Technical notes and company news
Material selection guides, machining advice and compliance updates written by the people who cut and machine the parts.
PA66 extruded rod or cast MC nylon? Where each one actually wins
Both are nylon, both are ivory, both absorb water. The cast material is not a downgrade — on large-diameter parts it is usually the better buy.
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The REACH SVHC list moved again: what it means for plastic stock shapes
Unfilled engineering plastics are rarely the problem. Fillers, colourants, release agents and the additives inside a compound are where the risk sits.
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PTFE fillers explained: glass, carbon, bronze and what each one actually does
Virgin PTFE is soft, creeps and wears fast under load. The filler you choose fixes one problem and usually creates another. Here is the map.
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Food-grade plastics in 2026: FDA, EU 10/2011 and metal-detectable grades
Which stock shapes are cleared for direct food contact, what documentation you should demand, and when to specify metal and X-ray detectable material.
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UHMW-PE wear pads: why the cheapest material usually has the lowest total cost
It scratches with a fingernail, it creeps under load and it cannot be glued easily. It is also the best value wear material in almost any conveying application.
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Packing plastic stock shapes for sea freight
A container is a slow oven with a humidity problem. Here is how we pack so the material arrives straight rather than bowed.
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PVDF for chemical service: what it resists, where it fails
PVDF sits between PTFE and PVC in both price and performance. It is excellent for halogenated and oxidising media, and the wrong choice for a few specific ones.
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RoHS and engineering plastics: the exemption that keeps catching people out
Most unfilled plastics are RoHS compliant by default. The risk sits in colourants and in the pigment that makes a black part black.
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Polycarbonate or acrylic? Choosing a transparent engineering plastic
Both are clear, both machine well, both scratch. The decision comes down to impact, chemical exposure and how often the part will be cleaned.
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Offcut recycling programme diverts 40 tonnes from landfill
Offcuts from cut-to-size orders used to go to waste. They are now sorted by polymer, regranulated where the grade allows, and returned to the supply chain.
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