Plastic Washers

Plastic washers are low-friction spacing components commonly used in FRC to reduce wear, prevent metal-on-metal contact, and fine-tune alignment in assemblies. West Coast Products (WCP) offers commonly used versions designed for FRC mechanisms. 

 

 What They Do 

 Plastic washers are placed between moving or clamped components to: 

 

 Reduce friction between metal parts 

 Prevent scratching or galling of aluminum surfaces 

 Act as precise spacing shims 

 Improve smoothness in rotating assemblies 

 

 

 Why Teams Use Them 

 Compared to metal washers, plastic washers: 

 

 Are lighter 

 Reduce wear on aluminum and steel parts 

 Provide smoother sliding surfaces 

 Help eliminate binding in tight assemblies 

 

 

 Common Applications 

 

 Shaft assemblies with gears, sprockets, or pulleys 

 Bearing stacks and spacing control 

 Pivot joints in arms or linkages 

 Low-friction interfaces in sliding mechanisms 

 

 

 Material Properties 

 Plastic washers (such as those from WCP) typically: 

 

 Have low friction surfaces 

 Compress slightly under load for fine adjustment 

 Do not corrode or seize like metal-on-metal contact 

 Wear faster than metal but are easily replaceable 

 

 

 Best Practices 

 

 Use plastic washers where parts rotate or slide against each other 

 Avoid over-compressing them in high-load structural joints 

 Combine with proper spacers for precise alignment 

 Replace if they become excessively worn or deformed 

 

 

 Key Idea 

 Plastic washers are used in FRC to reduce friction and wear while improving spacing accuracy in moving assemblies, making mechanisms smoother and more reliable over time.