Worlds Largest Acetal Rod Made By Gehr Plastics

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Gehr Plastics Announces Huge 24″ Diameter Acetal Rod

Gehr Plastics is an industry leader in large high performance plastic materials. They announced at this years IAPD Conference in San Diego, the new production of 24″ diameter (600mm) Natural Copolymer Acetal Rod.Gehr Plastics 24

24″ Diameter Is Worlds Largest Acetal Rod

Gehr Plastics has been an innovator in the large cross section plastics market. This new 24″ diameter (600mm) is the Worlds Largest Copolymer Acetal Rod. They also produce a Copolymer Acetal Sheet that is 8.0″ thick, also the Worlds Largest.

Being an industry leader is more than making the largest material, it is also about making the best quality material. Gehr Plastics is ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 approved and certified, guaranteeing a consistently high quality product. The product line that Gehr Plastics produces is also quite large. The materials include: ABS, Acetal (POM-C and POM-H), HDPE, Kynar, Noryl, Nylon, PEEK, PEI, Polypropylene, Polysulfone, PPO, PVC (Type 1, Type 2 and CPVC), PVDF and Ultem materials. All of these materials are available in a wide range of sizes, and yes, some of the largest.

Gehr Plastics Long History

Gehr Plastics has been leading the industry in innovation since 1932, and is now in the third generation of family owned and operation. From the wide range of materials to the extremes in size range, this is cutting edge performance from a family run company. They also released a web-app for picking plastic materials, Gehr Plastic Selection Tool, and it is also available for mobile devices. This comparison tool compares not only plastics, but metals as well, for a great look at the best physical properties for an application.

While quality and size are keystones to excellence, Gehr Plastics is also interested in materials that the rest of the industry has not considered. Over the last several years, Gehr has produced some PLA materials (made from plants) and even a Clear Nylon Rod for higher temperature sight-glass applications. These are just a few of the cutting edge areas that Gehr Plastics is leading in this industry.

Industrial Plastics is Master Distributor

Gehr Plastics materials are sold through a tight network of Master Distributors throughout the United States. Industrial Plastic Supply, Inc. of Anaheim, CA is proud to be one of the top selected suppliers of these innovative materials. Contact us for any of these high quality and wide size range materials, call us @ 866-832-9315 or send us a note here.

Google Author – Hayden Hess

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Is HDPE sheet and Delrin Sheet The Same Materials?

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Is HDPE Sheet and Acetal Sheet (Delrin) the same?

Here is another popular question asked by our clients. Is HDPE the same as Acetal / Delrin?
No, they are two totally different materials. Although the natural color of both is a milky white to opaque white, and they do look a bit similar, they are not. (HDPE is milky white to almost translucent depending on thickness, and Acetal is a more opaque white to slightly milky – once again depending on thickness . See picture below of .500″ thick samples of HDPE and Acetal sheets)

HDPE and Acetal – Some DifferencesHDPE sheet and Acetal sheet Natural Color Samples Both .500" thick sheet

The HDPE sheet and rod is a softer material, and is commonly known for its FDA certification and used in numerous food applications, such as: one gallon milk jugs, cutting boards, colored water glasses/cups, and many, many more. While it can be machined, because it is a bit softer and lighter, the tolerances it can be machined to are not very tight. It is not bondable, so it makes a great non-stick surface for sticky foods and adhesives.


The Acetal / Delrin also have FDA certification, and are used heavily in the food processing industry. This material is a more mechanical material and is used in bearing and wear applications, cams, feeder screws, etc. This material is can be machined to tight tolerances, and will wear for long periods without lubrication. Due to its exceptional wear properties, it is not bondable, thus requiring mechanical fastening or threads to assemble. It has a very low water absorption, and you will find it in your toilet tank as the white moving parts in the filler mechanism. It is an extremely popular material for machinists, as it works much like soft brass.

While HDPE Sheet and Acetal Sheet look similar, they perform quite a bit differently.

While both materials are FDA approved, are machinable and can be used to make rigid wear resistant parts, they are two different resins and have drastically different physical properties. Another major difference is in the weight of these items, HDPE sheet and rod material weighs about 35% less than the Acetal sheet and rod material. Please check the data sheets for more information to assist in proper material selection. Acetal Data Sheet and HDPE Sheet Data

Acetal is commonly known as: Delrin, Ensital, Unital, Pomalux, Ultraform and many more.

HDPE is also known as: Ultraethylux, Densetec, Polystone G, Fortiflex, Versadur, Hostalen, and many more.

Contact us for more details on the HDPE and Acetal families of plastic materials, e-mail us or call 866-832-9315
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Topic: HDPE sheet and Delrin Sheet (Acetal Sheet)

Why You Should Use Dupont Delrin Versus Acetal Rod

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Dupont Delrin rod and Acetal Rods

Many of our clients assume that Delrin rod and Acetal rod is the same thing. This is not quite true. Yes, all Delrin rod is Acetal rod, but not all Acetal rod is Delrin rod. Delrin is a trade name for Homo-Polymer Acetal made by Dupont. This is the most recognized of all Acetal materials, but far from the only available Acetal material.Black and Natural Acetal - Delrin Rod
The Co-Polymer Acetal is produced by a wide variety of large plastic manufacturers, BASF is probably one of the largest and most well known. Some main resin names are: BASF Ultraform H4320, Kepital F10-02, or Hostaform M25. While Delrin is a wonderful material, in larger cross sections or larger diameters, the Delrin brand Homo-Polymer can exhibit center line porosity. This can sometimes be seen with the naked eye, and is a darker white in a normally milky white natural colored material. This center line porosity can cause problems in some applications. This porosity can cause leakage of fluid if under pressure, or ‘soft centers’ of Delrin Rod and Delrin Sheet.

This should not stop you from considering Delrin though. Many other properties of the Delrin resin are superior to the Co-Polymer resins. These properties are:

General Property ASTM
Test		 Typical Value
Unfilled Delrin®
Homo-Polymer		 Typical Value
Unfilled Co-Polymer
Specific Gravity D792 1.42 1.40
Tensile Strength Yield D638 9,600 – 11,000 9,000 – 10,200
Tensile Modulus D638 450,000 400,000
Izod Impact – Notched D256 1.2 1.0
Hardness – Rockwell D785 M94 M90
Deflection Temp @ 264psi D648 257 220
Deflection Temp @ 66 psi D648 347 335
Water Absorption @ 24 hrs
 % 0.24 0.25
Co. Thermal Expansion D696 6.83X10-5 5.4X10-5

The key properties that Delrin are: higher tensile strength, increased Izod impact, higher deflection temperatures and it is slightly harder. The co-efficient of thermal expansion is a bit higher, and needs to be considered when designing a new part. Delrin brand material also comes in several resin variations, including: Delrin 150 and Delrin 507, contact us for details.

Many of our clients prefer the Delrin brand rod and sheet for small machined parts. This is due to the increase in a few key properties, and of course brand recognition. Both resins meet the standard ASTM-D-6778, and the cancelled specs, L-P-395 and ASTM-D-4181.Colored Acetal - Delrin Rod - Pomalux

The Acetal family of plastic resins are excellent for wear resistance, great mechanical strength, and superior machining properties. It is available in a huge range of sizes and shapes. Click here for more details on Acetal – Delrin Rod, and sometimes referred to as plastic dowel. We also have the capacity to supply colored Acetal – Delrin rod; click here from more details on the colored Acetal material.

Similar materials to Acetal – Delrin are Nylon Rod, PET Rod and Noryl Rod. Most materials are available as round rod, square rod, bar, strip, sheet and plate.

Please contact us for more details on these and other plastic materials. For a comparison chart of plastic materials click here: Plastic Materials Selection Guide

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Large Plastic Sheet and Plastic Rods from Gehr Plastics

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Large engineering plastic from Gehr Plastics

One of our secret claims to fame

Since 1975 we have provided large diameter plastic rods and thick plastic sheets, plates, slabs and blocks. One of our long time ‘secret’ sources has been Gehr Plastics. Since 1932 the Gehr family has owned and operated the Gehr Plastics company. They are a worldwide leader in semi-finished plastic shapes in thermoplastics, primarily sheet and rod. The headquarters for Gehr Plastics is in Mannheim, in south western Germany. For almost 30 years, Gehr Plastics has had production facilities in the Philadelphia area, providing the USA with the same high quality plastic shapes. When we mention large diameter rod, we mean it! Gehr can produce plastic rod up to almost 20″ diameter in several grades of plastic. They also produce sheet plastics up to 8″ thick, and make the largest materials of most manufacturers of plastic sheets and rods.

At Gehr Plastics, Quality Engineering Plastic Comes First

Our first purchases with Gehr Plastics was in the PVC rod family. Once again, they make huge cross sections in many materials, including the PVC rod. Many manufacturers struggle with large sections of PVC rod because keeping it void free throughout the large diameter is very difficult. Not for Gehr Plastics, they specialize in engineering plastic materials. We have chosen this high quality manufacture for their exceptional product quality. We know the demands of our client base, and only choose the best factories to supply our products. Gehr is definitely one of the premier plastics producers in the world. While the quality of the PVC rod is excellent, the rest of the Gehr Plastics product line is also some of the best plastic semi-finished shapes available in the market place. Here is a list of some of the many materials that Gehr Plastic produces:

Many of the above items are also available in sheets, plates, slabs or blocks.Gehr Plastics PVC, ABS, POM-C, Acetal and Ultem Rods engineering plastic specialists

Gehr Plastics – one of our engineering plastic partners

We have been proud to offer the complete line of plastic rod, sheet, slab, plate and block from Gehr Plastics, and consider them a highly valued partner in supplying these engineering plastic materials to you, our valued client. For more information on the size range, availability and pricing on these and other plastic materials, click here or call us at 866-832-9315

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Topic: Gehr Plastics – supplier of engineering plastic materials

Innovative Plastic Materials from an Innovative Manufacturer

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Innovative Plastics Manufacturer

Produces Innovative Sheet and Rod Materials

Gehr Plastics has been a major global manufacturer in the plastic sheet and rod industry since 1932. During this period, Gehr has become a leader in a variety of product lines, and also become known for very large sizes in both sheet and rod. Currently Gehr can produce Acetal rod up to 20″ in diameter and sheets up to 8″ thick. Gehr Plastics PVC, ABS, POM-C, Acetal and Ultem Rods  Some of the many plastic materials the Gehr produces:

Winner of the 2008 Bioplastics Award

Bio Based EcoGehr Plastic Rod Being innovative also means looking forward. Gehr was selected as the Bioplastics manufacturer of the year in 2008, partly for the new line of plastic materials which have a bio base. These materials have a variety of bio based forms, including: a PLA base, Cellulose based, Polyamide and Wood – Plastic Composite (WPC). One such material is ECOGEHR PLA-L which is a blend of polylactic (polylactic acid), some lignine, fatty acid and wax. This biopolymer is new to our industry and can be used in temperatures ranging from -22 °F to +140 °F. This complete line of materials is one of the only available in the plastic industry to be comprised of many renewable raw materials. Gehr leads the way in this exceptional and innovative product line.

ClearGehr Polyamide Rod

This brand new product is a Clear Polyamide rod. The outside surface is as extruded, and can be polished. This enables the production of a relatively clear sight glass quality material with most of the high end properties of Polyamide – Nylon material. We have supplied this material for small machined parts where neither Polycarbonate nor Acrylic would work well. Because of the natural inherit chemical resistance of Polyamide, this high end ClearGehr rod can out perform all normal transparent plastics. Give us a call to see if this new innovative product will work in your difficult application.

FDA Approved Wear Grade Acetal

Have you been looking for an extended wear Acetal material (like the PTFE filled Acetals – Delrin AF), but need it to be FDA approved? Then perhaps you should consider WearGehr. This propriatary filled Acetal material has excellent wear resistance, and retains the FDA approval of the base Acetal, unlike the PTFE filled Acetals which are not FDA approved. It is made in a blue color for easy identification, also it remains very machinable. Contact us for more information on this excellent high tech material. Call us at 866-832-9315 or send us a note here.

Google+ – Hayden Hess

Comparing ABS to Acetal-Delrin Sheets and Rod

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Acetal – Delrin Sheet vs. ABS Sheets and Rods

Acetal-Delrin® (Delrin® is a trade name for Dupont’s Acetal Homopolymer) and ABS (Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Stryene) have some similar properties but are really very different materials. They similarities are: high impact strength, ease of machining with standard cutting tools and good mechanical properties. They are also both FDA compliant and are both good substitutes for brass. They also have great water absorption resistance and good electrical properties. Both materials are good for some of the same applications but certainly not all. Listed below are some of the major differences.Natural ABS Rod, Rods, Sheets and Sheet

ABS Sheet and Rod Information

 

  • ABS comes as Natural (straw) and Black color in Plate, Slab, Sheets and Rods, and thin sheet (.040″ – .250″) it is available as White or Black with a textured surface one side. It can be cut from 48″ X 96″ sheets into strip, panels or pieces.
  • ABS is formable. ABS is a great thermo-formable material while Acetal is not. Acetal is used more for machined parts such as gears and screws. ABS is great for molding and shaping parts from vacuum to heat forming. Excellent for model building and prototype projects.
  • ABS is easily bondable (similar to PVC). ABS can be bonded or welded to itself. Because Acetal is self lubricating, it is not possible for anything to stick to it unless etching is done – therefor it is not bondable.
  • ABS is a great material for painting and silk screening. While Acetal can not be painted or silk screened unless it has undergone Corona Treating (a flame surface treatment), but if treated will nice paint or screened surface.
  • ABS has better chemical resistance than Acetals or Delrin®. Both are attacked by acids like sulfuric, but ABS has a wider range of resistance to chemicals like aqueous acids, alkaline and alcohol. Acetal will degrade when exposed to such chemicals as chlorine and alkalines.
  • Specialty grades of ABS are available, including: Glass Filled, Static Dissapating, and Fire Retardant Grades (like Royalite – R59)Machined Black ABS Rod Part

ABS Typical Properties Table

General Property ASTM

TestTypical ValueR59 Typical ValueSpecific Gravity D7921.041.18 – 1.25Tensile Strength YieldD6386,5005,000Tensile ModulusD638320290,000Izod Impact – NotchedD2567.07.8Hardness – RockwellD785R105R93Deflection Temp @ 264psiD648192174Deflection Temp @ 66 psiD648208195Co. Thermal ExpansionD6965.3X10-54.6 -5.5X10-5

 

Acetal-Delrin® Sheet and Rod Information

  • Acetal is the better machining plastic, considered the best machining plastic material. Because of its durability and wear resistance, Acetal is an excellent choice for producing a wide variety of parts that require high wear resistance over a wide period of time. When machining to tight and specific tolerances, Acetal is ideal.
  • Acetal has low co-efficient of friction. Due to its self lubricating properties, it is a great material for sliding and wear applications. This material provides years of maintenance free bushings and bearings.Natural Acetal Machined Gears
  • Acetal – Delrin sheet is produced from .062″ – over 6″ thick and sheet sizes of up to 48″ X 120″ as standard. The standard color for Acetal and Delrin is Natural (a deep milky white) and Black. Some colors are available as Medical Grade, and can be obtained in limited sizes. These sheet are available cut to: slabs, blocks, plates, slabs and blocks.
  • Delrin – Acetal (Polyoxymethylene) can be both a homo and a co-polymer. The Dupont brand name is a homo-polymer which is a repeating chain of one atom while the generic Acetal is a co-polymer which is two atoms forming a repeating chain. ABS is only a co-polymer.

Acetal – Delrin Properties Table

General Property ASTM Test Typical Value Unfilled Delrin® Homo-Polymer Typical Value Unfilled Co-Polymer
Specific Gravity D792 1.42 1.40
Tensile Strength Yield D638 9,600 – 11,000 9,000 – 10,200
Tensile Modulus D638 450,000 400,000
Izod Impact – Notched D256 1.2 1.0
Hardness – Rockwell D785 M94 M90
Deflection Temp @ 264psi D648 257 220
Deflection Temp @ 66 psi D648 347 335
Water Absorption @ 24 hrs % 0.24 0.25
Co. Thermal Expansion D696 6.83X10-5 5.4X10-5

ABS and Acetal – Similar, but very different materials

Both of these materials possess excellent qualities and have a wide range of different uses. Acetal is great for machining, while ABS is great for forming and bonding. They both can be used for machined parts and are great choices for food contact and electrical applications. These two materials are both strong and durable plastics, but one might be better than the other for a specific job. When picking the right plastic, it is important to compare plastics and their specific properties to make sure the material won’t fail and that your job will be successful.

Contact us for additional information, call us at 866-832-9315 or contact us here. Consider Industrial Plastic Supply for all your plastic needs, we want to be your go-to plastic supplier.

Google+ – Hayden Hess

Colored Acetal – Delrin Rod

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Can we get colored Acetal – Delrin Rod?

We get this question frequently. The easy answer is yes, however, the most common available colors are Black and Natural (white in color). But to continue the thought, we have several manufacturers that run ‘Medical’ grades of Acetal – Delrin in several colors. Colored Acetal - Delrin Rod - Pomalux These materials are special run, but can frequently purchase by the standard length without a custom run. The biggest factor may be the price. The colored Acetal – Delrin materials are dramatically more expensive.

Colored Acetal – Delrin Rod

While price is a factor, the benefits may out weigh the cost. Many of our clients use these colored rods to help differentiate their product from their competition. With colors that can come close to a logo color or match a machine, these advantages are clearly visible. Having a special color available to machine small to medium runs of your product can save you thousands over molding a new part for trials. What colors can I get in Acetal – Delrin Rod? The range is a bit limited, but does include: brown, dark blue, dark green, gray, light blue, light green, red, rust and yellow (and of course Natural and Black). For details on the properties of these materials click here: Acetal – Delrin. For specifics on your requirement, please contact us for availability and pricing. Email or call 866-832-9315

Looking for the differences between Acetal and Delrin materials, click here.

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Acetal Versus Delrin

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Is Delrin® the same as Acetal?

This is one of our most common questions, and is a bit difficult to answer.

All Delrin® is Acetal (PolyOxyMethylene or POM).

Acetal is the generic, and not all Acetal is Delrin®. Several manufacturers produce Acetal resin, including: Celanese®, BASF®, Ticona®, SABIC® and many more.

Copolymer versus Homopolymer AcetalAcetal vs Delrin®

Delrin® is a homo-polymer Acetal produced by Dupont. The generic Acetal covers both the homo-polymer Delrin® and the co-polymer grades of resin. Both materials meet the ASTM-D-4181, ASTM-D-6100 or ASTM-D-6778 specification (an old call out is L-P-392). Homo-polymer is POM111, and Co-polymer is POM211.

Both are tough and machinable, and have very similar properties.

An additional difference is the inherit problem of center-line porosity in the homo-polymer grades. This is caused by out gassing during manufacturing, and can be found at the center or on the surface of all homo-polymer extrusions. This porosity can cause problems with machining or moisture permeation through the material. The co-polymer resin does not have this porosity issue.

Some of the other differences are in the physical properties of the resin. Review the chart for some of the most popular properties people ask for when looking at Acetal or Delrin.

See Delrin® / Acetal properties chart below.

Properties Homo-Polymer Acetal Co-Polymer Acetal
Tensile Modulus of Elasticity 450,000 400,000
Flexural Modulus of Elasticity 470,000 366,000
Heat Deflection Temp @ 264 psi – degress F 257 220
Melting Point – degress F 347 335
Coef. of Linear Thermal Expansion 6.8 x 10-5 5.4 x 10-5
Water Absorption @ Saturation 0.90 0.80

Material is available as Delrin® Rod, Acetal Rod, Delrin® Block, Acetal Block, Delrin® Sheet, Acetal Sheet, and Slabs. Acetal is one of the most widely available plastics, especially on the West Coast (for some reason the East Coast like the Nylon – Polyamide material more). Most commonly available in Natural (White) or Black, but can be produced in a wide range of colors with minimum orders. This enables material matching your product color or for easy identification of parts.

While these properties are similar, depending on your application, one material may be better suited than the other. Review our Delrin® / Acetal page for additional information on the product availability and data sheets. We get calls for Delrin® product, only people may call it Delron, Delran, Delrun, Derlin and many other names, but it is still Delrin® to us.

Looking for other colors of Acetal – Delrin® Rod?

Contact us today for more information on Acetal – Delrin® or any other plastic material.

Call us at 866-832-9315 or Email Us for more additional details

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