Different plastic materials for injection moulding
Here at AKF Plastics, we’re pioneers in next-generation injection moulding production. We provide high-quality injection moulding solutions for our clients in the automotive, aerospace, and construction industries.
While the world tends to talk about plastic and plastics overall, many different plastics exist. As such, all have their unique characteristics and uses. And that’s where we come in. And that’s where we come in.
We help our clients identify suitable plastic compounds for their needs and produce them to their requirements. We can even store and deliver these components if necessary! So on top of providing our injection moulding expertise, we can become a focal point of our clients’ supply chains.
Let’s learn a little more about the different types of plastics we work with and which industries they’re most widely used.
But first, the things all our plastics have in common
Here at AKF, we could use recycled plastics for all our injection moulding while maintaining the highest quality in production and robustness. All our finished components will also meet the necessary relevant certifications and ISO standards.
As such, all our injection moulding plastics are recyclable themselves. This means that you benefit from a reduced carbon footprint whether you use the components internally, are a supplier yourself, or manage products that use our injection moulded components. You can have confidence telling your clients and customers that the high-quality plastic they’re using has the highest eco-credentials possible.
What types of plastics are available from AKF?
Broadly speaking, we can split plastics into three main areas:
- High-performance thermoplastics
- Engineering thermoplastics
- Standard thermoplastics
What are these, and how are they used?
High-performance thermoplastics
As you might have guessed from the name, these are the most advanced category of plastics and are where our main specialism lies.
In this category are high-end, high-tech, expensive materials like Poly-Ether-Ether-Ketone (PEEK), Teflon (PFA), and Polyphenylene sulphide (PPS). Generally, these are the more robust plastics with the ability to withstand exceptionally high temperatures and maintain their shape when exposed to these temperatures and other sources of stress.
For our clients in the aerospace industry, we only use these high-performance technical thermoplastics and polymers to ensure the plastic parts we produce can perform the job they need to.
We also use high-performance thermoplastics for some automotive projects, depending on our clients’ needs. These plastics will be deployed in high-stress locations of vehicles, potentially used as the fuel tank and elsewhere in the fuel system, and house components like lighting.
Engineering thermoplastics
Engineering thermoplastics are considered a “mid-level” plastic but make no mistake, these plastics are still incredibly strong and can often withstand significant temperatures and pressures.
This category of thermoplastics includes things like polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyamide (PA), Acrylo-Nitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS), and polyphthalamide (high-performance polyamide or PPA).
Such is the range of plastic in this category that there are several uses for these plastics.
At AKF, we use them for our clients in the construction and automotive industries, depending on their specific needs and desired uses.
In both industries, engineering thermoplastics can have several uses. For example, in construction, these plastics can enhance the strength of buildings or other building components, insulate electrical wiring, or be moulded to provide cosmetic and aesthetic enhancements for building projects.
In contrast, engineering plastics are commonly found under the hood in the automotive sector, often in conjunction with and connecting to high-performance thermoplastics.
Standard thermoplastics
These plastics are the cheapest to produce. As such, they have lower levels of functionality in terms of strength and flexibility. However, they can still be instrumental in a wide range of applications.
Most typically, these plastics are polyolefins, a class that itself has a vast number of specific plastics sitting within it. While some of these plastics are very low strength and easy to break – think polystyrene and disposable plastic cups – the plastics we use in our injection moulding are robust and able to meet our clients’ assembly or usage demands.
As with engineering thermoplastics, standard plastics aren’t used in the aerospace sector but are widely found in construction and automotive applications.
For example, these plastics are widely used for gravel mats and panelling in construction. In contrast, in the automotive space, they’ll typically be used for a combination of interior and exterior features, such as bumpers, dashboard housing, and other internal panelling.
Whatever you need, we can produce it at scale!
At AKF Plastics, we can help you with all your injection moulded plastic component needs.
From advising you on the right plastics you’ll need to use to hit regulatory standards in your industry to aiding you with the design of your components, right through to the production and, if required, storage and assembly, we’ve got you covered.
Whether you need high-end thermoplastics or something produced from the cheaper compounds, we can make what you need at scale and at a reasonable cost.
Contact us here to discuss your injection moulding needs and get a free quote.
