POM vs Nylon for Gears and Bushings: Acetal vs Nylon Material Guide
Choosing between POM, acetal and nylon for injection molded gears, bushings and sliding parts depends on friction, wear, moisture absorption, creep, dimensional stability, tolerance and assembly fit. This guide compares POM vs Nylon for gears, bushings, rollers, sliding blocks and precision functional parts before mold steel cut, with focus on low-friction fit, wear behavior, moisture-driven dimensional change and supplier-side DFM checks.
Engineering Quick Answer
POM, also called acetal, is often the better starting point for low-friction gears, bushings, sliding parts and precision functional components that need low moisture absorption and stable dimensions. Nylon is often better when the part needs toughness, impact resistance, snap-fit strain capacity, flexible functional features or higher load-bearing strength. For tight-fit molded parts, the final choice should be confirmed with wear review, creep review, moisture exposure review, gear pitch or bushing ID checks, shaft-fit review, tolerance feasibility, CMM method, fixture validation and supplier-side DFM before tooling. Use the Injection Molding Material Selection Matrix for broader resin screening. Use the PA6 vs PA66 vs Glass-Filled Nylon guide only when the decision has narrowed to nylon grades.