Industry
Oil and gas equipment is mostly steel, and for good reason. The molded parts around it are chosen where steel corrodes, sparks, or costs too much, and where the resin can stand up to what flows past it.
Where plastic fits
Plastic rarely holds the pressure. It protects, supports, insulates, and houses.
Pipe and tubing ends ship with molded thread protectors so the threads arrive undamaged. Pipelines rest on molded spacers and clamps that keep steel off steel and stop corrosion where they touch. Instruments, meters, and transmitters sit in molded housings. Valves carry molded seats, handwheels, and position indicators.
What these parts share is exposure. Crude, condensate, drilling fluids, treatment chemicals, and sour gas all attack some plastics. The resin is chosen for the worst fluid the part will meet, not the average one.
Resin by exposure
A starting point for the conversation, confirmed by testing with the actual fluids.
| Exposure | Resins often used | Parts |
|---|---|---|
| Handling, weather, and impact only | HDPE, polypropylene | Thread protectors, pipe spacers |
| Hydrocarbons at moderate heat | Glass filled nylon, acetal | Clamps, handwheels, indicator parts |
| Hot hydrocarbons and sour gas | PEEK, PPS | Valve seats, seal backup rings, sensor parts |
| Acids and treatment chemicals | PVDF, polypropylene | Chemical injection parts, pump heads |
| Areas where static must not build up | Conductive or static dissipative compounds | Housings and covers near flammable vapor |
High performance resins
The resins that survive the hardest fluids are also the hardest to mold.
FAQ
Hazardous area ratings belong to the finished equipment and are certified by its maker. We mold the parts in the grade your certified design specifies, such as a static dissipative compound, and keep that grade for every order.
This page covers surface and pipeline equipment. For parts that go downhole, send the drawing with the temperature, pressure, and fluids, and we can discuss whether molding suits it.
Each size usually needs its own cavity. A family mold can hold several sizes when their shot sizes are close.
Yes. Insert molding puts threaded inserts, grounding studs, and bushings into the part as it is molded.
Keep reading
Chemical resistant resins and the parts that surround the steel.
Hot fluids and sour gas.
PEEKAcids and treatment chemicals.
PVDFKeeping static from building up.
Conductive compoundsProtecting threads in transit.
Threaded capsMolded valve parts.
Valve bodiesProduced water and chemical dosing.
Water treatmentEvery sector page in one index.
All industriesNext step
Upload CAD with every fluid the part meets, its temperature, and any grade your equipment rating requires. DFM checks the part against the resin chosen. NetProto manufacturing is ISO 9001 certified.
