Plastic Machined Parts Australia
Custom CNC machined engineering plastic parts in Delrin, PEEK, Nylon, PTFE, Polycarbonate, and UHMWPE. Medical, food, electrical, and industrial applications. Send us your drawing — we source, manage, inspect and deliver complete finished parts.
Engineering Plastic Selection Guide
Choosing the right engineering plastic determines temperature rating, chemical resistance, regulatory compliance, and machining cost. Here is how the most common grades compare.
| Material | Key Property | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Delrin (POM/Acetal) | Excellent machinability, low friction | Gears, bushings, bearings, slide components |
| PEEK | High temperature, chemical resistant, biocompatible | Medical implants, aerospace, chemical processing |
| Nylon (PA6/PA66) | Tough, good wear resistance | Gears, rollers, wear pads, structural parts |
| PTFE (Teflon) | Lowest friction, chemical resistant to all | Seals, gaskets, chemical liners, bearings |
| Polycarbonate (PC) | Transparent, high impact | Sight glasses, guards, optical components |
| UHMWPE | Ultra high molecular weight, abrasion resistant | Conveyor wear strips, marine dock fenders, cutting boards |
| Ultem (PEI) | High temperature, flame retardant | Aerospace interior, electrical insulators |
Industries Served
Medical & Food Grade
PEEK and Delrin are the go-to engineering plastics for medical and food contact applications. PEEK is biocompatible (ISO 10993), sterilisable (autoclave, EtO, gamma), and used for implants, surgical instruments, and MRI-compatible components. Delrin meets FDA food contact requirements.
- ✓ PEEK biocompatible ISO 10993
- ✓ Autoclave sterilisable
- ✓ FDA food contact grades
- ✓ ISO 13485 suppliers
Electrical Insulation
Engineering plastics are precision machined for electrical insulation — standoffs, spacers, terminal blocks, and high-voltage insulators. PTFE and PEEK offer exceptional dielectric properties. Ultem (PEI) is flame-retardant and rated UL94 V-0.
- ✓ PTFE dielectric constant 2.1
- ✓ PEEK 3.2–3.5 dielectric
- ✓ UL94 V-0 Ultem available
- ✓ High-voltage rated designs
Industrial Wear & Bearings
Self-lubricating plastics replace metal in dry-running bearing and wear applications. Delrin and UHMWPE bushings run without lubrication, resist chemicals, and are quieter than metal. Used in food processing, conveyor systems, and marine applications.
- ✓ No lubrication required
- ✓ Delrin and UHMWPE standard
- ✓ Food and chemical resistant
- ✓ Lower noise than metal bearings
Plastic Machined Parts FAQ
What engineering plastics are available for CNC machining in Australia?
We supply CNC machined parts in all standard engineering plastics: Delrin/Acetal/POM (the most commonly machined plastic — excellent machinability, low friction, good dimensional stability), PEEK (polyetheretherketone — highest performance engineering plastic, usable to 250°C, biocompatible, chemical resistant), Nylon PA6 and PA66 (tough, moderate cost, good for gears and structural parts — note: hygroscopic, absorbs moisture affecting dimensions), PTFE/Teflon (lowest friction of any material, chemically resistant to virtually everything, soft and gummy to machine), Polycarbonate (transparent, high impact, good for sight glasses and housings), UHMWPE (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene — outstanding abrasion resistance, impact strength, used for wear strips and dock fenders), Ultem/PEI (high temperature, UL94 V-0, aerospace interior rated), HDPE (chemical resistant, food safe, low cost), and PTFE-filled grades (Delrin + PTFE or glass-filled for improved wear resistance and stiffness).
What is Delrin and why is it the most commonly machined plastic?
Delrin is DuPont's trade name for acetal homopolymer (POM-H, polyoxymethylene). It is the most widely machined engineering plastic for several reasons: excellent machinability (machines cleanly like aluminium without gumminess), outstanding dimensional stability (low moisture absorption — 0.25% vs 3% for nylon), low coefficient of friction (0.2–0.35, self-lubricating), good strength and stiffness for a plastic, chemical resistance to fuels, solvents, and mild acids, and moderate temperature resistance (continuous use to 90°C, short-term to 120°C). Used for gears, bushings, rollers, slide components, food-processing parts, and any application requiring a precise, self-lubricating plastic component.
What is PEEK and when should I specify it instead of Delrin?
PEEK (polyetheretherketone) is a high-performance semi-crystalline thermoplastic used when Delrin's properties are insufficient. Specify PEEK over Delrin when: continuous temperature exceeds 90°C (PEEK rated to 250°C), chemical exposure includes strong acids or solvents that attack Delrin, biocompatibility is required (PEEK meets ISO 10993, is used in spinal cages and orthopaedic implants), very high strength is needed (PEEK tensile strength 100 MPa vs Delrin 70 MPa), or flame retardancy to UL94 V-0 is required. PEEK is approximately 10–20× more expensive than Delrin for raw material — use it where its superior properties are genuinely needed.
Can PTFE be precision machined to tight tolerances?
PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene, Teflon) is challenging to machine precisely because it is soft, gummy, and has very high thermal expansion (10× that of steel). Standard machining achieves ±0.1mm on general features. For tighter tolerances, PTFE parts are rough machined, allowed to stress-relieve and creep, then finish machined. Critical tolerances on PTFE components should be discussed at the quoting stage. PTFE cannot be bonded with conventional adhesives (its chemical inertness is the same reason it resists bonding as resists chemicals) — mechanical joining (press fits, flanges, clamps) is used instead. For applications requiring PTFE properties with better machinability, consider PTFE-filled PEEK or PTFE-filled Delrin.
Are plastic machined parts suitable for food processing and medical applications?
Yes. Specific grades are required: for food contact (AS 4020 and FDA CFR 21), specify natural (white) Delrin homopolymer (FDA compliant), UHMWPE (NSF 51 and FDA food contact certified), or natural Nylon PA6 (food safe grades). For medical devices and implants, specify PEEK (ISO 10993 biocompatible, autoclave sterilisable, MRI compatible) or UHMWPE (used in joint replacement bearing surfaces, ISO 5834-2). Always specify the application and regulatory requirement in your quote request — we select material from certified food-grade or medical-grade stock with appropriate documentation.
Do plastic machined parts have tolerances as tight as metal parts?
Engineering plastics are generally less dimensionally stable than metals due to thermal expansion (typically 5–10× that of steel), moisture absorption (especially nylon), and creep under sustained load. Practical tolerance guidelines: Delrin and PEEK — ±0.05mm achievable, ±0.02mm with care on critical features; PTFE — ±0.1mm general, ±0.05mm with careful machining; Nylon — ±0.1mm (moisture absorption causes dimensional change of 0.3–1% in humid environments, so dry-stabilise before finish machining if tight tolerances are critical). Specify all critical tolerances, operating temperature, and environmental conditions in your drawing — our DFM review will advise on achievable tolerances for your specific material and design.
Is there a minimum order quantity for plastic machined parts?
No minimum order. We supply single prototype plastic components as readily as production runs. Plastic is often chosen for prototyping due to lower material cost compared to metals — a single Delrin part can be significantly less expensive than the equivalent aluminium or stainless component. PEEK prototypes for medical applications are common — single implant prototypes for form and fit verification before proceeding to production tooling. Quote includes free DFM feedback on material selection and design for machinability.
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Upload your plastic part drawing and receive a quote. We source, manage, inspect and deliver finished engineering plastic components — Delrin, PEEK, Nylon, PTFE, and more.
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