Use material pages to connect resin choice with molding risk, appearance, tolerance, strength and cost.
These pages are built for RFQ preparation and buyer education.
Material pages should help buyers compare real tradeoffs: strength, appearance, shrinkage, heat, flexibility and quote risk.
Balanced, paintable and practical for housings, covers and consumer product parts.
Lightweight and chemical resistant for caps, closures, living hinges and packaging components.
Impact-resistant and transparent options for covers, lenses and durable housings.
Wear-resistant engineering plastic for brackets, gears, clips and mechanical parts.
Low-friction plastic for gears, sliding components, latches and precision mechanisms.
Soft-touch material for grips, seals, bumpers and overmolded user-contact areas.
Clear, glossy and light-transmitting material for covers, windows and display parts.
A resin name is not enough for a quote. The same ABS, PP or PC request can change when the part has cosmetic surfaces, snap fits, tight tolerance, heat exposure or compliance requirements.
| Question | Why it changes the molding route |
|---|---|
| Is the surface cosmetic? | Gate vestige, flow marks, texture, polish and paint requirements can change gate location and mold finish. |
| Does the part carry load? | Creep, stiffness, rib design and material reinforcement need review before mold steel. |
| Does the material need drying or traceability? | PC, PA66 and other engineering plastics may require drying control, certificates or batch records. |
| Is the part flexible or soft-touch? | TPU/TPE requests require hardness, flash, deformation and bonding assumptions. |
Many molding problems start when the quote uses a familiar resin name but omits the part function. Material selection should connect the resin to heat, impact, chemical exposure, friction, transparency, outdoor use, compliance and the appearance standard the buyer will use to approve T1 samples.
| Mistake | Better RFQ detail |
|---|---|
| Only writing ABS or PP | Add grade preference, finish, color, wall thickness and whether the part is cosmetic or functional. |
| Ignoring drying and shrinkage | Ask how material behavior changes gate location, tolerance and inspection. |
| Treating clear parts like opaque parts | State clarity, polish, gate vestige and inspection lighting requirements. |
