What You Need to Know About Precision Polycarbonate Parts

Polycarbonate is a plastic material that’s been used for over 100 years. It was one of the first polymers to be used, and was discovered in 1898 by Alfred Einhorn. Since polycarbonates were discovered, the material has been used across a variety of consumer and industrial products.

In this post, we’ll share some common uses for polycarbonate and how we machine precision polycarbonate parts and components.

Common polycarbonate parts and their uses

Polycarbonate can be formed and machines into virtually any shape. We use polycarbonate to manufacture custom:

Adapters
Connectors
Fittings
Nuts
Pins
Screws
Housings

Polycarbonate is transparent, so it’s used for lenses, shatter-proof windows, and car headlight covers. It can also be machined to manufacture precision components.

Polycarbonate is known for its durability and corrosion resistance. It’s much lighter than most metals, which makes it a good option for aircraft and vehicles. It’s also easy to machine, which allows for lower costs and fast production. Polycarbonate has nearly 2x the impact strength compared to its nearest neighbors, ABS and PVC. This makes polycarbonate parts suitable for a wider range of use cases that require durability.

It’s important to note that PC parts are influenced more by temperature compared to metal. as the temperature increases, polycarbonate parts will expand or lengthen, and as the temperature decreases, the material will contract or shorten. This can impact its use in assemblies.

Polycarbonate is also not as resistant to chemicals. The material can handle limited exposure to mineral acids, alcohol, mild soaps, oils and greases. But prolonged exposure can lead to corrosion and discoloring. The impact of chemicals depends on other factors such as temperature, concentration of the chemicals, and length of exposure.

Overall, polycarbonate parts are durable and can be used in various industries.

How are polycarbonate parts machined?

There are a few different ways that polycarbonate can be formed into parts and components.

The main three are:

Injection molding the material.
Heating the material and bending it into shape.
Using a CNC machine to cut and shape parts from bar stock.

Thermoforming is a process where heat is applied to a polycarbonate sheet, and the material is bent into the desired shape. This is popular for mid- to large-sized parts in limited quantities.

Things like plates, water bottles, and car headlight covers are usually made through an injection mold. The material is heated up until it’s liquified and poured into a pressurized mold. The material cools down and holds the form of the mold. 3D printing can also be used to make polycarbonate parts, but it’s inefficient for higher quantities (50+) of identical parts. 3D printing is best used for rapid prototypes.

To manufacture high quantities of precise polycarbonate parts, CNC machining is the most efficient option. Precise injection molds can be expensive, and the process is slower than CNC machines because the material needs to be melted and cooled down. CNC machines are able to produce thousands of identical parts, making the process significantly more efficient and less expensive. CNC machines can cut and drill polycarbonate parts within 0.001” tolerances.

After the part design is uploaded by the machinist, long pieces of polycarbonate bar stock are loaded into the CNC machine. The machines use various cutting tools to form the desired shape and size of the part. Once the CNC machine is set up and running, it can manufacture parts very quickly without much human intervention.

Benefits of using polycarbonate for precision parts

Polycarbonate is a versatile material that can be used in many different industries and applications.

Here are a few benefits of this material:

Good heat resistance
Easily machinable
Good weather resistance for outdoor uses
High impact strength
Great optical clarity
Recyclable
Good electrical insulation

Order custom polycarbonate parts

Spex has the capability to manufacture high-precision, custom polycarbonate parts. We can work with your team to manufacture parts and components that match your exact needs. We take full advantage of our robust supply chain management abilities, and deliver the parts you need, when you need them. Our experienced machinists and quality assurance team keep customer satisfaction at the top of the priority list.

We are an ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturer and our capabilities range from rapid prototyping to limitless capacity. If you need polycarbonate parts, fittings, and components, reach out to our team with any questions.