Why ABS Plastic is Best for Your Custom Plastic Project

Plastics are all around us. They make many of our modern conveniences possible and our society would look a lot different without them. Plastics are critical components of many products, and there are many different types of plastics used for these products. You may not know what plastic is your best option. Here’s why ABS plastic is the best choice for your custom project.

ABS plastics are one of the top plastics choices for many industrial and retail products. It’s a low-cost, versatile, durable, recyclable, and customizable plastic making it a viable choice for many projects. You can find it offered by many plastic manufacturers.

However, if you want to find the best custom plastic manufacturer of ABS plastics, you’ll want to choose Inplex Custom Extruders. We’ll explain why, after we discuss the benefits of ABS plastic.

What Is ABS Plastic?

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) is a thermoplastic polymer. This means that it melts and becomes a liquid instead of burning when exposed to high temperatures. It can also endure exposure to very low temperatures as well. Because of ABS plastics’ ability to perform at a low temperature, it’s frequently extruded for uses in things like trim or moldings in a freezer or cold storage room. ABS is an ideal plastic for general use in frigid climates.

The ABS polymer is also extruded for usage in almost all forms of water pipes, waste pipes, and other water transfer applications. ABS plastic is known for its high UV resistance and resistance to impact, making it one of the most durable plastics for your projects. These unique traits are part of the reason it’s often the best plastic for a harsh environment.

Apart from the use of ABS in demanding environments, ABS is also used for many other materials you’re probably familiar with. We touch on the many different industry uses of ABS later in the article.
ABS can also be a more sustainable plastic material option. The ABS plastics can be melted down and remolded without degrading the quality of the hardened product. This means that you can effectively recycle ABS plastics into new valuable products. When you use ABS for your project, you can make it a more sustainable one.

Benefits of ABS Plastic Over Other Materials

Traditionally, many of the things made of ABS plastics were made of other durable materials like metal and wood. Once ABS plastic was created, it did not take long for many industries to recognize the advantages ABS Plastic offers.

Why ABS Plastic is Better than Metal

Although metal offers the advantage of being transformed into many different shapes, it cannot be shaped as easily as ABS plastic and lacks some of the other characteristics of ABS.

Most metals also have the problem of being reactive to many agents. Water, salt, and some acids and bases commonly found in industrial cleaning products can damage metal fixtures and parts over time. These materials do not have the same effect on ABS plastics.

While you will need to replace your metal products when it starts to rust, you won’t have to replace your ABS plastic components. This makes ABS plastics a much more economical option. Metal can also be more expensive to purchase in the first place. For an economical material that lasts longer then metal, choose ABS plastics.

Why ABS Plastic is Superior to Wood

Wood offers strength, flexibility, and durability but cannot be extruded into the many different forms of ABS on a large scale. To create a customized shape and size of a wood fixture or part, each one must be pared down and shaped individually. This process would be much too time-consuming to be practical in industrial settings.

This process would be very expensive, and the cost of materials for wood is already high. ABS plastics, on the other hand, are a much cheaper alternative.

Wood is also susceptible to many outside factors like UV rays, water damage, and even insects. Rotting and weakening of your components are likely to occur. Any of these factors could cause enough damage to warrant a replacement, increasing your cost. Wood’s overall lifespan is also much shorter than that of ABS plastic.

Overall, the strength of wood materials is also much lower than ABS plastic. Your wood materials can be damaged much more easily and will need replacement sooner than components made with ABS plastics.

Lastly, your wood materials can also not be resued like ABS plastic. Wood is also a much more limited resource and the harvesting of wood is destroying many natural habitats. ABS plastic is made as a byproduct of oil that is being harvested regardless. By choosing ABS plastic over wood you can make a smarter choice.

Most Common Uses of ABS Plastics

Here are some of the many different industries that you can use ABS plastics:

ABS Plastics in Automotive Manufacturing

ABS plastics are more scratch and impact resistant than both metal and other plastics. For these reasons and because they are lighter weight and more cost-effective than most alternatives, they can be found in car dashboards, wheel coverings, and body parts.

ABS Plastics as Pipes and Fittings

ABS plastics can be used for pipes and fittings without the risk of corrosion, rot, or mold. They are lighter in weight and easier to fit than metal pipes. They are more resistant to cracking than PVC piping, especially when exposed to extreme temperatures.

Other Industries and Uses of ABS Plastics

ABS plastics’ versatility and lightweight strength make them ideal choices for manufacturing many things in other industries, such as:

• Refrigeration
• Children’s toys and playsets
• Food storage and transport
• Helmets and other protective headgear
• Keyboard keys
• Socket and light switch plates
• Vacuums
• Power tool housings

Have a different industry that you want to use ABS plastics for? Speak with one of our experts to discuss how ABS plastics can be customized for your next project.

Choose a Top ABS Plastic Manufacturer, Inplex

Now you know that ABS plastics are one of the best material choices available for your projects. Next, you need to find the best ABS plastic manufacturer to fulfill your order specifications.

Inplex Custom Extruders, LLC is a custom plastics manufacturer that specializes in a large variety of plastic products and materials like ABS plastics. They have the experience, skills, and equipment to create whatever ABS plastic product your business needs.

We consistently exceed expectations, holding ourselves to incredibly high standards as we manufacture industry-leading products with a focus on dependability and responsibility. At Inplex our customer service is second to none.

To find out more about why Inplex and ABS plastics are right for your project, contact Inplex today.