Polystyrene (PS / HIPS) and Polycarbonate (PC) are the two most quoted options for electronic plastic housings and enclosures in agriculture and horticulture projects. Both are widely available, but they behave very differently once they are in service.
Everything here can be checked on a real sample before you commit to a production order.
This category covers a family of products rather than a single item. In practice a buyer defines electronic plastic housings and enclosures by three things: the base resin, the format or dimension, and the performance or certification level it has to meet. Typical options in this category include textured and soft touch finishes; wall thickness 1.2 to 3.0 mm; transparent windows and light pipes. Materials most often specified are Polystyrene, Polypropylene, Polycarbonate, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, and the choice between them changes stiffness, temperature resistance, chemical behaviour and price.
In the agriculture and horticulture sector the decision is usually driven by UV stabilisation and tear strength, with chemical resistance to fertilisers as a secondary requirement. Typical end uses include greenhouse film, drip irrigation lines, shade nets.
The table below summarises the values that usually decide the material choice.
| Material | Density | Tensile strength | Service temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polystyrene | 1.04-1.06 g/cm³ | 30-50 MPa | -20°C to 70°C |
| Polycarbonate | 1.20 g/cm³ | 55-70 MPa | -40°C to 120°C |
| PC/ABS Alloy | 1.13-1.15 g/cm³ | 45-60 MPa | -30°C to 110°C |
Polystyrene is frequently the default selection here: HIPS is the default thermoforming sheet for food packaging and appliance liners.
Polystyrene grades offer rigid and glossy, while Polycarbonate brings outstanding impact strength (250x glass). For agriculture and horticulture service the difference shows up in impact strength and in the long term behaviour under load.
The practical decision usually comes down to the service environment: temperature, chemical exposure and expected lifetime.
Beyond the base resin, most suppliers offer UV stabilised, food contact, flame retardant, anti-static and recycled content versions of the same product. Ask which additive package is included, because it is often the difference between a part that lasts three years and one that lasts ten.
Each step below has its own control points, and skipping one of them is where most defects start.
Secondary operations such as printing, welding, machining and assembly are often cheaper to do in the same factory, and they reduce the risk of mismatch between components.
These are the criteria that actually predict whether the part will perform in service.
Send this list to your supplier with the drawing and you will receive comparable quotations from every factory you contact.
We can provide ISO 9001 quality system documentation, material certificates, RoHS and REACH statements, and where applicable food contact, flame retardancy or drinking water approvals. Tell us your target market and we will match the document set.
Yes. {mat1} is one of our regular materials for this item, and we can supply virgin, modified and certified grades with full traceability. Material certificates and test reports are issued per batch.
For standard sizes and colours the minimum is usually one pallet or one production run; for custom tooling the economic minimum depends on the tooling cost amortised over the expected volume. Send us your annual volume and we will calculate the break even point.
Yes. Standard samples are normally free of charge and shipped within three working days; custom samples are charged at cost and credited against the first production order.
Standard production tolerance follows the relevant ISO or DIN tolerance class for the process; tighter tolerances are possible after machining or grinding, but they add cost. Define the tolerance only on the functional dimensions.
Share your specification and quantity with us and we will recommend the most cost effective material, tooling route and packing method for your market.
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