Plastic plates and rods (also called sheet/plate stock and bar/rod stock) are semi-finished forms of engineering and commodity thermoplastics. The plates are flat sheet or slab shapes of uniform thickness, while rods are solid cylindrical bars.
They replace metal in many applications where weight reduction, corrosion resistance, ease of machining or chemical resistance are beneficial.
Key material types & their featuresHere are some common plastics used in plate/rod form, and what makes them useful:
- Acetal (POM, e.g., Delrin®): Good strength, excellent machinability, low creep, low moisture uptake. Suitable for bushings, gears, and wear parts.
- Nylon (PA6, PA66): Tough, good fatigue resistance, good sliding properties.
- UHMW (Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene): Excellent wear and abrasion resistance, good impact strength. Great for heavy wear, sliding surfaces, and impact applications.
- PEEK (Polyetheretherketone): High-performance plastic, excellent mechanical and chemical resistance, retains properties at high temperatures.
- Polycarbonate (PC): Good toughness, optical clarity (if needed), impact resistance.
- PP (Polypropylene), HDPE, etc.More commodity grades for less demanding applications, but still useful in semi-finished plate/rod form.
Typical form-factors & sizes
- Plates: thicknesses from ~1 mm up to ~150 mm, widths and lengths according to sheet sizes.
- Rods: diameters from a few mm up to several hundred mm (e.g., 4 mm to 800 mm for some materials) and lengths accordingly.
We offer cut-to-length, custom sizes, and machining services, enabling ready-to-use blanks.
