Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) plastic sheets have become a popular material across various industries like manufacturing, machining, and thermoforming. From CNC routing, laser cutting, signboards to cabinetry, ABS offers an ideal balance of strength, lightweight, and formability.
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However, one of the biggest considerations when working with ABS sheets is determining the right thickness for your specific application. The thickness of the ABS sheet greatly impacts the mechanical properties, workability, and cost. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know to pick the ideal ABS sheet thickness.
Choosing the appropriate ABS sheet thickness involves evaluating a few key factors:
Thicker ABS sheets tend to provide greater strength and rigidity. For applications requiring durability - like structural components or high-wear parts, a thicker 5-10mm sheet is recommended. Thinner 1-2mm sheets are more flexible and pliable.
Consider the end-use and operating conditions to choose a thickness that can withstand expected impacts, stresses, and wear & tear. For outdoor usage, thicker sheets are more weather-resistant.
The density of ABS is around 1.07 g/cm3. Evaluate any weight limitations as thicker sheets will be heavier. For lightweight parts, aim for an ABS thickness around 1-3mm.
Thicker ABS sheets are easier to machine and route without warping, while thinner sheets 1-2mm can warp more easily during laser cutting.
Increasing the ABS sheet thickness also increases material costs. Evaluate your budget constraints and part quantities needed when selecting the thickness.
The ideal ABS sheet thickness for your project depends heavily on the application. Here are some common application-based ABS thickness recommendations:
For laser cutting applications, ABS sheets between 1-3mm are recommended. At this thinner gauge, the laser can cut through the ABS with precision and clean edges without overheating the material. Excessive heat from lasers can melt and warp thicker ABS sheets.
With CNC routing, thicker ABS sheets around 3-5mm are ideal as they are rigid enough to withstand the routing process without excessive vibration or deflection. Thinner sheets below 3mm are prone to warping under the forces involved in CNC machining. The thicker material also helps minimize chipping at the routed edges.
When constructing furniture or cabinetry using ABS sheets, the standard thickness is between 3-5mm. This provides the right balance of lightweight strength and structure for furniture applications. Specific components like shelves, sides or drawer fronts can use up to 10mm for enhanced sturdiness.
For scale models, architectural models, concept prototypes and other design or hobby applications, opt for ABS sheets between 2-3mm thickness. This allows creating fine details and shaping without being too fragile.
Outdoor signs and displays exposed to weather require durable ABS sheets around 5-10mm thick. This gives the signs structural rigidity and resistance against wind, rain, and sunlight. Indoor displays may only need 2-3mm ABS sheets.
Increasing the ABS sheet thickness enhances certain mechanical properties while decreasing others:
Thicker ABS sheets exhibit higher ultimate tensile and flexural strength. There is an almost linear relationship between sheet thickness and strength due to the higher cross-sectional area.
Thicker ABS offers greater rigidity and resistance to bending forces. This improves performance for load-bearing applications.
The thicker the ABS sheet, the heavier it will be per unit area. This needs to be considered based on any weight restrictions.
Thinner ABS sheets have lower thermal resistance. They allow faster heat transfer compared to thicker sheets.
Thinner 1-2mm ABS can be curved, bent and formed more easily versus 5-10mm sheets which hold their shape firmly.
Now that we’ve covered the major applications and material properties, let’s summarize the key factors to consider when determining the ideal ABS sheet thickness:
Here is a quick table matching some common ABS sheet thicknesses with their best-suited applications:
ABS Sheet Thickness Appropriate Uses 1-2mm Laser cutting, model making, light displays 2-3mm Machining simple prototypes, hobby projects 3-5mm CNC routing, furniture parts, cabinetry 5-10mm Outdoor signs, structural componentsDetermining the optimal ABS sheet thickness requires balancing the key factors of application, strength needs, weight limits, machining methods, and budget. While thinner 1-2mm sheets provide flexibility and low weight, thicker 3-5mm+ sheets offer enhanced durability and performance. Matching the thickness to the expected usage and properties needed is critical.
We hope this guide gives you a solid understanding of choosing the right ABS sheet thickness for your specific application. Check out our ABS sheets available in a range of sizes and thicknesses perfect for your next project.
HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) is the technical term for this plastic. So this material is not meant to be beautiful, but functional. And it is! For a start, it is extremely impact resistant and can take a big hit. It is also highly resistant to chemicals, moisture and UV rays. It is not for nothing that HDPE is found in sea buoys and as floors of truck trailers.
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Another big advantage is that dirt and other substances have difficulty adhering to HDPE. This is ideal for some applications. However, this makes it more difficult to glue or stick the material. Furthermore, HDPE is easy to work with, for example with a drill, saw or mill. It can also be welded, which makes it possible to fuse parts together, especially with a supply of HDPE welding wire.
As HDPE is a technical plastic, the colour is not so important. We therefore only offer black in our range, but in approximately 10 different thicknesses. HDPE sheets have no protective film layer and can sometimes show some scratches. On the other hand, HDPE is one of the most affordable engineering plastics.
Did you know that…
You can use HDPE perfectly as an epoxy mould, because HDPE does not easily adhere to many other materials such as epoxy, and you can therefore easily remove the HDPE mould again?
The most common other designation for HDPE you will come across is PE300. That figure refers to the molecular density. There are also more advanced versions with an even higher molecular density: PE500 and PE. These are therefore even harder and more wear resistant. In addition to HDPE (PE300), we also sell these harder qualities under the names HMPE500 and HMPE.
Name Chemical abbreviation Alternative names Polyethylene PE Rigid PE, HDPE, HMPE, PE-HD, UHMWAs mentioned, we have only one type of HDPE in our range: the PE300. This is the best and also the most economical choice if you are looking for a robust material that can withstand chemicals and dirt well. However, if it is important for the material to be extremely wear resistant, hard or food-safe, it is better to choose HMPE500 or HMPE.
Polyethylene also has a number of softer, flexible varieties, such as LDPE and MDPE. These types are more often used for films and packaging. You are less likely to come across them as sheet material.
HDPE is extremely strong and can handle a lot, even in rough conditions. As a sea buoy in salt water, the material lasts for years, and as a floor of a truck trailer it also has a tough life. Yet the material will not crack or break easily, even if you drop tiles on it. At most, it will get a few scratches. Precisely because HDPE is so tough, it is also widely used as packaging material. The material is then produced in a thin film form, for example for toothpaste tubes. As a sheet material, HDPE is of course many times stronger!
HDPE is widely used for:
HDPE can be seen in a variety of products, such as:
Did you know that…
HDPE is the ideal material for building a pond, as it is moisture resistant and does not allow dirt to adhere to it?
Perhaps a little boring, but we only supply HDPE sheets in black. This is because this technical plastic is mainly used for products where you do not see the colour, or where the colour is not important. The black dye is specially added to the material, because it will immediately provide UV resistance. However, we do offer a choice of around 10 thicknesses, ranging between 3 and 20 mm. For a complete overview, see the diagram below.
HDPE can be processed in many ways. In general, it is problem-free if you want to drill, turn, mill, hot bend or saw it. What is even more convenient is that HDPE can also be welded very well, allowing several sheets to be permanently fused together. For this, you can use HDPE welding wire. Since many other materials are difficult to bond to HDPE, gluing or sticking is usually not an option.
HDPE can be processed in many ways. In general, it is problem-free if you want to drill, turn, mill, hot bend or saw it. What is even more convenient is that HDPE can also be welded very well, allowing several sheets to be permanently fused together. For this, you can use HDPE welding wire. Since many other materials are difficult to bond to HDPE, gluing or sticking is usually not an option.
HDPE is a material that is quite easy to work with. You can use it for a variety of applications and process it in all sorts of ways. This is partly due to a number of pleasant and sometimes special properties. For example, HDPE is known for being extremely impact and wear resistant, able to withstand high pressure and impact force, and for its excellent resistance to moisture, UV light and most chemicals. The material also has a long lifespan and is recyclable. Moreover, dirt, bacteria and other materials have little or no adhesion to HDPE, which can often be an advantage.
HDPE’s properties include:
Did you know that…
HDPE’s UV resistant property is not standard, but is added together with the black dye?
We have developed the thickness aid to make it easy to calculate which thickness best suits your application. This will help you find the right sheet thickness for your project. However, no rights can be derived from the thickness aid.
These sheets are supplied without a protective film; therefore, they may be slightly scratched. Bear in mind that this is not an aesthetic plastic. This means that these sheets are not suitable for visible purposes. This plastic is often used, for example, in a factory. If you have any questions about this, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
We do not recommend glueing HDPE. Fixing is best done by welding or screwing.
HDPE is easy to process. However, please pay attention to the melting behaviour. Due to melting material, the finish can become messy when sawing, lasering, etc. We do not recommend glueing unless you have expertise in this.
HDPE can be used up to 80 degrees Celsius.
Technical plastic refers to the use of the material. These are plastics with particular characteristics that are often used in engineering. For example, HDPE is often used because of its flexibility or because bacteria are difficult to attach. These fit well with a specific technical application.
HDPE is weather-resistant and freeze-resistant. However, it may discolour under the influence of UV light.
Polyethylene (PE) comes in two varieties: Low Density and High Density. LD has a different molecular structure than HD and is therefore lighter. We only supply HD.
Yes, that’s right. Hard polyethylene is also known as HDPE or polyethene.
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