Mechanical systems

Automating and optimising production processes is the challenge of every machine builder. How do I supply my customer with a sophisticated conveyor belt that ensures a high return and that does not come to a standstill due to a technical defect? In addition to efficiency, safety is of course also an important issue, because the safety of the operating employee comes first. Plastics are often used for the parts of conveyor belts and production machines. Think of parts such as: plain bearings, gears, cable pulleys and protective covers. On this page we show you which plastics you can use and which plastics suit your machine parts best.

If you still need additional advice, a team of plastic specialists is ready to assist you. Amari Plastics can expertly explain which plastic you can best use and how you can process it optimally.

The circumstances in each production process are different. For example, there may be circumstances in which there is an aggressive chemical environment, a lot of wear and tear occurs due to the process or work is carried out in a humid environment. These are a few examples, but all are relevant for the choice of material. Machine builders often opt for plastic parts because, in many cases, plastic distinguishes itself positively from, for example, aluminum and steel. Think of chemical resistance, wear resistance, susceptibility to breakage and food suitability. Each plastic has its own specific properties, which in turn determine for which application it can best be used.

Various types of plastics are used for the production of machine parts. Amari Plastics has put together an extensive range of technical and high-performance plastics, which are available from stock. Depending on the requirements of the machine part, the plastics can be used such as: Acetal, Nylon, HMPE, PTFE, PEEK, PVDF and Polypropylene. On the right you will find an overview of these plastics together with their properties. This allows you to quickly choose which plastic best suits your needs. In addition to the many types of plastic, Vink also carries stock of LED lighting, so you may illuminate your production line.

Acetal is a strong, hard and above all dimensionally stable plastic with very low frictional resistance. The static and dynamic coefficients of friction are equal, which means that stick slip is virtually impossible. acetal has exceptional resilient qualities that allow it to absorb heavy impacts and vibrations. In addition Acetal is easy to machine mechanically and boasts good resistance to oils and fuels. The low moisture absorption and the excellent mechanical properties guarantee products that remain true to size.

• Shape-retaining
• Low friction resistance
• Easy to edit
• Accurate
• Food-grade available 

Nylon is the plastic for dynamic applications such as mechanical engineering due to its high wear resistance in combination with good sliding and rolling properties. The hard material has a strong sound damping capacity, is tough and stiff and has good machining capabilities. By adding fillers Nylon is produced in many versions and the various properties are greatly improved. Oil-filled Nylon, for example, provides integral lubrication in dynamic applications resulting in lower friction and thus a longer service life.

• Wear-resistant
• Good sliding and rolling properties
• Easy to machine
• Many versions available
• Sound dampening
• Tough and stiff

HMPE is basically a Polyethylene plastic, but with a high molecular density. A higher molecular density provides better wear and impact resistance. There are also degrees of that. For example, Amari Plastics supplies an HMWPE 500 and a UHMWPE 1000 version, where UHMWPE 1000 has the best wear and impact-resistant properties. In addition, both HMWPE 500 and UHMWPE 1000 are moisture repellent and are fully approved for direct contact with food. This is in accordance with the applicable 10/2011 legislation. Additional advantages are the low coefficient of friction and the fact that HMPE does not adhere.

• Moisture repellent
• Low coefficient of friction
• Easy to machine
• Non-stick
• Food-grade available

PETP is ook bekend onder de handelsnaam Arnite. Het materiaal onderscheidt zich van andere slijtvaste constructiekunststoffen door de hoge trek- en buigsterkte en drukvastheid. Het is een van de hardste kunststofsoorten, heeft geen last van kruip (koude vloei) en het neemt praktisch geen vocht op. Er moet echter rekening gehouden worden met de relatieve brosheid van het materiaal waardoor het minder geschikt is voor stotende belastingen. PETP heeft een zeer lage wrijvingscoëfficiënt, is zelfdovend en levensmiddelengeschikt. Maatvast precisiewerk, lagerbussen, glijlagers en tandwielen zijn enkele toepassingen waarvoor PETP wordt ingezet.

• Hoge treksterkte
• Drukvastheid
• Geen last van kruip
• Zelfdovend
• Levensmiddelengeschikt

PEEK belongs to the group of High Performance plastics. The temperature range of PEEK is -40°C to 250°C with transient peaks up to 300°C. This plastic withstands heavy loads and has excellent chemical resistance. Add to that the low coefficient of expansion and high material stiffness and it is clear that it offers excellent dimensional stability. PEEK is flame-retardant and food-safe according to European 10/2011 legislation and the American FDA standard. Due to these high-quality properties, PEEK finds its way into applications such as the aircraft industry and the medical sector.

• High temperature range
• Heavy to load
• Flame-retardant
• High-performance plastic
• Food-grade available 

PTFE, also called Teflon, belongs to the group of fluorinated plastics, a specific group within high-performance plastics. This group offers excellent chemical resistance and a low coefficient of friction over a wide temperature range. PTFE is resistant to almost all chemicals, is flame-retardant and easy to sterilise. In addition, PTFE has excellent UV resistance and remarkable non-stick properties. The intrinsic purity of the material makes PTFE suitable for direct contact with food. The wear and compression resistance can be greatly improved by adding additives such as bronze, graphite or glass fibres. 

• Excellent UV resistance
• Chemical resistance
• Easy to sterilise
• Flame-retardant
• Food-safe

PVDF has a high mechanical strength and stiffness as well as a high abrasive resistance and low coefficient of friction. This makes PVDF extremely suitable for the manufacture of machine parts. 

PVDF falls into fire class B1 (according to DIN 4102), which means that the material is flame-resistant and self-extinguishing. In addition, PVDF is fully approved and certified for food contact according to the European 10/2011 Food Grade legislation. This is essential in, for example, the canning and food industry, meat and fish processing companies and other applications where non-toxic behaviour, the environment and hygiene are important.

• High compressive strength
• Low creep symptoms
• Suitable for food contact
• Very good weldability
• Very good chemical resistance

Polypropylene is a material with high impact resistance and high temperature range. In addition, the material is lightweight and has a high chemical resistance. Add to that the excellent mechanical properties and it is one of the most versatile plastics. This makes it extremely suitable for technical applications and constructions. It is also widely used in the chemical industry.

• Virtually no moisture absorption
• High chemical resistance
• Smell and taste free
• Foods-safe (on request)
• Impact resistant, light, tough and strong