Plastic Gear & Bearing Material
Gears, worms, bearing cages, cams and sliders in plastic run quieter and last longer than their metal counterparts in many drives: engineering plastics bring self-lubrication, low friction, corrosion resistance and weight reduction, with no grease required in most gearboxes.
The two families that dominate precision motion parts are POM (acetal) ― the standard for dimensional stability, low water uptake and low wear ― and reinforced nylon, where higher loads and temperatures demand glass-fiber stiffness.
What to Check Before Sourcing Motion-Grade Resin
- Coefficient of friction and wear behavior ― self-mating and vs. steel.
- Dimensional stability over humidity cycles (water absorption matters most here).
- Viscosity/flow level matching your part geometry: high-flow for thin-wall precision, high-viscosity for thick-wall impact-loaded gears.
- Fatigue resistance for continuous drive duty.
Selection Logic in 30 Seconds
– Standard gears, snap-fits, general mechanisms → POM copolymer.
– Thin-wall precision gears & complex cavities → medium/high-flow POM.
– Thick-wall gears under impact or fatigue → high-viscosity POM.
– Gears above ~100 °C or needing extra stiffness → glass-filled nylon.
FAQ
Q1: Copolymer or homopolymer POM?
A1: Copolymer offers better thermal and chemical stability for long-life parts ― the preferred default for gears.
Q2: Do plastic gears need lubrication?
A2: Usually not ― inherent low friction is exactly why POM replaces brass and steel in gear trains.
Q3: Grade not listed below?
A3: We continuously expand the range ― send your load, temperature and geometry, and we will match within 12 hours.
Plastics for Gears Bearings
| Brand | Grade | Applications |
|---|---|---|
| FPC | FM090 POM | Mechanical gears, snap-fits, electronic structural parts |
| Celanese | C9021 POM | Thin-wall precision gears and complex-geometry parts, high-speed molding |
| Mitsubishi | F10-02 POM | Gears, worms, bearings, cams, sliders, pump impellers |
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