Custom Plastic Parts for Data Centers
Insulators, rack and cable-management parts, cooling-system components and covers, machined to your drawing from the plastics and laminates data-center hardware is built with. Pro Plastics machines plastics, and only plastics, in Linden, New Jersey, and has since 1968.
Where plastic parts go in a data center
A plastic part in a data center usually has one of a few jobs: to insulate, to sit in a cooling loop without corroding, to protect cables, or to replace a heavier metal part.
Electrical insulation and power distribution
Busbar supports, standoffs, terminal boards, insulating barriers and spacers. Glass epoxy (G-10/FR-4) and phenolic laminates are the usual choice when a part has to insulate and carry mechanical load at the same time; Ultem when it also sits near heat and has to be flame retardant.
Server rack and enclosure components
Brackets, spacers, mounting plates, blanking and cover panels, and custom parts that adapt standard hardware to the equipment going into the rack. Machined to your drawing, from one-off prototypes through production runs.
Cooling system parts
Parts for liquid and air cooling: manifold blocks, fittings, flow guides, baffles and covers. In a wet location the material has to hold its size: HDPE is effectively unaffected by moisture and suits low-pressure parts, while nylon takes up water and can grow, so nylon is the wrong default for a part that sits in coolant. Pressurized manifold blocks need a stiffer material; put the coolant and pressure on the drawing.
Cable management
Cable guides, grommets, routing blocks and clamp parts with smooth, deburred edges, in wear-resistant and low-friction plastics such as UHMW and Delrin. If the location has a flammability requirement, put it on the drawing.
Choosing a plastic for data-center hardware
Typical service temperatures from each material’s own page, not a specification. Confirm against the datasheet for the grade you specify.
| Material | Used for | Service temperature | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-10/FR-4 | Insulators, standoffs and barriers that also carry load; FR-4 where a flame-retardant grade is required | -60°F to +266°F | Electrical insulation, High strength, Chemical resistant |
| Ultem | Flame-retardant insulators and connector bodies that sit near heat | -40°F to +338°F | High temperature, Chemical resistant, Flame retardant |
| Phenolic | Terminal boards, standoffs and insulating spacers in power distribution; specify an electrical grade (CE or LE), and note most phenolic is not flame retardant | -60°F to +239°F | Heat resistant (thermoset), Electrical insulation, Wear resistant |
| Polycarbonate | Clear covers, guards and viewing windows that must survive an impact | -40°F to +250°F | Impact resistant, Optically clear |
| HDPE | Low-pressure cooling parts (baffles, flow guides, covers, drip trays) in wet locations where nylon would take up water and move | -148°F to +176°F | Chemical resistant, FDA-compliant grades, Impact resistant |
| PEEK | Parts that see high temperature, aggressive chemistry, or both | -100°F to +480°F | High temperature, Chemical resistant, FDA-compliant grades, Low friction |
| UHMW | Cable guides and wear surfaces | -200°F to +180°F | Wear resistant, Impact resistant, Low friction, FDA-compliant grades |
| Delrin | Cable clamps and routing blocks that must hold their size | -40°F to +180°F | Low friction, Wear resistant, Machinable |
| PVC | Fabricated covers, guards and enclosures where a flame-retardant plastic is needed; check smoke and halogen limits, as PVC gives off HCl when it burns | 32°F to +140°F | Chemical resistant, Flame retardant, Machinable |
For the full property tables, see the plastic materials comparison.
Machined to print, in plastics only
- Precision features held to ±0.001″.
- One-off prototypes through production runs.
- Machining, fabrication and secondary operations under one roof.
- Quotes returned within 24 hours.
- Engineering plastics only, since 1968.
More on how we work in plastic machining services and plastic fabrication.
Data-center plastic parts: common questions
- What plastic parts do you make for data centers?
- Machined and fabricated plastic parts for server racks, cooling systems, cable management, electrical insulation and power distribution: insulators, standoffs, barriers, brackets, covers, manifold blocks and cable guides, made to your drawing.
- Which plastic is best for an electrical insulator?
- It depends on the load and the heat. G-10/FR-4 glass epoxy is far stiffer and stronger than unreinforced thermoplastic insulators, and FR-4 is the flame-retardant grade. Phenolic is a lower-cost laminate insulator. Ultem is an inherently flame-retardant thermoplastic for insulators that run warm.
- Can you supply UL 94 rated material?
- A UL 94 flame rating belongs to a specific grade of a material at a specific thickness, not to the plastic in general. Put the grade and the rating your design needs on the drawing, so the quote is for that material.
- Do you also make the metal parts for racks or enclosures?
- No. Pro Plastics machines engineering plastics, and only plastics. That focus is the reason to send us the plastic parts of a data-center build.
- How do I get a quote?
- Send a drawing or CAD file through the quote form with the material, quantity and any flammability or electrical requirement. We have quoted and machined plastic parts in Linden, New Jersey since 1968.
Have a drawing for a data-center part?
Send it with the material, quantity and any flammability or electrical requirement, and we will quote it.
Request a Quote