1. ABS
ABS is one of the most common thermoplastic materials with good mechanical properties, excellent impact strength, high heat resistance and good machinability.ABS has a low density and is well suited for lightweight applications.
The low density of ABS makes it ideal for lightweight applications.CNC machined ABS parts are often used as prototypes prior to injection molding for mass production.
Material Properties:
Typical density: 1.00-1.05 g/cm3
2. Nylon
Nylon, also known as polyamide (PA), is a thermoplastic often used in engineering applications because of its excellent mechanical properties, good impact strength, and high chemical and abrasion resistance. However, it tends to absorb water and moisture.
Nylon 6 and Nylon 66 are the most commonly used grades in CNC machining.
Material Properties:
Typical density: 1.14 g/cm3
3. Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate is a thermoplastic with high toughness, good machinability and excellent impact strength (superior to ABS). It can be colored, but is usually optically clear, making it ideal for a wide range of applications, including fluid fittings or automotive glazing.
Material Properties:
Typical density: 1.20-1.22 g/cm3
4. POM
POM, often known by the trade name Delrin, is the engineering thermoplastic with the highest machinability among plastics.
POM (Delrin) is often the best choice for CNC machining of plastic parts that require high precision, high stiffness, low friction, excellent high temperature dimensional stability, and very low water absorption.
Material Properties:
Typical density: 1.40-1.42 g/cm3
5. PTFE (Teflon)
Often referred to as Teflon, PTFE is an engineering thermoplastic with excellent chemical and heat resistance and the lowest coefficient of friction of any known solid.
Polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon) is one of the few plastics that can withstand operating temperatures above 200°C and is an excellent electrical insulator. However, it has purely mechanical properties and is often used as a lining or insert in components.
Material Properties:
Typical density: 2.2 g/cm3
6. HDPE
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is a thermoplastic with a high strength-to-weight ratio, high impact strength, and good weather resistance.
HDPE is a lightweight thermoplastic suitable for outdoor use and piping. Like ABS, it is commonly used to create prototypes prior to injection molding.
Material Properties:
Typical density: 0.93-0.97 g/cm 3
7. PEEK
PEEK is a high performance engineering thermoplastic with excellent mechanical properties, thermal stability over a very wide temperature range and excellent resistance to most chemicals.
PEEK is often used to replace metal parts due to its high strength-to-weight ratio. Medical grades are also available, making PEEK suitable for biomedical applications as well.
Material Properties:
Typical density: 1.32 g/cm 3
