Plastic as a production material

Plastics are materials whose basic components are different polymers. The special structure of plastics makes it possible to adapt the technical properties by selecting the base material, manufacturing process and the addition of additives. As a result, the breaking strength, elasticity, hardness, temperature resistance, heat resistance and chemical resistance, for example, can be varied very well. Depending on their mechanical and thermal behavior, plastics are divided into thermoplastics, thermosets and elastomers.

Do you already know what material you need?

Then simply upload your finished data here. All files are automatically checked and optimized for production.

Order component

Plastics for selective laser sintering

Polyamide plastics (PA), which are used in selective laser sintering, impress with their high mechanical strength and long-term stability. They are also resistant to numerous chemicals. Our materials are available in almost all colors, which you can easily select in the online configurator. We also manufacture media-tight components for special applications on request. In addition to a large selection of unfilled plastics, we also offer filled variants as well as flexible and particularly temperature-resistant materials. Thanks to our wide range of materials, we can find the right solution for every requirement.

Learn more about selective laser sintering >

Plastics for polyjet/multijet modeling

A wide range of materials is available for the PolyJet or MultiJet process. The combination of different resins creates composite materials with individual properties. Whether flexible like rubber or particularly stable - you can specify the desired material characteristics in the online configurator and receive a high-resolution 3D model according to your specifications. The liquid plastics enable the production of delicate components with a very smooth surface, which can also be easily reworked.

Learn more about PoyJet/MultiJet Modeling >

Plastics for stereolithography

Epoxy resin components are characterized by a particularly fine reproduction of detail and a smooth, high-quality surface. Among other things, the stereolithography process is used for production: liquid resin is cured layer by layer using a UV laser. The VisiJet material variants "Tough", "Clear" and "HiTemp" are available, each with their own specific properties - from high load-bearing capacity and transparency to excellent temperature resistance.

Learn more about stereolithography >

Thermoplastics

Thermoplastics are made up of polymer chains and can be made soft and malleable to the point of melting as often as required by applying energy in the form of heat. This property enables thermoplastics to be formed into a desired shape because the shape is retained after the workpiece has cooled down.

Elastomers

Elastomers, on the other hand, are very flexible and can change their shape briefly due to pressure or stretching. This property is due to the wide-mesh cross-linked polymers that make up the elastomers. Similar to thermosets, however, elastomers degrade at too high a temperature.

Thermosets

Thermosets are formed from closely cross-linked polymers. Unlike thermoplastics, heating does not lead to plastic deformability, but to decomposition of the material. For this reason, thermosets are not suitable for recycling. Cured thermosets are hard and brittle and can only be processed mechanically in this state.

Overview of different plastics

Polyamide

Polyamides are very frequently used as construction materials. They are characterized by their high strength and stiffness, good abrasion and wear resistance and excellent impact strength. They also have good resistance to organic solvents. Polyamides are often mixed with fillers to optimize their mechanical properties. For example, glass fibers are added to improve rigidity.

Polycarbonate

Polycarbonates are known for their transparency and are often used as an alternative to glass. In addition to their transparency, polycarbonates are good insulators against electrical voltage and offer high strength, impact strength, rigidity and hardness. Furthermore, polycarbonates are resistant to water, diluted acids, many oils and fats as well as alcohols.

Polyethylene

Compared to other plastics, polyethylene has low strength, hardness and rigidity, but has high elasticity and impact strength as well as good sliding properties. Visually, polyethylene appears milky white, depending on its crystallinity. The lower the crystallinity, the more transparent this plastic is and the lower its density. Polyethylene is highly resistant to water, acids, alkalis, alcohols, oils and petrol.

Polystyrene

Depending on its composition, polystyrene can range from crystal clear to foamed white. Styrene polymers have high rigidity, medium hardness and strength and low impact strength. The material is resistant to fats and oils as well as to acids and bases in low concentrations.

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)

ABS is a break-resistant material with high impact strength and surface hardness. In addition to its positive mechanical properties, ABS has good resistance to weathering and aqueous chemicals. ABS is also well suited for coating with metals and polymers, so that, for example, chrome-plated surfaces can be realized on a plastic part.

Ethylene vinyl acetate

Ethylene vinyl acetate is a copolymer made from ethylene and vinyl acetate. The vinyl acetate content has a significant influence on the performance of the material. As the vinyl acetate content increases, the strength, stiffness and resistance to chemicals of this copolymer is impaired. The material is insensitive to cold and has a rubber-like flexibility.

Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT)

Polybutylene terephthalate has a very high dimensional stability and is also very strong and rigid. The material also has good friction and wear properties, meaning that it is used for the manufacture of plain and roller bearings and gear wheels, among other things. PBT also has good chemical resistance to many solvents and is a good insulator against electrical voltage.

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)

Polymethyl methacrylate is a transparent plastic with a polishable surface. With appropriate surface treatment, very good resistance to scratches can be achieved. For this reason, polymethyl methacrylate is very often used as an alternative to glass and is colloquially known as Plexiglas®. PMMA has medium strength and high rigidity as well as high hardness. In addition, the material is resistant to weathering and ageing as well as to acids, bases of medium concentration, petrol and oils.

Polyoxymethylene (POM)

Polyoxymethylene is known for its high strength, hardness and rigidity. Due to its low frictional resistance, good resistance to abrasion and excellent resilience, polyoxymethylene is used for the construction of functional parts in precision mechanics and apparatus engineering. In terms of media resistance, polyoxymethylene has good properties against numerous chemicals, acids, alkalis, oils and alcohols.

Polypropylene (PP)

Polypropylene is the most widely used standard plastic. The material has a low density combined with very good resistance to fatigue. In terms of mechanical properties, polypropylene has average strength, stiffness and impact strength. Typical applications for PP include packaging and film hinges.

Thermoplastic elastomers

Thermoplastic elastomers are characterized by the fact that they combine the respective advantages of thermoplastics and elastomers. They are flexible like conventional elastomers, but can be repeatedly plasticized by heating and are permanently elastic again after curing.

Thermoplastic polyurethane

Thermoplastic polyurethane is characterized by its elasticity and the associated good wear resistance. In combination with its good resistance to oils, greases and good resistance to abrasion, thermoplastic polyurethane can be used for many areas of application.