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Plastic Sheets Basics

Find the right plastic sheets for sale for the products you manufacture

By Michelle Cramer
Many manufacturing industries use plastic sheets to make their products. Plastic sheeting provides flexibility and a wide range of applications and is almost always recyclable. These characteristics make it ideal for use in homes, automotive uses and other everyday items. If your business manufactures siding for homes or household items like garbage bags, tubing or storage containers, then you likely use plastic sheets at the beginning stages of production.

As you consider what type of material to use and which plastic sheet distributors to purchase from, it’s important to keep general information in mind. A thorough understanding of the following plastic sheets basics will help you find the right material for your product needs:

1. Thermoplastic, such as polyolefin sheets, makes up the most commonly used forms of plastic sheeting.

2. Thermoplastic sheets of ABS produce hard and durable products, like waste piping.

3. The flexibility of plastic sheeting like vinyl provides for a large number of product possibilities.

 

Find versatile thermoplastic sheeting

Thermoplastic is a polymer that becomes soft and malleable when heated and hard again when cooled. Polyolefin sheets are among the most common thermoplastics used in the manufacturing industry. You will find polyolefin as the base for common household items such as grocery and garbage bags, canister lids, shrink wrap and wiring coating. A form of polyolefin, high-density polyethylene (HDPE), is one of the safest plastics for food packaging. Another common thermoplastic sheet is polycarbonate, which is known for its ability to resist impacts, resulting in its use for everything from compact discs to bulletproof windows.
Try: Visit Titan Chemicals for a list of various density polyolefin plastics and their common uses. Read more about polycarbonate on Wise Geek.

Use impact-resistant plastic sheets like ABS

Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene, or ABS, is another thermoplastic known for its durability and capacity to withstand high impacts and strong chemicals. It's relatively inexpensive. Different ratio combinations of acrylonitrile, butadiene and styrene result in different grades and strengths of ABS plastic sheeting, making it usable in a wide range of industries, including construction, electronics and automotives.
Try: IDES offers complete details about ABS, including uses, features and characteristic properties. Visit AZoM for a list and descriptions of different grades of ABS.

Gain flexibility with vinyl plastic sheeting

Vinyl sheets come in a variety of color options, from transparent to any solid color you desire. While flexible, it is a strong, long-lasting material, resistant to humidity and moisture. Its flexibility and durability make it ideal for use in a variety of industries, including the production of medical supplies, the construction of homes (such as vinyl siding), signage, automotive parts and toys. It is also environmentally friendly, since more than half of the vinyl manufactured is made from common salt, a renewable resource, and vinyl is recyclable.
Try: What is Vinyl? provides a list of various applications and uses for the plastic. Visit Vinyl in Design for information on the manufacturing process.

 

  • Corrugated plastic sheets are much like corrugated cardboard but more durable and long lasting. Due to the fact that the application of screen printing to a corrugated plastic sheet is a breeze, ideal uses include packaging and signage.

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