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Plastic Products for Recreation Plastics and Playground Equipment

Recreation Plastics and Playground Equipment

Recreation and playground equipment allow for opportunities to expend energy and have fun doing it. Large, integrated pieces of equipment are designed with plastic material that won’t splinter or crack, succumb to weight or shock, and won't degrade due to UV exposure. With the right types of plastics, playground and recreational equipment can provide years of use and reliability.

Polymershapes offers a variety of plastic materials that feature moldability, low weight, and resistances to weather, UV light, fire/flame, chemicals, and more. Our diverse selection of materials can endure impact and wear, perform in load-bearing environments, and are shatterproof.

We partner with leading manufacturers like SIMONA and SABIC to offer a vast array of the best materials for playground equipment and recreational applications. From watercraft sports and boating to recreational park equipment, Polymershapes offers a vast array of performance plastics for the outdoors. To learn more about our selection of recreational plastics and playground materials, contact a Polymershapes distribution center near you today.

Benefits of Recreational Performance Plastics:

Lightweight
Weather, UV, fire, and chemical resistant
Sound dampening
Impact and wear resistance
Variety of rolling resistance & load bearing capacities
Easy to fabricate and thermoform
Variety of colors
Thermal insulation
Withstands variety of temperatures (extreme hot and cold)

Plastics that are Commonly Used for Recreation and Outdoor Equipment

Some of the most common plastics used for recreation and playground equipment include:

High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Polytone®
Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMW-PE)
Acetal (Polyoxymethylene, POM)
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)
Polycarbonate (PC), LEXAN™
Polyurethane (PU)
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
Acrylic-PVC, Boltaron®

High Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

High-Density Polyethylene is widely used in outdoor applications due to its extremely high tensile strength, UV resistance, and ease of fabrication. HDPE can be routed, cut, and drawn into an array of shapes and sizes without losing its strength qualities, making it useful in a near-limitless number of outdoor applications. It is commonly found in more strenuous applications that require durability.

Plastic slides and other recreational equipment need to be made of durable and safe materials that can endure fluctuations in weather conditions. HDPE’s ease of fabrication and UV resistance make it the ideal choice for plastic playground sets, playground slides, and more.

HDPE is also used in a variety of outdoor vehicles and equipment, such as ATV body panels and fenders, seat and seat backing material, picnic tables, storage boxes, sleds, and more.

Lastly, HDPE is one of the most popular plastics for outdoor signage, especially in parks and golf courses.

Polytone® HDPE

SIMONA's Polytone® is a moisture resistant, UV resistant plastic used for waterslides, and as a playground equipment plastic. Available in a rainbow of solid colors, as well as two-tone options, our portfolio of Polytone allows your playground designs and play areas to be bright, colorful and engaging. The vibrant colors also help make play spaces or play equipment easily visible, improving safety. To invest in Polytone®, reach out to a Polymershapes representative today.

Puckboard HDPE

Hockey and skating rinks are equipped with an array of safety features to keep the skaters and onlookers protected. Puckboard is impact resistant and offers reliable performance in cold temperatures. It is commonly used as dasher boards, kick rails, snowboard ramps, slides, sled/ski runners, etc.

Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMW-PE)

Some equipment manufacturers may need enhanced durability for more demanding applications. With improved durability, stiffness, and smoothness, UHMW is a higher-grade material suitable for a wider range of demanding applications.

UHMW is one of the most durable plastics used in ATVs and snowmobiles, found as snowmobile body panels, ATV body panels, snowboards, snowmobile skis, personal skis, sleds and toboggans, and more.

Acetal (Polyoxymethylene, POM)

Hailed for its high dimensional stability, strength, and low friction coefficient, acetal is a durable material that is ready to withstand the harsh conditions of the outdoors. Acetal separates itself from other materials due to its wear resistance. It is a long-lasting material that is proven in all kinds of recreational environments. Acetal can be found as various components on recreational vehicles, jet skis, boats, and more.

Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)

ABS is an incredibly impact and chemical resistant material that is also highly thermoformable. It has extraordinary strength and rigidity, while also retaining some flexibility, making it great for an array of outdoor or recreational environments. Despite its flexibility, it is very impact resistant. It is a cost-effective, durable material that can be shaped and formed to best fit your needs. Lastly, it can withstand harsh temperatures and won't be damaged by prolonged UV exposure.

ABS is commonly used as vehicular dashboards, fenders, interior consoles/instrument panels, outdoor shower stalls, equipment cases, in outdoor kitchen appliances, and more.

LEXAN™ Polycarbonate (PC)

LEXAN has a long-standing reputation for being one of the strongest, most durable plastics available. Its nearly unbreakable strength paired with its optical clarity make it a fantastic material for an array of safety materials, Polycarbonate is usually deployed as golf cart windshields, visors on helmets, hockey shields, clear barriers for dasher board systems, and more.

Polyurethane (PU)

Like many other plastics, polyurethane contains extremely high strength, a wide resiliency range, and reliability under harsh conditions. It is also water, grease, and oil resistant. However, what sets PU apart from the rest is its load-bearing capacity despite its softness. It's softer than other plastics, but tougher than rubber surfaces, which makes it a revolutionary material in roller coaster wheels. It's commonly used to make gym mats as well.

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

PVC is known for its resistance to weathering, chemical resistance, and rigidity. Rigid PVC is deployed in an array of outdoor applications due to its water and moisture resistance. You can find PVC in play space/playground flooring, playground decking, and more.