Acetal

Acetal is just one of many different types of high quality polymers (like nylon and other synthetic plastics). It is more commonly known under DuPont’s trademark name of Delrin. The machines we have at Anco precision machining make working with this material easy. Acetal is a hard and stiff polymer. It is a great material for manufacturing as it has very good mechanical properties. It also has excellent creep resistance and dimensional stability, which makes it ideal for machining of precision parts because it won’t warp or bend while the machining process takes place. Acetal is highly friction resistant and its dielectric properties are as good as they come.

On top of all that this material has a low moisture absorption rate and can be operated continuously at temperatures reaching 115 degrees centigrade. The acetal polymer can be used for a wide variety of parts and products. It makes excellent bearing that operate with close tolerances. Electrical engineers find it useful for insulating. Retains good strength and bend ability which means it is ideal for snap-fit assemblies and is a great choice for machines which operate in water up to 90 degrees centigrade. Acetal Copolymers are thermoplastics as well and are silicone lubricated. This particular copolymer has nearly no friction coefficient is rigid and tough.

What makes it unique is that this is resistant to most solvent chemicals. However there is a down side to using these copolymers. They have a high rate of mold shrinkage, suffer from UV damage and can be weakened by acids and bases. The acetal copolymers are great for the manufacturing of gears, bearings, sprockets and conveyer belt components. It has also been known to be used as drive chains, bearing bushings, snap-fit pieces and pulley wheels. A German chemist, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1953, was the first person to stumble upon the polymer structure. However there were many initial problems that surfaced with its ability to with stand heat so it was never manufactured for the public. DuPont research chemists first created Acetal (or Delrin) in 1952, applied ofr its first patent four year later. Then in 1960 opened the fist DuPont factory solely dedicated to the making of Delrin.

Two German run laboratories competed with DuPont and created similar thermoplastics in 1963 which they called Celcon and Hostaform. The Food and drug Administration approved Delrin (and like copolymers) for use in the food industry. Acetal was also used by Mattel in the late 60’s to produce wheel bearings for Hot Wheels cars. It is still used in many areas today and can be easily machined to meet your requirements by the professionals at Anco precision.