How to Select the Right Type of Plastic for Your Prototype

Plastic is an incredibly versatile type of material that can be used for a wide variety of applications across industries. From small plastic components in industrial machinery to plastic shells to add aesthetic appeal to commercial products, plastic sheets in Utah can significantly enhance the function, appearance, durability and longevity of various parts, products and pieces of machinery. Because of the important role these plastic sheets play, it’s important that you select them carefully to ensure that you will have the best outcomes possible. There are several different things that you should consider to help you choose the right plastic material for your prototype:

• Purpose: The most important thing to consider when selecting a plastic material is the purpose of the part. If it’s purely functional, you want to focus on strength and durability, while if it’s an aesthetic part, you’ll want to focus on the overall appearance and appeal of the material. However, it’s likely that you need your part to offer a combination of aesthetic appeal and functionality. In this case, it’s important to assess the different qualities of various materials to find one that will offer the best balance of the characteristics you’re looking for in your prototype. It’s helpful to work with a company that specializes in fabricating or supplying plastic sheets in Utah to help you decide exactly what kind of material would be best for your specific project.
• Interaction with other parts: You need to pay attention to the way that the prototype you are designing will interact with other components of a larger part or product. Think about the conditions it will be exposed to including whether there will be extreme temperature variation, lots of friction or heavy loads placed on the component you are prototyping.
• Volume: The right kind of material for your prototype is largely dependent on the volume of your manufacturing. If you just want to make a large number of prototypes, you will need to design and build an injection molding tool that’s suitable for high-volume production.
• Availability: The availability of various plastic materials and plastic sheets in Utah can change for any number of reasons. Because there are so many different factors that can impact the availability of a material, it’s important that you do some research into the specific materials that you are thinking about using for your prototype. Consider whether the materials you are researching are available as sheets, rods, pipes or 3D printing sheets, depending on what form you need.

Regardless of the application, D&D Plastics understands how important material selection is when it comes to the manufacturing process. Since 1980, we have helped provide our customers with high quality plastic products that are suited for a wide range of projects, parts and applications. We can walk you through the material selection process and work with you to find the products that are going to provide you with the most favorable results possible. Give us a call today for help with all of your vacuum forming and plastic fabrication needs.

Categorised in: Plastic Sheets

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