Materials and polymers
ABS
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. Tough thermoplastic used in vehicles, electronics and consumer products.
Acetal / POM
Polyoxymethylene. Hard, stiff engineering plastic with low friction. Used in gears, bearings and precision parts.
Fluoropolymer
Collective name for fluorine-containing polymers such as PTFE, PVDF, FEP and PFA. Known for extreme chemical resistance.
HDPE / PE-HD
High density polyethylene. Chemically resistant, food approved and easy to machine.
PA (Nylon)
Polyamide. Hard-wearing engineering plastic with good mechanical strength. Available as PA6, PA66, PA12 and others.
PA6G (cast)
Cast polyamide 6. Made by anionic polymerization in molds. Available in larger dimensions than extruded PA.
PC
Polycarbonate. Transparent, impact resistant plastic. Used in protective glazing, lighting and medical technology.
PE-1000
Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene. Extremely wear resistant PE for conveyor belts, guide rails and wear parts.
PEEK
Polyether ether ketone. High performance engineering plastic for extreme heat, chemicals and mechanical load.
PET
Polyethylene terephthalate. Stiff, transparent plastic with good chemical resistance. Used in food packaging and technical parts.
PMMA (Acrylic)
Polymethyl methacrylate. Transparent plastic with high light transmission. An alternative to glass.
POM-C
Copolymer POM. Slightly better chemical resistance than POM-H and easier to machine.
POM-H
Homopolymer POM. Higher mechanical strength and stiffness than POM-C.
PP
Polypropylene. Light, chemically resistant thermoplastic. Common in tanks, ventilation and food applications.
PS
Polystyrene. Stiff, transparent plastic. Used in packaging and signage.
PTFE
Polytetrafluoroethylene. Universal chemical resistance, extremely low friction, temperature resistant up to 260°C.
PVC
Polyvinyl chloride. Chemically resistant and self-extinguishing. Available as rigid (PVC-U) and flexible (PVC-P).
PVDF
Polyvinylidene fluoride. Chemically resistant fluoropolymer with good mechanical strength. Common in the chemical process industry.
Thermoplastic
Plastic that can be melted and reshaped over and over. Every material in PlastShop's range is a thermoplastic.
Thermoset
Plastic that cannot be melted once it has cured (for example epoxy and polyester). Not part of PlastShop's range.
Properties and test methods
Density
The mass of the material per unit of volume (g/cm³). Determines the weight of a plastic part.
Tensile strength
The highest stress the material takes in tension before it breaks (MPa).
Tensile modulus
Modulus of elasticity. A measure of the stiffness of the material (MPa). A higher value means a stiffer material.
Shore D
Hardness scale for plastics. A higher value means a harder material. Typically 50-85 for engineering plastics.
Charpy
Impact toughness test where a pendulum strikes a test specimen. Measured in kJ/m².
UL 94
Fire classification standard for plastics. Classes: HB (self-extinguishing horizontally), V-2, V-1, V-0 (best).
LOI
Limiting Oxygen Index. The lowest oxygen level that keeps combustion going. Higher than 21% means self-extinguishing in air.
HDT
Heat Deflection Temperature. The temperature where the material starts to deform under load.
Water absorption
How much water the material takes up (in %). Important for dimensional stability. PA takes up a lot, POM very little.
Coefficient of friction
A measure of the friction between two surfaces. A low coefficient means good sliding properties (for example PTFE and POM).
ESD
Electrostatic Discharge. Materials with ESD properties conduct static electricity away. Important in electronics production.
Machining and manufacturing
Extrusion
Manufacturing method where molten plastic is pressed through a die into rods, sheets or tubes.
Casting
Manufacturing method where liquid monomer is polymerized directly in a mold. Gives larger dimensions.
CNC machining
Computer controlled machining (milling, turning, drilling) of plastic parts from semi-finished products.
Kerf
The width of the saw cut. Includes the thickness of the saw blade plus the material lost. Important when optimizing cuts.
Tolerance
Permitted deviation from the nominal dimension. Often stated according to DIN standards for semi-finished products.
Chip formation
How the material behaves during machining. Short chips (POM) are easier to handle than long chips (PE).
Annealing
Heat treatment that reduces internal stresses in plastic parts after machining.
Certifications and standards
FDA
Food and Drug Administration. American food approval for materials in contact with food.
EU 10/2011
EU regulation for plastic materials intended for contact with food. The European counterpart to FDA.
ISO 9001
International standard for quality management systems.
ISO 14001
International standard for environmental management systems.
REACH
EU regulation for the registration, evaluation and authorization of chemicals.
RoHS
Restriction of Hazardous Substances. EU directive that limits hazardous substances in electronics.
TDS
Technical Data Sheet. Data sheet with the mechanical, thermal and chemical properties of the material.
SDS / MSDS
Safety Data Sheet. Safety data sheet with information on handling, storage and risks.
Trade and logistics
B2B
Business-to-Business. Sales between companies. PlastShop is a B2B platform.
CTS
Cut-to-Size. Cutting material to the specific dimensions of the customer.
Semi-finished products
Plastic material in standard forms (sheets, rods, tubes, blocks) that the customer machines further.
MOQ
Minimum Order Quantity. The smallest order quantity. PlastShop has no formal MOQ.
PCR
Post-Consumer Recycled. Recycled material from consumer products.
PIR
Post-Industrial Recycled. Recycled material from industrial production.