About plastic
Plastic is a modern material that is being constantly developed offering a range of benefits. The scope for designing with this material is improving, several functions can be used for integration and the designs can also be made lighter compared with metal alternatives.
Production efficiency is good, since plastic parts rarely require additional shaping. Right from the start, the part has the correct surface structure and colour without the needing to be cleaned or trimmed.
From an environmental stance, plastic uses significantly less energy in the production of plastic parts compared to metal parts. The total amount of oil used in the manufacture of plastic parts is significantly smaller, too. Additionally plastic can be reused, either recycled as new products or used for energy.
A number of Fagerhult’s markets place particular fire classification requirements on products inclusive of plastic. This may require the use of flame-retardant plastics in our parts to reduce the risk of fire starting or spreading via our luminaires. Fagerhult abides by the RoHS Directive, which prohibits the use of mercury, cadmium, lead, hexavalent chrome and the flame-retarding agents PBB and PBDE. A good choice of materials and good design solutions can avoid the need for flame-retardant agents (including the less harmful ones).
As stated above, there are many advantages to using plastic, but at the same time it places great demands on design and choice of materials. Depending on the area of application for the product and other specifications, tests and simulations must be constantly carried out during the development phase to ensure that all requirements are met without jeopardising safety and quality.
There is a whole host of different plastics available on the market. Each has been produced to meet the demands made of the products. A selection of plastics is given below.