Polycarbonate CNC Machining Services

Polycarbonate is one of the most popular transparent engineering thermoplastics used today. Polycarbonate machined parts have a wide scope of application in industries like automobile, electrical and electronics, packaging, medical device manufacturing, and many more. The material is one of the most efficient choices for industrial component production due to the certain properties and capabilities of the material. It offers excellent formability and is compatible with several plastic production techniques. However, there are multiple grades of polycarbonate available and the polycarbonate plastic machining parameters may differ accordingly. It requires expertise in selecting the correct grade of polycarbonate and performs efficient polycarbonate plastic machining. Brogan & Patrick offers polycarbonate CNC machining services. Our in-depth understanding of polycarbonate and its different grades combined with our CNC machining services enable us to assure effective polycarbonate CNC machining services in the US.

Features of Brogan & Patrick’s Polycarbonate Machining Services

Our polycarbonate CNC machining services are one of the most popular services in the country. Here are a few features of our polycarbonate machining services that make us one of the best CNC machined polycarbonate parts manufacturers.
  • Our facility is well-equipped with state-of-the-art CNC machining setups. Owing to the highly efficient CNC machines, we are capable of producing close-tolerance CNC machined polycarbonate parts.
  • We offer CAD prototyping for polycarbonate products. We are capable of custom designing the polycarbonate components with specific features, dimensional precision, and functionality.
  • We can acquire the industrial grades of polycarbonate for the production of CNC machined polycarbonate parts.
  • We can achieve close dimensional precision up to tolerance of ±0.002.
  • We can perform CNC turning, CNC routing, CNC milling, CNC drilling, and many more polycarbonate CNC machining services.

Properties of Polycarbonate Plastic

The properties of polycarbonate thermoplastic make them an ideal choice for several industrial and commercial applications. These properties also contribute to the efficiency of polycarbonate plastic machining activities. We analyze these properties in order to select the right grade of polycarbonate and appropriate CNC machining sequence. Here are the properties of polycarbonate that determine the machinability of the material.
  • High Impact Strength and Toughness: Polycarbonate offers high impact strength. It is a tough material that makes it immune to external impact, cracks, and fractures. Its toughness remains unchanged between temperature ranges of -20°C and 140°C. Owing to high toughness and impact strength, this material can be used for polycarbonate machined parts that demand high reliability and durability.
  • Light Weight: Polycarbonate is much lighter compared to other thermoplastics or glass materials. This enables the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) like Brogan & Patrick to manufacture an endless range of industrial products.
  • Chemical Resistance: It offers good immunity against diluted acids, alcohols, aliphatic/aromatic/halogenated hydrocarbons, oils, and greases. This enhances the usability of CNC machined polycarbonate parts in chemically exposed industries.
  • Thermal Tolerance: On exposure to heat, the polycarbonates are generally stable up to 135°C. Also, in the case of applications demanding higher thermal resistance, it can be done by adding flame retardants to these polycarbonates. This does not impact the chemical properties of the material however enhances the thermal stability of polycarbonates.
  • Optical Nature: Polycarbonates are amorphous in nature. Therefore, they offer good optical properties. Clear polycarbonate offers a refractive index of 1.548 which makes it a fair option for glass.
  • Radiation Resistance: Some grades of polycarbonate are formulated for 100% blocking of sunlight. This UV light resistance makes this ideal for medical or packaging products.
  • Transmittance: Standard polycarbonate can transmit 90% of the light that passes through it. This high amount of transmittance makes this material ideal for prototypes, decorative items, and medical-grade components.
  • FDA-Compliance: Polycarbonate is a food and drug association (FDA) approved material, therefore it can be used to manufacture products for medical and food industries.
In addition to these properties, the material is recyclable, therefore, offers minimum harm to the environment.

Types/Grades of Polycarbonate We Work With

Polycarbonate thermoplastic comes in a wide range of industrial grades. At Brogan & Patrick, we generally work with the following grades during polycarbonate plastic machining.
  • TUFFAK® Polycarbonate: This is a tough form of polycarbonate. It is tougher than glass but weighs only half of the glass material. It is highly compatible with thermoforming and CNC machining. Its compatibility with adhesives, solvents cement, and paints is high. It also offers great dimensional stability. This grade of plastic is further classified based on compatibility with industrial applications. Here are the sub-grades of TUFFAK® polycarbonate we can work with.
    • TUFFAK® AR Polycarbonate
    • TUFFAK® Lumen XT Polycarbonate
    • TUFFAK® SL Polycarbonate (Sign Grade)
    • TUFFAK® FD Polycarbonate (Food Grade)
    • TUFFAK® LF Polycarbonate ( Low Flame)
    • TUFFAK® FI Polycarbonate (Flame Inhibiting)
    • TUFFAK® CA Polycarbonate (Class A fire rating)
    • TUFFAK® OP Polycarbonate (Optical Grade)
    • TUFFAK® LS Polycarbonate (Laser Safety)
  • General Purpose Polycarbonate: This grade of polycarbonate offers glass-like transparency. It offers extreme toughness. Owing to the polished surface, we use this type of polycarbonate for glazing applications. It also is immune to aging on exposure to UV radiation.
  • AMGARDTM Polycarbonate: This grade of polycarbonate prohibits the growth of microorganisms on the surface. This grade of polycarbonate comprises silver ions which protect the material surface from bacteria, mildew, mold, etc. We can utilize this type of polycarbonate for manufacturing protective shields, medical devices, etc.
  • Machine Grade Polycarbonate: This grade of polycarbonate offers excellent impact strength, dimensional stability, high modulus of elasticity, and good electrical properties. We find this material suitable for polycarbonate machined parts that require high fabrication efforts.
  • Glass-filled Polycarbonate: This grade of polycarbonate is ideal for industrial-grade components. It is often used as a replacement for metal in industrial applications. It consists of 10%-40% of glass fibers to enhance the strengthening properties of standard polycarbonates. It offers high toughness and impact resistance therefore is used as a replacement for metals and engineered plastics.

Popular Polycarbonate Machined Parts

Here are a few CNC machined polycarbonate parts we regularly machine.
  • Electronic components
  • Automobile components
  • Protective shields
  • Safety equipment like glasses, face shields, etc.
  • Prototypes
  • Architecture Glazing
  • Machine guards and enclosures
  • Signage and display units
  • Medical equipment
The difference between Brogan & Patrick and its competitors is that we offer customized polycarbonate CNC machining services. We provide only what you want. We consider customer satisfaction as our first priority and therefore we pay attention to customers’ demands. We proceed with production only after customers’ approval of prototypes. In case you have any queries about our services or willing to source the services, please get in touch with us today.