Sheet in PAI C 254x254 mm green

The sheet in PAI C is a high performance material in the top layer among engineering plastics. Polyamide-imide combines the toughness of nylon with the thermal stability of the imide structure, and the cast version gives you large parts with an even distribution of properties right through the thickness.

This is a material chosen when ordinary engineering plastics are not enough. PAI keeps a large part of its mechanical strength even at very high temperatures, far beyond what PA6.6, POM or PC handle. It has a low thermal expansion for a plastic, which makes it easier to combine with metal components without the clearance changing much over the temperature range. Chemically PAI resists fuel, hydraulic fluid, oils and most organic solvents. It also takes ionizing radiation and keeps its properties over long service times.

The sheet format is used where you need to mill or cut out parts that are to serve for a long time in a demanding environment. Seal rings, slide segments and wear surfaces in compressors, plain bearings in heavy industrial applications, insulators in high temperature electronics and structural parts in the aerospace industry are typical uses. In vehicle engines, semiconductor manufacturing and process industry too, where both heat and chemistry press the material, PAI is a considered choice.

Machining demands respect. PAI is harder and tougher than most plastics your hands are used to, and it does not get away with the same cutting parameters as PA or POM. Sharp carbide is standard, and a moderate cutting speed with good cooling gives the best result. The material can be sensitive to heat building up in the cut, so avoid letting the chips pack together and make sure coolant reaches in. For really tight tolerances you post cure the part according to the instruction from the supplier, which improves both the strength and the dimensional stability further.

A PAI sheet is not an impulse material. It costs considerably more than standard polyamides and is oversized for normal workshop applications. But where the operation demands it, it is also hard to find anything that replaces it without moving over to metals. Then PAI is often the smarter solution, since you get an insulating, light and chemically stable part instead of a piece of metal that has to be treated against corrosion.

The sheets are supplied in the thicknesses reasonably needed for turning and milling components, and we will gladly cut to the format your machine shop wants so that needless waste is avoided.

Are you unsure whether PAI C is overkill or whether a PEEK grade goes far enough? Get in touch and we will go through operating temperature, chemical environment and load before you order. This product, PAI C 254x254 mm green, has the format 254x254 mm, which makes it easy to place into an existing structure.