Plastic fasteners are used where there are conditions in which metal will just not do. Plastic fasteners can be chemical-resistant, corrosion-resistant, very strong, heat-resistant, non-conductive, impervious to UV light, and very lightweight. The applications are endless.
Plastic fasteners can be just as strong, and keep from creeping out of place just as well as metal fasteners. They are made using a very wide variety of methods, and with highly differing types of plastics, including, but not limited to: ABS, acetal, CPVC, fiber glass G-10, glass-filled nylon, PCTFE, polycarbonate, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, polysulfone, PPS, PVC, PVDF, and vinyl ester.
Some patented, brand name materials for plastic fasteners are: Delrin, Halar, Isoplast, Kynar, Lexan, Noryl, PEEK, PES, Radel, Ryton, Teflon, Tefzel, Torlon, UHMW, Ultem, and Vespel.
If you are using fasteners for super-lightweight projects, plastic fasteners are your answer. When you have a use for many screws, for example, the combined weight of metal screws might be out of the question. Plastic fasteners can be made tough enough not to melt under heat or pressure, and the real kicker is that they do not conduct electricity, an indispensable quality for machinery where such conductivity would adversely affect whatever the machine is supposed to do.
There are at least a hundred different materials for plastic screws. Craftech Industries is a commercial supplier of plastic fasteners. Even though they are a private company, their website contains much interesting, useful, and comprehensive information about each kind of fastener and material they offer.
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