Oricom Technologies
www.oricomtech.com
Plastics, Foams, Materials
Types: ABS, Acrylic, Butyrate, Carbon Composite, Delrin, EPP, Expanded PVC, Fiberglass, Nomex, Nylon, Phenolic, Polycarbonate, Polyester, Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Polystyrene, PVC, Styrene, Teflon, Tyvec, UHMW, Urethane

|> Miscellaneous Links

<| ABS

  • properties: highly durable, foam core versions.
  • uses: water pipes, plastic cases, white-water canoes.
  • brands: Kydex, Royalite.
    <| Acrylic
  • properties: low cost, somewhat brittle, high clarity, different colors and patterns, easily cut by scoring and snapping, heat formable - [1].
  • misc: popular with robotics, apparently a bad static producer.
  • brands: Plexiglass.
  • links: [1] [2] [3] [4].
    <| Butyrate
  • properties: clear, moderately flexible, thin cuts easily.
  • uses: mailing tubes and point-of-purchase parts containers.
    <| Carbon Composite
  • properties: carbon fibers suspended in epoxy; moldable like fiberglass; prone to cracking and delamination.
    <| Delrin (acetal)
  • properties: can be turned, milled, cut using std tools - [1].
  • uses: structural plastic. It often outperforms nylon at a modest cost premium.
  • brands: Delrin.
    <| Fiberglass
  • properties: epoxy or polyester plastic resin reinforced with glass fiber mats.
  • uses: boats, cars, building materials, insulation, printed circuit boards (FR4).
    <| Nomex
  • properties: stable, with very high temperature capabilities, good electrical properties.
  • uses: fire suits.
  • brands: Kapton.
    <| Nylon
  • properties: engineering thermoplastic, easy to machine, highly stable, injection molds.
  • uses: bearing surfaces.
    <| Phenolic
  • properties: older, brittle thermosetting plastic, brown in color, good electrical properties, reasonable temperature performance, cracks easily.
  • uses: cheap circuit boards.
    <| Polycarbonate
  • properties: tough, clear, replacement for acrylic.
  • uses: bulletproof windows.
  • brands: Lexan.
  • links: [1].
    <| Polyester
  • properties: dimensionally stable, strong in thin films, temperature resistance, (Mylar) mirrorizes.
  • uses: recording tape, laser-printed slides, decorative apps, solar screens.
  • brands: Mylar.
    <| Polyethylene
  • properties: flexible, slippery, low cost - [1].
  • uses: wide use, food bowls to adhesives, ziploc bags, construction films.
  • misc: linear polyethylene is improved and stronger.
  • links: [1] [2] [3] [4]

  • UHMW - (variant of polyethylene)
  • proporties: high molecular weight, very slippery, extreme cut and impact resistance.
  • uses: "self-healing" cutting blocks.
    <| Polypropylene - (variant of polyethylene)
  • properties: highly flexible, difficult to bond - [1]
  • uses: "unbreakable" hinges.

  • EPP - (expanded polypropylene)
  • properties: rigid yet flexible foam, compressible.
  • uses: packing material, model airplanes.
  • links: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11].
    <| PVC - (polyvinyl chloride)
  • properties: chemical resistance, heat formable, can be welded with heat gun + PVC rod - [1].
  • uses: printed circuit etchers, page protectors, sewer pipe, rigid vinyl.

  • Expanded PVC
  • properties: lighter weight and less dense than PVC.
  • uses: sheets make good robot base material - at thickness twice that of acrylic.
  • brands: Sintra.
  • links: [1]
    <| Styrene
  • properties: inexpensive, brittle, expands with heat, heat moldable.
  • uses: light foams, expandable beads, drinking cups.
  • links: tech info, [1] [2] [3] [4], styrofoam, Plastruct beams/etc.

  • Polystyrene - (improved form of styrene)
  • properties: can be made clear, good high frequency electrical properties, brittle, low melting point.
  • uses: polystyrene capacitors.
    <| Teflon
  • properties: fluorinated hydrocarbon, extremely slippery, good chemical resistance, expensive.
  • uses: frying pans.
    <| Tyvec
  • uses: paper replacement made from ground up polypropylene fibers.
  • properties: slick, impossibly tough mailers.
    <| Urethane
  • properties: durable, rubber-like, rigid to ultra flexible.
  • uses: low-temperature casting.

    <| Adhesives

  • Goop: also Shoe Goo, Zap-a-dap-goo, PFM [hobby-lobby.com] - binds to most materials inc ABS, doesn't dissolve, stays pliable, removable - [unchecked: thick silicon, said to dissolve white foam]

    <| Miscellaneous Links

  • Plastics: types [1] [2] [3], thermoplastics/polymers
  • Suppliers: plastics [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6], composites [1] [2], foam [1] [2] [3], Evergreen
  • Misc: misc, tubing, glue info, RoboStuff, thistothat
  • Static electricity: tutorial [1] [2], acrylic, carpets, airplanes [1] [2], info [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]
  • Vacuum Forming: Warm.Plastic, Cast.Craft, Shape-Master.
  • Molding - casting: shape deposition, jgreer, alumilite
  • 3D plastic prototyping: google, Pollack
  • Plastic Domes: Polydroids, Imagesco
  • Special Effects: Polytek, Cinefex
  • Silicon rubber: fishing lures, search
  • Misc: "The Prop Builder's Molding and Casting Handbook", F'rubber [Dave.Hanson]
  • Gordon McComb of Budget Robotics has an in-depth article about plastic casting in the Sept 2004 issue of Servo Magazine.

    <| TOP

    © Oricom Technologies, updated Sept 2004