Materials | The lab stocks various materials for student purchase.

These materials
range from blocks of foam, to sheet plastics. For pricing, or important vendor information, please use the links below. For more in depth questions or answers, including consulting; please contact dFab Manager Zach Ali for more information.

EPS Foam |
Expanded polystyrene (EPS) is usually white and made of pre-expanded polystyrene beads. This material is typically used for milling because of its forgiving nature towards bits and equipment as well as its machinability.

XPS Foam |
Extruded polystyrene foam (XPS) consists of closed cells, offers improved surface roughness as higher stiffness and reduced thermal conductivity. Typically offered in pink, blue, or green- it has adopted the name 'Pink Foam'. This material is typically used for milling because of its forgiving nature towards bits and equipment as well as its machinability.

M.D.F. |
Medium-density fibreboard (MDF) is an engineered wood product formed by breaking down hardwood or softwood residuals into wood fibres, often in a defibrator, combining it with wax and a resin binder, and forming panels by applying high temperature and pressure. MDF is commonly more dense than plywood; however- we stock Ultra-Light Desity Fibreboard (ULDF); which allows for quicker, safer, and more efficient machinability.

Acrylic |
Acrylic is either extruded or cast. While cast acrylic offers better machinability and laser cutting, extruded acrylic is typically more cost effective. Acrylic is a plastic offered in a variety of colors and thicknesses. Typically laser cut to create a more professional finished model.

P.E.T.G. |
Poly Ethylene Terephlalate Glycol (P.E.T.G) is a tranparent thermoplastic sheet. It is typically more impact resistant than acrylic, and also more cost effective. Its malleability offers deep draws for Vaccuum Forming. This product can be laser cut, but leaves you with severely burned and melted edges.

PolyStyrene |
Extruded polystyrene (PS) is economical, and is used for producing plastic model assembly kits, plastic cutlery, CD "jewel" cases, smoke detector housings, license plate frames, and many other objects where a fairly rigid, economical plastic is desired. Production methods include

stamping and injection molding.This material is more commonly used for Vaccuum Forming because of its malleability. It can be laser cut, but does not produce