Round Rod in PEEK GF30 90x2000 mm beige

A round rod in glass fiber reinforced PEEK is the turning blank when the part has to be stiff and insulate electrically at the same time. The glass fiber carries load and raises the stiffness. It lifts tensile strength and compressive hardness above plain PEEK, but keeps the insulation that carbon fiber would have taken away. The rod handles 260 degrees long term and short peaks toward 300 degrees, so a part keeps its shape far above what ordinary engineering plastics manage.

Mechanically the tensile strength sits around 113 MPa and the ball indentation hardness around 280 N/mm², which lets a turned shaft or bushing stand up to bending and pressure. The impact strength of about 52 kJ/m² is good for a fiber filled material, so the part takes a certain amount of shock load. The density is about 1.53 g/cm³ and the water absorption is negligible, around 0.03 percent, which keeps fits stable in damp conditions where a nylon part would have swollen. The fire rating is V0. The specific volume resistivity around 10^14 ohm·cm makes the material insulating even when reinforced. The thermal conductivity sits around 0.35 W/mK. The chemical resistance is broad against industrial media.

The round format you turn into rotating and load carrying parts. Stiff guide shafts and studs in hot machines where an unreinforced shaft would have bent. Insulating bushings and sleeves that have to hold their shape under load without conducting current. Valve spindles and support elements in chemical equipment that meet aggressive liquids. Spacers and structural parts where electrical insulation and low thermal movement are needed together, for example in electrically sensitive measuring equipment. The stiffness of the material means a turned shaft bends less than the same part in plain PEEK under the same load, which is often the whole reason for the choice.

The glass fiber is abrasive against the cutting edge. Run sharp carbide inserts, moderate cutting data and cooling, and plan for more tool changes than with an unfilled material. The material gives a fine surface and holds tolerances well, so fitting dimensions can be turned directly. Long slender parts need support in the lathe so they do not buckle under the cutting pressure. Drill through holes in stages with chip clearance for a clean result. Thick round blanks can be stress relieved before finishing so that they hold their shape afterward.

Stiffness is the main contribution of the glass fiber. A turned GF30 shaft bends less under load and keeps its geometry better than unreinforced PEEK. The glass fiber also lowers the thermal expansion, so the part moves less when the temperature swings between cold start and full operation, which keeps the fit stable. Creep under constant pressure is low, so a clamped part keeps its grip over time. For guide shafts and spindles that have to stay dimensionally stable through thermal cycling, this is often what justifies the fiber reinforced grade over a plain one.

The glass fiber does not make the material conductive, so GF30 insulates electrically and suits places where a conductive part must not be present. The color is typically bone white to light gray. The fiber wears on the inserts, but less than a ceramic filler, so sharp carbide inserts go a long way. Give fits a margin for thermal expansion, since the plastic moves more than the steel it works against. For bonding, the surface should be pretreated, and a mechanical fastener is often safer. If the shaft needs even more stiffness and is allowed to conduct current, carbon fiber filled PEEK may be the answer, something we are glad to help you judge from load and electrical requirements.

The low thermal expansion makes tolerance chains easier to hold across a wide temperature range. A shaft that moves little between cold and hot operation simplifies the design, because fits and clearances do not have to be calculated with needlessly large margins. It shows clearly in assembled units where several parts in different materials have to work together without binding or going slack. Pick a rod diameter close to the final dimension, so you keep both waste and machining time down in this expensive material.

Rods come in several diameters and are cut to length as needed, so material waste is kept down. Do you need stiffness plus insulation, or is conductive carbon fiber right for your application? Get in touch with the function and the load and we will pick the grade together and help you avoid the wrong material.

With a diameter of 90 mm and a length of 2000 mm, this glass fiber reinforced rod gives heavier dimensionally stable turned parts.