Plastics Applications

Cost and processability are usually first and foremost. Obviously, mechanical properties play a huge part, you have to have a material strong enough to physically stand up to service. Temperature range is important. Plastics have a "glass transition" temperature where mechanical properties go to pot rather quickly at cold temperatures. Thermoplastics (as compared to thermosets) have a melting temperature to worry about. Different plastics are resistant to different chemicals. UV stability could be very important. Dielectric properties and burn rates can be issues. There could be dozens more. Abrasion resistance, trouser tear die-C tear, %elongation, water absorption, cell structure, impact properties, color, etc... Does this get you started?

I will always remember water absorbtion as that got us once big time.

We had to make a conveyor belt for injection moulded products to be heaved out of the cool bath under the moulding machine. Sloping desing with one end in the bath. In a few weeks all motors burned out as the plastic bearings had seized up. Changed them all to delrin and ran for years after that. Simple but very costly mistake.

You might as well have asked if someone could just email you a four year degree in manufacturing engineering. Could you narrow your question down just a bit?

Yes, the question was broad due to my not being a manufacturing engineer. I'm trolling at the moment. So the intent is for some recommended text so I can learn then possibly narrow down the potential field of options.

thanx

I studied plastics at a trade school in Los Angeles in 1973. The professor was Robert V. Milby. He used the textbook that he wrote called "Plastics Technology" to teach from. It is a bit dated, but gives a good overview of the different families of plastics, and their properties and applications.

A good "plastics 101" reference book is Modern Plastics; Harper, Charles A. © 2000 McGraw-Hill. This reference manual gives a good overview of materials, product design, and manufacturing processes.

Without knowing more about your specific interest I would start here.

Thankyou for your reply. I will look up your recommendation. Is your background in manufacturing engineering? If so, is it in the arena of plastics/composites? My background is end-user/systems engineering. So I consider myself to be very "behind the curve" at the moment.

thanx