What is Delrin?
Choosing a material that meets the standards of your part or assembly is often difficult when managing a budget. There are plenty of factors that need to be considered when choosing between materials and even vendors. One can select a cheaper material that meets all the physical requirements that have been specified by your engineering department but the machining processes may be limited bumping up lead times and costs. On the contrary, if you select a material that is more commonly used but has a higher upfront cost, then a smaller lot size and the amount of scrapped produced by cutting the raw material might deem that material inviable. Other complications that influence your decisions when selecting materials can include tooling costs, capabilities of the vendor’s equipment, location of the nearest suitable vendor, and storage.
When taking all of this information into consideration it’s important to keep up with developments in modern technologies. One material that offers an interesting alternative to metals like aluminum is Delrin. Delrin is an extremely rigid Polyoxymethylene (POM) that offers great stiffness, flexural modulus, and high tensile and impact strength. Additionally, it provides incredible moisture resistance. As a result, it is ideal for applications in wetter environments. Its resistance to hydrocarbons, solvents, and neutral chemicals as well as superior dimensional stability and resilience. The combination of these excellent mechanical properties in a single material allows for thinner, lighter-weight parts and shorter molding cycles with potential cost reductions.
Durability of Delrin
The biggest issue currently that separates plastic from replacing metals in modern manufacturing is the difficulty of creating durable materials. As studies are released regarding the development of the plastic industry, Delrin has proven to be one of these materials that can consistently handle higher stress applications relative to other applications. Now, this polymer isn’t always a direct substitution for stronger metals but with some applications that have overcompensated for strength, it’s worth reevaluating what its current capabilities are and how they can help you. For instance, many components in locking systems are now being made out of polymers like Delrin to manage weight and costs without compromising the security of these systems.
Delrin Statistics
- Tensile Strength: 6,000 –22,000 psi
- Impact Strength: .75 – 2 ft-lb/in
- Heat Deflection: 80 – 300°F
- Elongation at Break: 10-40%
Reducing Friction with Delrin
Since this material is made to be robust, it is much easier to be machined using precision CNC machines. The use of equipment like mills and lathes allows manufacturers to create accurately unique features with smooth surface finishes. This, in turn, will drastically decrease friction when Delrin is used in moving assemblies.
Many designers have taken advantage of Delrin’s low friction properties through gears. This technology is being developed further to potentially be used in smaller urban vehicles. With low friction properties, automotive engineers are using these low friction properties to reduce noise in mechanisms like drivetrains.
Delrin is Stable in Multiple Climates
Many plastics still struggle with existing in different climates. Certain corrosive substances or temperatures can permanently deform your parts even after the parts have made it to your customer. Previously, that has limited the versatility of these polymers to very niche industries but with the constant development of Delrin, the market has been rapidly growing in the past decade.
This is proven true when you look at a variety of fuel sending units being produced today. Early on fuel pumps in automobiles were made from heavy casted metals. These materials were very susceptible to corrosion which led to leaking and mechanical failures. Fuel sending technology was revolutionized later in the 20th century when pumps made of harder plastics like Delrin started replacing their less efficient predecessors. These new designs helped safely house improved turbine pumping mechanisms.
With a weaker polymer, these units would eat away at the plastic seals leading to fuel leaks and catastrophic failure. Delrin has made substantial advances in improving the reliability of plastics being utilized in hydraulics and outdoor assemblies.
Delrin’s Ease of Fabrication
Lastly, Delrin has proven its worth by continuing to maintain the elite formability plastic has been known for. Due to the excellent machinability of Delrin, there are very few restrictions or unique requirements to consider when machining the material. Typically, standard equipment is suitable and no aids are required, though there are a few instances where special treatment may prove beneficial. The overall cost of machining Delrin is also kept very low since there is no need for special equipment, tooling, and coolant.
Jaco Machined Delrin Services
We specialize in engineered materials such as injection molded Delrin® and machined Delrin.
Jaco CNC Delrin machining is an effective manufacturing method for the development of products for many different applications. The CNC (Computerized Numerical Control) process utilizes various computerized devices to complete many manufacturing tasks. We also apply our immense experience with thermoset and thermoplastic materials to further increase the efficacy of CNC Delrin machining.
Our Delrin machining capabilities include 5-axis machining, milling, routing, and turning with tolerances of .0001″. We regularly improve our machinery, technology, and manufacturing methods, so we can more easily produce parts with high tolerance requirements.
Getting in Touch With Jaco Products | It’s Easy to Do! | Delrin Machining
To find out how Delrin machining can add to your next project, connect with Jaco Products. To reach out to the Jaco Products team, simply fill out the online contact form on www.jacoproducts.com. In addition, prospective customers can use the contact information shown below to send written correspondence, emails, or phone calls.
Jaco Products
15060 Madison Rd
Middlefield, OH 44062
Sales and Technical Information Contact: Bill Carter
Email Address: bc*****@ja**********.com
Main Line: (440) 632-5800 Ext. 35
Website: www.jacoproducts.com
