Polycarbonate (Lexan) Machining Services
Polycarbonate, commonly known by the brand name Lexan®, is a high-performance amorphous engineering thermoplastic specified where optical clarity and extreme impact strength are essential. With exceptional dimensional stability and high heat resistance, polycarbonate delivers reliable performance in heavy-duty industrial and commercial environments. These characteristics make polycarbonate machining a vital process for medical, aerospace, defense, and manufacturing applications.
Few engineering plastics match the structural resilience and versatility of Lexan. Its distinct material balance makes Lexan machining ideal for components exposed to high mechanical stress, pressure, and impact.
Key Material Advantages
- Exceptional Impact Resistance: Up to 250 times the impact resistance of glass and 30 times that of acrylic, dramatically reducing the risk of catastrophic failure under shock loading.
- High Optical Transparency: Transmits up to 88% of visible light, making machined polycarbonate perfect for sight windows, light housings, and protective guards.
- Thermal & Dimensional Stability: A heat deflection temperature of approximately 270°F (132°C) at 264 psi and continuous service up to roughly 240°F (115°C), with low moisture absorption (~0.15%) for stable tolerances in humid environments.
- Dielectric Insulation: Strong dielectric strength (~380 V/mil) combined with impact resistance, well suited to terminal covers, guards, and enclosures where an insulating part also has to survive handling. For higher-voltage or high-temperature insulation, we also machine G-10, FR-4, and PTFE.
Machined Polycarbonate Parts
Machined polycarbonate components include machine guards, sight windows, fluid reservoirs, gauge covers, and diagnostic manifolds for medical and laboratory systems. Polycarbonate is also widely utilized for electrical covers, terminal blocks, structural spacers, aircraft canopy fittings, and high-impact wear plates across industrial facilities.
Challenges of Machining Lexan
Machining Lexan requires specialized tooling and strict temperature control due to its sensitivity to thermal stress and chemical exposure. Without careful execution, common issues include surface hazing, crazing, environmental stress cracking from incompatible coolants or cleaners, and burr formation along tool exit paths. Successful polycarbonate machining depends on sharp, high-rake single-flute or O-flute cutters, polished flutes for chip evacuation, controlled feed rates, and compatible cooling methods (such as air blasts or approved water-soluble coolants) to prevent thermal build-up and maintain crystal-clear transparency requirements.
Precision Polycarbonate CNC Machining Services
Polycarbonate CNC machining is the preferred method for producing high-accuracy, tight-tolerance components from sheet and rod stock. By combining multi-axis CNC milling and turning, mechanical finishing, and stress-relief annealing cycles, expert plastic machinists transform raw polycarbonate into durable, high-performance parts engineered for your most demanding applications.
Other Plastic Materials We Work With
Jaco specializes in the machining of:
- Delrin
- Nylon 6/6, 6, 6/12
- HDPE
- FR-4
- G-10
- PEEK
- Lexan/Polycarbonate
- PTFE (Teflon®)
