Advancements in engineered plastics and composites have led to significant improvements in countless transportation applications. This includes enhancements in the fuel efficiency and safety of mass transit vehicles like trains, buses, and more. Whether it's air deflectors, trim, cluster panels, or covers, shrouds, and housings, we’re confident in our ability to supply our customers with the engineered plastics they need for their transit applications.
Our Material Selection
At Piedmont Plastics, we deliver the best performance plastic solutions in the industry. This includes providing materials that meet the transportation industry requirements for flame, smoke, toxicity specifications, and bullet and blast threats. We also offer materials for vehicle window glazing that meet ANSI Z26.1 AS2, AS4, and AS5 standards.
Recent advances in composites have also expanded the use of plastics in mass transit vehicles beyond storage bins, seats, interior panels, trim, brackets, and mirrors. New plastic composite materials available from Piedmont are flexible enough to withstand sustained vibration, yet rigid and strong enough to support larger structures. In addition, they are lightweight, providing optimal operation and fuel savings. As a result of these advancements, larger buses and faster trains are being developed, improving mass transit systems worldwide.
Common Plastics for Transportation Applications
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ABS
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene is a durable, impact-resistant material commonly used in automotive components, consumer goods, and protective housings.
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HDPE (High Density Polyethylene)
HDPE offers strength, low weight, and resistance to chemicals and moisture, making it ideal for food and beverage equipment, industrial components, and marine applications.
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UHMW
UHMW from Piedmont Plastics offers superior durability, low friction, and wear resistance, ideal for conveyors, liners, and food-grade industrial parts.
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Extruded Acrylic
Extruded acrylic is a durable, lightweight, and optically clear thermoplastic sheet, ideal for architectural glazing, display cases, exhibits, and safety partitions, offering a cost-effective alternative to glass with excellent impact resistance and weatherability.
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PETG
PETG plastic sheet can be used in various applications. Piedmont Plastics is an industry leading supplier of PETG sheet and PETG thermoplastic materials.
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Polycarbonate
Polycarbonate is a high-performance, impact-resistant thermoplastic known for its clarity, strength, and weatherability, making it suitable for applications such as eyewear lenses, bullet-resistant glass, construction materials, and automotive parts.
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KYDEX
Piedmont Plastics is a leading supplier of KYDEX sheet, which can be used for aerospace and recreational applications.
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Polyester
Piedmont Plastics supplies polyethylene terephthalate or polyester film (PET film), providing solutions for many applications and markets.
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Polycarbonate Film
Polycarbonate film offers exceptional clarity, top-quality printing, performs well in elevated temperatures, and is easily thermoformed and molded.
Benefits of Plastics
Plastics have long been one of the most popular materials used in the manufacturing of mass transit vehicles due to desired qualities such as high strength to weight ratio, high wear and corrosion resistance, and fire and flame resistance. Plastics are designed to withstand extreme conditions without corroding or losing performance.
Another benefit of plastics is their ability to help keep people safe from infectious disease. Transit operator barriers have kept front-line workers safe and healthy thanks to their antimicrobial properties.
Contact Us
At Piedmont Plastics, our team of experts is ready to provide solutions for your transportation applications. Contact us today, and we’ll connect you with a member of our sales team!
