Fastening Without Metal. The Chemical Advantage.
Not every load requires steel. In fact, in environments involving high voltage, aggressive acids, or strict weight limits, metal is a liability.
LAYRR Materials supplies the high-performance polymer powders that allow you to print fastening systems that are chemically inert, electrically insulating, and incredibly tough. From PEEK bolts for chemical reactors to Nylon snap-fits for automotive interiors, we provide the feedstock for functional, metal-free assembly.
Why Polymer Fasteners?
When you swap metal for advanced polymers, you aren't just saving weight—you are gaining functionality.
1. Chemical & Corrosion Immunity
Stainless steel corrodes; PEEK does not.
For chemical processing plants or semiconductor manufacturing, polymer fasteners offer absolute resistance to hydrolysis, acids, and solvents that would eat through metal bolts in weeks.
2. Electrical Insulation (Dielectric)
In high-voltage electronics and EV battery packs, metal fasteners require expensive insulating washers to prevent short circuits. Printed polymer fasteners are naturally non-conductive, eliminating the risk of arcing and simplifying the bill of materials.
3. Compliant Mechanisms (Snap-Fits)
Metal doesn't bend well; polymers do.
Using materials like PA11 or PA12, you can print complex "living hinges" and snap-fit clips that allow for tool-free assembly. These geometries utilise the material's natural elasticity to lock parts together without a single threaded screw.
Critical Materials for Polymer Fastening
We stock the top-tier thermoplastics capable of holding a load.
High-Performance (The "Metal Replacements")
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VICTREX® PEEK 150XF: The king of polymers. Offers high tensile strength (~100 MPa) and continuous service temperatures up to 260°C.
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Application: Downhole oil & gas clips, semiconductor wafer handling bolts, aerospace cable clamps.
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PEKK: Similar to PEEK but with a wider processing window and slightly lower crystallisation rate, offering excellent layer adhesion for threaded parts.
Engineering Grade (The "Workhorses")
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PA12 (Nylon 12): The industry standard for Laser Sintering (SLS). Rigid, durable, and weather-resistant.
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Application: Automotive clips, ducting brackets, electronic housings screws.
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PA11 (Nylon 11): Sourced from renewable castor oil. Higher impact resistance and elongation than PA12, making it ideal for parts that need to flex without snapping.
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Application: Snap-fits, living hinges, impact-resistant bumpers.
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The LAYRR Standard: Z-Axis Strength
The biggest risk in printing polymer fasteners is "delamination"—the bolt snapping between layers when tightened.
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Optimized Crystallisation: LAYRR polymer powders are selected for specific melting and crystallisation kinetics. This ensures that layers fuse completely before solidifying, maximising Z-axis tensile strength.
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Flow for Detail: Fasteners have fine features (threads, heads). Our fine-powder grades (like PEEK 150XF) flow smoothly to fill these geometries, ensuring your M4 thread actually fits an M4 nut.
Engineer's Note: Thread Design Unlike machining, printing threads works best with coarse pitches. For polymer fasteners, we recommend designing trapezoidal or knuckle threads rather than sharp V-threads to reduce stress concentrations at the thread root. Alternatively, print a pilot hole and use a metal thread-forming screw for maximum pull-out strength.