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Engineering Plastics

Started by NDenekamp, June 25, 2013, 04:42:27 PM

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NDenekamp

Hey guys,


I'm working on a collection of some engineering plastic materials.

I'm in the process of listing the ones I'd like to get to, and the variations etc. So if you have any suggestions please let me know and I'll see if I can incorporate them!

Anyhow, first off the mill is Polyslfone.

Let me know what you think, and whether such a range is a good idea. I don't have a sample of PSU here, so this is just from observing reference pictures. It's still needs a little more tweaking I think.


N

Speedster

I machine polysulfone all the time.  Color is spot on, but it's way more transparent and slightly translucent.  And being machined it would be shiny, but of course can be molded with any texture.  But then you have to watch draft angles and the actual surfaces that can be textured.  This applies to any use of Mold-Tech textures as well.
Bill G

NDenekamp

Bill, Thanks! That's very useful!

Glad I got the colour right. From the reference images I was working from, it seemed it has an internal roughness or scattering, but maybe this is just surface roughness then? I did see a clear polysulfone as well.

How is the light transmission of the material, does it get dark as the material thickness increases? It seems so. I'm thinking I might have to use the dielectric material type for this one, as you can set the colour density parameter

I need to get my hands on some..


N

Speedster

Although these are tiny parts, perhaps they will help.  The amber (right) and reddish-amber (left) are both polysulfone parts that I molded many years ago for a medical device for the treatment of GIRD.  The amber is "neat", or natural.  The reddish was tinted with a light-blocker radiopaque  to protect the encapsulated electronics, optics and light source, and to see it on the screen.  As with any resin, it can be tinted as long as it meets Master Batch FDA certification.  The amber may be a good target for you as well.

Also, the reddish-amber you have created is very close if not dead on to Ultem, a high temperature plastic often used for insulators and such, and machines beautifully.

I'll note that polysulfone is an absolute dog to mold, in that it has a very high melt temperature, and likes molds in the 350 + F temperature range.  You can hurt yourself molding it, but once you dial it in it's a wonderful resin.

For all, think of a little sub-surface scattering that indicates a slight darkening at edges.

I think that, given KeyShot's new capabilities, the development of more sophisticated engineering plastics is a must, and I'll help out as much as I can.

Bill G

NDenekamp

Thanks for the additional info Bill!

today I'm cranking out a while load of renders for a project..

Maybe this evening I'll have some time for tweaking it further.


N

Josh3D

GREAT idea Niels. This should be a great thread. Hope to see many, many more! May move thread to the 'Materials' board though.

NDenekamp

Josh, thanks! I hope to get a nice collection going to share with the community here.

Please feel free to move the thread to the Materials forum, if you feel it's more appropriate there (although I do hope to develop some 'Amazing Shots' in the process of creating this material range  ;) )


Bill, I've tweaked the material further to reflect what you had said and with your photo as further reference. It seems I was misled as to the look by some of the initial images I found, which often show a very deep amber colour with very diffuse surface. It seems this is often the sheet variant, but the moulded / machines parts have a lighter and clearer look.

In order to achieve this in KeyShot, I've had to switch from the Advanced material type to Dielectric, as this gives control over the colour depth parameter, to create those darkened material edges. Added benefit is that the material I have now, renders quite a bit quicker, and holds it own when you apply more or less gloss.

I managed to find the IOR for polysulfone online, which is 1.66? This helped the look of the material a lot I think!


N

NDenekamp


Speedster

Polysulfone = Bingo!!!  The PEEK is spot on in color, but PEEK has an almost but not quite matte finish, whether molded or machined.  Here's an accurate large scan of a "Piece of PEEK".  At least KeyShot PEEK would be a lot less expensive- the sample I scanned cost about $100!
Bill G

Josh3D

Nice work on the Polysulfone! Very nice!

For PEEK, I think it depends on machined/molded/extruded for the reflection It does range, but it does have a slight thready(??) texture to it.

Perhaps you can post the finished materials to a separate board under Materials?

Josh

NDenekamp

#10
Bill, thanks for that scan! Do you know what size of the sample the scan covers? (the sticker says 1.5 x 24 inch, but the scan isn't as wide as that.

The bearing I'm using here measures 16mm (or ~5/8") total diameter, and receives an 8mm axle, just so you have sense of the scale.

Josh, thanks. and I think you're right, it does often show some linear marking (also visible in Bill's scan) but that might be dependent on manufacturing method used?

I've tweaked the material in KS accordingly, and added that slight marking.

Also I've done a few more initial materials, ready for some comments to tweak them further!


PEI - Polyetherimide - comparable but denser and redder than PSU
PAI - Polyamide-imide  - light yellow and dark (slightly brownish)
PA  - Polyamide  base white


Speedster

The PEEK sample is 12" long- I had to whack it off (sorry, my mind was on another thread) to fit my Epson scanner.  I think the image is 100%.
Bill G

Yann

Hello Niels!!!
Is it possible to get your texture peek?
I did not succeeded in obtaining a rendering really ressembling to the real peek.
Thank you in advance