PLASTICS for small-volume turned parts
At Massard, we don’t often talk about our ability to produce your small and medium-sized plastic screw-machined parts. And yet we’ve been doing it for 10 years. But what does small and medium series mean when you’re the bar-turning expert in Haute-Loire?
At Massard, when we talk about small and medium production runs, we’re talking about 50 to 500 pieces.
In mechanical workshops, plastic is often not the most popular material, and for good reason…
It’s our CNs’ sworn enemy. The famous filament chip that winds, twists, jams… and must end its life in a specific chip bin, doesn’t always get good press among the “noble” metal chips with their bluish sheen…
At Massard, it’s experience that has developed our expertise. Our teams have tested different cutting speeds, different tools, and different materials to offer you the expertise to support you in your projects.
Our expertise in studs, and the use of thread chasers to produce threads, has given us a mastery of thread machining on plastic materials.
Machining plastic mechanical parts, the FUNCTION – PRICE – QUALITY triptych.
Plastic has had its day. In the workshop it’s called PA6, PA66, PETP, PTFE, PEEK, POM, you name it…
It (plastic) arrived to meet very specific uses and mechanical functions.
From high-impact polyamide to less resistant but equally high-performance thermoplastic or thermostable plastic, plastic has replaced mechanical parts and fasteners previously made entirely of metal, often steel.
Cheaper than metal, and often more resistant to corrosion in aggressive environments, it is appreciated, for example, in the agricultural machinery and equipment sector.
In addition, the softness of certain plastics makes them highly flexible and therefore easy to assemble, which is appreciated in the automotive industry, for example.
With its soft-touch surface finish, it does not require thermal or surface treatments.
Finally, its ease of maintenance and resistance to the chemicals needed in complex environments… are also highly appreciated by the Medical sector.
A price that serves function, but not at the expense of Quality.
For example, our rings are inspected by an approved body (Cetim) once a year.
It’s not the material that determines quality, especially at Massard, whose first ISO 9001 certification dates back to 1993! Since 2014, the company has also been ISO 14001 certified, and is preparing to move to ISO EN 9100 in the near future.
What does the future hold for machining plastic mechanical parts?
Plastic has had its day, …. but the shortage of raw materials and the difficulty of finding any type of metallic material could well give it a rebound in the months ahead.
So don’t hesitate to consult Massard for all your needs in mechanical parts and fasteners, small and medium production runs, but also for your plastic parts.
