Plastics and metals · molding and machiningChoosing
the right material.
The plastics we mold, the compounds we develop and the materials we machine. For each one: its strengths, its limits and its uses, to guide your choice before you discuss it with our teams.
Just scanned a sample? Its material is highlighted below.
Molded plastics.
The materials of our two-shot samples, molded by Factory Plast in France and Perfect Plast in Tunisia. Exact properties depend on the grade selected: we will steer you to the right one.
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PP Polypropylene
Polyolefin, semi-crystalline
Chemically very stable and a good electrical insulator, polypropylene withstands 110 to 120 °C without degradation and is easy to mold. Its flex fatigue resistance makes it the material of choice for living hinges.
Strengths
- Stiffer than polyethylene
- Excellent flex fatigue resistance
- Food-contact grades available
- Chemically inert
Watch points
- Sensitive to UV and hydrocarbons
- Difficult to bond
- Cannot be RF welded
- Also available
- Recycled; filled with glass fiber, talc or scallop shell
- Examples
- Medical inhaler, beach toys
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ABS Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
Styrenic, amorphous
Very low moisture absorption, hence excellent dimensional stability. It resists hydrocarbons, oils and greases, which makes it a reference material for automotive applications.
Strengths
- Good impact resistance
- Hard, scratch-resistant surface
- Wide range of colors
- Cost-effective
Watch points
- Opaque
- Builds up static electricity
- Also available
- Recycled; blended with PC or PMMA
- Examples
- Interior and exterior automotive parts, housings
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PC Polycarbonate
Amorphous, engineering
Transparent and highly impact resistant over a wide temperature range, from −80 to +135 °C. It stays dimensionally stable in humid environments and is self-extinguishing.
Strengths
- Outstanding impact resistance
- Transparent
- Good electrical insulation
- Self-extinguishing
Watch points
- Poor resistance to hydrocarbons
- Also available
- Filled with glass or carbon fiber; blended with ABS or ASA
- Examples
- Medical face shields, headlamp lenses
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PA 6 Polyamide 6 (nylon 6)
Polyamide, semi-crystalline
One of the toughest thermoplastics: excellent fatigue and wear resistance, good resistance to chlorinated or salt water. PA 6 is the most cost-effective engineering polyamide.
Strengths
- Tensile strength, fatigue, low friction
- Resists hydrocarbons
- Good electrical insulation
Watch points
- Sensitive to UV
- Absorbs moisture: dimensions must be anticipated
- Also available
- Recycled; filled with glass fiber or minerals
- Examples
- Automotive and electrical technical parts
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PMMA Polymethyl methacrylate (acrylic)
Acrylic, amorphous
Acrylic glass: remarkable clarity, light weight and very good UV resistance, and easy to process. More impact resistant than glass, less than polycarbonate.
Strengths
- Clarity and gloss
- Very good UV resistance
- Lightweight
Watch points
- Sensitive to solvents
- Can scratch
- Also available
- Blended with ABS or PC
- Examples
- Clear protective screens
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PETg Glycol-modified polyethylene terephthalate
Copolyester, amorphous
Glycol-modified PET keeps the clarity, stiffness and impact resistance of PET and is easier to process. It is highly recyclable.
Strengths
- Transparent
- Impact resistance
- Chemical resistance
- Highly recyclable
Watch points
- Sensitive to scratches
- Also available
- Bio-based; non-glycol-modified (PET)
- Examples
- Insulated bottle, webcam cover, wireless charger
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PSU Polysulfone
High-performance, amorphous
A stiff, tough engineering polymer with good mechanical, thermal and chemical properties, chosen when commodity plastics are no longer enough.
Strengths
- Stiffness
- Impact resistance
- Thermal and chemical resistance
Watch points
- Very sensitive to hydrocarbons
- Sensitive to UV
- Also available
- Filled with glass or carbon fiber
- Examples
- Automotive and electrical technical parts
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PEI Polyetherimide
High-performance, amorphous
A high-performance polymer combining mechanical, thermal and chemical resistance with good flame and UV resistance: an alternative to metal for demanding parts.
Strengths
- Good flame resistance
- Chemical and UV resistance
- Food-contact grades available
Watch points
- Sensitive to scratches
- Also available
- Filled with glass or carbon fiber
- Examples
- Automotive, electrical, aerospace
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TPE Thermoplastic elastomer
Thermoplastic elastomer
It deforms under stress and springs back like rubber, yet molds like a thermoplastic. It is the soft part of our two-shot parts, overmolded onto a rigid substrate.
Strengths
- Flexibility, pleasant soft touch
- Absorbs impacts
- Chemical resistance
Watch points
- Sensitive to temperature
- Aging must be anticipated
- Also available
- Several Shore hardnesses
- Examples
- Soft part of a toothbrush, insulated bottle sleeve, shock-absorbing case
“Food contact”: compliance depends on the grade and compound selected; we check it against the supplier’s data sheet for your application.
Custom compounds.
When no catalog material fits, our materials department develops filled, recycled or bio-based compounds.
Custom-formulated engineering materials
Based on PA or PA 12, for specific applications such as radiation protection in medical imaging.
Stainless steel fiber-filled polyamide 66/6
Filled at 15% or 30%, and validated with a resin mold before production tooling.
Scallop shell-filled polypropylene
A mineral filler made from seafood industry by-products, replacing conventional fillers.
Recycled and bio-based materials
40% of the plastic processed by the group is recycled; MORE label for Factory Plast.
Machined materials.
Precimade machines metals and engineering polymers, primarily for medical devices, from prototype to production.
Detailed data sheets: standards, composition, properties (opens in a new tab)- Titanium
- Ti-6Al-4V, including ELI grade for implants
- Stainless steels
- 316L, X15TN, X17, Z30, F16PH…
- Engineering polymers
- PEEK, PPSU (Radel), polypropylene (Propylux, Tecapro MT)
- UHMW polyethylene
- Grades 1020 and 1050, for joint replacement inserts
Torn between two materials?
Tell us how the part is used, its environment and its constraints: we will propose the right material and process, with a prototype if needed.
Ask for advice