PC/ABS Alloy and Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) are the two most quoted sheet materials for pressure formed precision parts in automotive and mobility projects. Both run well on standard thermoforming equipment, but they differ in clarity, toughness and sealing.
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 pressure formed precision parts 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 undercut capable tooling; gauge 1.0 to 6.0 mm; textured in-tool surfaces. Materials most often specified are Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol, PC/ABS Alloy, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, Polycarbonate, and the choice between them changes stiffness, temperature resistance, chemical behaviour and price.
In the automotive and mobility sector the decision is usually driven by dimensional stability and heat resistance, with impact strength as a secondary requirement. Typical end uses include under body shields, interior panels, dunnage trays.
These figures are typical for commercial grades and should be confirmed against the supplier's certificate for your specific lot.
| Material | Density | Tensile strength | Service temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polypropylene | 0.90-0.91 g/cm³ | 25-40 MPa | -10°C to 100°C |
| Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol | 1.27 g/cm³ | 45-55 MPa | -40°C to 70°C |
| PC/ABS Alloy | 1.13-1.15 g/cm³ | 45-60 MPa | -30°C to 110°C |
PC/ABS Alloy is frequently the default selection here: PC/ABS is the standard engineering alloy for electronics housings that must survive a drop test.
PC/ABS Alloy grades offer balances PC toughness with ABS processability, while Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene brings high impact toughness. For automotive and mobility service the difference shows up in creep 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.
Work through these points in order and most specification mistakes disappear.
Send this list to your supplier with the drawing and you will receive comparable quotations from every factory you contact.
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.
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.
A new tool typically takes 25 to 45 days depending on cavity count and complexity, followed by T1 samples within one week. Existing tools can usually start production within 10 to 15 days of order confirmation.
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.
If you are planning a new automotive and mobility 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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