Plastics Products - Boat window

PMMA – Acrylic

Clear Acrylic Sheet was first developed in the 1930’s and is one of the most commonly used and versatile plastic sheeting materials in the world today. Acrylic Sheets are strong, lightweight, glass-like plastic with excellent outdoor weather proof capabilities and optical clarity. Seventeen times stronger than glass, at half the weight, clear acrylic sheets are a safer option as there is less change of breakage. Not only is acrylic sheet a sound, durable option, it is also 100% recyclable and suitable for food contact. Acrylic Sheets offer unrivalled versatility and is easy to fabricate, glue and bend. It is available in clear, colours and tints.

Gippsland Plastic and rubber offer a complete plastic sheet range with a cut to size service for Plastic Sheet, Rod and Tube.

Applications

  • Golf Cart Screens
  • Acrylic Displays
  • ATV Screens
  • Sneeze Guards
  • Boat Windows
  • Signage
  • Horse Float Windows
  • Display Cabinets
Plastics Products - golf cart window

PC – Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate is the toughest transparent sheet available today. Together with a combination of balanced properties it is an ideal choice for signage, fabrication, security and architectural applications. The range of Polycarbonates available includes abrasion resistant with hard-coat surface treatment, UV coating and matt non reflective anti glare. Polycarbonate is stocked in a wide range of sizes and thicknesses.

Polycarbonate is a tough, dimensionally stable, transparent thermoplastic that has many applications and is approximately 250 times tougher than glass. Polycarbonate's versatile thermoplastic maintains its properties over a wide range of temperatures, from -20°C to 140°C It has the highest impact resistance of any thermoplastic, transparent up to 32mm thick in special grades, outstanding dimensional and thermal stability, it is exceptional with machine applications, stain resistant and non-toxic with low water absorption. Polycarbonate is optically clear, providing total luminous transmittance and a very low haze factor.

Impact strength:
The high impact strength makes it resistant to repeated blows, shattering and spalling.
Un notched polycarbonate is virtually unbreakable, making it extremely safe in areas where parts may be exposed to impact.

  • Machine Guards
  • Roofing
  • Signage
  • Security Glazing
  • Balustrades Golf Cart and ATV Screens
  • Earth Moving Equipment
  • Screens
  • Boat Windows
  • Public Transport Windows
  • Bus Shelters
  • Noise Walls

Polyethylene

HDPE

HDPE ( High Density Polyethylene) has excellent impact strength, even at temperatures as low as -30ºC. HDPE high density polyethylene is widely used in automotive, leisure and industrial applications and is particularly suitable for the fabrication of tanks, silos, hoppers etc.

High-density polyethylene is a polyethylene thermoplastic made from petroleum. Known for its large strength to density ratio, HDPE is commonly used in the production of plastic bottles, corrosion-resistant piping, geomembranes, and wood replacement products.

HDPE has good resistance to stress cracking, has good water absorption, it is food grade suitable and with good electrical properties and high impact strength. HDPE also has outstanding long term behavior with good slip properties.

UHMWPE

UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) is frequently used in high-wear applications, from wear strips under conveyors to guide rails in bottling plants, or scraper blades on road rollers. UHMWPE sheets are used for lining bulk storage hoppers where low-friction, anti-stick and abrasion-resistant properties solve feed and wear problems.

UHMWPE is a tough light weight material, it is resistant to dilute acids, cleaning agents and Nemours solvents. It has good electrical insulation and water absorption and can be used for chopping boards, food processing, wear strips and much more...

Advantages of UHMWPE Sheet

  • Odourless, tasteless, and nontoxic
  • Has extremely low moisture absorption
  • Very low coefficient of friction
  • UHMWPE doesn’t become brittle until the temperature gets below −150 °C
  • Lubricates itself and is highly abrasion resistant
  • It’s resistant to water, moisture and most chemicals
  • It’s resistant to UV radiation, and micro-organisms

UHMWPE will outperform almost any engineering plastic for abrasion resistance and is probably one of the best materials for lining chutes and hoppers for products such as sand, aggregate and concrete or any other highly abrasive moving product.

Another important property is it's incredibly low co-efficient of friction. It is one of the lowest of all engineering plastics and will produce components with a very high life span with very low drag, which means very little will stick to it. It is also resistant to many dilute acids, solvents and cleaning agents.

UHMWPE has a maximum continuous operating temperature of plus 90°C and a short term operating temperature of plus 120°C. Its a very tough material, with the highest impact strength of any thermoplastic presently made.

Because it has very low moisture absorption, it is also found in some high demand areas of marine applications. UHMWPE is also sometimes used in some cryogenic components due to its low operating temperature abilities.

Due to its resistance to wear and impact, UHMWPE continues to find increasing industrial applications, including the automotive, manufacturing and bottling sectors.

Plastics Products - Horse trailer window

Uniboard – HDPE & PP (Timber Replacement Material)

Uniboard is a recycled plastic sheet which is a marine ply alternative, ideal for the construction industry. Uniboard combines the advantages of plastics and timber, it is low weight and easy to handle while being water resistant. Uniboard is ideally suited to wet applications particularly where traditional timber materials such as plywood and marine ply are susceptible to rot.

Uniboard marine ply replacement materials have very low moisture adsorption, high mechanical strength, are chemical resistance, and are able to be machined, which allows this product to be used across a wide range of timber replacement applications.

Some of the benefits and applications include:-

Benefits

  • Good Strength to weight ratio
  • Low maintenance
  • Will not rot or swell
  • UV Resistant

Applications

  • Horse trailer side walls, floors
  • Stable partitions
  • Feed troughs
  • Battery boxes
  • Industrial flooring

PTFE – Teflon

PTFE Teflon is a familiar trade name for polytetrafluoroethylene is a very useful material because it has a unique combination of properties. PTFE is chemically inert, weatherable, excellent electrical insulation, high temperature resistance, a low coefficient of friction and non-adhesive properties.

PTFE Sheet, PTFE Rods, PTFE Cylinders and PTFE Tube is resistant to practically every chemical known to man and has a surface as slippery as ice on ice to which no substance will adhere. PTFE will operate continuously at 260°C in harsh conditions for long periods. It will not degrade when exposed to long term sunlight.

Properties of PTFE Sheet, Rod, Cylinders and Tube: 

  • Excellent chemical resistance
  • Lowest co-efficient of friction
  • Highest operating temperature and stability
  • Physiologically inert
  • Excellent electrical properties

PVC

Regular PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is a common, strong but lightweight plastic used in construction. It is made softer and more flexible by the addition of plasticizers. If no plasticizers are added, it is known as UPVC (unplasticized polyvinyl chloride), rigid PVC.

Usage of PVC has grown steadily since its introduction in the early 1930's to become a very widely used plastic in a myriad of uses from films and mouldings to extruded pipe. PVC has excellent resistance to water and aqueous solutions, but it is attacked severely by stronger solvents such as aromatic hydrocarbons, ketones, esters and chlorinated solvents.

PVC products rapidly became essential to the construction industry because of the plastic's resistance to light, chemicals and corrosion which makes it the best option for building applications.

Improvement made to the materials’ resistance to extreme temperatures. PVC's low cost, excellent durability and process ability, make it the material of choice for dozens of industries such as health care, IT, transport, textiles and construction.

ABS

ABS is an opaque thermoplastic that possesses a diverse combination of properties. ABS is characterized by resistance to chemicals, heat and impact.

ABS is a low cost engineering plastic that is easy to machine and fabricate. ABS is an ideal material for structural applications when impact resistance, strength, and stiffness are required. It is widely used for machining pre-production prototypes since it has excellent dimensional stability and is easy to paint and glue. Natural (beige) ABS and black ABS can be used for food processing applications.

ABS plastic is not typically used in high heat situations due to its low melting point.

Advantages                                                                                                            

  • Excellent impact resistance
  • Good machine ability
  • Excellent aesthetic qualities
  • Easy to paint and glue
  • Good strength and stiffness

Applications

  • Covers
  • Wheel Chair Trays
  • Tool or Storage Boxes
  • Battery Cases
  • Automotive Parts

PP – Polypropylene

Polypropylene is used for a wide number of different products. Due to the resistance to fatigue, this means that it can be used on items that are going to have high stress, such as hinge mechanisms on water bottles and more. It is also used in manufacturing piping systems, as well as chairs, and in medical or laboratory use.

Polypropylene does not react with water, detergents, acids or bases so it will not break down easily, it is resistant to cracking and stress even when flexed. It is durable and withstands daily wear and tear. Polypropylene is tough and robust making it ideal for products such as car bumpers and medical tools.

Polypropylene offers many different advantages. These advantages allow it to be used for a wide variety of different products and uses, from high heat to cold weather and more.

Advantages

  • Has a moderate strength and stability
  • Resistant to fatigue
  • Chemically resistant to most chemicals and solvents
  • Offers good insulation
  • Excellent impact strength
  • Excellent moisture resistance
  • High temperature resistance

POM – Acetal

POM (Polyoxymethylene), also known as acetalpolyacetal and polyformaldehyde, is an engineering thermoplastic used in precision parts which require high stiffness, low friction and excellent dimensional stability.

Because of its high strength, modulus, and resistance to impact and fatigue, it is used as a weight-saving metal replacement. 

The acetal resins are among the strongest and stiffest of all thermoplastics, and are characterized by good fatigue life, low moisture sensitivity, high resistance to solvents and chemicals, and good electrical properties. Because of these properties, acetals often compete with nylons for many of the same applications. The main area of application for acetal is industrial and mechanical products.

Advantages

  • High strength and stiffness
  • More creep resistant than nylon
  • Good resistance to solvents (except acids and alkalies)
  • Excellent for mechanical parts or electrical insulators
  • Highly machine able
  • Great wear resistance