There are a ton of engineering resins available on the market these days. If you’re getting in the business of making parts using resin molds, these are the top options you can choose from:

ABS

With lasting properties such as toughness, strength, impact resistance, and the ability to withstand extreme temperatures, the resin known as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) is used in numerous industries and applications. ABS combines the strength of acrylonitrile and styrene with the endurance of polybutadiene. The material can also easily offer a glossy effect with a high-quality surface finish. It’s a typical top choice for resin molds and 3D printers. Since ABD doesn’t have an exact melting point, it can be processed using any standard thermoplastic method.

Acetal

Acetal it’s the more straightforward name for polyoxymethylene (POM), polyacetal, or polyformaldehyde. It’s thermoplastic with excellent durable properties. It showcases excellent wear and creeps resistance and is impervious to chemical solvents. The remarkable ability to channel heat distortion and its low moisture absorption grant your product excellent dimensional stability. You can also pour some easy coloring on it using Pantone. Acetal is the top choice to store food and beverage products. It’s the top option for toy manufacturers and some machining gears and bearings. It’s also used to craft multiple automotive parts and household applications.

Polypropylene

Polypropylene is a widely produced plastic worldwide, known for its chemical, elasticity, and fatigue resistance. This resin has superb insulation properties and transmissivity, but it can be flammable and vulnerable to UV radiation. Most manufacturers use polypropylene to customize parts and introduce special additives. Workshops also use the resin to alter the manufacturing process when they get derailed by a last-minute contingency. The material is so versatile that it’s sometimes referred to as the “steel” of plastics since you can tailor it for many uses.

HIPS

High-impact polystyrene (HIPS) is the finest material to offer impact resistance. This resin has outstanding machinability, acceptable dimensional stability, and uncanny aesthetics. You can handle custom-made surfaces to great the best finishes. You can use HIPS for resin molds. You can also print with it or use it as glue for bonding. It’s known for having one of the best cost-efficiency relationships. You can find High-impact polystyrene used in print applications, such as promotional art and displays, garden stakes and tags, posters, and retail packages. You can also handle the resin to make 3D lenticular images. HIPS is specially formulated to be used in graphic arts, and it’s also suited for high-speed digital printing.

LDPE

LDPE is the most flexible type of polyethylene, also known as low-density polyethylene (LDPE), a resin that offers excellent moisture resistance, high-impact strength, chemical resistance, and translucence. It’s a beneficial low-cost option, useful if you want to weatherproof something at home. The material is widely used to create consumer goods, housewares, medical products, and electronic wiring. The resin is also used for shopping bags, plastic film, bottles and containers, six-pack rings, and various computer components. LDPE can give you some trouble if you want to bond it with something else, and it’s not the best option for high-temperature appliances.