{"id":1951,"date":"2020-08-31T09:00:14","date_gmt":"2020-08-31T08:00:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.becgroup.com\/?p=1951"},"modified":"2024-09-03T14:39:08","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T13:39:08","slug":"acetal-for-prototypes-that-shine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.becgroup.com\/material-of-the-month\/acetal-for-prototypes-that-shine\/","title":{"rendered":"ACETAL:  FOR PLASTIC PRODUCTS THAT SHINE"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Our material selection for August is plastic resin, Acetal.<\/p>\n<p>If you know anything about acetal, you\u2019ll know it can be complicated.\u00a0 Even if we had a full day, we still wouldn\u2019t have enough time to discuss the copycat versions and changes which have occurred for acetal over the years.\u00a0 But we haven\u2019t.\u00a0 So, we\u2019ll keep it simple!<\/p>\n<h2><strong>ACETAL &#8211; THE BASICS<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Acetal<\/strong> is the commonly known name for the family of thermoplastics with the chemical name &#8220;PolyOxyMethylene&#8221;, or\u00a0<strong>POM<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Originated by those pioneers of innovation over at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dupont.com\/products\/delrin.html\">Dupont<\/a>, <strong>Delrin\u00ae Acetal<\/strong> is as well respected as it is renowned across the globe.\u00a0 By far the \u201ccr\u00e8me de le cr\u00e8me\u201d of resins. Predominantly available in two types, each offering their own pros and cons; the original: Homopolymer<strong> acetal (POM-H)<\/strong> and the slightly cheaper alternative: Copolymer <strong>acetal (POM-C)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Both <strong>Delrin<\/strong>\u00ae <strong>Acetal<\/strong> <strong>resins<\/strong> offer similarities; <strong>Homopolymer<\/strong> generally excels in its physical properties, whereas <strong>Copolymer<\/strong> can be a little softer, a little cheaper, making it better suited for specific applications.\u00a0 Each have good dimensional stability and sliding properties, often used in automotive applications, specifically fuel systems. A popular material selection for plastic gears as well as pump components.<\/p>\n<p>Known for its engineering properties rather than as a commodity plastic, <strong>acetal<\/strong> offers lots of advantages; it\u2019s easy to machine and gives a lovely glossy, super-cool finish.\u00a0 Making it great for prototypes \u2026 but it comes at a price.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s comparatively expensive, which is one of the reasons our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.becgroup.com\/what-we-do\/design\/product-design\/\">design team<\/a> work closely with customers to determine their ideal material \u201cwish-list\u201d first.\u00a0\u00a0 Asking questions to narrow the search:\u00a0 Will your end product need to withstand extreme temperatures? \u00a0Offer good colourability? \u00a0Stability? \u00a0Flexibility vs Rigidity? \u00a0Sliding properties?\u00a0 You get the idea.<\/p>\n<p>But that way we can suggest alternatives and give you options, so you get the injection moulded product you want. The quantity and quality you expect. When you want it. At the price you can afford.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>MATERIAL SELECTION SAMPLE<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>We&#8217;ve even designed and moulded a &#8220;Sample Material Card&#8221; so you can see, touch and feel the material itself.\u00a0 This will give you a much better idea of its suitability for your product.<\/p>\n<p>We help you navigate the material selection process, giving you options so you can make an informed decision. Every time.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019ve got an idea for a fabulous new product get in touch with our product\u00a0design\u00a0and development team on\u00a0<strong>01425 613131<\/strong>\u00a0or email\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:hello@becgroup.com\">hello@becgroup.com<\/a>, they\u2019ll soon tell you if acetal is your best option.\u00a0 For now though, here are the pros and cons:<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Pros<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol;\">\u00b7<\/span><\/span> Stiffness with high mechanical strength and resistance to creep<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol;\">\u00b7<\/span><\/span> Low thermal expansion<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol;\">\u00b7<\/span><\/span> Low water absorption<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol;\">\u00b7<\/span><\/span> Excellent chemical resistance<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol;\">\u00b7<\/span><\/span> Good wear resistance<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol;\">\u00b7<\/span><\/span> Low coefficient of friction (often used fo gears, bearings and sliding parts)<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol;\">\u00b7<\/span><\/span> Resistance to ESC<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol;\">\u00b7<\/span><\/span> Easier to machine<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol;\">\u00b7<\/span><\/span> Filled grades available (glass etc)<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Cons<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol;\">\u00b7<\/span><\/span> Can emit hazardous fumes when burnt<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol;\">\u00b7<\/span><\/span> Very high shrinkage allowance needed on tooling<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol;\">\u00b7<\/span><\/span> Can be affected by UV<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol;\">\u00b7<\/span><\/span> Burns easily, not flame retardant<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol;\">\u00b7<\/span><\/span> Difficult to bond (the drawback of a slippery material)<br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Symbol;\">\u00b7<\/span><\/span> Comparatively expensive<\/p>\n<p><strong>Not many people know&#8230;.\u00a0 <\/strong>we use acetal for a well-known household vacuum cleaning project as well as to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.becgroup.com\/\">plastic injection mould<\/a><\/strong> 10,000 filter mesh mouldings a year for<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/vitalograph.ie\/\">Vitalograph<\/a><\/strong>, manufacturer of respiratory diagnostic devices.\u00a0 Not only a leading specialist contract research organisation in respiratory clinical trials, but also supplier of quality medical devices to over 80 countries worldwide.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Material of the Month: Is acetal the right material selection for your next injection moulded product? Find out&#8230;. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.becgroup.com\/material-of-the-month\/acetal-for-prototypes-that-shine\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1965,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-material-of-the-month"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Acetal: For Plastic Products That Shine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"At the Design for Manufacture stage of your NPI, BEC can help with material selection. 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