PE-HD black lasered (UV-stabilised)

Individual laser parts made of polyethylene (PE-HD) in black

With our laser parts made of black polyethylene, we offer a wide range of possibilities in addition to our plastic sheets in conventional cutting, which cannot be realised on our panel saws. The individual laser cuts made of PE-HD in black are available in thicknesses of 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 8mm and 10mm up to a maximum format of 1590mmx980mm and can be conveniently and easily configured and ordered online thanks to our laser part configurator. Our laser parts made of polyethylene are always blanks made of solid sheets in excellent quality - Made in Germany. The black sheets, which resemble the colour RAL9005 (jet black), are completely dyed through, so that the smooth surfaces and the laser edges have the same deep black colour.

NOTE: Polyethylene is an engineering plastic with low surface hardness and therefore quite sensitive to scratches. Thus, PE-HD can only be used for optical purposes to a limited extent.

What is HDPE

PE-HD is the abbreviation for polyethylene high density (PE with high molecular density) and is one of the most frequently used plastics. It is particularly characterised by its very good chemical resistance, even to strong acids, alkalis or solvents, and is therefore very often used in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Another important property of polyethylene is its approval for the food industry and the drinking water sector, which is why PE is used to a very large extent for food packaging. In addition, polyethylene has very good sliding properties and very good impact strength, making this plastic suitable for a wide range of industries and applications.

• Polyethylene is food safe (EU 10/2011) and is considered physiologically harmless (BfR)
• Polyethylene is chemically very innert and has excellent chemical resistance
• PE-HD is UV-stable due to its high carbon black content and therefore also suitable for outdoor applications
• Thanks to the good sliding properties of PE-HD, it is very often used for plain bearings and rails
• The high impact strength makes this plastic indispensable in mechanical engineering and materials handling

Advantages of our black polyethylene (PE-HD) laser cuts

Our laser blanks are cut to a consistently high quality with very low manufacturing tolerances. Thanks to state-of-the-art CO2 laser systems in a closed design, where cutting is carried out without direct contact with the material by a very fine laser beam, deviations due to tool wear are excluded. Laser cuts also have the advantage that filigree, acute-angled cut-outs are possible. When cutting with a CNC milling machine, this is only possible to a limited extent, as the radius of the milling head must always be taken into account.

Another advantage in the production of moulded parts using the laser cutting process is the even, smooth cut edge, which is rough as a saw when using cutting methods such as sawing or milling. This has an effect not least on the look and feel of the laser parts, especially when it comes to parts in the visible area of machines and apparatus. The smooth, polished cut edge can have a positive influence on the sliding properties of plain bearings and guide rails made of PE-HD, since laser cuts do not produce fine grooves as can be caused by milling cutters or saw blades.

• Constant high quality of PE blanks thanks to non-contact laser cutting
• Maximum flexibility in shaping thanks to precise control of the X and Y axes
• Radii, cut-outs and hole drilling are possible with laser cutting without great effort
• High stock levels of PE-HD in black ensure short delivery times for series production
• Laser cutting does not affect the material properties of black PE-HD

Advantages of our laser part configurator

Our specially developed laser part configurator makes it possible to create vector graphics required for laser cuts on a CO2 laser machine in no time at all with just a few specifications. The most common basic shapes, from simple rectangles to rectangular cuts with rounded or bevelled corners, circles, semicircles, ellipses or triangles, to stars or polygons with any number of corners, can be further customised in part via optional input fields. For a better understanding and to check the entries made, the real-time preview is available.

For fastenings or ventilation, in the second step, depending on the basic shape, hole drillings are available, some of which can be adjusted in size and position to give you maximum flexibility. Here too, the preview graphic always provides a true-to-scale overview of the position and diameter of the selected drill holes.

The dynamic price calculation calculates the best price immediately after the input and automatically takes quantity discounts into account. Changes to the dimensions or the size and number of holes are recalculated directly so that you can always read the current price for your individually configured laser part.

• Our laser part configurator enables easy configuration without special knowledge
• The 14 basic shapes offer you a wide range of further configuration options for individualisation
• With very little effort, hole drillings are placed on your black polyethylene laser parts
• Thanks to the true-to-scale real-time preview, you get full control over your configured laser parts
• The price calculation reacts in real time to every input and calculates quantity discounts directly
• Your laser part configuration is generated as a finished vector file immediately after the order

NOTE: The maximum size of our CO2 laser systems is limited to 1590mmx980mm and a maximum thickness of 10mm. However, we can implement larger shape cuts or higher thicknesses on request on one of our CNC-controlled portal milling machines.

Post-processing of laser parts made of black PE-HD

Polyethylene is a very easy plastic to work with and can be processed in many different ways. CO2 laser cutting is only one possible method to bring the black PE-HD sheets into the desired shape and so this plastic can also be sawn, milled, drilled, ground or cut with a water jet cutting machine without any problems. In addition, PE-HD as a thermoplastic can also be deep-drawn very well, even if this processing method is unlikely to be used for laser cuts. Screwing together or with other materials is a safe method for polyethylene to ensure a permanent connection.

Bonding, on the other hand, is not possible with conventional adhesives due to the chemical resistance, or only with special adhesives such as our S-Polybond PEprofi, but has a detrimental effect on use in the food sector, which is why welding with a black PE-HD welding rod is common practice in order to create a food-compliant connection between PE-HD moulded parts.

Our laser parts made of black polyethylene cannot be glued or painted either. Here, too, the reason is the excellent chemical resistance of this plastic.

• Laser parts made of black polyethylene can be further processed without any problems
• Laser parts made of PE-HD can be welded with PE welding wire to produce larger moulded parts
• Bonding laser parts made of PE-HD requires special adhesives such as our S-Polybond PEprofi

ATTENTION: Polyethylene cannot be bonded with conventional adhesives due to its chemical resistance.

More complex shapes and perforated plates on request

Our laser part configurator offers the possibility of using the most common basic shapes and customising them with little effort. Even the placement of hole drillings can be done easily without much effort. For more complex contours or cut-outs in certain shapes and sizes that cannot be created with our laser part configurator, we are available to you on request at any time.

Thanks to non-contact production of the laser cuts, as well as the fact that a CO2 laser is not subject to tool wear, as is the case with a milling head, for example, even large series production is possible without deviations in the production tolerance. This ensures a consistently high quality of the laser parts made from our black polyethylene sheets, even with recurring orders in laser cutting.

Further possibilities of our CO2 laser system on request:

1. Individual perforated plates made of black PE-HD are easily possible with our laser systems
2. Individual laser parts according to design drawing up to a format of 1590mmx980mm
3. Laser cuts with any cut-outs or hole drillings on the basis of a vector drawing
4. Serial production of laser-cut parts with large order quantities, also in other thicknesses
5. Labelling, marking or graphics as laser engraving
6. and much more

If individual moulded parts made of black polyethylene (PE-HD) exceed the maximum format or thickness, our milling service offers the possibility of milling any blanks in the desired shape up to 4000mmx2000mm. Simply send us your enquiry with a sketch or a design drawing stating the required thickness and quantity and we will send you a free quotation regarding your specifications including shipping costs as soon as possible. We can also produce milled parts from PE-HMW (PE-500) or PE-UHMW (PE-1000) without any problems on our modern portal milling machines.