As per our Shipping and Returns Policy, custom cuts and fabricated parts are non-returnable. If you need an over- or undersized item, note it under "Comments" during Checkout. Cut-to-size orders have an acceptable cut tolerance of 1/8" (0.125"), so clarify if the adjustment is to be made on the (+) or (-) side of the saw blade.Please review our full return and shipping policy here.
Measure Twice, Cut Once
Since custom cuts and fabricated parts are non-refundable, be very careful while measuring your dimensions. As each cut is nominal, even the slightest miscalculation could be costly.
How to Use a Measuring Tape
Extend your tape measure several inches to find the 1 and 2 inch markers. In between the inch markers you’ll find 16 equally spaced tick marks.
Measure by counting the increments beyond the nearest inch. As the increments decrease, so does the length of the mark. For example, 1/2" has a bigger mark than 1/4" which has a bigger mark than 1/8". The smallest mark follows at 1/16". Please be aware that some measuring tapes may have even smaller increments.
Features of a Measuring Tape: Sliding End Hook
The sliding end hook is designed for two different types of measurements. An outside measurement (where the hook of the tape hangs over an edge), requires the hook to slide out a bit to account for the thickness of the material. When making an inside measurement (where the hook will push up against a surface), the clip slides in, again, accounting for its thickness. The measuring tape self-adjusts to guarantee an accurate measurement (as far as the tape is concerned).
Sanitizing Acrylic and Polycarbonate Sheet [X]
Acrylic and Polycarbonate Sneeze Guards and like products require special care while cleaning and disinfecting. To maintain the optical clarity of sneeze guards and other acrylic or polycarbonate items, use an acrylic or polycarbonate safe cleaner like Novus Plastic Polish #1, Brillianize Plastic Cleaner, or a mild soap solution.
Please reference the following compatible cleaners when DISINFECTING acrylic and polycarbonate items. The use of commonly available commercial alcohol or ammonia-based disinfectants may cause crazing and damage.
Ultra-Detectable Blue Acetal for Food Processing Equipment
TECAFORM® AH UD Blue Plate is a food-grade POM-C acetal copolymer designed for food applications where plastic components must combine reliable mechanical properties with enhanced contaminant detectability. Its dark blue color supports visual and optical identification, while specialized additives make the material detectable by metal detection and X-ray systems.
Designed specifically for food processing environments, TECAFORM® AH UD Blue retains the dimensional stability, low moisture absorption, wear behavior, and machinability acetal copolymer is known for. This combination makes it well suited for machined replacement parts, conveyor components, filling equipment, and other food-contact applications where detectable plastic can help reduce contamination risk.
Need a different detectable shape or a more cost-effective FDA compliant option? TECAFORM® AH UD Blue is also available in rod stock shapes. For applications requiring FDA compliance, we also offer Blue FDA Compliant Acetal Sheet.
Why Choose This Specific Plate?
TECAFORM® AH UD Blue is designed for food-processing components where material detectability is an important part of contamination-control procedures. It is the right choice when you need:
Three-Mode Detectability:
Designed for optical, metal, and X-ray detection.
Food-Contact Compliance:
Manufactured from materials compliant with FDA food-contact requirements and EU 10/2011 requirements.
Dimensional Stability:
Acetal copolymer provides stable mechanical performance for precision-machined food processing and conveying components.
Low Moisture Absorption:
Low water uptake helps reduce dimensional changes in wet processing environments.
Good Machinability:
Suitable for machining into replacement parts, guides, wear components, and other close-tolerance equipment components.
TECAFORM® AH UD Blue vs. Blue FDA Compliant Acetal
Both materials can provide food-grade blue acetal performance, but their detection capabilities differ.
Choose TECAFORM® AH UD Blue (This Plate) when the application calls for a material designed to be identified through optical, metal, and X-ray detection systems.
Choose FDA-Compliant Blue Acetal when blue visual or optical identification, lower cost, and food-contact compliance are required, but metal and X-ray detectability are not part of the process specification.
Fabrication & Machining
TECAFORM® AH UD Blue offers good machinability and can be fabricated into precision components such as guides, wear parts, filling-system components, and equipment replacement parts. As with other engineering plastics, machining parameters and finished-part tolerances should be selected for the geometry, operating temperature, loading, and sanitation conditions of the application.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Formaldehyde, CAS 50-00-0, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Hexachlorobenzene, CAS 118-74-1, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
Handling: Cut sheets may have sharp edges. We recommend wearing protective gloves when unpacking and handling this material to ensure safety.
Suitability: We take pride in the quality of our materials as they leave our facility. However, because every project is unique, we cannot account for how materials are modified, stored, or used after delivery. Please perform the necessary tests to ensure this material is right for your specific application and end-use conditions.
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Technical Performance
TECAFORM® AH UD Blue is a dark blue POM-C acetal copolymer engineered for food-contact applications requiring optical visibility, metal detectability, and X-ray opacity while retaining the dimensional stability and machinability expected from acetal.
Low moisture absorption helps limit dimensional changes cause moisture in wet food-processing environments.
Mechanical Strength:
Provides 7,500 psi tensile strength at yield and 12,500 psi flexural strength for machined guides, wear parts, and equipment components.
Thermal Resilience:
Supports continuous service temperatures up to 212°F, with a 329°F melting temperature and 230°F heat-deflection temperature at 264 psi.
Key Properties
Multi-Detectable:
Blue coloration supports optical identification, while the formulation is designed for detection by metal detection and X-ray equipment.
Food-Contact Compliant:
Manufactured from materials compliant with FDA food-contact requirements and EU 10/2011 requirements.
Low Moisture Absorption:
Typical 24-hour water absorption is 0.13%, supporting dimensional stability in wet food-processing environments.
Dimensional Stability:
Acetal copolymer provides a useful balance of rigidity, mechanical properties, and dimensional control for machined components.
Good Machinability:
Suitable for machining into precision replacement parts, guides, wear components, and food-processing equipment components.
Common Industrial Applications
Food Processing: Machined replacement parts and wear components for processing equipment where detectable plastic is specified.
Beverage Filling Systems: Components used in filling and handling equipment requiring dimensional stability and food-contact suitability.
Conveyor & Packaging Equipment: Guides, wear parts, and replacement components for conveyor technology, packaging machinery, and paper machinery.
Food Technology & Pharmaceutical Equipment: Precision components for food engineering, food technology, and pharmaceutical processing environments.
Engineering Limitations & Alternatives
TECAFORM® AH UD Blue is designed to improve foreign-material detectability, but detection performance and material suitability still depend on the equipment, process conditions, component geometry, and end-use environment.
Detection Validation: Detectable fragment size can vary with detector settings, line speed, food substrate, and the detection technology being used. Production-line testing is recommended rather than assuming a fixed detection threshold. Alternative: If your process requires visual and metal detection but not X-ray detection, consider Blue Metal Detectable Acetal Sheet.
Continuous Heat: Typical long-term service temperature is 212°F, so sustained operation above this range requires evaluation of another material. Alternative: For higher-temperature applications, evaluate available PEEK grades.
Detection Requirements: The UD formulation may provide capabilities that are unnecessary when a production line relies only on blue visual or optical identification. Alternative: Where metal and X-ray detection are not required, consider FDA-Compliant Blue Acetal Sheet.
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Formaldehyde, CAS 50-00-0, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer. For more information go to 
WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including Hexachlorobenzene, CAS 118-74-1, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to