Acetal Washers
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Bespoke Manufacturing
Instant Quote Service
Worldwide Delivery
Various Gauges/Thicknesses
Bespoke Manufacturing
Instant Quote Service
Worldwide Delivery
Various Gauges/Thicknesses
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As a trusted provider of shim solutions, we serve OEMs and businesses globally.
At Stephens Gaskets, we are a proud supplier of Laser Etching that can be custom made to meet the needs of our customers. Moreover, our experienced team is equipped with the latest technology and machinery to manufacture high-quality washers that are built to last.
If you’re seeking high-quality Acetal Washers with a quick turnaround, look no further.
Our reputation as the best in the business is well-deserved. With over 70 years of experience delivering top-notch products that meet both your budget and timeline. Our commitment to quality and efficiency is unwavering.
What are Acetal Washers?
Acetal washers are precision components manufactured from a thermoplastic material called acetal resin, commonly known by the brand names Delrin or Celcon. These washers are valued for their high strength, stiffness, and excellent dimensional stability. They offer several key features and benefits:
Key Features:
Durability and Wear Resistance: Acetal washers are resistant to wear, moisture, and chemical exposure, making them suitable for use in challenging environments where other materials might degrade.
Low Friction and Lubricity: Acetal’s natural low friction surface reduces the need for additional lubrication, which is advantageous in applications where minimal friction is essential, such as in moving parts of machinery.
Impact Resistance: These washers can withstand significant mechanical stress and impact without breaking or deforming, ensuring reliability and longevity in applications that involve shock or high loads.
Excellent Dimensional Stability: Acetal maintains its shape and size even under adverse conditions, including temperature variations and humid environments, which makes it ideal for precise engineering applications.
Electrical Insulation: Acetal is a good insulator, which makes these washers suitable for electrical applications, protecting against electrical shock and interference.
Acetal washers are used in a variety of industries including automotive, consumer electronics, and machinery manufacturing, due to these properties. They are particularly useful in applications where a strong, durable, and stable component is required to cushion, space, seal, or reduce friction.
What are the Benefits of Acetal Washers?
Acetal washers offer several significant benefits, making them an excellent choice for a variety of industrial and mechanical applications. Here’s a detailed look at the key advantages:
High Mechanical Strength and Stiffness:
Acetal washers provide robust performance due to their inherent high strength and stiffness, which makes them capable of withstanding heavy loads and stresses without deforming or breaking.
Excellent Wear and Abrasion Resistance:
These washers resist wear and abrasion exceptionally well, which is crucial in applications involving moving parts where longevity and durability are vital.
Low Friction Coefficient:
The low friction surface of acetal washers reduces the need for lubrication, which can simplify system design and reduce maintenance costs. This feature also decreases energy consumption in machinery by minimising drag and resistance.
Moisture & Chemical Resistance:
Acetal is resistant to a wide range of chemicals, including many solvents and hydrocarbons, making these washers suitable for use in chemically harsh environments. They also do not absorb a significant amount of moisture, ensuring dimensional stability in wet conditions.
Good Electrical Insulation Properties:
These washers can act as effective insulators, making them appropriate for electronic and electrical applications where preventing electrical conductivity is necessary.
Dimensional Stability:
Acetal maintains its shape over a broad range of temperatures and environmental conditions, which is crucial for applications requiring precise, consistent performance without expansion or contraction.
Impact Resistance:
They are capable of withstanding unexpected and sudden loads or impacts, which helps prevent failure in critical applications.
Ease of Machining:
Acetal can be easily machined to high tolerances, allowing for the production of custom washers that meet specific design requirements.
These benefits make acetal washers a versatile choice across industries such as automotive, aerospace, electronics, and manufacturing, where reliability and performance are critical.
Looking for an Acetal Washers Supplier?
Stephens Gaskets is a leading supplier of high-quality Acetal Washers. With over 70 years of experience in the industry, we have a deep understanding of the needs of our customers. We commit ourselves to providing top-notch products and services for companies nation wide.
Get in touch with us today to learn more about our Acetal Washers and how we can help you with your next project.
What are the applications of Acetal Washers?
Acetal washers are highly versatile and find applications across a wide range of industries due to their superior mechanical and chemical properties. Here are some key applications:
Automotive Industry:
Acetal washers are used in automotive applications for components that require strength, resilience, and durability. They are particularly useful in fuel systems, transmissions, and steering assemblies where chemical resistance and low friction are crucial.
Electronics & Electrical:
These washers provide excellent electrical insulation properties, making them ideal for use in electrical assemblies, insulating electronic components, and preventing electrical shorts across conducting parts.
Machinery & Equipment:
In machinery, acetal washers help reduce wear and friction in rotating and sliding components, thus extending the life of machinery and reducing maintenance needs. They are used in gearboxes, pumps, and conveyors.
Aerospace:
The lightweight and strong mechanical properties of acetal make it suitable for various aerospace applications, including fastening and alignment of components in aircraft interiors.
Medical Devices:
Acetal’s resistance to sterilisation processes and its biocompatibility make it suitable for various medical device applications, including in surgical instruments and devices where high precision and cleanliness are required.
Construction:
Acetal washers are used in construction equipment and fixtures due to their strength and durability under harsh environmental conditions.
These applications take advantage of acetal washers’ ability to perform under stress, resist environmental factors, and maintain integrity over long periods, making them a preferred choice in many technical and demanding applications.
What limitations can Acetal Washers have?
While acetal washers offer many advantages, they also come with certain limitations or pain points that might affect their suitability for some applications. Here are some of the common challenges or drawbacks associated with acetal washers:
Temperature Sensitivity: Although acetal has good thermal stability, it may degrade or lose some mechanical properties at higher temperatures, typically above 100°C (212°F). This makes it less suitable for high-temperature applications compared to materials like PTFE or certain metals.
Limited Resistance to Strong Acids and Bases: While acetal is resistant to many chemicals, it is susceptible to degradation by strong acids and bases. This limits its use in certain chemical processing environments where exposure to such substances is common.
UV Sensitivity: Acetal can degrade and become brittle when exposed to UV light over long periods. This can be a problem in outdoor applications unless the material is specially treated or stabilised for UV resistance.
Creep Under Continuous Stress: Under long-term static loads, acetal can experience creep, which is a gradual deformation over time. This might affect the performance and dimensional stability in applications requiring long-term load-bearing capacity.
Not Suitable for Dyeing: Acetal does not absorb dyes easily, which can be a limitation in applications where aesthetic considerations are important, and colour matching is required.
Moisture Absorption Issues: While generally resistant to moisture, acetal can absorb small amounts of water, which might affect its dimensional and physical properties in highly humid or wet environments.
Cost Considerations: Depending on the application and volume, acetal can be more expensive than other thermoplastics, which might lead organisations to consider less costly alternatives.
Understanding these limitations is crucial when evaluating the suitability of acetal washers for specific applications, ensuring that the chosen material meets all the requirements of the intended use without causing unexpected issues down the line.
Need Guidance on Acetal Washers?
Stephens Gaskets is a leading supplier of high-quality Acetal Washers. With over 70 years of experience in the industry, we have a deep understanding of the needs of our customers. We commit ourselves to providing top-notch products and services for companies nation wide.
Get in touch with us today to learn more about our Acetal Washers and how we can help you with your next project.
What are the industry specific (manufacturing) material recommendations for Acetal Washers?
In the manufacturing industry, choosing the right material for components like washers is crucial to ensuring performance, longevity, and cost-efficiency. For acetal washers, there are specific material recommendations and considerations based on the unique demands of manufacturing applications:
Material Grade:
Selecting the appropriate grade of acetal is essential. For example, unfilled acetal (homopolymer or copolymer) is generally suitable for general-purpose applications due to its high mechanical strength and fatigue resistance. For more demanding applications, filled grades (e.g., glass-filled acetal) can be used to enhance strength, stiffness, and heat resistance.
UV Stabilisation:
For applications that involve exposure to sunlight or UV light, choosing an acetal grade that includes UV stabilisers can help mitigate the degradation and brittleness caused by long-term UV exposure.
Low Friction Additives:
In applications where reduced friction is critical, acetal washers can be manufactured with additives that enhance their lubricity. This is particularly useful in machinery where reduced friction can extend the life of both the washers and the moving parts they interact with.
Chemical Resistance:
Standard acetal is resistant to many chemicals, but for environments exposed to strong acids, bases, or other aggressive chemicals, manufacturers might recommend acetal copolymers or alternative materials like PTFE or nylon that have better chemical resistance profiles.
Compliance with Regulations:
In industries where materials are required to comply with specific regulations (such as FDA approval for food contact or medical-grade specifications), ensuring that the acetal washers meet these standards is crucial. This might involve selecting food-grade or medically approved acetal materials.
Colour Coding:
Although acetal is not easily dyeable, it is available in different colours which can be used for colour coding parts for easy identification during assembly or maintenance.
Moisture Control:
If the manufacturing environment involves high humidity or the washers are expected to come into contact with water, choosing a type of acetal that has lower moisture absorption rates or treating the washers to resist moisture could be necessary to maintain dimensional stability and performance.
By considering these material-specific recommendations, manufacturers can better utilise acetal washers in applications that match their properties, thus optimising performance and avoiding potential failures or maintenance issues.