New CNC Guide Helps Machinists Move from Metal to Plastic

A heavy metal block sinks the scale when weighed against a larger, yet lighter plastic block, underscoring the significant weight savings plastics can offer.

A new resource from IAM compares plastic and metal machining techniques, helping shops adapt tooling, setups, and material choices with fewer costly mistakes.

By putting real-world plastic and metal process differences, application examples, and troubleshooting in one place, we aim to reduce trial-and-error on the shop floor.”

— Christopher Isar

SACRAMENTO, CA, UNITED STATES, November 25, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Interstate Advanced Materials, the parent company of Interstate Plastics, has published a new technical guide on the Interstate Plastics website to help machinists and engineers compare CNC machining of plastics and metals and decide when each material family is the better fit. The guide, “Plastic vs. Metal Machining: Comparing CNC Techniques,” is now available on the Interstate Plastics website and is designed for shops that primarily cut metal but are adding or expanding plastic machining.

The guide walks readers through side-by-side differences between machined plastics and metals, including heat management, workholding and fixturing, tooling geometry, chip control, and coolant use. It also breaks down material properties such as strength, stiffness, weight, thermal behavior, corrosion resistance, and cost to clarify where plastics can replace metal without sacrificing performance.

Beyond process fundamentals, the guide explores where high-performance plastics are already displacing metals in real applications, from aerospace brackets and semiconductor components to medical devices and in chemically aggressive environments. It outlines when plastic is the better fit, when metal remains the right choice, and when hybrid designs using both materials make sense for performance, cost, or manufacturability.

For machine shops, one of the guide’s most practical sections is a troubleshooting Q&A that addresses common problems encountered when cutting plastics, such as parts moving out of tolerance after cooling, undersized or oversized holes, melting or gumming at the tool, long stringy chips, and surface finish issues, along with specific fixes that can be implemented on the shop floor.

The guide also explains how manufacturers can shorten the learning curve when moving candidate parts from metal to plastic by combining better material selection up front with process adjustments tailored to plastics. Readers are encouraged to share prints and operating conditions so Interstate Advanced Materials can help evaluate conversion candidates, flag potential machining challenges, and recommend machinable stock for prototyping and production.

See the guide live now at https://www.interstateplastics.com/plastic-machining-vs-metal-machining

Interstate Advanced Materials is a full-line distributor of high-performance sheet, rod, tube, plate, and bar, and proudly serves many diverse industries, including OEM, semiconductor, food processing, POP display, government, agriculture, automotive, and many others. With 10 locations nationwide and an online sales and support team, Interstate Advanced Materials provides full sheets and pallets, cut-to-size service, complex CNC, welding solutions, and full machining capabilities.

Interstate Advanced Materials is known for selling high-quality products, providing excellent customer service, and providing superior technical support. Excellence in all facets of the customer experience has been the cornerstone of Interstate Advanced Materials for over 45 years.

Christopher Isar
Interstate Advanced Materials
+14154041900 ext.
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