A common question we receive is “can I get this in a different color?”. That is tough to answer in the world of industrial plastics! The short answer is many plastics are available in a variety of colors but price, availability, and minimum order quantity (MOQ) are often strongly affected by this choice. In general, industrial plastics are fairly bland, coming in white, black, or a shade of brown. Certain plastics can be colorful, such as nylons and polyurethane, but for the most part they come in black and white.
When Are Colors Feasible?
First of all it never hurts to ask, and we’ll always be straightforward. For the most part; however, we do not stock any plastics in custom colors. This can strongly affect the price if orders need to be brought in on special and in small quantities. Remember that we have to ship product all over North America to “land” it at one of our Regional Sales Offices (RSO). Often, this means you are paying much more for the same plastic just to have a non-standard color. How long you have to wait for delivery is context dependent on your order, but 4-6 weeks would be typical.
Polyurethane, nylon, and some profiles of UHMW are the easiest to get in non-standard colors. Our Redco polyurethane is available in custom colors at no extra cost!
When Are Colors Not Feasible?
The primary barrier to getting a product in non-standard color is when you have to stick to a certain grade of plastic or have a certain additive. For example, we get asked if the anti-static UHMW is available in colors: it is not, because the additive itself makes the plastic black. Also regarding UHMW, “clean” reprocessed UHMW in non-standard colors are much easier to get ahold of in rod or extrusion rather than virgin grade material and a colorant.
Specs given for a product might also confuse requirements. We recently saw a spec for a project that called for black virgin UHMW that was certified to ASTM D4020 but this is impossible as ASTM D4020 specifically excludes UHMW with any and all additives, including color. Natural UHMW is white so a black colored resin, or any additive, automatically cannot meet D4020.
In summary, if you want a non-standard color for your project you need to realize that while it is technically possible you will pay significantly for it in increased cost, delivery, and minimum order quantity.
If you have questions or a request for a non-standard colored plastic – please contact us today.
