Highest durability. Absolute reliability

Here you will find answers to many technical questions that we receive about coils. Do not hesitate to call us. We will be happy to help you and answer your questions professionally so that we can supply you with the fitting spool for your application.

 

Do you offer coloured spools?
Yes, however they may be more expensive and have a longer delivery time. Coloured spools and lids are used to designate the customer’s stock of spools.

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Can spools be labelled with a company logo?
Yes, labeling with a logo is possible. Generally the logo will appear on the lid surface..

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How much are the spools?
Due to the fluctuating prices of raw materials the prices of plastic spools will vary. Batch size will also influence prices.
Price levels of re-granulate are relatively steady as they do not respond so quickly to rapidly fluctuating raw material prices.
We recommend that you contact us on an individual basis..

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What is the weight/load limit of the spools?
The weight/load limit will be set by the geometry and the material of an individual spool.

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Geometry

• Lightweight Spools: reduced wall thickness, reduced weight, these spools are labelled "one way" or "non returnable"

• Standard Spools: normal wall thickness

• Reinforced Spools: tougher walls, supplemetary reinforcement ribs, larger radii, fortified flanges

 

Materials

• PS: heavy duty /high impact Polystyrene (PS ll; PS black; PS green; PS natural/cream/beige)

• ABS: Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS ll; ABS l: ABS gray; SC-ABS)

• PA: Polyamide – glass fibre reinforced (PA 15%GF; PA 30% GF)

• PE: Polyethylene

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Why do spools made of ps and abs, break when they come in contact with oiled wires?
Plastics are distinguished by differing chemical resistances. For more information please refer to the materials section..

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Monofilaments – do lubricating oils create a problem for ps and abs spools?
Yes, for Monofilament Spools we recommend PA, not only for its higher chemical resistance but for its higher mechanical strength as well. For more information please refer to the materials section.

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Is there a plastic available for spools that are suitable for winter climates?
AstroPlast, in cooperation with its material supplier have developed an ABS, suitable for winter climates. Spools made of this special ABS are usable at sub zero temperatures and are already popular in Scandinavia and East European countries. These spools also have a higher resistance to lubrication and protection oils. For more information please feel free to contact us.

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In what form and under what specifications is ps used?
For plastic spools, one of the materials recommended is heavy duty / high impact polystyrene which is called PS. (High Impact PS - HIPS).

 

• PPS green: PS spools of high quality are green

• PS natural: the colour can be omitted for a lower cost option – these spools are also of high quality

• PS black: these spools are made of recycled or reclaimed PS and are of lower quality. This quality is also called PS II.

• PS II: Spools made of recycled or reclaimed PS are black and of lower quality.

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PS-R or PS II spools and shipping containers do not stand a comparison with PS spools and shipping containers. The intended use of the articles made of inferior material must be carefully checked by the end user. By placing an order, the customer expressly approves the items made of PS-R (recycled or regenerated material) or PS II.

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What is PS II?
All original material which AstroPlast uses is of consistently high quality. The Polystyrene used is always heavy duty/high impact quality. Spools made of PS are green and in some cases natural.
PS II is recycled or reclaimed PS and a spool out of this material will only be manufactured on request. This type of spool is predominantly used in Southern Europe. In general PS II spools are black. It is necessary to consider the limited load capacity of these spools in use.
Currently ABS is also manufactured in a lower quality and is called ABS II.

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In what form and under what specifications is abs used?
For plastic spools one of the material recommended is heavy duty / high impact ABS.

ABS I: Spools made of this material are of high quality and are black/anthracite. "I" indicated industry quality.
ABS II: These Spools are of lower quality and are black/anthracite.
ABS grau: These are made of selected raw materials and are of highest quality. Due to the high material cost this type is not widely used and demand is low.
SC-ABS: This is a special development by AstroPlast for the highest requirements. Please contact us for further information.

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What is ABS I?
AstroPlast only uses original material with high constant quality. The "I" in ABS I indicates industrial quality.
ABS I spools are black or anthracite.
In Southern Europe the "I" turned into the roman number "I". Out of this misunderstanding the ABS II quality description has been born with the roman number "II".
The designations PS II and ABS II indicate that these materials include low quality recycled or reclaimed raw materials. ABS II and ABS I spools are of the same colour black /anthracite and hence hard to distinguish. Reclaimed or recycled products will only be manuactured on request.

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What is the lifespan of spools?
That depends entirely on the usage (times used, chemistry, temperature, tensions etc.), geometry and material of the individual spool.
Therefore it is impossible to indicate the exact lifespan. AstroPlast know from experience that the life of a spool can vary from less than 1 year to more than 20 years. (Check out our guide to learn more about the durability and use of plastic spools.)

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When do spools need to be replaced?
Before reusing a spool it is necessary to visually check it. Spools need to be replaced when they are damaged, old or the spool is lengthening.

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Are special one-way spools available?
Yes. Our so called one way or non returnable spools have a thinner wall thickness and a lower load bearing capability. Generally these spools are designed for single use. Depending on the application the spools might be able to be used several times.

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How are the spools cleaned?

Spools need to be cleaned thoroughly. Clean water is recommended. It is necessary to consider the chemical resistance of the material. Some ingredients in cleaning products can damage the spools.
Labels and wire residue should be removed carefully to avoid damaging the spool.