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Engineering

We strive to be your plastic engineering partner from education to material selection, thru component design.

Custom Fabrication

TriStar excels in custom plastic fabrication from Prototype to Production.

Featured Products
CJ Bearings TriSteel™ Ultracomp® Rulon® Bearings Rulon® Materials Meldin®
Manufacturing

We manufacture a wide range of bearing materials that are ideal for non-lubricated high-load applications.

High Performance Plastics

We have quality High Performance Plastic materials available for the most demanding applications.

Saint-Gobain

TriStar is the exclusive partner for the Rulon, Meldin and Fluoroloy product lines in North America with the largest global inventory for immediate shipment.

Enhanced Materials

Cutting-edge enhancements that improve and extend the performance of polymers, elastomers, and specialized membranes.

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Material Database

With hundreds of high-performance bearing materials to choose from, utilize our material database to filter your search for the exact match for your application.

Technical Library

Our technical library is a knowledge database from application data sheets, brochures to engineering worksheets to research and start your next project.

Tech Talk Blog

A series of quick reads on the best materials for the most demanding applications in your industry.

White Papers

Explore our library of FREE white papers which dive into composite bearings, plastics, and industries where high-performance materials make a significant impact.

On-Demand Webinars

Need to understand how to calculate PV for an application or learn about plane bearing design. These and many more FREE On-Demand webinars are available.

Video Learning Center

We have produced over 100 educational videos ranging from bearing design, bonding plastics surface modification and many more topics.

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About Us

TriStar Plastics Corp. provides engineering, custom fabrication and manufacturing of high-performance plastics and self-lubricating bearings materials. The Company’s capabilities include component design, material selection, prototype, production, manufacturing, and surface modification.

Locations

The Company’s principal location is in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, with additional sales and distribution centers in Denver, North Carolina, Yorba Linda, California and Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Click here for details and directions.

Employment

We are dedicated to building a company where opportunities exist for hard working people to achieve their maximum potential. Apply today.

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Contact Us

Reach out to us for a material quote, to compliment a staff member, or with a question you may have.

Ask the Expert

Have a material or an application question for our engineering team or want to upload a drawing? Your Project stats here…

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Rulon® 488 │ Ideal for Dry Applications

Rulon 488

With excellent wear — especially in extremely dry environments — Rulon 488 is the material of choice for veneer dryer bearings used in plywood and similar industries.

Rulon 488 gives excellent wear and corrosion resistance and is durable enough for use in hydrogen and natural gas compressors.

Rulon 488 is a dull, turquoise-colored material that has a higher load capacity than Rulon J and better abrasion resistance than both Rulon J and Rulon 123.

Need More Info about Rulon 488?

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Color

Turquoise

Performance

Max Load "P" (psi) Mpa: 1,000/6.9
Max Speed "V" (fpm) m/s: 400/2.0
Max "PV" (psi-fpm) (Mpa • m/s): 10,000/0.35

Mating Surface Steel and Stainless Steel

Rb35 and higher
Painted metal and porcelain

Environment

Steam, wet, dry, vacuum

Relative Rating (1=Low, 5=High)

Coefficient of friction: 3
Creep resistance: 4
Insulative property: Yes

Rod and Tube

Extruded up to 10' long
Molded up to 12" long
Extruded 2" max O.D.
Molded 47" max O.D.
Precision grinding or machining available for some sizes

Sheet and Tape

Tape 38" width max. Skived up to 1/4" thick
Molded up to 24" x 3" thick. Max thickness 3"
Precision grinding or machining available on thickness

Custom

Contact us for custom shapes and sizes
Full machining capabilities available