Peek, or polyether ether ketone, is a high-performance plastic that’s used in demanding applications such as aerospace, oilfield, automotive industry and electronics. It’s known for its comprehensive set of properties such as high mechanical strength, self-lubrication and chemical resistance. This material can replace metal parts and improve performance and reduce costs in demanding industries. It can also be sterilized, making it suitable for medical equipment.
PEEK has a number of advantages over other plastics, such as being very heat resistant, non-flammable and easy to process. The material is a good choice for injection molding, extrusion and compression molding. It can be molded into components with complex geometries and has the ability to handle tight tolerances.
However, there are a few things to keep in mind when molding this high-performance plastic. These five factors will help ensure your PEEK injection molding Ohio process is successful.
The first factor to consider is the temperature of the mold. PEEK has processing temperatures of 350-400°C, so the injection mold must be able to reach and maintain these levels. The injection mold must also be able to control the melt flow rate. If the injection process is not controlled correctly, the resulting part can be damaged.
Another important factor to consider is the cleanliness of the process. PEEK can be cleaned with a variety of methods, including steam and chemicals. It’s critical to keep the injection molding process as clean as possible to avoid contamination and achieve the highest quality results. This includes cleaning all equipment before starting to mold, such as drying ovens, hoppers and injection molders. This also includes avoiding hang ups in hoppers and using dedicated equipment for regrinding PEEK materials.
Finally, the temperature of the injection mold is important to prevent the formation of amorphous areas in the moulded component. A amorphous area will lower the tensile strength of the finished product, and this can have a significant impact on the final part’s performance. To eliminate this issue, the injection process must be controlled and regulated to ensure the correct melt temperature is reached. This is typically accomplished through electrical heaters for small shot sizes and oil heaters for larger shot sizes or tools with deep cores. Having proper temperature control on the injection mold is essential to obtaining a fully crystalline component and to maximizing the benefits of PEEK’s unique set of properties. peek molding