Don’t assume those fantastic thermoplastics are expensive – because it’s just a myth.

Even though engineers these days are much better educated about the advantages of plastics over metals in many important applications, there is one myth that is very hard to kill - and that concerns pricing.

Because thermoplastics have such outstanding advantages – high strength, lower wear, lower co-efficient of friction no lubrication, no corrosion – people tend to assume they much be much more expensive.

This is so often not the case. Indeed, with one of the most ubiquitous and hard working of thermoplastics, Nylon (Ertalon/Nylatron), the cost can actually be three, four and five times cheaper than metals or alloys that will not do as good a job.

The arguments for Nylon become more compelling when you consider the general advantages it has over all the metals above: including light weight and high specific strength; corrosion and chemical resistance; electrical and thermal insulation; and being easily shaped and coloured.

Benefits in PRICE

Costs are approximate only

Supplied and engineered by Dotmar Engineering Plastics, the range of Nylon stock shapes can be engineered to suit applications requiring high mechanical strength, stiffness hardness and toughness, fatigue resistance, high mechanical damping ability, good sliding properties, noise damping, electrical insulating, dielectric properties and excellent wear resistance.

These unmistakable characteristics and performance level are equal to - and often better than - those embodied by metal alternatives, but at much less expense.

Benefits of Plastics vs Metal

General

• Low density & high specific strength
• Corrosion & chemical resistance
• Electrical & thermal insulation
• Easily shaped
• Colouring possible

Wire Rope & Sheaves

• Lightweight
• Corrosion resistance
• 2-3 times sheave wear life
• 2-6 times the rope life

Bushes/Bearing & Gears

• No lubrication required
• Lower co-efficient of friction
• Wear life increased many time
• Reduced wear to counter face

As a result, production efficiencies are increased and downtime greatly reduced in applications extending across manufacturing, materials handling, mining, marine, transport and packaging industries as well as general engineering.