Denmark-based MaterialSampleShop, a spin-off from Futation.com which builds material libraries for engineers and designers, has announced that it now offers a plastic material sample set with molded samples in 20 different plastic materials.
The set contains standard materials such as ABS, polypropylene, polycarbonate and PVC, along with specialized materials such as PSU, PBT, EVA, and several glass-filled composites.
The set helps to compare materials with each other as each sample is molded in the same shape, making it easy to compare the differing properties. Along with the samples, a 62-page booklet with descriptions of each material and design details important for molding is included in the set.
The sample set is designed by Markus Paloheimo from the Finnish company Plasticprop. Markus Paloheimo said: “I run a design consultancy specialized in plastic product design and I needed a tool that makes it easy to communicate and understand the properties of different plastic materials. It is for example nice to be able to show a client the difference in stiffness between glass fiber filled PP and corresponding glass filled [nylon], or to illustrate the difference in sound between a PS and a PA being dropped.”
The plastic material sample set went on sale in Scandinavia a couple of months ago and the company states that it has been well received by the industry.