Sawing Guidelines Sawing is a common method for machining plastic parts. Plastics may be cut using multi-axis CNC saws or manual circular or band saw blades. Below are guidelines for sawing several performance plastics. Thick-walled parts should be sawed with relatively thin blades to avoid excessive frictional heat generation. Well-sharpened, strongly offset saw blades are recommended. Specially designed blades are available to optimize cutting for many plastic materials including nylon and acrylic. See our Plastic Machining Guidelines for more information. Need help drilling plastic? Ask a Plastics Expert. Special Measures: █ Preheat material to 250°F █ Caution when using coolants, susceptible to stress cracking █ Use carbide-tipped tools Heat before sawing: From 2.25" - PEEK, PPS | From 3.25" - PET, PBT | From 4.00" - Nylon 6 sawing machining guidelines Material α Clearance Angle (°) ϒ Rake Angle (°) V Cutting Speed (ft/min) t Pitch (in) ABS 15 - 30 0 - 5 980 0.078 - 0.315 Acetal (copolymer) 20 - 30 0 - 5 1640 - 2600 0.078 - 0.197 Acetal (homopolymer) 20 - 30 0 - 5 1640 - 2600 0.078 - 0.197 Noryl 15 - 30 5 - 8 980 0.118 - 0.315 Nylon 6 20 - 30 2 - 5 1640 0.118 - 0.315 PAI 5 - 10 0 - 3 2600 - 2950 0.118 - 0.50 PBT 15 - 30 5 - 8 980 0.118 - 0.315 PEEK 15 - 30 0 - 5 1640 - 2600 0.118 - 0.197 PET 15 - 30 5 - 8 980 0.118 - 0.315 Polycarbonate 15 - 30 5 - 8 980 0.118 - 0.315 Polyethylene 20 - 30 2 - 5 1640 0.118 - 0.315 Polyproylene (homopolymer) 20 - 30 2 - 5 1640 0.118 - 0.315 Polysulfone 15 - 30 0 - 4 1640 0.078 - 0.197 PPS 15 - 30 0 - 5 1640 - 2600 0.118 - 0.197 PTFE 20 - 30 5 - 8 980 0.078 - 0.197 PVDF 20 - 30 5 - 8 980 0.078 - 0.197 PPSU (Radel® R) 15 - 30 0 - 4 1640 0.078 - 0.197 Ultem® 15 - 30 0 - 4 1640 0.078 - 0.197 DuPont™ Vespel® Polyimide 5 - 10 0 - 3 2600 - 2950 0.100 Explore Other Machining Methods Plastic Turning Machining Guidelines For machining plastic components on a lathe, review guidelines for feeds and cutting speeds. Plastic Milling Machining Guidelines Both CNC and manual mills are used for plastics. Review guidelines for milling several performance plastics. Plastic Drilling Machining Guidelines Machining guidelines to help avoid breaking, tearing, overheating, or dimensional deviations when drilling plastic parts.