Material Recommendation - Step 6

Determine the machinability of your material options.

Machinability can also be a material selection criterion. All of the Alternative Engineering products in this site are stress relieved to enhance machinability. In general, glass and carbon reinforced grades are considerably more abrasive on tooling and are more notch sensitive during machining than unfilled grades. Reinforced grades are commonly more stable during machining. 

Because of their extreme hardness, imidized materials (i.e., Torlon* PAI, Duratron® PI and Celazole* PBI) can be challenging to fabricate. Carbide and polycrystalline diamond tools should be used during machining of these materials. To aid you in assessing machinability, a relative rating for each material can be found on the property comparison charts.

Make sure you receive what you specify.

The properties listed in this site are for Alternative Engineering materials only. Be sure you are not purchasing an inferior product. Request product certifications when you order. 

Engineering Notes:

All material have inherent limitations that must be considered when designing parts. To make limitations clear, each material profiled in this site has an Engineering Notes section dedicated to identifying these attributes. 

We hope our candour about material strengths and weaknesses simplifies your selection process. For additional information, please contact us.