Material Category
Engineering Plastics
POM (Delrin) is the machining default — stiff, stable, predictable. Pick PA6/PA66 for tough wear parts that tolerate moisture growth, PC or PMMA for transparency (tough vs. optically clear), HDPE for chemical tanks on a budget. Move to the high-performance tier (PEEK, PEI, PPS, PPSU, PTFE) only when temperature, sterilization or chemistry demands it — the price step is 3–5×.
General Purpose
ABS
$The prototype plastic: tough, light, cheap — and it glues and paints like nothing else.
40 MPa · R105 (Rockwell)
Polycarbonate (PC)
$Transparent armor: machine guards, viewports and light guides that survive real impacts.
66 MPa · R118 (Rockwell)
Nylon PA6
$The impact-and-abrasion eater: wear strips, rollers and guards that refuse to break.
79 MPa (dry) · R119 (Rockwell, dry)
Nylon PA66
$PA6 upgraded: higher stiffness and service temperature for gears and insulators that run hot.
83 MPa (dry) · R120 (Rockwell, dry)
POM (Delrin / Acetal)
$The machinist's favorite: stiff, slippery, stable — plastic parts with metal-like precision.
70 MPa · M89 (Rockwell)
HDPE
$The budget chemical-duty plastic: food-safe, nearly unbreakable, and the cheapest stock in the shop.
26 MPa · Shore D64
Acrylic (PMMA)
$The optical plastic: 92% light transmission, scratch-resistant, polishes to a glass-clear finish.
70 MPa · M93 (Rockwell)
High Performance
PEEK
$$$$$The polymer that replaces metal: 250 °C service, chemical immunity, implant-grade options.
100 MPa · M99 (Rockwell)
PTFE (Teflon)
$$$The slipperiest solid known: seals and insulators immune to chemistry and heat alike.
25–28 MPa · Shore D55
PEI (Ultem 1000)
$$$$The thinking engineer's high-performance pick: amber-transparent, flame-rated, autoclavable — at half the PEEK price.
110 MPa · M109 (Rockwell)
PPS
$$$$The precision high-temp polymer: near-zero moisture uptake, broad chemical resistance, 200 °C service.
90 MPa · R123 (Rockwell)
PPSU (Radel)
$$$$The sterilization survivor: tough where PEI is brittle, repeatable through thousands of steam cycles.
70 MPa · ~R120 (Rockwell)
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