If you specify Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) for twin sheet thermoformed products, a handful of properties decide whether the part survives forming and service. These are the values worth checking on every data sheet.
This guide is written for engineers, purchasers and project managers who need a practical answer, not a resin data sheet.
This category covers a family of products rather than a single item. In practice a buyer defines twin sheet thermoformed products 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 large panels over 2000 mm; gauge 2.0 to 8.0 mm; integrated mounting bosses. Materials most often specified are Polypropylene, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, High Density Polyethylene, Polycarbonate, and the choice between them changes stiffness, temperature resistance, chemical behaviour and price.
In the industrial equipment sector the decision is usually driven by thick gauge capability and flare and fire rating, with paintability as a secondary requirement. Typical end uses include protective guards, kiosk shells, machine housings.
The table below summarises the values that usually decide the material choice.
| Material | Density | Tensile strength | Service temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polycarbonate | 1.20 g/cm³ | 55-70 MPa | -40°C to 120°C |
| Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene | 1.04-1.06 g/cm³ | 30-50 MPa | -20°C to 80°C |
| Polypropylene | 0.90-0.91 g/cm³ | 25-40 MPa | -10°C to 100°C |
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene is frequently the default selection here: ABS is the default choice when a part needs a glossy, paintable, impact-resistant surface.
Typical values for a general purpose grade are listed below; filled, stabilised and speciality compounds will differ.
Density 1.04-1.06 g/cm³, tensile strength 30-50 MPa, continuous service temperature -20°C to 80°C and melt range 200-240°C are the four values to circle on the data sheet. Everything else is secondary for most industrial equipment projects.
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.
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.
Colour is controlled with a masterbatch reference approved by the customer, and every production lot is checked against the approved sample under standard lighting before shipment.
Standard packing is export cartons on fumigation-free pallets, with custom labelling, barcode and retail packing available. We also handle consolidated containers and door to door delivery.
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.
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.
If you are planning a new industrial equipment project, send us your drawing, annual volume and target properties, and we will come back with a material proposal, a tooling plan and a budget quotation.
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