Injection Molding with ULTEM®
Injection Molding ULTEM® can provide dimensional stability, heat resistance and excellent strength for any molded application or design. ULTEM® is used in a variety of applications including connectors, manifolds, medical handles, valves, aerospace components and many others. ULTEM® is often a great replacement for any metal because of its high heat deflection combined with how lightweight the material can be applied. It is used in a variety of industries including medical, healthcare, electric, instrumentation, fluid power, aerospace, food handling, semiconductor, transportation and chemical processing industries. ULTEM® can handle high heat as well as chemical resistance providing a solution to an engineer’s unique needs. Glass and Carbon can be added to ULTEM® for added strength and resistance for the most critical applications. There are FDA compliant ULTEM® versions available as well.
Characteristics of ULTEM®:
Heat Resistance
Strength
Dimensional Stability
Chemical Resistance
Flame Retardant
Visual Transparency
Some Part Design Suggestions:
Wall Thickness. Minimal thickness in all Injection Molding applications is ideal. In ULTEM® a wall thickness of .060” thick to .100” thick is ideal. Thinner and thicker walls are achievable depending on each application and design. The variations in thickness can increase or decrease costs depending on the overall design of the product.
Draft. Draft angles for ULTEM® are much like many other materials. One degree per side is ideal. Less of a draft is achievable, but potentially will affect cycle time and costing of the product. Bigger draft angles allow for a quicker cycle time and usually a decrease in overall cost of the components.
Radii. In your design, try to include a minimum radius of at least .015”, more will make the project easier to mold.
Tolerances. One of ULTEM®’s greatest attributes is its ability to maintain dimensional stability. ULTEM® has the ability to hold ±.001, but again the tighter the required tolerance the more likely cost will be driven up. Tolerances between ±.003 to ±.005 are easily achievable and will not impact the overall cost of a design.
Parts Molded out of ULTEM®
Back-up Rings
Blocks
Brackets
Bushings
Cams
Caps
Flanges
Hex Bolts
Housings
Manifolds
Medical Parts
Nozzles
Pads
Plugs
Rings
Rollers
Screws
Seals
Sheaves
Shoulder Bushings
Spacers
Supports
Valve Seats
Washers
Wear Pads
