A Guide To Choosing Your Plastic Access Hardware
Our plastic access hardware range includes swing handles, locks, latches, hinges, and handles.
Which plastic material should I choose?
When choosing a product, it is important to ensure the material meets the requirements for the environment that it will be in. Our plastic access hardware is available in acetal plastic, polycarbonate, nylon and ABS plastic.
Acetal plastic can withstand wet environments and is therefore suited to both indoor and outdoor use.
Polycarbonate resists against dilute acids and alcohols, but not other chemicals such as alkalis and some hydrocarbons.
Nylon is resistant to water and many chemicals (such as solvents and oils), but it isn’t waterproof.
ABS plastic can also resist a wide variety of chemicals; however, sunlight and the UV can have an effect on it overtime.
It is important to note that all our plastic hardware has been tested and has a UV resistance of up to 1000 hours.
If your application is outdoors, acetal plastic would be the best option due to its weather-resistant hardware.
Does it matter what finish the plastic has?
Our black and bright chrome finishes prevent scratches and chipping to the material. Black plastic is a porous surface that absorbs liquids, while the bright chrome finish is nonporous. It may also come down to aesthetics when choosing your products finish.
What IP Rating is required for my application?
IP40 to IP66 is available for our plastic access hardware.
| First number | Protection against solid objects | Second number | Protection against liquids |
| 4 | Objects bigger than 1mm | 0 | No protection |
| 5 | Partially protects against dust | 4 | Protection from splashing water |
| 6 | Full protection from dust | 5 | Protection from low pressure jets |
| 6 | Full protection from dust | 6 | Protection from powerful jets |