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Plastic Fabrication Terms

Acrylic – A manufactured fiber plastic material that provides transparency, color fastness and weather resistance.

Additive – Any one of various substances that modify the characteristics of polymer resins. The different types of additives include viscosity modifiers, pigments, fillers and reagents.

Binder – A substance, such as a resin, that binds materials together. Binders provide mechanical strength solidification and adhesion to surface coatings or guarantee consistency.

Bond Strength – The quantity of adhesion that connects bonded surfaces.

Brightener – An additive that enhances plastic coatings to make them brighter or smoother.

Catalyst – A material that alters the pace of a chemical reaction pace so that it does not undergo any permanent changes in its own structure. This term also refers to a substance that significantly increases the curing of a compound when introduced in small amounts, contrasted with the quantity of primary reactants.

Colorants and Pigments – Additives that alter the color of plastic. Colorants and pigments include resin color premix or a powder.

Color Stability – The capability of a surface coating to resist deterioration normally caused by environmental conditions.

Compounding – The necessary procedure for blending the polymer with all the required substances to make a final product.

Composite – A plastic structural substance that is comprised of a blending of materials, usually a thermoplastic resin or thermoset and a reinforcing element. This term also refers to a strengthening fiber within a polymer resin; in either case, the collective result is greater than the isolated elements.

Compressive Strength – The capacity of any material to withstand any crushing forces.

Continuous Service Temperature – The maximum temperature in which a material is able to function reliably for multiple applications and extensive periods of time. Manufacturers do not consistently define the long term period.

Coupling Agent – A material that functions as an interface to create a chemical bridge between the resin and mineral fiber or fiberglass. Coupling agents enhance bonding.

Cure – The process of altering properties of polymers into a state of greater stability and usability. Curing is achieved through radiation, heat or reaction with chemical additives.

Delamination – The process of disconnecting the layers of a composite.

Flexural Strength and Yield – The calculation of a material's ability to resist fracturing in the event of bending.

Flow Line – Also called a "weld line," it is a score on molded plastic that occurs from the contact of two flow fronts in the molding process.

Forming – The procedure in which an existing shape of a plastic is changed to another preferred one.

Hardener – A substance or substance blend that, when added to a material, enhances or controls the curing reaction by participating in it.

Heat Stabilizers – Additives that enhance the capability of a material to resist any negative effects of exposure to heat. Heat stabilizers are utilized to enhance the overall service temperature of the material.

Impact Modifiers – Additives utilized to increase capability of a material to resist the force of an impact.

Laminate – The process of putting a sequence of layers of polymer and reinforcement into a mold. The resulting product is called a laminant.

Layer –– A single layer of laminate or lay up.

Lay Up – A process in which layers of polymer resin and other reinforcements are applied to a mold to produce a part.

Light, UV Stabilizers and Absorbers – Additives that enhance the capability of a material to resist the harmful effects of UV and light exposure, consequently enhancing the life of the material.

Molded Part – Plastic parts produced by primary processing. Molded parts often do not need a finishing operation.

Polymer – A chain molecule that is typically found in plastics and made up of long molecular chains created from monomers, which occur as repetitive building blocks.

Reinforced Plastic – Material of plastic with increased mechanical properties, resulting from the embedding of high-strength fillers in the composition.

Sandwich Construction – A composite of two laminate layers with a structural core material between them. Sandwich construction produces stiff, lightweight structures.

Sheet – Continuous phase plastic which is formed in such a way that the thickness is extremely low in proportion to the length and width. Specifically, a sheet is more than 0.25 mm.

Stress Crack – An internal or external crack that results from tensile stresses lower than the short-time mechanical strength.

Tackifiers – Additives that increase the bonding capability or adhesiveness of a material.

Tensile Yield Strength – The highest stress a material can resist when exposed to a stretching load before yielding.

Tensile Break Strength – The highest stress a material can resist when exposed to a stretching load before breaking.

Thermoplastic – A category of plastics that are able to be softened or hardened through heat and cold. These materials, which include PVC, nylon, polystyrene and polycarbonates, undergo a change that is primarily physical, as opposed to a chemical.

Warpage – An inconsistent alteration in internal stresses causing deformation or distortion of the material.