POM: A Superior Material, Which Happens To Be Plastic
Consumer plastics often have a bad reputation for being cheap, unreliable materials. Although that may be true in some cases, not all plastics are created equal. Several high-grade plastics are used in demanding engineering applications, including POM.
What is POM?
POM, also known as acetal polymer, is an engineered thermoplastic used in precision parts requiring high wear resistance. POM is a popular industrial plastic due to its manufacturability and advantages over other plastics and metals.
Properties of POM
POM possesses several properties that make it ideal for mechanical applications and the material of choice for metal part replacement:
- High strength, stiffness, dimensional stability, and overall durability
- Low friction and wear resistance
- High fatigue and creep resistance—resists cracks and material deformation from mechanical stress over time
- Chemical resistances against fuels and solvents, such as gas
- Low moisture absorption, allowing effective operation in wet environments
- Temperature toughness
POM is often used to replace metal. 
Aquor connectors can withstand 200+ pounds of lateral force—they won’t break if you tug on them.
Considering all of these beneficial properties, it’s no surprise that manufacturers use POM for various high-load mechanical applications. Here are examples of industrial use cases for POM plastics:
- Heavy load-bearing gears in vehicles
- Fuel system elements
- Valve and pump components for gas/oil
- Safety restraints
- Conveyor belt parts
- Medical devices
POM is the material of choice for plastic gears in e-bike motors.
The Niagara Foot is a high-performance prosthetic composed of POM.
How Aquor uses POM
Aquor selected the heavy-duty plastic to create hose connectors based on its low friction nature, high wear resistance, and effectiveness in wet conditions.
We put our system to the test by having a machine repeatedly plug and unplug our connector under pressure. Aquor connectors can last over 150,000 cycles!
It doesn’t end there… watch this 8,000 pound forklift run over an Aquor connector. Talk about durability!
