RP material suggestion needed (strong plastic)

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on finding a strong transparent or translucent silicone RTV for creating small prototype parts. Participants suggest exploring alternatives like Casolite, a binary acrylic compound, and mention other materials such as Delrin and nylon for soft tooling applications. There is a call for clarification on the specific requirements, including structural integrity and other performance characteristics like wear resistance and temperature tolerance. The need for transparency is questioned, with suggestions to consider other options like POR Epoxy Putty if it's not essential. Overall, the conversation emphasizes the importance of defining the exact material properties needed for the project.
leoflc
Messages
54
Reaction score
0
I've been looking for some kind of strong transparent/translucent Silicone RTV to make some small strong plastic prototype parts.

So far I've only found stuff like smooth-on, but there should be something stronger out there.. I think..

Does anyone know a material that would fit my need?

Thanks a lot!
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
I don't know anything about silicone materials other than just the regular sealant that comes in a tube. I also don't know what you mean by 'strong'. Is it purely a matter of structural integrity, or do you need wear-resistance, high compression or tension tolerance, torsion... you get the picture.
Have you considered the binary acrylic compounds such as Casolite, that are used for making paper-weights, key fobs, etc.? They're normally colourless, but can be tinted with additives, and just pour into a mould.
 
I'm trying to do soft tooling, but I'll look into Casolite.

Does anyone else know anything more about material for soft tooling?

Thanks.
 
I reluctantly admit that I don't know what the term 'soft tooling' means. If it involves machining the components, then I'd look into Delrin, nylon 66 or 77, Torlon, etc..
 
leoflc said:
I've been looking for some kind of strong transparent/translucent Silicone RTV to make some small strong plastic prototype parts.

Does it have to be transparent/translucent? If this isn't such an important requirement, might try some stuff called POR Epoxy Putty.
 
I must say that your need is not fully explained in your thread...but you talk about some type of soft toolable silicone. It would be very necessary for you to explain what your pourpose is since there are virtually millions of different types of plastics that incorporate the usage of many other materials. One such usage is resins and other usages include many different compounds. They all are mixed in different amounts to create many types of plastics which have unique characteristics which include temperature resistance, acidic resistance, scratch resistance, plyability, and lucidity. So what combination are you looking for and what spacifically are your needs.
 
Posted June 2024 - 15 years after starting this class. I have learned a whole lot. To get to the short course on making your stock car, late model, hobby stock E-mod handle, look at the index below. Read all posts on Roll Center, Jacking effect and Why does car drive straight to the wall when I gas it? Also read You really have two race cars. This will cover 90% of problems you have. Simply put, the car pushes going in and is loose coming out. You do not have enuff downforce on the right...
Thread 'Physics of Stretch: What pressure does a band apply on a cylinder?'
Scenario 1 (figure 1) A continuous loop of elastic material is stretched around two metal bars. The top bar is attached to a load cell that reads force. The lower bar can be moved downwards to stretch the elastic material. The lower bar is moved downwards until the two bars are 1190mm apart, stretching the elastic material. The bars are 5mm thick, so the total internal loop length is 1200mm (1190mm + 5mm + 5mm). At this level of stretch, the load cell reads 45N tensile force. Key numbers...
I'm trying to decide what size and type of galvanized steel I need for 2 cantilever extensions. The cantilever is 5 ft. The space between the two cantilever arms is a 17 ft Gap the center 7 ft of the 17 ft Gap we'll need to Bear approximately 17,000 lb spread evenly from the front of the cantilever to the back of the cantilever over 5 ft. I will put support beams across these cantilever arms to support the load evenly
Back
Top