You’ve designed your part, created the tooling, and are ready to begin the plastic injection molding process. But then, there is a change of plans. Rather than using ABS plastic, you will now be making the parts out of nylon. No problem. Just have some nylon shipped to the manufacturer and you’re good to go, right?
Nylon is a synthetic thermoplastic first produced in 1935 and introduced as a fabric during the 1939 New York World's Fair. You will also see Nylon referred to by its chemical designation “PA.” It is commonly available in black, white, and off-white or beige, which is its natural color. Nylon can be produced as fibers, filaments, sheet stock, and films, and also as the raw material for injection molding.
Acetal is the common name for polyoxymethylene (POM), a white semi-crystalline thermoplastic. It is strong, abrasion and impact resistant, and tolerates many organic chemical compounds. It has a low coefficient of friction and durable stiffness, so it is often used in moving parts. Because it is widely available in sheet and block form, many machined prototypes are made of acetal. Examples of items made from acetal include a variety of large and small plastic parts: