High Impact Polystyrene (HIPs)
Buy Polystyrene Sheets from Sheet Plastics
High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS Plastic Sheets) is a first-class material that offers an excellent balance of price and performance, with a lightweight, impact resistant nature. It combines outstanding forming, good colouration and mechanical properties.
Sheet Plastics offers a material that is available in bespoke and stock colours and sizes for your particular project, and is stocked in a range of different surface finishes.
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High Impact Polystyrene is both lightweight and offers great impact strength. HIPS is also FDA compliant and is ideal for use within the food and packaging industries. It can also be recycled. HIPS plastic is ideal for internal sign, point of sale, food contact and vacuum forming applications.
Gloss HIPS Plastic sheets are also available in a wide range of colours or, for low minimum quantities any colour of your choosing.
High Impact Polystyrene Properties
The HIPs material is well known for being:
- Lightweight.
- Impact Resistant.
- Low-cost with similar properties to other thermoplastics.
- Easy to process using injection molding, extrusion, and thermoforming techniques.
- A great electrical insulator, making it ideal for housings and electronic components.
- Dimensionally stable under changes in humidity and temperature.
What Are the Uses of High-Impact Polystyrene?
HIPs sheets boast excellent impact resistance and a lightweight yet relatively rigid form, making them ideal for a number of applications, including:
Toys: Thanks to the lightweight and durable nature of the HIPs material, it is ideal for toy manufacture.
Automotive: Instrument panels, exterior body parts and interior trim are all places where HIPs are an effective option, thanks to their stability and impact resistance.
Signage: Due to its ability to be easily customised by colour, texture and finish, HIPs plastic is ideal for signage.
Packaging: Clamshell, tray and container packaging are often manufactured using HIPs material, thanks to its high impact resistance.
Electronic Components: Housings and electronic panels are often made using HIPs thanks to their electrical insulation properties.
Consumer products: Everyday items like vacuum cleaners and blenders are often built with HIPs thanks to its ability to be vacuum formed while maintaining durability.
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FAQs
What is HIPS material?
HIPS (high impact polystyrene) is a type of polystyrene plastic known for its toughness and impact resistance. It is commonly used in the production of consumer goods, packaging and automotive parts.
What is the difference between polystyrene and high impact polystyrene?
Polystyrene is a much more rigid and brittle thermoplastic, best suited for packaging, insulation, and rigid plastic products. HIPs is modified with rubber to provide impact resistance and overall durability. HIPs sheets are much more suited towards displays, signage, automotive parts, toys, and creating electronic components.
What are the properties of HIPS?
HIPS has excellent impact resistance, good dimensional stability and can be easily fabricated. It is also lightweight and relatively inexpensive.
What is high impact polystyrene used for?
High impact polystyrene is used in a variety of applications, including packaging, appliance housings and as a substrate for printed materials.
Is high impact polystyrene food safe?
Yes, high impact polystyrene is FDA and EU compliant for food contact, and is most often used in the dairy industry because it does not impart taste or odour to the food. It also provides an excellent moisture barrier.
Can you digitally print on HIPs?
HIPs plastic is well-suited to receiving a digital print with clarity.
What is the melting point of high impact polystyrene?
The melting point for high impact polystyrene is between 210 and 2070 degrees celsius.
Is high impact polystyrene recyclable?
Yes! And we highly encourage everyone to recycle their HIPs material if they have any left over.
Is it possible to paint or glue HIPS?
Yes, HIPs sheets are very easy to decorate or print onto, accepting screen printing, digital printing, and painting with minimal surface preparation. HIPs is also compatible with solvent-based adhesives like dichloromethane and MEK, or super glues like cyanoacrylates.
Does HIPs absorb water?
HIPs water absorption rate is exceptional, sitting at around 0.05% absorption over 24 hours. This makes it an excellent and dimensionally stable option for high-humidity environments like bathrooms
