You usually don’t think of “plastic” when you think of electrical equipment. Copper, brass, steel, even rubber comes to mind, but plastic? Wouldn’t it be likely to break, melt or stop the current in some way?
The answer to the first two concerns is an emphatic “no.” High-temperature precision thermoplastics, as their name implies, have a very high melting point. And they’re also extremely strong — stronger than steel, in some applications. In fact, when combined with watertight seals, electrical components can be UV resistant, with the ability to be used in both flexible or rigid applications.
The answer to the third concern — “stopping the current” — is more nuanced. Yes, plastic can stop electrical current, but that’s a good thing, in certain circumstances. Many end-users want plastic electrical parts precisely for that reason: they want the current to stop to avoid short circuits, or to avoid electrifying the outside environment. In other applications, plastic is utilized precisely because it can be conductive and is a much cheaper alternative than conductive metals like copper. So you can see that the answer to the third concern — “stopping the current” — is both “yes” and “no.”
AdvanTech provides plastic injection services for an array of electric & electronic components. Some of the electrical products that we have the capability to produce are electrical housings (plastic housing that encases electrical parts) timers, electrical machinery, and and endless array of electrical components & controls. Just like plastic medical parts, plastic electrical or electronic parts, have to be produced to the highest degree of precision — lives could be at stake if the current is not completely contained and kept separate from parts and places where it could shock and even kill. Plastic electrical parts must also be manufactured for long-term, heavy-duty use, and designed not to fail during the parts’ lifespan.
So you can see, that “plastic electrical equipment” is not oxymoronic. Indeed, plastic is often the most conducive of all materials for the electronics industry.