Welcome to Northern Plastics

Northern Plastics is a business specialising in wholesale sheet plastic and cut-to-size and is a divisions of The Plastics Factory (www.plasticsfactory.com.au)

At Northern Plastics we stock over 3,000 different product types and can assist you with most matters relating to sheet, rod or tube plastic. We are fabricators and wholesalers with 30 years of experience and below is a snapshot of our main products, their main properties, and how our customers use them. You may a

 

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What Our Main Products Do & How Our Customers Use Them

Acrylic

Acrylic is a shatter-resistant and light alternative to glass and an affordable alternative to polycarbonate. It is used by our customers in the following ways:

• Signage : Sign-writers use it for large signs. They typically fix clear or coloured vinyl (with digitally printed images and advertising) over the top of the sheets. They also ask us to cut words and patterns into the acrylic, as well as cutting it to size
• Fencing : Customers use acrylic when they require an affordable material for pool fencing, animal enclosures, vegetable gardens, or home decking
• Glass Companies : Glaziers ask for acrylic and polycarbonate as an affordable alternative to glass. The properties of these materials make it easier to cut and form than glass
• Custom Design : Customers have ordered plastic boxes, brief cases, jewellery displays, protective covers for computers, among others

Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate is very strong plastic and is used by our customers in the following ways:

• Hospitals : Hospitals typically use polycarbonate to provide security for staff and patients. In particular, it is often used to provide protective barriers or to allow staff to monitor patients through doors via polycarbonate viewing panels
• Corrective Services : Where security is vital, polycarbonate is ideal because it does not shatter. It is used in corrective service facilities to separate inmates, provide protective covers on top of glass mirrors, and provide viewing panels in security doors
• Police : Polycarbonate is used to ensure that a high degree of security is achieved at police stations. It is also used to cover speed cameras to avoid them being shattered by disgruntled motorists
• Security : Polycarbonate is suitable for almost any business or situation requiring a high degree of safety or security performance certainty

Aluminium Composite Material (ACM)

Aluminium Composite Material (ACM) is a composite material meaning it comprises of both an aluminium skin (0.13mm – 0.3mm) and low density polyethylene in the middle. Our clients use ACM in the following ways:

• Signage Industry : Our signage customers use ACM as an alternative to acrylic for signs as it is much stronger and lighter for an equivalent sized sheet. This helps to ensure that signs do not sag or wave at the edges
• Building Industry : ACM is used in the building industry as cladding for walls. The ACM used for building is of a thicker and more rigid grade than signage ACM

High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) (commonly known as cutting board material) is used by customers in the following ways:

• Concreting/Construction : HDPE is used in concreting and in particular aids in the cooling process of large concreting projects. The natural or white HDPE is used to ensure that little heat escapes the cooling and hardening process
• Fishing : Fishermen use HDPE as cutting board material
• Boating : Where boating trailers either don’t have rollers or have inadequate rollers, HDPE is used to help boats slide on an off trailers

UHMW or UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene)

UHMW or UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) is an extremely strong plastic which is used in production processes. Our customers have used UHMW in the following ways:

• Saw Mills : Customers use UHMW as roll bearings in saw mills. Its strong properties and oily nature permits large and heavy objects being moved along a conveyor system
• Food Processing : Due to its non-toxic, odourless and tasteless properties, UHMW is used by our clients in food processing conveyor systems
• Mining/Road Works : Our clients use UHMW as wear strips and to cover the bins of large mining or earth moving trucks to reduce damage to the bins, and to reduce the return load (sometimes material gets stuck in the bins, and UHMW’s oily properties helps to lubricate the surface and ensure that the load empties when tipped)

Nylon

Nylon is a highly strong product which is used when UHMW is not strong enough to carry the load of the product being moved. Our clients have used nylon in the following ways:

• Wear strips : As with UHMW, nylon is suitable for wear strips and roll bearings for conveyor systems. Nylon is stronger than UHMW, however, it is not as oily and so while it is capable to handling very large weights, it will not self-lubricate the same way that UHMW does
• Road Construction : One customer used nylon rods to roll a very large storm water pipe underneath a major road

PVC (Polyvinyl chloride)

PVC (Polyvinyl chloride) is very chemically resistant and widely used because it is cheap, durable, and easy to assemble. Our customers use PVC the following ways:

• Conveyor Systems : PVC is sometimes used to make rollers in light conveyor systems which only require a low tolerance or wear property
• Signage : Sometimes sign-writers use PVC sheet as a backing panel to make their signs more rigid
• Fabrication : Our clients have asked us to fabricate various products from PVC including fume cupboards, chemical tanks, among others. PVC is suitable for plastic welding
• Boating : Boaties frequently use transom panels made from PVC as protective insulation between the body of the boat and the motor

ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene)

ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) is a plastic material which is used to make light, rigid, molded products such as automotive body parts (e.g. dash boards), wheel covers, buffer edging for furniture and joinery panels. ABS is used where customers require a high quality finish and high wear resistant finish. Lego is made from ABS. We have used ABS for our customers in the following way:

• Busses/Coaches : We have cut ABS panels for interior finishings, as well as moulded ashtrays for bus interiors
• Hospitality : Our customers use ABS to make “Do not Disturb” or “Please Clean Room” signs for hotel room doors
• Logging : Our logging customers use ABS for tags which are placed on logged wood for ease of identification

Our Clients

We provide plastic fabrication and plastic wholesaling services to all sizes of businesses; Government to ASX 200 companies, to the Do-It-Yourself hobbyist, homeowner, contractor or international business customer. We provide superior products and services to our customers. This web site is a wonderful introduction to just a few of the capabilities and products we have to offer you. No project is too big or small.