PEEK
PEEK is a high-performance engineering thermoplastic that keeps its strength at temperatures and in chemical environments where most plastics fail, and is used where an insulating or non-galling part must still perform.
- Family /
- Engineered Plastics
- Machinability /
- Varies
- Condition /
- —
- Also called /
- peek plastic
PEEK is a high-performance engineering thermoplastic that keeps its strength at temperatures and in chemical environments where most plastics fail, and is used where an insulating or non-galling part must still perform.
What it is
It handles continuous service well above the limit of common plastics, resists most chemicals, and is dimensionally stable. Glass and carbon filled grades increase stiffness further. It is expensive, and specified when nothing cheaper will do.
How it cuts
Machines more like a soft metal than a plastic — it holds dimensions well and takes a good finish. It needs sharp tooling and careful heat management, since local overheating changes its properties.
What catches people out
Material cost is high enough that scrapping a part matters more than the machine time does. Stock is usually bought to the job rather than held, and lead time on an unusual size can be the longest part of the schedule.
PEEK — Common Questions
Why is a PEEK part so expensive?
- The raw material is dramatically more expensive than metal or common plastics — it is usually the dominant cost, not the machining. It is specified when temperature, chemical exposure or electrical insulation rules out everything cheaper.
Other engineered plastics
Got a part for PEEK?
Send the drawing or the sample. We will tell you straight what it will take to make.