CNC machining of cast nylon

Machinability is one of the main advantages of cast nylon. Machinists used to metal need to change only a few habits.

Points to watch

• Chips: cast nylon tends to form long chips that wrap around the tool. Use chip breakers and clear chips well.
• Clamping: it is softer than metal. Too much pressure crushes thin walls and the size changes on release.
• Heat: it conducts heat poorly. Blunt tools heat the surface and the size drifts. Use sharp tools and, if needed, air or coolant.
• Cold material: cast nylon loses toughness in the cold. Let large stock reach workshop temperature before machining.
• Checking size: measure after the part has cooled.

Preparing a drawing

• Add radii to inside corners.
• Avoid very thin walls without support.
• Use a metal thread insert where screws are removed often.
• Mark only the working surfaces and critical sizes.

Tolerances

Do not copy steel tolerances directly. Moisture and temperature change the size of cast nylon, so a very tight tolerance may not hold in service.

If we machine it for you

We cast the sheet, then cut and machine it to your drawing. You send the size or drawing, we cut and machine it, then we strap it to a pallet and ship it.