May 14, 2010 OEM’s Turn to Connecticut Plastics for Plastic Fabrication Services

Finding a machine shop may not be difficult, but finding one that specializes only in plastic machining is another story. Connecticut Plastics is an industry leading expert in precision plastic machining, and provides the highest quality precision plastic components for various industries including aerospace, medical, robotics, electronics, and testing & measurement OEM’s.

Connecticut Plastics stays ahead of the competition by keeping up with the latest technology and materials for every industry they serve. They work with material manufacturers like DuPont, Quadrant, Ensinger, and others to ensure that they receive and provide the latest in plastic polymer materials. With over 30 years of experience providing plastic fabrication services to customers around the world, they have the knowledge and skills to meet industry standards and specifications for almost any project. Close tolerances can be met and difficult parts are never a problem.

Connecticut Plastics uses the latest equipment and machines to provide the parts you need, machined to your exact specifications and delivered on time. Their commitment to quality and efficiency means a smoother production process that produces better results for a successful project. Here is an example of what customer’s have to say about Connecticut Plastics:

“Hi Tom,

Just a note to let you know we received the balance of our order for the 20 machined PETG specimen compression devices, and they were beautiful. Expertly machined, clean as a whistle and flawlessly packaged. They worked well, too.

Please pass along our thanks to your employees for a job well done. I won’t hesitate to use or recommend your company in the future!

-Tom J., Product Development Engineer – Medical Device Industry”

Since its incorporation in 1980, Connecticut Plastics has been manufacturing precision machined plastic components for Original Equipment Manufacturers around the world. Connecticut Plastics takes pride in providing professional customer service and quality products to all of their customers on every single job. In addition to precision machining of plastics, Connecticut Plastics also provides annealing services, small assembly, and plastic polishing including vapor polishing. We also specialize in producing bonded manifolds for our customers who are looking to reduce space, weight and installation time and error by including a fluidic manifold in their design.

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5 Comments Posted by Thomas Rohlfs in plastic fabrication
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April 21, 2010 Plastic Stress Test Protocols

High stress levels in plastic are a common cause of component field failures. Stress cracks or surface crazing near stress concentrators like threads can be a sign of future problems. Sometimes stress is not visible until the component is subject to loading or exposure to chemicals by the end user.

Connecticut Plastics has protocols for testing components for stress after machining. These range from total destructive testing to optical stress measurement. While not all components require annealing, there may be advantages for some materials and part configurations. Materials most sensitive to field failures are Acrylic, Polycarbonate, Ultem, Polysulfone and Noryl.

Failures arising from hasty material selection are not uncommon in the plastic industry. Careful consideration of your application and target performance is crucial to choosing the right plastic material.

Polycarbonate machined part showing stress cracks

Polycarbonate Machined Components - One showing Stress Cracks

Residual stress in machined or molded plastic parts is often a concern for engineers determining life span of a device. In conjunction with annealing, Connecticut Plastics offers stress testing and measurement. We can provide either optical or chemical testing to detect stress concentration after plastic machining. This approach takes into account both material and configuration effects.

Connecticut Plastics has multiple programmable ovens for precise control of the stress relieving process. We can anneal components that are manufactured by us or by our customers. Injection molded blanks also may benefit from a stress relieving process.

Stress relieving and annealing, stress testing and measurement are topics that can be best covered by speaking with our engineering department. Through special processing, Connecticut Plastics can produce a very low stress plastic component. Customers can request a lab stress test along with a production run to ensure suitability for their application. For help with material selection and testing of your prototype please contact Connecticut Plastics. Call Pete Poodiack at 203-265-3299 X 20, or email at pete@connplastics.com.

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9 Comments Posted by Thomas Rohlfs in plastic stress relief
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March 18, 2010 To Achieve a Burr Free Surface Finish Takes Experience
Engineers and designers often ask questions regarding surface finish in plastic machining. Usually, they have had a negative experience working with a metal shop or realize that a good, burr-free finish is essential to the success of the product. With 30-plus years of experience, Connecticut Plastics will produce on average a 32 finish for most components and materials. This includes more difficult soft materials such as polypropylene and UHMW-PE. Machining without burrs is a cornerstone of our success. The surest way to manage burrs in plastic is to not make them.

Requirements for machined finishes below 32 are increasingly more difficult. In this range, material type and part configuration play a more dominant role. However, using proprietary tooling, a superior finish can be achieved with some materials. Values have reached 10-15 micro inches in certain instances.

Showing Optically Clear Burr Free Surface Finish

Showing Optically Clear Burr Free Surface Finish

Specialized tooling is also capable of optical-quality finishing. Materials such as polycarbonate and acrylic can be machined clear. This process can be configuration limited, however, and is best suited for exterior work. Interior work — such as bores or cavities — have some success, while this technique is not applicable to features such as tapped holes.

Please visit our website for more information on finishes, or to request a quote. Or you can view more photos of plastic components by clicking here.

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6 Comments Posted by Thomas Rohlfs in burr free surface finish
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