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Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is widely used in industry, transportation, food processing, medical, and other fields due to its high wear resistance, low friction coefficient, excellent impact resistance, and chemical stability. When processing UHMWPE sheets, the following key points need to be noted to ensure efficient, saf,e and precise processing quality.

1. The influence of material properties on processing

High molecular weight (≥1,500,000 g/mol) leads to a high melting point (130-136°C), but extremely poor fluidity, so traditional injection molding or melt processing cannot be used.

Low friction, high flexibility, easy to deform, reasonable fixation and reduced overheating are required during cutting.

Excellent chemical resistance, but low surface energy, resulting in difficulty in bonding, usually mechanical connection or thermal welding.

2. Common processing methods and precautions

 ① Cutting

 Methods

Sawing (band saw, circular saw, chain saw)

Water jet cutting

CNC cutting

⚠ Precautions

✅ Use sharp tools (such as carbide saw blades) to reduce burrs and molten edges.

✅ Avoid overheating, reduce cutting speed or use coolants (such as compressed air or water cooling).

✅ Fix the material to prevent vibration and deviation caused by flexibility.

② Turning (lathe processing)

Methods

Ordinary lathe or CNC lathe (CNC)

⚠ Precautions

✅ Moderate cutting speed (500-1000 m/min) and slightly larger feed rate to reduce heat accumulation.

✅ Use sharp, high-speed steel (HSS) or carbide tools to avoid material stretching and drawing.

✅ Avoid built-up edges during cutting, and use coolant.

③ Milling

Method

Vertical or horizontal milling machine

CNC machining center

⚠ Precautions

✅ Low speed and high feed to avoid overheating and surface melting or deformation.

✅ Use a large helical angle milling cutter (≥45°) to improve chip removal.

✅ To prevent material movement, you can use a clamp to fix it.

 ④ Drilling

Method

Bench drilling machine, CNC drilling

Handheld electric drill (thin plate)

⚠ Precautions

✅ Use sharp drill bits (such as high-speed steel HSS, carbide drill bits) to reduce cutting resistance.

✅ Use low-speed drilling (about 100-500 RPM) to prevent heat from melting the edge.

✅ Gradually expand the hole to avoid drilling a large hole at one time and causing material cracking.

✅ Use a coolant (such as water or air) to reduce the cutting temperature.

⑤ Thermoforming

Method

Hot press bending

Vacuum forming

⚠ Precautions

✅ Heat evenly to 130-140°C to prevent local overheating and decomposition.

✅ Cool slowly to avoid deformation caused by internal stress.

✅ Use mold fixation during hot bending to prevent rebound.

⑥ Welding

Method

Hot plate welding

Hot air welding

Friction welding

⚠ Precautions

✅ Control the welding temperature at 220-250°C to avoid decomposition or carbonization.

✅ Keep the weld clean to avoid contamination affecting the welding quality.

✅ Cool slowly after welding to reduce internal stress and improve bonding strength.

⑦ Bonding

UHMWPE has extremely low surface energy and is difficult to bond directly, requiring special treatment: ✅ Flame treatment or plasma treatment to increase surface energy.

✅ Use special glue (such as 3M DP8005, LOCTITE 401 combined with primer).

✅ Mechanical fixing (screws, rivets) is recommended instead of bonding.