Materials
Engineering plastics. Stock or machined.
Sheet, rod and tube across more than 30 plastics. Buy the stock, or have us machine it. Tell us the grade, size and quantity, or what the part has to do.
- Grade, stock form and availability confirmed in your quote
- Material documents agreed before you order
- Not sure of the grade? We’ll review the application with you
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Find your material
Guidance here is general. It isn’t a guarantee for your application, and the exact grade is confirmed during review.
Engineering plastics
| Material | Common forms and grades | Often used for | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| POM / Acetal | POM-C, POM-H | Stable precision parts, jigs, locators, rollers and sliding components. | Moisture, grade selection and thin-wall deformation. |
| UHMWPE | PE-UHMW | Wear strips, star wheels, conveyor guides and low-friction contact parts. | Thermal movement, how it’s held, and realistic tolerances. |
| Nylon / PA | PA6, PA66, MC | Bushings, rollers, gears and impact-resistant machine components. | Moisture changes size, so tell us the environment. |
| PC / Polycarbonate | PC | Impact-resistant guards, housings and transparent parts. | Scratch resistance, stress cracking and optical requirements. |
| PET / PETP | PET | Precision guides, bushings and wear components. | Stock grade, operating temperature and dimensional acceptance. |
| PBT | PBT, GF grades | Electrical connectors, housings and precision parts. | Drying, shrinkage and reinforcement. |
| PPE / PPO | Modified PPE blends | Electrical housings, insulation and dimensional stability. | The blend and any flame-rating requirement. |
| PC / ABS | PC-ABS blend | Tough housings and equipment enclosures. | The blend, surface requirements and service temperature. |
High-performance plastics
| Material | Common forms and grades | Often used for | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| PEEK | PEEK, GF and CF grades | High-temperature, chemical and demanding precision applications. | Traceability, stock cost and heat during machining. |
| PTFE | PTFE | Chemical resistance, sealing, insulation and very low friction. | Creep, softness and stability under load. |
| PPS | PPS, GF grades | Thermal stability, electrical insulation and chemical exposure. | Brittleness, edge design and grade confirmation. |
| PEI | PEI, ULTEM | Heat-resistant electrical and structural components. | Grade, cleaning chemicals and required documents. |
| PVDF | Polyvinylidene fluoride | Chemical-handling parts, piping and welded assemblies. | Chemical concentration, temperature and weld specification. |
| PPSU | Polyphenylsulfone | Tough components exposed to repeated steam cleaning. | The actual cleaning cycle and required approvals. |
| PSU | Polysulfone | Heat-resistant housings and fluid-handling components. | Solvent compatibility and stress cracking. |
| PES / PESU | Polyethersulfone | Heat-resistant electrical and fluid-handling parts. | Grade, moisture conditioning and chemical exposure. |
| PAI | PAI, Torlon | Loaded wear parts, bearings and precision components. | Moisture, post-curing and grade-specific processing. |
| PI | PI, Vespel | Heat-resistant wear parts, insulators and bearing components. | Thermoset or thermoplastic PI, and the process. |
General-purpose plastics
| Material | Common forms and grades | Often used for | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABS | ABS | Housings, covers and general fixtures. | UV exposure and solvent contact. |
| PP | Polypropylene | Chemical equipment, tanks and lightweight components. | Stiffness, creep and thermal expansion. |
| PE / HDPE | HDPE, LDPE grades | Tanks, liners and impact-resistant components. | PE density and grade, and thermal movement. |
| PVC | PVC-U, PVC-P | Chemical equipment, panels and piping components. | Rigid or flexible grade and chemical compatibility. |
| PMMA / Acrylic | PMMA | Transparent panels, covers and displays. | Edge cracking, solvent contact and optical finish. |
Reinforced and functional grades
| Material | Common forms and grades | Often used for | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glass-fibre reinforced | PA6-GF30, PA66-GF30, PC-GF20, PBT-GF30, PEEK-GF30 | Stiff structural components. | Base polymer, fibre content and direction. |
| Carbon-fibre reinforced | PEEK-CF30, PA-CF, PC-CF | Stiff, lightweight components. | Fibre content, conductivity and surface requirements. |
| Filled PTFE | Glass, carbon and bronze fillers | Seals and sliding components. | Filler compatibility, wear and mating surface. |
| Bearing-grade plastics | PA, POM, PEEK and PTFE blends | Low-friction bushings, guides and wear components. | Load, speed, lubrication and mating material. |
| ESD / Antistatic | Dissipative, conductive and antistatic grades | Fixtures and handling parts needing static control. | Resistance range, test method and environment. |
Elastomers
| Material | Common forms and grades | Often used for | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| TPE | Thermoplastic elastomers | Flexible grips, seals and protective components. | Hardness, compression set and adhesion. |
| TPU | Thermoplastic polyurethane | Flexible wear parts, tubing and protective components. | Hardness, hydrolysis resistance and drying. |
| PU / Polyurethane | Cast polyurethane systems | Cast rollers, pads and flexible prototype components. | Casting system, hardness and cure. |
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Questions buyers ask
What sizes can I buy?
Tell us the stock form, dimensions and quantity. Available sizes depend on the grade, so they’re confirmed in the quote.
Is the stock virgin or does it contain recycled material?
Tell us what your application requires. The quote names the grade and whether any substitution or recycled content is allowed.
Can you supply material documents?
Ask for the documents you need when you enquire. What can be provided is agreed in the quotation before you order.
Can you cut stock to size or machine it?
Yes. Material and machining can go on one quote, so you don’t need a separate machine shop.
Is there a minimum order?
It depends on the material and size. Tell us the quantity you need and we’ll tell you what’s practical.
How does delivery to Australia work?
The quote names the Incoterm and shipping cost and says who handles GST and import.
Not sure which plastic?
Tell us the temperature, load, wear and chemicals. We’ll review it with you.