CNC-machined plastic parts
As well as many other materials and compounds.

Are you looking for an experienced partner to manufacture your plastic milled parts? Then Hänssler is the right choice for you, because we work exclusively with plastics. This specialization is important because machining plastics follows its own set of rules. Anyone who machines them like metal risks dimensional deviations, internal stresses, and damaged surfaces. That’s why we’ve uncompromisingly optimized our machining centers for CNC machining of plastics.
Tool selection is crucial in CNC plastic milling
Most milling tools are designed for use in metalworking and do not perform well when milling plastics. That is why we at Hänssler use special tool profiles to achieve better surface finishes and the tightest tolerances, even when machining high-performance plastics.
Plastic Milled Parts from Hänssler
As specialists in plastics processing, our machinery covers the entire range of services. We machine engineering plastics such as POM, PET, and PC, as well as high-performance plastics such as PEEK, PAI, and Vespel®/PI.
Using our CNC milling machines, we manufacture intricate precision parts from over 160 materials, some of which are only a few centimeters in size. Furthermore, we mill large-format plastic components on our largest 5-axis CNC machining center, which has a working area of 2600 × 1700 × 950 mm. Of course, we also produce all sizes in between these two values, although it should be noted that the maximum and minimum sizes always depend on the geometry and material.
Development Partner for Milled Parts
You can hire us as a contract manufacturer and provide us with your technical drawings. However, our true strength lies in our role as a development partner. Right after you send your initial inquiry, we review the CAD data together with you, assess feasibility, and advise you on material selection. If necessary, we optimize the design directly in your CAD software and adapt the geometry to the tool paths. Where required by the intended application, we also verify compliance. After manufacturing and quality assurance, we support you through the prototyping phase and transition your component to series production.

A focused team member operates one of our CNC milling machines




We’ll make the chips fly for your component
Our experts will be happy to advise you on your plastic milled part.

Manufacturing of milled parts from plastic plates
Clamping of semi-finished plastic products
Due to the lower stiffness and higher elasticity of plastics, there are several factors to consider when clamping plastic blanks. If excessive clamping forces are applied, the plastic part will become deformed during machining, and tolerances cannot be maintained. Through innovative solutions, we clamp blanks made of standard or high-performance plastics with virtually no residual stress and achieve the highest levels of accuracy despite these challenges.
Material selection for plastic milled Parts
As a specialized manufacturer and development partner for plastic parts, we produce prototypes and production parts from a wide variety of engineering plastics. Choosing the right plastic is crucial to ensuring that requirements are met optimally. Our engineering team at our Mannheim location assists our customers in selecting the right material.
The following factors are particularly relevant for the selection process:

Manufacturing of milled parts made of PTFE
Operating temperature of the milled part
The operating temperature depends on the type of plastic and can play an important role at both high and very low temperatures. We offer a wide range of high-temperature plastics that are suitable for the most extreme conditions. With some types of plastic, however, it is important to make the right choice even at low temperatures. For example, PP should not be used at sub-zero temperatures because it becomes very brittle.
Static stress on plastic parts
If plastic components are subjected to static loads over an extended period of time, they tend to “creep.” This can be minimized by selecting the appropriate type of plastic, and the effect can also be counteracted by using reinforced materials. We offer the full range of reinforced materials, most of which we also keep in stock.
Dynamic loading of the milled plastic part
The long-term load-bearing capacity of plastics is significantly increased through the use of high-performance plastics such as PEEK. These specialized materials can also be reinforced with glass fibers and carbon fibers at various filling levels.
Compliance and approvals for plastics
Compliance and approvals are playing an increasingly important role in determining whether a plastic part can even be used in certain industries. There are a multitude of laws and regulations that are constantly changing. For this reason, we have trained a materials compliance officer whose expertise our customers are happy to draw upon.
Chemical resistance of the plastic
If chemicals are used, it is necessary to determine which plastic is suitable for contact with them. There are specific groups of plastics that exhibit excellent properties under special operating conditions when exposed to aggressive media. Examples include PTFE, PP, and PPS, which are significantly superior to metal parts in many applications.

Manufacturing of milled parts from PETG
Abrasion and friction
When it comes to minimizing friction, plastic is the material of choice. Many plastics have a particularly low coefficient of friction, which can be further improved through the addition of additives such as solid lubricants.

PEEK deflection gear | Application: weight reduction in Formula Student race car
Frequently asked questions about plastic milling
Most engineering thermoplastics are easy to mill. Typical materials include POM, PA, PE, PET, PTFE, PVDF, PAI, PI, and PEEK. PMMA and elastomers are more challenging to machine.
The unit price of milled parts is virtually constant because there are no tooling costs. This is why milled plastic parts can be cost-effective even for quantities as small as one. Injection molding, on the other hand, is only cost-effective for medium to large production runs, although the exact break-even point depends on tooling costs, the material, and the complexity of the part.
Extruded semi-finished products contain internal residual stresses. These stresses are thrown out of balance by milling on only one side, which can cause plates in particular to warp. Annealing before machining, milling on both sides, and low-stress clamping are measures to counteract this; however, residual stresses do not disappear, they merely become manageable.
You can request plastic milled parts from Hänssler Kunststoff- und Dichtungstechnik. To do so, please send an email to haenssler@dicht.de or use the contact form.











