EPP Corporation

Design Guide for Plastic Parts

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 15:18:58 +0000

How to use the Plastic Design Guide

Refer to the Design Considerations at the bottom of this page. Consider whether each item on the checklist is a factor in the application or affects performance requirements for the component design.
Select the categories that have the greatest affect on your application.
Review the materials in the Plastic Properties Handbook and make a list of possible material candidates.
Contact our technical support to discuss options or ask additional questions.

Plastic Machining Design Considerations

Thermosensitivity – tolerance can change in different temperature conditions
Sensitivity to humidity and hygroscopic absorption affects tolerance
Sensitivity to chemicals and oils
Notch sensitive corners and square ID’s
Tolerances
High loads
High impact
Fatigue loading or cycle loading requires consideration of flexing, deflecting, and compression
Temperature – max/min extent of time
Electrical considerations such as insulating properties
Wear resistance or abrasion resistance
Dimensional shape retention (load, cold flow, temperature)
Regulatory requirements (FDA, UL, etc.)
Appearance (color, texture)
Optical requirements
Outdoor use

Now that you’ve identified the important factors in your application, evaluate material specs in the Plastic Properties Handbook and select your material!

CNC Lathe

admin — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:54:32 +0000

Engineered Plastic Products Corporation has plastic CNC lathe expertise capable of turning plastic parts to any configuration. EPP can produce custom plastic turned components as large as 24″ diameter in high precision. Complicated custom plastic parts can be turned the CNC lathe with complete live tooling, or might include secondary operations.

Smaller high production designs under 3 3/8″ diameter can be produced on bar fed screw machines for maximum cost efficiency.

With over thirty four years of plastic CNC lathe experience, EPP is the first-choice for custom plastic CNC lathe parts. Contact us for a plastic CNC lathe quote that will meet your requirements.

CNC Milling

admin — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:02:29 +0000

Whether it is a complicated manifold from acrylic or Ultem or a simple slotted nylon component, EPP’s CNC Milling capabilities can provide cost effective parts which can be delivered without the need of inspection and arriving just as it is needed.

Typical Applications

Custom Milled Manifolds
Plastic Valve Bodies
Custom Plastic Water Valve Manifolds
Sensor Bodies and Sensor Housings

Brackets
Stoppers
Guides
Channels

Screw Machining

admin — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:05:15 +0000

EPP’s plastic screw machining capabilities will cost effectively produce your high precision, custom designed plastic screw machined parts. EPP uses automatic screw machining for low cost and the latest CNC technology for close tolerance and complicated designs.

Engineered Plastic Products Corporation can provide:

Automatic, bar fed screw machining that can handle diameters from .03″ to 3 3/8″
Plastic screw machining technology including Browne & Sharpe, Swiss and CNC
Screw machining lathe capacity for larger parts up to 24″
Secondary screw machining operations performed include milling, tapping and cross drilling

Examples of screw machined parts include:

Bushings
Rollers
Nuts

Spacers
Sleeves
Washers

Nozzles
Shoulder Bushings
Adapters

Injection Molding

admin — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:00:31 +0000

EPP Corporation specializes in Short-Run, Fast-Turn molding. The molding service is a cost-effective alternative to molding overseas from companies with long lead times and quality problems.

Lead times as short as 3 weeks
Highest quality on precision parts with tight tolerances
Ideal for quantities from 1 piece to 5,000 pieces
Both simple & complex 3D parts are welcome
Free application engineering available
Tool cost amortization eliminates up-front charges!

Low Cost Solution for New Product Development in a Down Economy

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:14:02 +0000

New product development teams nationwide are frustrated with corporate cost cutting and lack of capital for their R&D plans. Valuable projects are put on hold because R&D budgets cannot cover the expensive introductory costs of new tooling and initial manufacturing of new designs. In today’s economic environment, corporate cost cutting is needed to help companies survive the recession. However, if companies can develop new products that provide value at today’s price levels, they will emerge from this recession well ahead of the competition.

Many companies are searching for ways to move new product development projects forward without breaking the bank on initial investments. Research and development, prototypes, and pilot run quantities have to be completed with very minimal investment and without compromising flexibility of quantity and design.

Smart companies have employed strategies to enhance their new product development. A good example lies in companies manufacturing products that contain plastic parts. If projects have plastic components, then the cost of tooling can be a huge obstacle. Tooling and molds can cost tens of thousands of dollars. The solution: have the plastic parts machined. Prototypes as well as the first few years of production quantities can be produced for a fraction of the cost.

Machined plastic parts include little or no tooling charges, and can be delivered in two weeks. While molding requires full commitment to a part’s design, design changes to machined parts cost absolutely nothing. Request a Quote from a quality plastic machining vendor for a fast, cost-effective solution for new product development and launches.

Contact EPP Corporation now to see how plastic machining can help your new product hit the market and put your company ahead of the game!

Selecting a Plastic Machining Vendor: Looking for the Best

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:39:59 +0000

Selection of a truly qualified vendor is extremely important in today’s business environment. The time it takes to ask the right questions will pay big dividends – helping you obtain high quality machined plastic parts. And even though the rules for service and quality seem to be continually evolving, getting the best part at the lowest possible price is still the golden rule of purchasing.

If you’re looking for a plastic machining supplier, don’t settle for anything less than the best. Request a Quote from EPP Corporation today.

Click Here to return to “How to Select the Correct Plastic Machining Vendor.”

Selecting a Plastic Machining Vendor: Quality & Price

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:33:40 +0000

Quality, of course, is directly related to price. Make sure the vendors you interview can provide the highest quality part at the lowest price. Plastic machining vendors can keep errors to a minimum if they are highly process driven, are ISO Certified, use documented SPC procedures, and own the proper inspection equipment such as CMM or video inspection systems. The company with the fewest errors will produce the highest quality and at the lowest cost.

Make sure the supplier is familiar with each machining process you need for your application, as well as with the specific plastic material you will be using. Experience, more than anything else, will help make sure a supplier offers you the most cost-effective part with the best quality.

If you’d like to see how a process driven, high quality machining vendor compares to your current supplier, Request a Quote from EPP Corporation.

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Selecting a Plastic Machining Vendor: Equipment

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:22:14 +0000

Ask about the type of equipment the potential vendor uses. The well-equipped plastic machining vendor will look pretty much like a metal machining shop, but the bona fide specialist will have equipment that has been adjusted or re-built expressly for machining plastic material. The right equipment will machine plastic using the correct speeds, feeds and tooling, and won’t pose the threat of contamination faced when metal-machining equipment is utilized. The right equipment will also insure higher quality parts with better finishes and less chance of chips, burrs and other imperfections.

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Selecting a Plastic Machining Vendor: Purchasing Practices

admin — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:58:19 +0000

Just as a metal machine shop is unlikely to have the material knowledge you need, neither are they going to be able to purchase plastics in large enough quantities to provide you with the best price.

Likewise, find out if the plastic machining vendor candidates you are considering can purchase materials directly from material manufacturer. If they rely on plastic distributors for materials, make sure their vendors are up on the latest material technology. Plastic technology is constantly changing with new materials introduced all the time.

One of your goals should be to make sure that your plastic machining firm’s materials purchasing practices are as good as yours.

To find out more about EPP Corporation’s purchasing practices, contact us today!

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