Round Rod in POM GF30 1000 mm black

Round rod in POM GF30 is extruded acetal with 30 percent short glass fibers. It is the same base polymer as in unreinforced POM C or POM H, but with considerably higher stiffness and better dimensional stability. For turned parts that have to hold tight tolerances even after months in service, this is often a safer material choice than plain acetal. Designers who have wrestled with slow deformation or creep in loaded plastic parts before tend to appreciate the difference, often right at the first prototype round.

The density is about 1.6 g/cm³. The material handles continuous operation around 100 degrees and works down to around minus 20. Water absorption stays around 0.9 percent, which is low and stable. The fire rating is HB. Dimensional stability across temperature and moisture cycles is one of the most important reasons to choose POM over PA in this type of part. A PA6 part can move almost one percent when it takes up moisture; a GF30 part is at a fraction of that.

The increased glass fiber content gives a modulus of elasticity several times higher than that of unreinforced POM. Creep behavior under long term load improves noticeably, which is one of the most important gains when designing load carrying turned parts that have to keep their shape year after year. Impact strength does drop, however; a heavy blow or a hard shock load affects GF30 more than an unreinforced material. Plain bearings and rolling contact are not the right arena for fiber reinforced plastics, the fibers tear up the surface both on themselves and on the mating part. For a sliding function, choose unreinforced POM C or POM H, or a variant with a solid lubricant blended in.

The coefficient of thermal expansion is noticeably lower than for unreinforced POM. That is a valuable property when the part sits in a bolted joint against steel or aluminum and the temperature varies. Less thermal movement means less risk of threads working loose or sleeves cracking over time, and the design becomes more forgiving of real operating conditions.

Typical uses in round rod format: turned sleeves and spacers, threaded couplings, insulating end pieces, adjusting sleeves in automation lines, cones and wheels that do not roll, plus mechanical parts in pump and compressor systems where dimensional tolerances and stiffness are decisive. The material is also used in fittings and electrical installation for insulating components with dimensional stability requirements. The material turns and mills nicely with carbide, but count on shorter tool life than with unreinforced acetal. Diamond coated inserts pay off in series production when the cost per piece has to come down.

Chemically POM GF30 handles oils, greases, fuels, aliphatic solvents and weak acids without trouble. Strong acids, strong oxidizing agents and heavy UV outdoors are not kind to it. For outdoor use, choose a variant with carbon black and UV stabilizer. Long term exposure to hot water with chlorine should also be avoided; process water systems with continuous chlorine dosing break down the surface over time.

Standard diameters run from small turning blanks up to heavy round rods. The extrusion process gives a thin surface layer that is often worth turning away when dimensions are critical. In heavier dimensions internal stresses can occur; with deep cuts an intermediate step in the machining can be reassuring for dimensional accuracy. For critical parts you can also choose to heat treat the blank before final machining to release stresses, which is standard practice for precision parts in heavy dimensions.

If you are unsure whether GF25, GF30 or a carbon fiber reinforced variant suits your design best, get in touch and we will go through the load picture together. We also help with datasheets and can discuss the trade offs between stiffness, toughness and price in your specific case, and for larger series we can advise on machining strategy as well. For combined requirements, for example high temperature and high stiffness in the same part, an upgrade to PEEK GF30 can be worth considering, even though the material cost then rises noticeably and the machining demands more of the machine. For many designers POM GF30 is a sweet spot where price, machinability and properties come into balance, and the material covers a large share of the mechanical needs that would otherwise have required an upgrade to heavier engineering plastics.

The same glass fiber reinforced material in black, 1000 mm long, for stiff parts where a dark color suits better.