English 
ULTEM, with its PEI-grade plastic materials, gives you a lot of flexibility in your CNC machining production. This high-quality premium thermoplastic material can give you the ease of machinability, lots of high-grade plastic properties, and strength and durability you will need to create long-term products for various industries by machining ultem.
Why choose ULTEM? The ULTEM plastic material belongs to the top-quality thermoplastic materials you can use for CNC machining. It also has a wide range of applications that allow you to create both small and big components or parts from it. You can also get plenty of exceptional features from the ULTEM plastic material, which can boost the quality of the plastic products you produce with it. Here are some exceptional features of the ULTEM plastic material:
The ULTEM plastic material can withstand high temperatures and UV light radiation with no problem. In fact, this special plastic material can keep its solid dimensional stability when exposed to high heat and UV light radiation, whether in natural or controlled environmental conditions.
ULTEM is among the safest and most highly used plastic materials for medical purposes, including the production of various medical tools. This plastic material complies with the FDA safety guidelines and is safe for various medical operations. Many medical devices are using the ULTEM plastic material to create various medical products for their public health facilities.
You can also rely on the strength and durability of the ULTEM plastic material, which will allow you to create solid plastic products in various applications. Its strong and durable properties can help maintain the lifecycle of the products you create with this special plastic material. It is also why ULTEM is widely used in heavy industries like aerospace and automotive.
Many plastic materials might generate a lot of smoke or unhealthy gas when they get exposed to high flames. It can be detrimental to the environment whenever some unfortunate accidents happen. The good thing about ULTEM is that it will generate very low gas or smoke when exposed to high flames. So, it can be very safe when some unfortunate accidents happen.
ULTEM will also be highly resistant against any hydrolysis reaction, meaning that it won’t disintegrate when exposed to water. Exposing this special plastic material to water will also be very safe to do, as the dimensional stability will be kept intact during the water exposure.
As a high-quality and premium plastic material, ULTEM provides manufacturers with the ease of machinability when they use it in their production process. No matter the CNC machining processes you might need to use, ULTEM is compatible with all of them. It’s one of the best quality plastic materials around that you can use for multiple purposes. The following are the machinability factors of the ULTEM plastic material:
ULTEM is a high-quality plastic material with a chemical makeup suitable for CNC machining processes, such as drilling, milling, turning, and more. The chemicals are also very stable. So, you don't need to worry about this material disintegrating or becoming reactionary during the machining activities. This makes ULTEM to be very suitable for producing durable and strong plastic components for various industries.
You can use the ULTEM plastic material to create both smaller and bigger components across different industries. ULTEM provides you with the flexibility you need for your production plan.
In general, all ULTEM plastic materials are highly machinable, meaning that you can use all ULTEM materials for CNC machining production. However, ULTEM is also offered in different grades. The higher grades of ULTEM will provide you with even better machinability factors that allow you to work with these plastic materials with more ease.
There are various applications that depend on the use of ULTEM as the primary plastic material. The applications of ULTEM range from the aerospace to consumer electronics industries, covering a wide range of products. Its applications include the production of electrical component enclosures, medical tools, and connectors for electronic products, seals, various semiconductor components, and more.
This is the basic version of ULTEM you can use for various industrial applications. It is the cheapest version of the ULTEM plastic material that will fit the bill for both low and high-volume production using CNC machines.
This is a step up from the ULTEM 1000 grade, which has 10% glass material filled inside it. ULTEM 2100 is suitable for low-volume production. It has improved solidity in its material compared to the ULTEM 1000 grade.
This is a step up from the ULTEM 2100 grade, with 20% glass material filled into it. It will have improved solidity and strength compared to the ULTEM 2100 grade. It is also suitable for low-volume production.
For glass-filled ULTEM plastic material, you will find that the ULTEM 2300 grade is the most common one to use. It has 30% glass material filled in it. It also has better overall strength and durability compared to the ULTEM 2200 grade.
For semiconductor applications, you will need to use the special ULTEM static and conductive PEI grade. This ULTEM grade will be adjusted according to your requirements regarding its electrical conductivity.
This is the version of ULTEM plastic material that you can use for medical applications. It has a core material that uses safe, biocompatible chemicals that are FDA-approved. You need to use this version of ULTEM for production in the pharmaceutical and medical industries.
| ULTEM Grade | Glass Fill Content | Machinability | Tool Wear | Surface Finish | Production Volume Suitability | Key Advantages | Typical Applications |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ULTEM 1000 | None (Unfilled) | Excellent | Low | Very Good | Low to high-volume | Best overall machinability, cost-effective, good thermal and chemical resistance | Industrial parts, electrical housings, structural CNC components |
| ULTEM 2100 | 10% Glass-Filled | Good | Medium | Good | Low-volume | Improved stiffness and dimensional stability vs. ULTEM 1000 | Precision machined components requiring higher rigidity |
| ULTEM 2200 | 20% Glass-Filled | Moderate | Medium–High | Good | Low-volume | Higher strength and solidity than ULTEM 2100 | Load-bearing parts, structural industrial components |
| ULTEM 2300 | 30% Glass-Filled | Fair | High | Moderate | Low-volume | Maximum strength, stiffness, and durability; most common glass-filled grade | Aerospace, automotive, high-strength industrial parts |
| ULTEM Static & Conductive PEI | Customized | Good | Medium | Good | Low-volume (specialized) | Electrical conductivity tailored for ESD control | Semiconductor tooling, ESD-sensitive electronic components |
| ULTEM HU1000 | None (Medical Grade) | Excellent | Low | Very Good | Low to medium-volume | FDA-compliant, biocompatible, high precision capability | Medical devices, pharmaceutical and healthcare components |
With its high machinability, ULTEM will be proven to help manufacturers create high-quality products for various industries with high efficiency and faster speed. You can use the various grades of ULTEM plastic material in your production activities in 2024.Besides from CNC machining.
Need ULTEM (PEI) components with tight tolerances and consistent quality? TEAM MFG is your reliable partner, we have rich experiences in CNC machining ULTEM 1000, glass-filled grades (2100–2300), static & conductive PEI, and medical-grade HU1000. We can support customers from earlier prototype making to low- and high-volume production, we deliver precision parts for many industries such asaerospace, semiconductor, and medical applications. Whether your project requires complex geometries, high-temperature performance, or regulatory compliance, we’re ready to help.Besides from rapid prototyping services, low volume manufacturing services , TEAM MFG also offer injection molding and die casting to your projects needs.
Upload your drawings or 3D files, and our engineers will provide fast, professional manufacturing support.
Yes, ULTEM has excellent machinability:
Unfilled grades like ULTEM 1000 and HU1000 machine very well.
While glass-filled grades require optimized tooling due to higher abrasiveness.
ULTEM 1000 is the most machinable grade, it is ideal for complex geometries and tight tolerances, and it used for medical applications requiring biocompatibility.
Glass-filled grades increase stiffness and strength but also increase tool wear and reduce surface finish quality. Lower cutting speeds and wear-resistant tools are recommended.
Depending on part geometry, wall thickness, and material grade, ultem CNC machining tolerances range from ±0.05 mm to ±0.20 mm,
CNC machining is best for prototypes, complex parts, and low- to medium-volume production.
Injection molding is economical for medium to high volumes due to tooling costs investment.
