Acetal Rods
Further Information
Acetal rod has many advantages over many other materials and can be used in a diverse number of applications. This means acetal is a very popular choice amongst all other engineering plastics.
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Our manufacturers produce engineering plastics that are slightly oversized in either diameter and/or thickness. This oversize tolerance, which is listed in the tables below, is provided to assist customers to produce very accurate items within the size shown and remove any minor surface imperfection
Acetal Rod Tolerances:
| Nominal Diameter | Tolerance in mm |
| 4 | +0.1 to +0.3 |
| 5 - 6 | +0.1 to +0.4 |
| 8 - 10 | +0.1 to +0.5 |
| 12 - 14 - 16 - 18 - 20 | +0.2 to +0.7 |
| 22 - 25 - 28 - 30 | +0.2 to +0.9 |
| 32 - 36 - 40 | +0.2 to +1.1 |
| 45 - 50 - 56 | +0.3 to +1.3 |
| 60 - 65 - 70 | +0.3 to +1.6 |
| 75 - 80 | +0.1 to +2.0 |
| 90 | +0.5 to +2.22 |
| 100 | +0.6 to +2.5 |
| 110 | +0.7 to +3.0 |
| 120 - 125 | +0.8 to +3.5 |
| 130 - 135 - 140 | +0.9 to +3.8 |
| 150 | +1.0 to +4.2 |
| 165 - 180 | +1.2 to +5.0 |
| 200 | +1.3 to +5.5 |
| 230 - 250 | +1.5 to +6.2 |
Applications:
Due to its strong chemical resistance and very low moisture absorption, it is widely used in the brewing industry. It is also recommended for use in the food industry because of its low moisture absorption and has received Food & Drug Administration approval. In addition it is used in the marine industry as the acetal rod is non hydroscopic, the finished machined product will not expand/swell.
Operating Temperatures of Acetal Rod:
Acetal rod has a very good operating temperature and the minimum advised operating temperature for acetal rod is -50°C. On the other end of the scale, the higher end of the operating temperature range has a maximum continuous service temperature of between plus 100°C and plus 115°C.The maximum short term service temperature for acetal rod is plus 140°C.
Machining Advantages of Acetal Rod:
- fantastic machining performance means acetal rod is a popular choice amongst other engineering plastics for the use in automatic CNC machines
- Chips rather than swarf eliminating the lathe tools becoming entangled, therefore acetal rod can be machined much faster than other engineering plastics
- Due to this it requires less supervision and so reduces labour costs
- Excellent surface finish
- Minimal fash which again reduces labour costs and improves the overall presentation of the fin
Differences between acetal copolymer rod and delrin homopolymer rod:
| Acetal Copolymer Rod | Delrin Homopolymer Rod |
| More suited to chemical applications | More suited to mechanical applications - slightly more harder, lower thermal expansion, higher mechanical strength, better/improved wear rates |
| More economical | Not as economical - even though there is no visual difference between the two grades |
Summary:
To conclude acetal rod is the best engineering plastic for machining available from us, as it gives an excellent finish on both manual and CNC machines. It is the preferred grade for food contact due to its very low moisture absorption and is good for use where dimensional stability is critical. Acetal rod has an ideal combination of high mechanical strength, hardness and toughness, giving it superb sliding properties, wear resistance and electrical insulation.
Last Modified: 12th Mar 2021