How Difficult Is It To Process PEEK Materials?

October 29, 2024

Abstract

PEEK material is resistant to high temperature, corrosion, abrasion and high strength, but it is difficult to process, so it is necessary to choose the right tool, optimize the parameters, cooling, humidity control, anti-heat deformation and deburring to improve the processing level.

As a high-performance thermoplastic, PEEK is widely used in aerospace and automotive manufacturing due to its excellent physical and chemical properties. However, PEEK material is difficult to process, which brings certain challenges to the manufacturing industry. In this paper, we will analyze the machining difficulty of PEEK materials from the characteristics of PEEK materials and propose corresponding countermeasures.

I. Introduction of PEEK material

Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is a thermoplastic with excellent performance, with the following characteristics:

High temperature resistance: the melting point of PEEK is up to 340 ℃, can be used for a long time in a high temperature environment.

Chemical resistance: PEEK has good chemical stability and is resistant to acids, alkalis, salts and other corrosive substances.

Abrasion resistance: PEEK has excellent abrasion resistance and is suitable for applications with severe friction and wear.

High strength: PEEK has excellent mechanical properties, with high strength and high rigidity.

Second, PEEK material processing difficulty analysis

Although PEEK material has many advantages, but its processing difficulty, mainly in the following areas:

Cutting difficulty: the high hardness of PEEK material, cutting process is easy to produce high temperatures, resulting in serious tool wear.

Hygroscopicity: PEEK material has hygroscopicity, the processing process is easy to moisture, resulting in dimensional changes.

Easy to produce burr: PEEK material in the processing process, easy to produce burr, affecting the accuracy of the product.

Large coefficient of thermal expansion: PEEK material has a large coefficient of thermal expansion and is prone to thermal deformation during processing.

Residual stress: PEEK materials are prone to residual stress during processing, affecting product performance.

Third, PEEK material processing countermeasures

For the difficulty of processing PEEK materials, the following countermeasures:

Selection of suitable cutting tools: selection of carbide and other high-performance tools to improve the cutting effect.

Optimize cutting parameters: according to the characteristics of PEEK material, adjust the cutting speed, feed, depth of cut and other parameters to reduce the cutting difficulty.

Adopt suitable cooling methods: use water cooling and other methods to reduce the temperature in the cutting process and reduce tool wear.

Control humidity: dry the PEEK material before processing to reduce the effect of moisture absorption on the size.

Prevent thermal deformation: Reasonable arrangement of the machining sequence to reduce thermal deformation.

Take deburring measures: use grinding, polishing and other methods to remove burrs in the machining process.

PEEK material has a wide range of applications in many fields due to its excellent performance. However, its processing is difficult, which brings certain challenges to the manufacturing industry. By analyzing the characteristics and processing difficulty of PEEK material and proposing corresponding countermeasures, it helps to improve the processing level of PEEK material.

Author:

Ms. Tina

E-mail:

sales@honyplastic.com

Phone/WhatsApp:

+86 18680371609