UHMW Polyethylene
The wear material. Where a surface takes constant abrasion or impact, UHMW outlasts materials that look stronger on paper. In sheet and rod.
What UHMW is
Ultra high molecular weight PE with outstanding abrasion resistance and impact strength.
UHMW or HDPE?
They are both polyethylene, and for a simple tank or fitting HDPE is usually the sensible, cheaper choice. UHMW earns its cost where there is sliding wear or impact — that is the job it is made for, and the reason it holds up on conveyor and chute work where HDPE wears through.
Machining UHMW
UHMW is soft and cuts easily, but it is not a hold-tight-tolerances material — it is waxy, it can move after cutting, and sharp tooling matters more than feed rate. Best suited to parts where wear life matters more than a tight fit.
Other materials we machine
Need UHMW parts machined to print?
Send us a drawing and we will quote it. Precision plastic machining in Boonton, New Jersey since 1968.