Skip to content

Available Injection Molding Materials

Fathom provides expert help in selecting the best material for your part’s performance
Get Your 30 Second Quote
Trusted By Industry Leaders
Lennox
Parker Hannifin
Panasonic
Rockwell Automation
HP Inc.
Ingersoll Rand
Gates
Sylvania Electric Products
Permabond Engineering Adhesives
Nikon
Honeywell
Delphi Technologies
Emerson Electric Co.
General Electric
Kawasaki
Edwards Lifescience
Harley Davidson
Multilink, Inc.
Paragonix Technologies
Kimball Electronics
SMC USA
“Working with Fathom has given us a level of supply chain control we haven’t had with other partners. Instead of juggling multiple suppliers for machining, sheet metal, extrusions, and 3D-printed prototypes, we can run everything through one team and that’s been a huge advantage for our EV programs. Their engineers helped us tighten up a machined cooling-plate design, turn around sheet metal brackets in days, and rapidly iterate several 3D-printed enclosure concepts early in development. Having all of these capabilities under one roof has reduced delays, improved consistency across assemblies, and cut a significant amount of coordination time on our side.”
Senior Manufacturing Engineer,
Major EV OEM
“I’m impressed with your quality, expertise, speed, and customer service.”
Professor James F. Antaki, PhD
Carnegie Mellon University
“The team at Fathom continues to provide us with great service. Starting with initial DFM reviews, fast tooling development and quick turn-around times, Fathom is a partner keeping us on track to deliver quality products to our customers. Thank-you to all the Fathom team.”
Tim Latham, Project Manager
Litepanels, Inc.
“We have been very satisfied with Fathom’s performance in every aspect: pricing, delivery, quality, and customer support. It is a pleasure doing business with Fathom, and honestly, I wish there were more companies like them.”
Mark Merg, Procurement Manager
Alpha High Theft Solutions
“I want to thank you and the rest of the team for the great support. Over the 15 years that I have been working with mold vendors I have never seen such personal attention and such great communication efforts in addressing my concerns on samples. The fact that Fathom went the extra step to provide me with a second set of samples at no cost and in two days to improve my texture concerns goes a long way. I know that I have made the right choice going with Fathom. I’m looking forward to a long relationship with you and the rest of the Fathom team.”
Level, LLC
“It is exactly what we were expecting. Well done to the team!”
Harwood Laskin
Schneider Electric
“This is a huge milestone for our team. This product is no longer a vision… I received the parts today from Fathom. They look and function great! I don’t see any reason why we cannot move forward now and order parts for the upcoming proto build.”
Dave Boretti
Schneider Electric
“As a small, growing company, we cannot say enough good things about Fathom. They have been willing and able to adapt to our rapidly changing needs and have helped us get out of a pinch on occasion. Special thanks to Brian and Carla – they have been great to work with!”
Scott
SLight LLC
“It has been a genuine pleasure dealing with the Fathom team. You have been very patient and have been a wealth of helpful information. Your response times to my questions and comments are superb and your answers are specific and to the point. Thanks for your patience and all the time it has taken to get the details worked out.”
Scott Bixler
Polyvance
“I have to say that so far I’ve enjoyed this process – having the customer portal (and your well-detailed DFM reports) makes it very easy to comply with the design requirements.”
Cory Starr
Blaster One
“I just wanted to let you know, we have all been very impressed with the quality and turnaround time of our parts. We have used several shops in the past, but so far the quality of Fathom has been the best we have ever received.”
Gregg Garrett
VEGA
“I just want to compliment you and your team how you are managing this project with all of the changes on the fly. Kudos.”
Mark Ezzo, Plastics and Composites Engineer
Materials & Chemistry Network of Excellence
“Our SteriPen product must meet the quality standards of a medical device — if it ever malfunctions, people will get sick. Yet it must be economical enough to permit many people to own one. And we need the design flexibility to keep pace with rapidly changing technology. Our production at ICO meets all three challenges.”
Don Snoke, VP of Operations
Hydro-Photon, Inc.
“After reaching out to over 20 manufacturers, Fathom was the only one that was able to take on my project, create the molds and manufacture the parts I needed. What impressed me the most is that they were able to work overtime to meet my demanding deadline and get the parts to me on time.”
Aziz Razakov,
Berry Good Bottle
“I found it refreshing to work with a company with such a phenomenal online quoting tool. It allowed us to experiment with different materials, quantities, and mold configurations to see the cost impact in real time.”
Mike Yin, Founder
Nunchuck Grips LLC
“The parts came in a few days ago and I wanted to thank you and your team on the very impressive quality of the parts. We were thoroughly impressed by the finish and clearness of the parts. Thank you for the great customer service and we are looking forward to using your expertise in future projects.”
Akash Shankar
PMC Smart Solutions
“We appreciate the effort you put into making our order smooth. The molded parts are used in our device that makes water safe to drink in areas of the world that do not have access to safe water. Thanks again for everything!”
Sarah Yoder
WaterStep
“Fathom brings an open mind to each project with a positive attitude to tailor their processes to meet my needs, from part design to mold build and molding. They work hard to make sure my needs are met with a professional attitude, expertise, on-time delivery and competitive pricing.”
Bob Rohr
RDR Design and Development LLC
“No matter how complex or how new issues are with product design, we can always count on Fathom. Their team provides an unbiased, ‘out-of-the-box’ professional opinion that is always forward-thinking, interesting and helpful. We value their exemplary commitment to providing superb engineering.”
Rich Rayhill
Crown
“It is a pleasure to work with a company whose personnel are willing and able to think out of their box. With your commitment to staying on the cutting edge of technology, you supply tooling to us that is right on time and works first shot.”
Norman R. Akens
Medical Murray
“Quick response time for RFQ, excellent lead time for rushed order and quality parts were manufactured and delivered on-time.”
Manufacturer of Compressed Gas Storage Systems
“The workmanship was outstanding – we are over-the-top happy with the unit! The product that arrived at my door far exceeded our expectations, and all on short notice…amazing. Please pass our very best wishes on to everyone on your team who was involved in fast-tracking our prototype. It all started with you and your can-do attitude, Nate. I cannot thank you enough!”
Larry Cole
TerraCube
“Fit and finish is great and the parts passed all our regulatory tests. Thank you for all your help and for the role you played helping the factory work through some of the stickier parts of the design.”
Drew Macrae
Linkitz
“As a small, growing company, we cannot say enough good things about Fathom. They have been willing and able to adapt to our rapidly changing needs and have helped us get out of a pinch on occasion.”
M. Nasilevich
Morpho Detection
“I was very impressed with your company’s ability and willingness to work with a novice in plastics as I am, and work through some design changes. I have learned a lot from you and hope this is a huge success for both of us. Frankly, I did contact two other companies and they acted like they had no time for me!”
Kevin Jensen
Quik-Load
“We are very pleased. Response time is fantastic, customer support is great, and the online group project management tool is very helpful.”
Connie Blevins, Quality Coordinator
Leprecon
prev
next

Fathom’s Wide Selection of Injection Molding Materials

At Fathom, we offer a wide range of resins for custom injection molding, including polyethylene, polypropylene, ABS, nylon, polycarbonate, acrylic, thermoplastic rubber and glass-filled options.

We help customers choose the right material based on performance needs such as strength, flexibility and cost. While our list covers many commonly-used plastics, it’s not exhaustive. Our sales engineers can source additional materials upon request, and we also offer sample kits for hands-on comparison.

polymer for pipes, plastic close-up, raw material

Crystalline Plastics

Crystalline resins are characterized by having a resistance to thermoforming, fatigue, stress and chemicals. They are opaque, difficult to bond and good for wear and bearing. Commodity plastics, while low in cost, are also low in strength and only suitable for relatively low-temperature applications (up to 180° F). 

Commodity

  • High-density polyethylene (HDPE)
  • Low-density polyethylene (LDPE)
  • Polypropylene (PP)
  • Polyethylene (PE)

Moving up the crystalline resin scale in cost and temperature performance, engineering grade plastics generally cost more than commodity resins. They are mid-range in strength, stiffness and cost, have good chemical resistance, and a moderate temperature range (up to 200° F).

 Engineering Grade

  • Polyoxymethylene (POM/acetal)
  • Polyamide (PA/nylon)
  • Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT)
  • Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)

High performance plastic resins are generally more expensive, are high in purity and provide better performance in chemical resistance and a temperature range of up to 300° F.

High Performance

  • Perfluoroalkoxy (PFA)
  • Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)
  • Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS)
  • Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)

Amorphous Plastics

Amorphous resins have completely different characteristics than crystalline plastics. They can be thermoformed, they bond with adhesives and are good for structural applications. Besides being affordable, they have good bondability and machineability. They are transparent compared to opaque crystalline plastics. On the negative side, amorphous plastics tend to have poor chemical and fatigue resistance, and may be prone to stress fractures. 

Commodity amorphous resins have relatively low strength and a low temperature service range of up to 180° F.

Commodity

  • Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)
  • Polystyrene (PS)
  • Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA/acrylic)
  • Polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG)
  • Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

Moving up to the engineering (mid-range) amorphous plastics, these are typically good general-purpose plastics with moderate strength and temperature range (up to 200° F).

Engineering Grade

  • Polycarbonate (PC)
  • Polyurethane (PUR or PU)

The high-cost, high-performance amorphous resins are resistant to hot water and steam, and are rated for high temperature applications, up to 300° F. They have high thermoformability and high strength.

High Performance

  • Polyphenylsulfone (PPSU/Radel R®)
  • Polyetherimide (PEI/Ultem®)
  • Polysulfone (PSU)

Imidized Plastics

At the top of the plastic resin chart, cost-wise and temperature-wise, are imidized materials. They have a high resistance to chemicals, are strong and stiff and are capable of bearing a high load. They are high-performance plastics with a high maximum service temperature of 500° F. 

Imidized

  • Polyamide-imide (PAI)
  • Polybenzimidazole (PBI)
  • Polyimide (PI)

Common Plastic Materials to Fit a Wide Range of Applications

Choosing the right plastic material for your parts is very important. The material should be selected based on the intended application of the part. It must be able to withstand the conditions in which the part will be used. Some applications may require a very specialized, high-performance and high-cost material.

But for many applications, one of the common, low-cost, commodity plastic materials will perform adequately. Five of the most common plastic resins are Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), Polyoxymethylene (POM) and Polystyrene (PS).

Polyethylene (PE)

Polyethylene (PE) is the most popular plastic in the world, and accounts for 34% of the total plastics market. There is low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE). LDPE is manufactured with high pressure and high temperature, whereas HDPE is manufactured with relatively low pressure and low temperature.

LDPE is the most flexible type of polyethylene and it is widely used in packaging. It provides superior moisture resistance, although it should not be used in harsh weather or high temperature conditions. It has high impact strength and good chemical resistance. It is a low-cost option that can be easily processed by most methods.

This versatile resin is used for many everyday products such as plastic bags, plastic films, bottles, containers, lids and caps. It is also used to make six-pack rings, toys and computer components. It is often recycled and made into items such as trash cans, floor tile, paneling and furniture.

PE-sample-cap-2048x1448

Polypropylene (PP)

The second most widely-produced plastic in the world is polypropylene (PP). Its behavioral characteristics are similar to polyethylene, but it is slightly harder and more heat-resistant. It is a commodity grade polymer popular in the packaging and labeling industries.

Polypropylene is tough, fatigue- and chemical-resistant but is vulnerable to UV radiation and it is flammable. It is a versatile plastic, because it can be easily customized with additives. It is naturally white.

Because of the elasticity of polypropylene, it makes a good material for living hinges. It is also used in many common items such as buckets, packaging, bottle caps and toys.

PP-sample-2048x1365

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)

ABS is another one of the most common, widely-used plastic materials in the world. Impact resistance and toughness make ABS a popular, low-cost, commodity-level thermoplastic polymer. It is used in a wide range of products in the automotive, appliance, electronics and other industries.

ABS combines the strength and rigidity of acrylonitrile and styrene polymers with the toughness of polybutadiene, a rubbery material, even at low temperature. The styrene gives the plastic a shiny, colorfast, high-quality surface finish.

ABS-sample-2048x1360

Polyoxymethylene (POM)

Polyoxymethylene (POM) is also commonly known as acetal, polyacetal and polyformaldehyde. It is considered an engineering-grade thermoplastic, a step up from commodity plastics in performance and price. It provides high stiffness, excellent dimensional stability and is used for precision parts requiring low friction.

POM provides high strength, rigidity and hardness and it is resistant to chemical solvent. It’s opaque white in its natural state, but it is easy to color.

POM is a good choice for high-performance components like small gears and bearings, as well as other applications where the component comes in contact with other parts, such as plastic gears and ball bearings.

It is commonly used in the automotive and consumer electronics industries. It’s also used in eyeglass frames, guns, knife handles and other items that require strength and toughness.

POM-sample-2048x1365

Polystyrene (PS)

Polystyrene (PS) is a widely-used polymer that can be either solid or foamed. As a solid, it is used to make things like disposable cutlery, and in its foam state (Styrofoam) it can be extruded to make things like packing peanuts and disposable drinking cups.

PS is clear, hard, and fairly brittle (think of how easily the tines can break off of a plastic fork). It is naturally transparent, but can be colored with colorants. It is not biodegradable, so many PS items, especially “single-use” items, contribute to the world’s litter problem. It is also used to make CD jewel cases, license plate frames and plastic model kits.

PS-sample-2048x1712

Why Our Customers Trust Fathom

Low Cost
We leverage global manufacturing to lower costs
High Quality
Our quality systems ensure that your parts are the highest quality possible
Quick Turnaround
From quotation to shipping, we’ll meet your timing requirements
Online Quotes
Our online quotation system provides INSTANT quotes

Launch Your Injection Molding Project with Confidence

Partner with Experts Who Get It Right the First Time
Every project is reviewed by a seasoned manufacturing engineer to optimize part design, material selection, and tooling strategy — ensuring smarter decisions before steel is cut and production begins.

Start My Quote
Robot_Hand_CTA