Fluoropolymer molding presents several challenges to overcome in order to achieve success, such as the material's extremely high melt temperatures, corrosivity, and tendency for melt fracture. Performance Plastics has devoted years of research to develop breakthrough capabilities in several areas of fluoropolymer molding, allowing us to successfully injection mold PFA, FEP, ETFE, and other fluoropolymers in high volume applications. We have also developed industry leading capabilities in the direct gating of fluoropolymers, successfully incorporating multi-cavity hot runner systems to cost effectively produce millions of fluoropolymer parts per year.

Performance Plastics' capabilities have come from success in these critical areas:

Specially Formulated Tool Steels: Fluoropolymers have extremely high melt temperatures, ranging from 410 to 639 degrees F, and are highly corrosive to tool steels at these temperatures. Performance Plastics has worked closely with experts in the tool steel industry to identify and develop proprietary tool steels that can stand up to the extreme processing conditions associated with fluoropolymer molding. We currently supply companies around the world with millions of fluoropolymer parts per year. The wrong choice of tool steels can result in severe damage to the injection mold tool such as pitting and corrosion of tool surfaces (as seen in the photographs below, right), resuting in high maintenance costs, tool downtime, and potential missed deliveries that impact your production line.

Sophisticated Processing Techniques: Performance Plastics has over 25 years of experience in fluoropolymer molding. In this time we have developed processing techniques involving injection speeds, injection pressures, melt temperatures, and mold temperatures that result in successful injection molding of PFA, FEP, ETFE and other fluoropolymer materials. Coupling our state of the art molding machines with sophisticated software and electronics, we can monitor and automatically adjust these parameters in order to achieve and maintain optimal molding conditions through the entire production run. In addition, fluoropolymers require mold steel temperatures that can range from 302 to over 450 degrees F. Conventional water cooled molds cannot be used. More advanced approaches and equipment are required for fluropolymer molding, such as oil cooled molds and auxiliary equipment such as oil heaters and controllers that can handle these temperatures. Also for consideration, when heated during processing fluoropolymers produce harmful vapors including toxic gases such as HF (hydrogen fluoride) and COF2 (carbonyl fluoride). Proper ventilation and equipment is necessary when processing these materials.

Hot Runner System Component Design: Another breakthrough in Performance Plastics' development of fluoropolymer molding capabilities has been the development of proprietary hot runner system components. Building on our expertise in tool steels, we have developed custom components for critical parts of the hot runner system that are in contact with the fluoropolymer material. Just as importantly, we have identified and implemented O-Ring materials for use in the manifold that have the chemical resistance and temperature performance demanded of fluropolymer molding. These developments allow us to achieve and maintain high volume production as well as optimum tool life from our tooling assets.

Performance Plastics - Our unique capabilities in fluoropolymer molding means the highest quality, lowest cost components for our customers.

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