Polypropylene is the ideal material for the plating industry. Exceptional chemical resistance, excellent stiffness, combined with temperature resistance make it perfect for plating operations.
Chemical Resistance
One of the outstanding characteristics of polypropylene is its exceptional chemical resistance. In addition, polypropylene maintains its structural integrity and properties even in the presence of aggressive solvents, detergents, and corrosive chemicals. This robustness makes it the ideal choice for situations that require significant resistance to chemical attack.
Durability
Polypropylene is also renowned for its exceptional toughness and remarkable fatigue resistance. This means it can withstand repeated mechanical stresses over time without suffering significant damage. This characteristic makes it a great choice for applications that require consistent resistance to continuous mechanical stress. In plating environments where longevity is needed, polypropylene is usually the first choice of material.
Strength
To improve on polypropylene’s already impressive mechanical properties, we favor glass-filled resins for even better stiffness. (30%) Glass-filled PP drastically increases polypropylene’s rigitiy an load-bearing capacity compared to unfilled PP. The fibers act as a reinforcement, distributing stress and providing greater resistance to deformation. Glass-filled polypropylene exhibits excellent impact resistance due to the reinforcing effect of glass fibers. The fibers help absorb and disperse energy upon impact, reducing the risk of cracks and fractures.
Improved temperature resistance with 40% filled compounds reaching up to 300ºF for high temperature applications.
Carbon fibers can be used to reinforce plastic, offering even greater strength and stiffness than glass. However for sliding friction applications, glass-filled PP is not suitable as it will have an abrasive effect on the mating part.
Flexibility
Not every 3D printing shop wants to handle polypropylene because its notoriously difficult to print. However, Gizmo Engineering specializes in polypropylene because we are focused on plating, and there’s no substitute for polypropylene in the plating industry. As a result, we have made everything from tank clips, mounts, knobs, trays, housings and much more. Usually the resulting part is stronger than the equivalent part produced by machining or welding.
The only limitation is that machines are currently limited to a maximum part size of 14″ x 14″ x 14″. We sometimes can produce larger parts by tiling pieces together. But beyond that limitation, anything is possible. We’ll take if from a napkin sketch concept to completed part quickly. To find out more please email your part to peter@gizmo-engineering.com, or call to discuss!