For all your Gold Coast plastic fabrication, cutting, moulding and prototyping needs
​
Perspex ∙ Acrylic ∙ Polycarbonate ∙ Aluminium Composite Panel ∙ Foamed PVC ∙ And more!
.png)
High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS)
An affordable, tough plastic material that is easy to thermoform and fabricate.
What is High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS)?
You may be familiar with polystyrene. For example, Expandable Polystyrene is a foamed version that is often used in consumer packaging. As the name suggests, High Impact Polystyrene is a form of polystyrene that is formulated for higher impact strength. This is achieved by blending polystyrene with rubber or other additives. As you'll discover below, HIPS is a useful and affordable material when it comes to a wide range of applications.
Performance characteristics of High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS)
​
-
Strong and rigid - highly resistant to physical impact
-
Easy to fabricate (machine, mould, sand, bond, paint, punch, saw and guillotine)
-
Lightweight
-
Relatively inexpensive
-
Approved for medical and food packaging (however not recommended for high heat)
-
Excellent printability (screen printing, offset lithography and flexography)
-
Wide range of colors, finishes and sheet thicknesses
​
Disadvantages of High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS)
​
-
Flammability
-
Limited weatherability
-
Not suitable for high temperature applications
-
Poor solvent resistance
-
Difficult to recycle
​
​Applications for High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS)
High Impact Polystyrene can be used for the plastic fabrication of indoor signs, packaging, containers and promotional items. It can be used in thermoforming projects and has printability on both sides which makes it a wonderful canvas for digital printing and screen printing (eg. signage, badges and ID cards). Because HIPS is affordable, it lends itself to retail displays, shop fittings, school projects, prototyping, printed graphics and more.