the surface needs to be transparent.
PEEK
PEEK is a high-performance engineering thermoplastic with excellent impact strength and dimensional stability. It offers fast processing times and is most commonly found in CNC machine applications because of delta 9 thc gummies its superior performance.
This plastic is much cheaper than metals and is often used in high-performance parts. It’s also more appropriate for industries to replace metals with plastics due to the lower price.
Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate is a high-impact, resistant, durable plastic that maintains functionality over a wide temperature range. It’s optically transparent and can be dyed black if needed. Polycarbonate is commonly used for applications that require rigid or strong plastics.
Pure polycarbonate does not have excellent abrasion resistance and can be scratched easily. Similarly, a vapor-polished coating can improve the surface’s wear resistance or clarity.
The material properties of polycarbonate allow it to be used for many different types of products, such as CDs, safety glasses, and fluorescent light tubes. The bulletproof quality makes Delta 9 thc it a popular choice.
