Suitable for shock absorption components, wear-resistant elastic parts, rollers, scrapers, sealing auxiliary parts, fixture protective parts, and CNC elastic materials requiring elastic contact.
Polyurethane Elastomer (PU) is an elastic polyurethane material part manufactured by CNC machining, featuring good elasticity, wear resistance, impact resistance, cushioning, shock absorption, and oil resistance. It is commonly used in cushioning pads, shock absorbers, rollers, rubber-clad wheels, scrapers, sealing auxiliary parts, wear-resistant pads, clamp protection blocks, and industrial parts requiring elastic contact. Compared to ordinary rubber, PU generally has better wear resistance and load-bearing capacity; Compared to hard engineering plastics like Acetal (POM) and nylon, PU is softer and better suited for cushioning and elastic contact scenarios.
By focusing on application scenarios, boundaries of advantages, and non-recommended scenarios, it helps sales, customer service, and quoting staff quickly determine whether the material meets current part requirements.
Good elasticity, good wear resistance, strong impact resistance, good cushioning and shock absorption, good oil resistance, load-bearing capacity superior to ordinary soft rubber, wide range of hardness, suitable for protecting workpiece surfaces, and suitable for elastic contact with parts under low to medium loads.
Cushioning pads, shock absorbers, wear-resistant pads, rollers, rubber-coated wheels, conveyor wheels, scrapers, sealing auxiliary parts, fixture protection blocks, limiting blocks, pressing blocks, anti-collision blocks, guide wheels, foot pads, wear-resistant pads, mold cushioning parts, elastic parts for automation equipment, soft contact parts for tooling fixtures.
High-precision rigid structural parts, high-strength load-bearing parts, high-temperature long-term use parts, strong acid and alkali environment parts, long-term outdoor exposure parts, high conductivity parts, high thermal conductivity parts, transparent appearance parts, high-gloss appearance parts, precision gears, high-frequency, high-speed friction parts with poor heat dissipation, and precision assemblies requiring long-term dimensional stability.
The following parameters come from product information and material knowledge fields, used for design review, quotation communication, and preliminary judgment before material selection.
| Material positioning | Suitable for shock absorption components, wear-resistant elastic parts, rollers, scrapers, sealing auxiliary parts, fixture protective parts, and CNC elastic materials requiring elastic contact. |
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| Precision performance | CNC machining PU can achieve dimensional machining of ordinary elastic parts, but because the material is elastic, easily deformed, and easy to allow tools, its precision stability is usually lower than that of hard materials like Acetal (POM), ABS, nylon, and metal. The lower the hardness, the harder it is to control the size; The higher the hardness, the better the processing stability. Actual accuracy is affected by material hardness, part dimensions, clamping method, tool sharpness, machining speed, wall thickness, and springback. |
| Dimensional tolerances | The conventional dimensional tolerances for CNC-machined PU can be referenced ± 0.10mm to ±0.30mm, while ordinary elastic structural parts can be evaluated at ± 0.20mm to ±0.50mm. Parts with low hardness, thin walls, large sizes, elongated shapes, and those easily affected by clamping deformation may experience greater deviations. These values are standard reference ranges and are not absolute guaranteed tolerances for all structures. Tolerance requirements for roller outer diameter, shaft holes, pressing surfaces, and assembly holes should be determined separately based on hardness and processing methods. |
| Minimum Wall Thickness | For ordinary CNC-machined PU structures, the wall thickness is recommended not less than 1.5mm. Low-hardness PU is not recommended for overly thin wall designs, as this can easily cause deformation, edge curling, tearing, or unstable processing. The force position, compression position, screw hole perimeter, roller flange, and assembly position should be appropriately thickened. |
| Recommended wall thickness | Standard cushioning pads, shock-absorbing blocks, and wear-resistant pads are recommended 2.0mm-5.0mm; positions such as rollers, compression blocks, scrapers, and assembly load-bearing are recommended at least 3.0mm; areas requiring large compression or bearing impact should have the thickness increased according to load, hardness, and compression ratio, avoiding local overthinning that could cause tearing or permanent deformation. |
| Minimum aperture | CNC drilling can process PU hole positions, but small holes are prone to burrs, springback, and unstable hole diameter. A typical design recommends a hole diameter of no less than 1.5mm-2.0mm. Shaft holes, assembly holes, and positioning holes should be individually designed according to material hardness, press-fit method, and load capacity. Low-hardness PU holes are prone to compression deformation; precision holes are recommended to be used with metal bushings or inserts. |
| Assembly clearance | For ordinary assembly, it is recommended to reserve 0.20mm-0.50mm on one side; for positions requiring compression or elastic clamping, interference fits can be designed according to hardness, compression amount, and assembly method. Movable fits, roller shaft holes, and guide structures should be appropriately enlarged by combining PU rebound, friction, and wear to increase clearance. Low-hardness PU should not be designed for overly tight assembly, as this can easily cause deformation, jamming, or permanent compression deformation. |
| Detailed performance | CNC PU is suitable for machining holes, grooves, steps, chamfers, fillets, roller profiles, scraper profiles, buffer block profiles, and common structural details. Because the material is elastic, small sharp corners, fine text, thin edges, tiny grooves, and fine textures can easily cause burrs, brushing, deformation, or unclear edges. Logos and markings can be achieved through engraving, molding, or printing, but complex textures are not recommended on high-wear or compressed contact surfaces. |
| Surface effect | PU raw materials are usually yellow, red, green, transparent yellow, semi-transparent, or other custom colors, with a surface that has an elastic adhesive feel. After CNC machining, the surface may have slight knife marks, burrs, or brushing marks; low-hardness materials are more prone to machining marks. PU is usually a functional material and not a high-end appearance material. After trimming, chamfering, and light sanding, the edges become neater, but it is difficult to achieve the high appearance of metal, Acrylic (PMMA), or ABS painted parts. |
Based on material characteristics and suitable product ranges, customer needs are broken down into easier application directions to determine.
Cushioning pads, shock absorbers, wear-resistant pads, rollers, rubber-coated wheels, conveyor wheels, scrapers, sealing auxiliary parts, fixture protection blocks, limiting blocks, pressing blocks, anti-collision blocks, guide wheels, foot pads, wear-resistant pads, mold cushioning parts, elastic parts for automation equipment, soft contact parts for tooling fixtures.
Suitable for shock absorption components, wear-resistant elastic parts, rollers, scrapers, sealing auxiliary parts, fixture protective parts, and CNC elastic materials requiring elastic contact.
The greatest feature of CNC Polyurethane Elastomer (PU) is its combination of elasticity and wear resistance, making it suitable for locations requiring cushioning, shock absorption, protection, wear resistance, and flexible contact. It can provide a feel ranging from softer to harder depending on the hardness, with common hardness options selected according to the Shore A hardness range. PU material is more wear-resistant than ordinary rubber and softer than hard plastic, but it is prone to deformation and burrs during processing, resulting in lower dimensional accuracy than hard materials such as Acetal (POM), ABS, and metal.
Based on wall thickness, hole position, assembly clearance, dimensional tolerances, and material usage risks, determine in advance whether the part structure is suitable for Polyurethane Elastomer (PU).
Post-processing of Polyurethane Elastomer (PU) affects appearance, dimensions, hole position, assembly clearance, and usage validation results, and should be explained in advance during quotation, DFM review, and sample confirmation stages.
Post-processing should focus on appearance display, dimensional fitting, connection assembly, and testing verification. Parts involving assembly positions need to be reserved in advance for machining, coating, and trial assembly allowances.
For common issues such as threads, snaps, strength, temperature resistance, and weather resistance, identify in advance whether the material needs to be replaced or if another processing method should be used.
When customer demand exceeds Polyurethane Elastomer (PU) material boundaries, it is necessary to combine strength, temperature resistance, toughness, long-term stability, and mass production goals to promptly recommend alternative materials or processing technologies.
If higher rigidity and dimensional stability are required, CNC Acetal (POM), nylon Nylon (PA)6/Nylon (PA)66, or Polycarbonate (PC) can be chosen; If higher temperature and chemical resistance are required, PTFE, Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK), PPS, or fluororubber can be chosen; If softer seals and elasticity are needed, Silicone Rubber, rubber, NBR, or EPDM can be chosen; If higher load-bearing and rigid structures are required, aluminum alloy, stainless steel, or steel parts can be chosen; If low-friction sliding parts are needed, Acetal (POM), PTFE, or UHMW Polyethylene (PE) can be chosen.
If customers need wear resistance, cushioning, shock absorption, surface protection, or elastic compression, CNC Polyurethane Elastomer (PU) is the right choice. If customers require high-precision rigid structures, long-term high temperatures, strong corrosive environments, or high dimensional stability, it is not recommended to prioritize PU; instead, Acetal (POM), nylon, PTFE, Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK), metal, or specialized rubber materials should be considered. When selecting materials, priority should be given to confirming hardness, load, compression amount, operating temperature, contact medium, and friction speed.
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