×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

What Type of plastic to use

What Type of plastic to use

What Type of plastic to use

(OP)
I have just filed a patent for a hand tool for the electrical trade and have been tossing around the idea of trying to manufacturer this tool in plastic. This tool is struck by a hammer with a mild blow, most of the force is absorbed by what the tool rests on and does. I would equate the force used as the same as used to start a sheetrock nailin sheetrock,(I hope that helps)
Tips on what kind of plastic to use in this situation would be of great service to me.
Before I contact manufactures I would like to sound at least a little knowledgeable in this field.
Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Pete Tschudy

RE: What Type of plastic to use

Hi
I would suggest you use polycarbonate

Chinmay Kanuga
ckanuga@usa.net
Plastics Engineering
University of Massachusetts

RE: What Type of plastic to use

Hi Boltazar,

I would recommend either Valox or Cycaloy, trademarks of GE Plastics These are ABS and PC/ABS blends essentially. You can/should visit www.geplastics.com and see what balance of properties are available to best suit your needs.

GEPlastics is also extremely helpful if you have any quesitons on their products, I've email corresponded with their technical people on a few occasions where I had to find just the right obscure material for an obscure project!

Hope this is somewhat helpful

Best Regards,

Paul R

RE: What Type of plastic to use

Plastics that are "tough" (have relatively high strain energy capacity) include nylon (ABS), delrin and those previously recommended.  Impact resistance and fatigue strength will allow you to "size" the plastic for proper effect.  "Soft-blow" hammers (steel coated with plastic and hollow with shot balls) have been used for years.  Plastic hammers (solid rubber) have also been used by mechanics for years - they have a "bounce" to them however and may not behave as you intend.  The bulk modulus and modulus of elasticity (non-linear for plastics) will affect this "bounce" behavior.  

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources