vina - Raw Material Selection
Selecting the right material is not easy, be it virgin or recycled. A lot many questions need to be answered before reaching a conclusion. As long as you have chosen the right material, there is absolutely nothing to worry about and production is smooth. But if you have made a wrong material choice, your entire production cost will head North! Below are some questions we have obtained from various resources on the Internet and believe these would be helpful in enabling you to decide on the right material:
Physical & Mechanical Considerations
- What are the overall part dimensions (diameter, length, width, thickness, weight)?
- What load will the part have to carry?
- Will the design carry high loads?
- What will the highest load be?
- What is the maximum stress on the part?
- What kind of stress is it (tensile, flexural, etc.)?
- How long will the load be applied?
- Will the load be continuous or intermittent?
- Does the part have to retain its dimensional shape?
- What is the projected life of the part or design?
Thermal Considerations
- What temperatures will the part see and for how long?
- What is the maximum temperature the material must sustain?
- What is the minimum temperature the material will sustain?
- How long will the material be at these temperatures?
- Will the material have to withstand impact at the low temperature?
- What kind of dimensional stability is required (is thermal expansion and contraction an issue)?
Chemical Considerations
- Will the material be exposed to chemicals or moisture?
- Will the material be exposed to normal relative humidity?
- Will the material be submerged in water? If so, at what temperature?
- Will the material be exposed to steam?
- Will the material be painted? If so, what kind of paint?
- Will the material be glued? If so, what kind of adhesive will be used?
- Will the material be submerged or wiped with solvents or other chemicals? If so, which ones?
- Will the material be exposed to chemical or solvent vapors? If so, which If so, which ones?
- Will the material be exposed to other materials that can outgas or leach detrimental materials, such as plasticizers or petroleum-based chemicals?
Bearing and Wear Considerations
- Will the material be used as a bearing? Will it need to resist wear?
- Will the material be expected to perform as a bearing? If so, what will the load, shaft diameter, shaft material, shaft finish, and rpm be?
- What wear or abrasion condition will the material see? Note: Materials filled with friction reducers (such as PTFE, molybdenum disulfide, or graphite) generally exhibit less wear in rubbing applications.
Other Miscellaneous Considerations
- Will the part have to
meet any regulatory requirements?
- FDA | USDA | Canada AG | 3A-Dairy | NSF | USP Class VI
- Is UL94 Flame retardant rating required? What level?
- 5VA | 5VB | V-0 | V-1 | V-2 | HB
- Should the material have a special color and/or appearance?
- Natural | White | Black | Other Colors
- Color match to another part or material?
- Window-Clear | Transparent | Translucent | Opaque
- Smooth | Polished | Textured | One-Side or Both
- Will the part be used outdoors?
- Is UV Resistance needed?
- Is static dissipation or conductivity important?
- Insulator | Static Dissipative | Conductive