Materials · Polyethylene (PE)

Polyethylene (PE) CNC Machining Service

CNC milling CNC turning Injection molding Laser cutting Waterjet cutting

Machined and molded UHMW-PE and HDPE — the 2 grades published here, with the tolerance, minimum wall and lead time the shop holds.

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2Grades published

±0.125mmAchievable · ISO 2768

0.80 mmMinimum wall

3–10 daysPublished lead time

A close-up of a thick-walled black polyethylene pipe with a blue stripe

Specifications

Polyethylene specifications: ±0.125 mm tolerance, 0.80 mm wall, 3 to 10 days lead time

Six numbers a buyer asks for before sending a drawing — the process, the
tolerance we hold, the minimum wall, the largest envelope, the lead time and the price band.

Process

CNC mill · CNC lathe3-axis and 5-axis milling, turning

Achievable tolerance

Not lower than ±0.125mm (±0.005″)Based on the drawing, ISO 2768

Minimum wall

0.80 mmVaries with the wall-to-linear-dimension ratio

Maximum part size

200 × 80 × 100 cmLargest envelope quoted online

Lead time

3–10 daysComplex parts sit at the far end

Price band

$$Where Polyethylene (PE) sits against the other 22 materials

Read this first. Process, maximum part size and lead time are
identical on all 23 material pages — they describe the shop, not the material. Tolerance,
minimum wall and price band are the three that change from one material to the next.

Machining routes

Machining routes for polyethylene: milling, turning, cutting and molding

Milling and turning are what this page is quoted on. The routes below are the ones the same material takes when the stock form, the volume or the lead time changes — each one is a service page on this site.

CNC millingQuoted here3-axis and 5-axis milling of UHMW-PE and HDPE plate, sheet and block.CNC machining →

CNC turningQuoted hereLathe work on rod and tube, with live tooling for milled features in the same set-up.CNC turning →

Injection moldingMolded hereHDPE is one of the workhorses of injection molding. The same part, once the volume justifies a tool.Injection molding →

Laser cuttingSheet stockProfiles and outlines cut straight from polyethylene sheet.Laser cutting →

Waterjet cuttingSheet stockAbrasive waterjet for thicker sheet — no heat-affected edge on a material this soft.Waterjet cutting →

Not used for Polyethylene (PE):EDM, grinding, die casting and knurling. Polyethylene is an electrical insulator, soft enough to load a grinding wheel rather than cut, and the knurling page is limited to ductile metals.

Published grades

The two polyethylene grades: UHMW-PE and HDPE

The two grades published for polyethylene, the polymer family each one belongs to, and the applications each is normally specified for.

Grades · the two published for polyethylene

Grade published	Polymer family	Applications named on this page
UHMW-PE	Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene	Food processing, packaging and conveying surfaces
HDPE	High-density polyethylene	Cables, pipes and fittings, agricultural products

UHMW-PE and HDPE are not the same material. The molecular
weight is what separates them — UHMW-PE is bought for sliding wear and impact, HDPE for
stiffness and pressure service. A drawing that says only "PE" leaves that choice open,
so name the grade or the property you need and it is confirmed in writing before the
first cut.

No mechanical figures are published here. Strength and
hardness move with the grade and the melt index, so a single figure per row would
mislead. Ask for the datasheet, or state the property on the drawing.

Which polymer?

UHMW-PE, HDPE or polypropylene: choosing by wear, pressure and moisture

Each answer points at a page on this site that covers it in more depth — a
comparison, a grade guide or a process page.

Does the part slide, rub or take repeated impact?

UHMW-PE is the grade on this page for sliding contact. Delrin is the other page here chosen for wear, and the HDPE-versus-Delrin comparison on this site sets out where the two part company.

HDPE vs Delrin Delrin

Read the HDPE vs Delrin comparison →

Is it a pipe, a fitting or a cable part?

Then HDPE is the grade here. Polypropylene is the other page on this site bought for pipework and chemical service, and the two are compared in full.

Polypropylene (PP)PE vs PP

Compare polyethylene with PP →

Does it touch food or a pharmaceutical process?

Both grades on this page turn up in food and packaging lines. The material-selection guide covers how the polymer is picked when the contact surface drives the choice.

Material selection guide Machinability

Read the selection guide →

Low-density PE instead of high-density?

LDPE is a different polymer with its own page on this site — softer, and chosen where flexibility matters more than stiffness.

Low-density polyethylene All 23 materials

See all 23 materials →

Comparing Polyethylene (PE) with something else?Send the model and the drawing. If the material is still open, the grade call comes back with the price instead of as a separate question.

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Machining & tolerance

Tolerancing and inspecting polyethylene parts to ISO 2768

The published tolerance on this page is Not lower than ±0.125mm (±0.005″)
on the drawing, to ISO 2768. Where a feature needs better than that, say so on the
drawing — that conversation belongs before the tool goes in, not after.

ISO 2768 general tolerancesWhat we hold when the drawing stays silent Tolerance & fits standardThe shop standard behind the number above DFM guidelinesWall thickness, fillets, thread depth — read before you draw Machinability of materialWhy some grades cut slower, and what that costs

Finishes

Finishing a polyethylene part: polishing, blasting and deburring

This is the polymer set of finishes: polishing, blasting, sanding and fine machining. The metal pages list the plating and heat-treatment routes instead.

PolishingSheen and clarity control Bead blastingUniform matt texture As-machined / deburringTool marks left, edges broken Smooth machiningA finishing cut, not a coating SandingHand step before polishing Fine machiningTighter Ra band All 20 finishesWith Ra bands and process notes

Applications

Where UHMW-PE and HDPE parts go: food, pharma and pipework

Food processingParts and surfaces in food-handling equipment
PharmaceuticalsComponents for pharmaceutical process equipment
PackagingPackaging machinery parts and wear surfaces
Cables, pipes & fittingsCable components and pipework fittings

All of it cut on the same floor —
see CNC machining and
how we hold tolerance.

Laser cutting a polyethylene plastic sheet — A polyethylene sheet mid-cut, as machined — shop gallery image.

Polyethylene in context: the HDPE guide, machinability and tolerances

Deeper reading from around this site — the comparisons, the standards and the
process notes behind this material.

HDPE guideHDPE machining: properties, processes and challengesThe long-form page behind the HDPE row aboveRead →

LDPE guideLow-density polyethylene: key uses and propertiesThe other polyethylene, and where it is chosen insteadRead →

Polymer choicePolyethylene vs polypropylene: material comparisons explainedThe comparison buyers make most often against this pageRead →

Material choiceCommon materials for CNC machiningWhere the plastics sit next to the metalsRead →

TolerancesNavigating the precision of ISO 2768: a guide to standard tolerancingHow the general-tolerance standard readsRead →

Reading first, or ready to quote?The pages above set out the trade-offs. If the part is already drawn, send it and the quote comes back in one business day on a clean drawing.

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FAQ

Polyethylene machining: two grades, tolerance, lead time and files

Straight answers to the questions that come up most often on a CNC quote —
with the figures published for this material, and a link for each point.

Which polyethylene grades can you machine?

The 2 grades published on this page — UHMW-PE and HDPE. If the drawing calls for LDPE or a grade outside that list, send it: the list is what we publish, not the limit of what the shop quotes.

What tolerance can you hold?

±0.125 mm, on the drawing, to ISO 2768 — the figure published on this page. Where a feature needs tighter than that, mark it on the drawing so it is priced and inspected as a controlled feature.

What is the smallest wall and the largest part?

Minimum wall is 0.80 mm. Maximum envelope is 200 × 80 × 100 cm. Both are shop-wide constants, identical on all 23 material pages.

How fast is a polyethylene part?

3 to 10 days, with complex parts at the far end. Post-processing, if you ask for it, is a separate step and adds to that window.

Which finish should I ask for?

The cards in the finishes section above are the polymer set — polishing, bead blasting and as-machined / deburring among them. The full list of 20 is at surface finishes.

What files should I send?

STEP, STP, IGES, IGS, SLDPRT, STL, DXF, DWG, PDF, DOCX, JPG, JPEG, PNG or ZIP. A 2D PDF plus the model is the combination that gets quoted fastest.

Is my drawing kept confidential?

Uploads stay with the people quoting and making the part. If you need a mutual NDA in place first, say so on the contact form and it is arranged before files change hands.

Next step

Send the drawing — we come back with the material call and the price

Upload the model and the 2D PDF. You get a manufacturability note, a note on the resin if the drawing leaves it open, and a price.

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All 23 materials

All uploads are secure and confidential.

Quoted in 1 business day on a clean drawing
The resin and fill stated in writing on the quote
First article inspected before the run