Benefits
Key Advantages of Ultraform®
- High rigidity and stiffness
- Good resilience properties
- Excellent resistance to chemicals
- Excellent sliding friction properties
- Low water absorption and tendency to creep
- Dimensional stability
Performance Polymers
Ultraform® (POM)
Ultraform® is BASF’s brand name for its polyoxymethylene (POM) product range. The POM Ultraform® product family encompasses versatile engineering plastics with a wide variety of characteristics, which are designed for use in complex and heavy-duty components. POM Ultraform® is suitable for applications in automotive manufacturing, medical technology, for household and recreation, and also for machine and plant construction.
POM Ultraform® can be processed by all methods suitable for thermoplastics. The most important methods are injection molding and extrusion. Injection molding allows even the most complicated moldings to be mass-produced very economically. The extrusion process is used to manufacture rods, pipes, profile sections and sheets, most of which are further machined by using cutting tools to form finished parts. Find more details in the product brochure:
POM Ultraform® grades offer everything you need from an engineering material: they combine high rigidity and strength with superb resilience, favorable sliding friction characteristics and good dimensional stability, even under the influence of mechanical forces, in contact with many chemicals, fuels and other media, and at elevated temperatures. Find more details in the product brochure:
What are the application areas of POM Ultraform®?
POM Ultraform® is used in automotive, consumer, industrial and medical applications, ranging from sensor components and coffee machines to gears, conveyor systems, inhalers and insulin pens.
POM Ultraform® PRO (PRO = Profile covered Raw materials Only) is the POM with the highest formulation consistency that has been optimized not only for medical applications, but also with a comprehensive service package that guarantees formulation consistency and safety – from the raw material through to the patient.
Benefits
- High dimensional stability
- Ideal sliding and wear resistance
- Broad chemical resistance to polarand non-polar solvents
- High reproducibility and accuracy in molding parts
- Low water and moisture absorption
- Excellent heat aging behavior
- Good moldability with fast cycles
POM Ultraform® is a trusted performance material in the automotive industry. Whether in automotive interiors, exteriors, powertrains, or electrical and electronic systems, POM Ultraform® offers safety, comfort, and energy efficiency.
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FAQ
Q: What is POM Ultraform® and what is it used for?
POM Ultraform® is BASF's polyoxymethylene (POM) portfolio designed for demanding engineering applications. The material combines high stiffness, strength, dimensional stability, low water absorption, and excellent sliding properties, making it suitable for automotive components, industrial machinery, medical devices, household applications, and consumer products.
Q: What are the advantages of POM Ultraform® compared with other engineering plastics?
POM Ultraform® offers an attractive balance of mechanical strength, chemical resistance, low moisture absorption, and dimensional stability. Compared with many other engineering plastics, POM Ultraform® retains its properties even when exposed to fuels, chemicals, moisture, and elevated temperatures, making it a preferred choice for precision parts. POM Ultraform® also provides excellent resistance to fuels, oils, and many automotive chemicals.
Q: Which plastic material is best for gears and bearings?
For many engineering applications, POM materials such as POM Ultraform® are considered an excellent choice due to their combination of high stiffness, low friction, wear resistance, and dimensional stability. These properties help improve durability and operational efficiency in gears, bearings, and sliding components.
Q: Can POM replace metal in precision mechanical components?
POM Ultraform® can replace metal in many precision applications by offering high stiffness, good fatigue performance, low friction, corrosion resistance, and reduced weight. This makes it a popular choice for gears, bearings, snap-fits, clips, and functional mechanisms.
Q: Why is POM Ultraform® PRO suitable for medical devices?
POM Ultraform® PRO is a medical-grade POM (polyoxymethylene) specifically developed for healthcare applications requiring high mechanical performance, formulation consistency, and regulatory support. The material combines high strength, stiffness, and hardness with excellent wear resistance, low friction, chemical resistance, and hydrolysis resistance.
Q: What are the advantages of POM Ultraform® PRO compared to standard POM for medical applications?
POM Ultraform® PRO offers more than the performance of a standard POM material. It provides a comprehensive medical-grade platform designed to support patient safety, regulatory compliance, and long-term product reliability. The PRO concept includes controlled raw materials, enhanced quality controls, long-term formulation stability, and an advanced change management process.