HVAC Equipment Slides, Wear Pads & Shipping Dunnage
H-O Products die-cuts and converts UHMW polyethylene wear tape and strip, skived PTFE film, PTFE-coated fiberglass, SAE pressed felt, protective masking films, and density-matched polyethylene and polyurethane shipping foams into the quiet parts of an HVAC build: equipment slide and skid pads, anti-chafe liners under refrigerant lines and cabling, door bumpers and felt strike pads, surface protection through fabrication and transport, vibration-tolerant shims, and the dunnage sets that ship a packaged rooftop unit or condensing unit, built to your drawing.
Built for: rooftop units, air handlers, chillers, condensing units, and the controls cabinets beside them, slide and skid pads under set-and-rig equipment, anti-chafe points where lines and cabling cross sheet metal, door bumpers and stacking pads, populated-unit shipping foam sets, surface protection during assembly and transit, and shimming that tolerates a little vibration, with material values per the maker TDS (UHMW resin per ASTM D4020; friction methodology per ASTM D1894; foam classes per ASTM D3575/D1056/D3574) and packaged-transport methods such as the ISTA series and ASTM D4169 cited by designation at the system level.
H-O Products converts the wear, protection, and packaging layer of an HVAC build. On slides and skids, UHMW PE wear tape (the high-molecular-weight family per ASTM D4020) is the tough, abrasion-tolerant default, skived PTFE film gives the lowest rigging effort, and PTFE-coated fiberglass handles abrasive guides. Under refrigerant lines and cabling, UHMW film and liners, SAE pressed felt, and solid PVC barrier strip stop chafe and metal contact.
For door bumpers and stacking pads, felt and PVC foam read as intentional for years. For shipping a packaged unit, density-matched EPE foam, ClipFoam™ crosslinked PE, PU foam graded per ASTM D3574, and EVA corners build the block-and-brace dunnage, with Wonder Pads between finished faces. Through assembly and transit, PolyMask protective film and the 4040 low-tack grade shield finished panels.
Packaged-transport methods such as the ISTA series and ASTM D4169 are cited by designation; the evaluation belongs to the maker's tested pack. We die-cut, kiss-cut, slit, and waterjet-cut every family to drawing as an ISO 9001:2015 certified organization in Winsted, Connecticut. Final material selection should be validated in the application. Skip to the quote form →
Where are you in the spec process?
This page serves engineers who already have a slide liner, felt grade, or foam density on the drawing and engineers still working out which wear or packaging problem needs which family. Pick the path that matches where you are; you don't have to read the rest.
Send a drawing, get a quote
A UHMW tape thickness, a PTFE film gauge, a felt grade, a bumper durometer, a foam density, or a complete dunnage set on your packing drawing.
Skip to the quote form →Work through the six wear & packaging jobs
Six numbered jobs (slide pads, anti-chafe, bumpers and felt, dunnage, surface protection, shimming), a wear-duty checklist, and a side-by-side family matrix with TDS-cited methods.
Start with job 1 →To protect HVAC equipment through build, transport, and service, sort each problem by what is rubbing, what is finished, and what is moving.
Sliding and skid interfaces (set-and-rig pads, drawer slides): UHMW PE wear tape (6311-05-BL 5 mil, 6311-10-BL 10 mil) for heavy point loads, skived PTFE film (DeWAL® DW2000) or the 6113 virgin skived series for the lowest rigging effort, and PTFE-coated fiberglass (6085-03 through 6085-14) where abrasion does the damage. Anti-chafe under refrigerant lines and cabling: UHMW film and liners, SAE pressed felt (F-1 to F-55), or solid PVC barrier strip.
Door bumpers and stacking pads: felt strike pads and PVC foam bumpers, matched by durometer and flame class. Shipping a packaged unit: density-matched EPE foam (1.9# / 2.8#) block-and-brace, ClipFoam™ crosslinked PE (2–12#) precision dunnage, polyurethane foam graded per ASTM D3574, EVA corner protection, and Wonder Pads separation between finished faces.
Build-and-transit surface protection: PolyMask 5180C/5188 standard tack, 4040 low-tack for delicate finishes, matched by tack class and dwell.
Foam compressive classes are per ASTM D3575/D1056/D3574 on the per-density TDSs; packaged-transport methods such as the ISTA series and ASTM D4169 are cited by designation with the evaluation belonging to the tested pack. Final material selection should be validated in the application. See the quote form for ordering details.
Packaged-transport, by designation (the evaluation belongs to the equipment maker's tested pack): ISTA series (distribution-cycle test procedures for packaged products) · ASTM D4169 (standard practice for performance testing of shipping containers and systems).
Material-level, per the maker TDS: ASTM D4020 (UHMW polyethylene molding and extrusion materials, the resin family behind the slide and wear pads) · ASTM D1894 (coefficient of friction of plastic film and sheeting; the methodology behind this page's qualitative friction ladder) · ASTM D3330 (peel of adhesive-backed liner tapes and protective films) · ASTM D3652 (tape thickness) · ASTM D461 (felt test methods) · ASTM D3575 (flexible cellular polyolefin foams: EPE, crosslinked PE) · ASTM D1056 (flexible cellular materials, rubber classes) · ASTM D3574 (flexible cellular materials, urethane foam test methods) · UL 94 (flammability classes on the listed grades, e.g.
HF-1 on rated foam grades per their TDSs).
- Heavy slide / skid loads: UHMW PE wear tape 6311
- Lowest-effort rigging: skived PTFE DW2000 / 6113 series
- Abrasive guides & fixtures: PTFE-coated fiberglass 6085
- Line / cable anti-chafe: UHMW film & liners
- Door strike & felt pads: SAE pressed felt F-1–F-55
- Resident bumpers: PVC foam (incl. HT70 UL)
- Block-and-brace dunnage: EPE 1.9# / 2.8#
- Precision dunnage & fixtures: ClipFoam™ crosslinked PE
- Corners & separation: EVA foam + Wonder Pads
- Finished-panel protection: PolyMask 5180C/5188
Where H-O parts do the work
Pick a job to see the exposure, the constraint, and the material families H-O converts for it.
UHMW & PTFE slide and skid pads for HVAC equipment
An HVAC unit is full of metal-on-metal sliding interfaces that nobody draws until they gall: rooftop and air-handler sections rigged and slid into position on steel skids, condensing-unit and chiller bases set across rails, sliding access trays and filter racks, and the rigging skids a packaged unit rides on from the dock to the curb. A die-cut polymer liner turns each of those into a bearing.
The selection is a pressure decision before it is a friction decision: a loaded section or a rigged unit concentrates real weight on small contact patches, and under high point loads a soft PTFE film can cold-flow and wear through, while at light loads PTFE gives the lowest effort and the smoothest feel. Friction comparisons here are qualitative, in the spirit of ASTM D1894 sliding tests; per-grade values, where published, live on the maker TDS.
What H-O converts. Three families cover the duty. UHMW PE wear tape (6311-05-BL at 5 mil, 6311-10-BL at 10 mil, adhesive-backed; the UHMW resin family per ASTM D4020, peel per ASTM D3330 and thickness per D3652 on the TDS) is the tough default: low friction plus outstanding abrasion tolerance under point loads, with UHMW wear strip by thickness where the duty wants a thicker machined or die-cut skid pad.
Skived PTFE film (DeWAL® DW2000), 0.0005″–0.040″ per the TDS, and the 6113 virgin skived series give the lowest friction of any liner on this page, the choice where rigging effort is the complaint. PTFE-coated woven fiberglass (6085-03 through 6085-14) puts a PTFE surface on a glass cloth that shrugs off abrasion and holds dimension in guides and fixtures.
Because most of these liners mount on their adhesive: adhesive performance depends on substrate, surface energy, temperature, exposure, dwell time, applied pressure, surface preparation, part geometry, and assembly method, and final adhesive selection should be validated in the application. [1]
Grade-level properties, standards and caveats for these families are in the material reference below — one card per family, with the TDS links.
What to send: the rail, skid, or slide drawing, the supported mass and real contact area (contact pressure, not gross weight), the mating surface and finish (painted, galvanized, bare, aluminum), cycles per year and stroke length, and quantities. If the liner doubles as a thermal break or dielectric separator, say so; UHMW and PTFE both insulate, and the dielectric methods (ASTM D149/D150) are on the PTFE film TDS.
Anti-chafe liners under refrigerant lines, piping & cabling
Every chafe failure is a pair of surfaces and a little motion: a refrigerant line resting on a sheet-metal flange, a suction line crossing a strut, low-voltage cabling pulled tight around a cabinet corner, condensate piping vibrating against a panel return. Compressor and fan vibration, thermal cycling, and field service supply the motion; years supply the cycles.
A chafed copper line or a worn cable jacket is a warranty event, so the fix is a converted liner that takes the rubbing so the line, the insulation, or the jacket does not, chosen by which member of the pair you can modify and how much abrasion the point sees.
What H-O converts. UHMW-PE film and liners are the default for chafe protection and sliding contact: tough, low-friction, abrasion-resistant polyethylene that protects lines and harnesses and glides where parts move, and electrically insulating besides, so one strip often does double duty as wear face and dielectric separator.
SAE pressed felt (F-1 to F-55) covers the compliant side of the same job: soft liners and clamp cushions where the protected part is delicate and the motion is small, with density and tensile per grade and a -62 to +93 °C service window per ASTM D461 methods on the TDSs.
Where the threat is contact rather than motion, solid PVC sheet, including the 80-durometer grade with plasticizer-block film, serves as barrier strip and bearing pad where foam would crush, and PVC foam handles low-load cushioning and spacers, with the HT70 UL grade carrying a UL 94 HF-1 class on its TDS. The deep cross-industry version of this job, including galvanic isolation logic, lives on the anti-chafe, wear & structural interface page. [4]
Grade-level properties, standards and caveats for these families are in the material reference below — one card per family, with the TDS links.
What to send: photos or CAD of the chafe points, what is being protected (copper line, line-set insulation, cable jacket), the modifiable member of the pair, the relative motion (compressor vibration, thermal walk, service pulls), any flame-class callout for the space, and quantities. Adhesive-backed liners carry the same framing as job 1: validate the adhesive in the application.
Door bumpers, strike pads & felt stacking pads
Access doors and panels on an HVAC cabinet meet their frames thousands of times over a service life, removable panels stack against each other on the truck and in the shop, and sheet-metal returns meet knuckles and line-sets alike. These are resident parts: bumpers, strike pads, and stacking spacers that live on the equipment and have to look intentional for years, not transient packaging.
The split is by duty and durometer: a soft felt pad quiets a metal-on-metal door strike and protects a finish, a firmer PVC-foam or solid-PVC bumper takes the recurring impact of a latching door, and the flame class of the space picks the grade before cost does.
What H-O converts. SAE pressed felt (F-1 to F-55) makes the quiet door-strike and stacking pads that protect finishes without ever being mistaken for structure, with density and the -62 to +93 °C window per ASTM D461 methods on the TDSs.
PVC foam covers low-load bumper and spacer work (compression-deflection per ASTM D1056 per grade, with the HT70 UL grade carrying a UL 94 HF-1 class on its TDS), and solid PVC sheet serves as the hard-wearing strike pad and barrier where foam would crush. Cork pads handle anti-slip and isolation points under shelf-mounted accessories, with compressibility per ASTM F36 on the cork TDSs.
None of these parts carries serious load; all of them are dimension-critical, which is exactly what die-cutting is for, and most mount on PSA, so the validation framing from job 1 applies to every adhesive-backed bumper here: adhesive performance depends on substrate, surface energy, temperature, exposure, dwell, pressure, prep, geometry, and assembly, validated in the application.
Grade-level properties, standards and caveats for these families are in the material reference below — one card per family, with the TDS links.
What to send: the bumper or pad geometry (a photo with a scale works), the recurring impact or door cycle count, the surface it lands on, any flame-class callout for parts living inside the equipment space, color or appearance constraints, and quantities per unit built.
Shipping dunnage & foam sets for packaged units
A packaged rooftop unit, condensing unit, or air handler leaves assembly aligned, charged, and tested, and arrives however the dunnage allowed. Shipping foam is a density-matching exercise: the foam has to be soft enough to cushion the shock and vibration spectrum of truck transport and firm enough not to bottom out under the unit's mass. The working number is static stress, supported mass over bearing area; each foam density has a working range on its TDS, and the dunnage works when the static stress sits inside it.
Equipment makers commonly evaluate packaged transport against methods such as the ISTA series and ASTM D4169, cited by designation; the evaluation belongs to the maker's tested pack design, and the foam set is its converted ingredient. [7]
What H-O converts. Expanded polyethylene (EPE) foam is the block-and-brace workhorse, used here in the 1.9# and 2.8# densities, with compressive values per ASTM D3575 on the per-density TDSs (the 1.9# sheet reports roughly a 10–13 psi compressive class and the 2.8# in the high teens, per grade), and the wider EPE range behind it. Crosslinked PE (ClipFoam™ in 2/3/4/5/6/12# densities) from the crosslinked polyethylene family cuts cleanly into precision dunnage, supports, and reusable fixtures.
Where the pack wants the energy absorption of a polyurethane, flexible PU foam graded per ASTM D3574 methods adds a softer cushioning layer, and EVA foam (2#) adds a surface-friendly corner and edge layer, with Wonder Pads (cork, 2# / 4# foam) as the pre-cut separation layer between stacked panels and finished faces.
H-O waterjet-cuts and die-cuts complete dunnage sets to the packing drawing and kits them by position, so density and geometry ship as one decision. [5]
Grade-level properties, standards and caveats for these families are in the material reference below — one card per family, with the TDS links.
What to send: the packing drawing or the unit model and shipping orientation, masses and bearing areas (or the CAD to compute them), transport mode and any method the pack is evaluated to (by designation), reuse expectations (one-way vs returnable), and annual shipment counts. "Recommend the densities" is a valid callout; the static-stress math is part of the review.
Surface-protection films through assembly & transport
Between fabrication, finishing, assembly, staging, shipping, and site install, an HVAC cabinet's finished faces run a gauntlet of opportunities to get scratched, and the painted or powder-coated panels and access doors that read as quality on day one are the surfaces most exposed. Temporary protective film is the cheap insurance, and the whole specification is the tack class: enough adhesion to stay put through handling and transport, low enough to peel off in one sheet at the end with the finish intact.
The second variable is dwell: a film that comes off cleanly after three weeks behaves differently after eight months in a staging yard or on a slow ocean container, which is why dwell belongs on the spec, not in the assumptions.
What H-O converts. PolyMask 5180C and 5188 are the standard-tack polyethylene protection films for painted and powder-coated panels, with peel per ASTM D3330 on the TDSs. The 4040 low-tack grade (3 mil per its TDS) covers delicate or freshly coated finishes, and the wider protective film range and PolyMask PE film family cover the remaining surface types.
H-O slits and die-cuts protection film to panel sizes so application on the line is a lay-down, not a trimming exercise, and ships film kits cut per unit model.
The framing sentence applies to protection films exactly as it does to tapes: adhesive performance depends on substrate, surface energy, temperature, exposure, dwell time, applied pressure, surface preparation, part geometry, and assembly method, and final film selection should be validated on the actual finish. [3]
Grade-level properties, standards and caveats for these families are in the material reference below — one card per family, with the TDS links.
What to send: the finish (powder coat, paint, brushed metal, anodize, glass), panel sizes or the cut list, expected dwell (weeks vs months), indoor or outdoor staging, transport mode, and how the film is applied (hand lay-down vs laminator). If a previous film left residue, name it; the tack-class correction is usually one step.
Vibration-tolerant shims, leveling pads & spacers
HVAC equipment rarely lands on a dead-flat base: a condensing unit sits on a slab with a millimeter of warp, a fan deck needs a gap closed before the bolts pull it true, a panel joint wants a spacer to set a reveal. A rigid metal shim solves the gap but transmits and can fret under the unit's running vibration; a compliant polymer shim closes the same gap and tolerates the motion, taking up the warp without becoming a fretting interface.
This is a low-load, dimension-critical job: the shim has to hold its thickness under bolt load, not creep flat, and survive the temperature and vibration of the running unit, which is why the family is chosen by load, durometer, and the service window on the TDS.
What H-O converts. For shims that carry real bolt load without creeping, UHMW strip by thickness and solid PVC sheet hold dimension under sustained compression, cut to laminated thickness stacks where a tunable gap helps.
For compliant leveling and gap-take-up that tolerates vibration, cork and rubberized cork pads (compressibility per ASTM F36) and firmer PVC foam grades close the gap while taking up the motion, and SAE pressed felt serves the lightest spacer and reveal-setting duty with its -62 to +93 °C window per ASTM D461.
The vibration-isolation version of this job, where the pad is sized to a frequency target rather than a gap, lives on the HVAC vibration & acoustic control page; this section covers the shimming and gap-take-up parts that have to tolerate vibration without being a tuned isolator. Adhesive-backed shims carry the same validation framing as the wear pads above.
Grade-level properties, standards and caveats for these families are in the material reference below — one card per family, with the TDS links.
What to send: the gap or warp to take up and its tolerance, the bolt or clamp load across the shim, whether the interface sees running vibration, the service temperature range, any flame-class callout, and quantities. If the part is really a tuned isolator, flag it; that review moves to the vibration page.
The decisions that drive an HVAC wear & packaging spec
Across all six jobs, the same handful of variables decides which family ends up on the drawing note. Get these onto the RFQ and the review comes back with a manufacturable answer the first time.
Show all 6 selection factors tap to expand
Specification Tools
Two tools to take you from "this is going to get damaged" to here's the family for the drawing note: a wear-and-packaging duty checklist, and a side-by-side comparison of every family on this page.
1. Wear & packaging duty checklist: three questions, one family
Answer the three questions that sort almost every HVAC wear-and-packaging decision. The checklist returns the candidate family, the logic behind it, and what to send with the drawing. The default answers below are pre-set for a typical equipment skid pad; every family also appears in the material reference section, so nothing here exists only behind a script.
Candidate family: UHMW PE wear tape / strip (6311 series)
A heavy, resident sliding or skid interface is the UHMW case: low friction plus the abrasion toughness to live under concentrated point loads for the life of the equipment. UHMW resin per ASTM D4020; peel per ASTM D3330 and thickness per D3652 on the tape TDS; move to thicker UHMW strip where tape gauges run out of headroom. Final material selection should be validated in the application.
2. Side-by-side: wear & packaging family comparison matrix
Every family called out on this page, with construction, the property that drives its selection, the standards its TDS cites, and the job it serves. Click a column header to sort. Click any material name to jump to its accordion entry.
| Material | Construction | Selection driver | Standards on the TDS / by designation | Job | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The wear set (sliding & skid interfaces) | |||||
| UHMW PE Wear Tape & Strip (6311-05/10-BL)UHMW polyethylene | Adhesive-backed tape / strip | Abrasion toughness under point load | ASTM D4020 resin; D3330, D3652 (TDS); D1894 methodology | Slides, skids, chafe, shims | |
| Skived PTFE Film (DW2000, 6113 series)Virgin skived PTFE | Film, 0.0005″–0.040″ | Lowest friction / effort | D149/D150 dielectric (TDS) | Light, effort-critical slides | |
| PTFE-Coated Fiberglass (6085-03–14)PTFE on woven glass | Coated fabric | Abrasion + dimensional stability | Per-grade maker TDS | Abrasive guides, fixtures | |
| The soft-support set (anti-chafe, bumpers, separation) | |||||
| SAE Pressed Felt (F-1–F-55)Pressed wool felt | 11 density grades | Compliance, finish-friendliness | ASTM D461; -62 to +93 °C window (TDS) | Strike pads, soft liners | |
| Cork Pads + Wonder PadsCork / cork-foam pads | Pre-cut pads | Anti-slip, separation, leveling | ASTM F36 (cork); D1056/D3575 (4# pad) | Stacked faces, isolation | |
| PVC Foam (HT70 UL) + Solid PVC 80DCellular / solid vinyl | Foam sheet / solid strip | Low-load bumper, barrier duty | ASTM D1056; UL 94 HF-1 (HT70 UL TDS) | Bumpers, barrier, shims | |
| The film set (build & transit protection) | |||||
| PolyMask 5180C / 5188 + 4040 Low-TackPE protection film | Tack-class film ladder | Tack class vs finish and dwell | ASTM D3330 peel (TDSs) | Panel protection | |
| The shipping set (dunnage & corners) | |||||
| EPE Foam (1.9# / 2.8#)Expanded polyethylene | Plank / blocks | Density vs static stress | ASTM D3575 per density (TDS) | Block-and-brace | |
| Crosslinked PE (ClipFoam™ 2–12#)Fine-celled XLPE | Sheet / plank | Clean cutting, reusability | ASTM D3575 per grade (TDS) | Precision dunnage, fixtures | |
| PU & EVA Foam (2#)Polyurethane / EVA | Foam sheet | Energy absorption, surface-friendly | ASTM D3574 (PU); per-grade TDS (EVA) | Corners & cushioning | |
Have a drawing already? Skip ahead
If the slide pad, felt grade, bumper, or dunnage set is on a drawing, send it now: engineering reviews it against these selections and returns a manufacturable option, lead time, and TDS.
HVAC wear & packaging failures you can prevent at spec
Five ways these parts come back, and the selection decision behind each. Naming the failure mode on the RFQ usually names the fix.
Show all 5 failure modes tap to expand
Material reference
Detailed specs for the families referenced on this page: the wear set (UHMW PE tape and strip, skived PTFE film, PTFE-coated fiberglass), the soft-support set (SAE pressed felt, cork and Wonder Pads, PVC foam and solid PVC), the film set (PolyMask and low-tack protection films), and the shipping set (EPE, crosslinked PE, PU, and EVA foams). Values are per the maker TDS on file for each grade with the method named; packaged-transport methods are cited by designation only, with the evaluation belonging to the maker's tested pack.
H-O die-cuts, kiss-cuts, slits, waterjet-cuts, and kits every family to drawing.
UHMW Polyethylene Wear Tape & Strip (6311-05-BL / 6311-10-BL; strip by thickness)Slide and skid pads, anti-chafe, shims · UHMW resin per ASTM D4020; peel per D3330, gauge per D3652
Estimate the real contact pressure (mass over actual contact area), not the gross weight; that single number sorts UHMW from PTFE film on most slides and skids.
Skived PTFE Film (DeWAL® DW2000; 6113-05 / 6113-10 Virgin Skived)Lowest-friction slide liners · 0.0005″–0.040″ per the TDS
State cycles per year and stroke length on the drawing: frequent motion favors the lowest-friction film, occasional heavy rigging favors UHMW toughness.
PTFE-Coated Fiberglass (6085-03 / 6085-05 / 6085-06 / 6085-10 / 6085-14)Abrasive guides, fixtures, and durable liners · per the grade TDSs
Name the mating surface on the drawing: abrasive surfaces are the 6085 case, painted rails are kinder to UHMW, and effort-critical light slides want skived PTFE.
SAE Pressed Felt (F-1–F-55) + Cork Pads (Plain MS113, Rubberized)Compliant liners, strike pads, leveling, anti-slip · ASTM D461 felt methods · F36 cork compressibility
None of these parts carries serious load; all are dimension-critical, which is exactly what die-cutting is for.
PVC Foam & Solid PVC (HT70 UL; 80D Plasticizer-Block)Bumpers, barrier strip, spacers · ASTM D1056 classes · UL 94 HF-1 on the rated grade
Flame-class requirements pick the grade before cost does: where protection parts live inside the equipment space, the HF-1-rated grades per their TDSs are the starting point.
Protective Films (PolyMask 5180C / 5188; 4040 Low-Tack)Build-and-transit surface protection · D3330 peel per TDS
Specify finish, dwell, and exposure together; the tack class that peels cleanly after three weeks indoors is a different spec from eight months in a yard or on a container.
Shipping Foams: EPE (1.9# / 2.8#), Crosslinked PE (ClipFoam™ 2–12#), PU, EVA (2#)Block-and-brace, precision dunnage, corner protection · ASTM D3575 / D3574 methods per density
Compute pounds per square inch of bearing area first, then pick the density whose working range brackets it; too soft bottoms out on the first pothole, too firm transmits the shock it was bought to absorb.
Wonder Pads + Cork (Pre-Cut Separation & Isolation)Separation layers and anti-slip · D1056/D3575 classes · F36 cork compressibility
Separation pads are appearance-critical as much as functional: a Wonder Pad keeps two finished faces from marking each other in transit.
HVAC wear & packaging: engineer-grade FAQ
Ten of the questions we hear most from HVAC, refrigeration, and air-handling teams. If your question isn't here, send a drawing or call, engineering picks up.
Are these wear pads and packaging parts ISTA or D4169 certified?
No material is, and the framing matters: packaged-transport methods such as the ISTA series and ASTM D4169 evaluate packaged systems under stated distribution cycles, so the evaluation belongs to the maker's tested pack design. The materials on this page carry their own documentation: TDS values with the method named (foam compressive classes per ASTM D3575/D1056/D3574, peel per D3330, felt methods per D461, UHMW resin per D4020), UL 94 classes on the listed grades, and lot-code traceability.
They support designs evaluated to those methods; H-O supplies the converted parts and the paperwork, and the equipment maker owns the pack evaluation. [7]
UHMW or PTFE for an equipment slide or skid pad: how do I choose?
By contact pressure, then by effort. A rigged unit or loaded skid concentrates serious weight on small contact patches, and under high point loads a soft PTFE film can cold-flow and wear through, so heavy skids want UHMW polyethylene (the high-molecular-weight family per ASTM D4020), whose abrasion toughness is the reason wear tape exists. At light loads worked frequently, skived PTFE (DW2000, 6113 series) gives the lowest effort and the smoothest feel.
Abrasive or weld-spattered guides move to PTFE-coated fiberglass, which puts the slick surface on a hard-wearing glass body. Estimate the real contact pressure, mass over actual contact area, not the gross weight, and the choice usually makes itself. Friction comparisons are qualitative per the ASTM D1894 methodology; per-grade values, where published, are on the TDS. [2]
What stops a refrigerant line from chafing where it crosses sheet metal?
A converted liner on whichever member of the pair you can modify. UHMW film and liners are the default: tough, low-friction, abrasion-resistant, and electrically insulating, so one strip serves as wear face and dielectric separator at once.
Delicate line-set jackets with small motion take SAE pressed felt's compliance instead, and pure contact points with no motion can take solid PVC barrier strip, including the 80-durometer plasticizer-block grade where the line coating is sensitive. Send photos of the chafe points and name what is being protected; the liner geometry comes off the review.
Will an adhesive-backed wear pad stay put on a painted or galvanized rail?
It depends on more than the pad: adhesive performance depends on substrate, surface energy, temperature, exposure, dwell time, applied pressure, surface preparation, part geometry, and assembly method. Peel values per ASTM D3330 on the liner-tape TDSs are the comparison basis, and painted, powder-coated, and galvanized rails are lower-energy surfaces than bare metal, which is exactly the case to flag on the RFQ.
Name the rail material and finish on the drawing, follow the prep the TDS calls for, and validate the final adhesive selection in the application; where adhesion margins run thin, mechanical retention or a thicker fastened strip is the honest alternative. [3]
How do I size shipping foam for a packaged rooftop or condensing unit?
Compute the static stress: supported mass over foam bearing area, in psi. Each density's compressive behavior is on its TDS per ASTM D3575 (the 1.9# EPE sheet reports roughly a 10-13 psi compressive class, the 2.8# in the high teens, per grade; PU cushioning is graded per ASTM D3574), and the dunnage works when the static stress sits inside the working range.
Too soft bottoms out on the first pothole; too firm transmits the shock it was bought to absorb. That is why EPE is bought by density and ClipFoam spans 2# through 12#: density and geometry are one decision, and H-O waterjet-cuts the set to the packing drawing. [5]
What tack class should protection film have on powder-coated HVAC panels?
Standard-tack PolyMask grades (5180C, 5188) are the usual starting point for fully cured painted and powder-coated panels: enough adhesion to survive handling and transport, low enough to peel in one sheet. Freshly coated or delicate finishes step down to the 4040 low-tack grade (3 mil per its TDS). The variable teams under-specify is dwell: state how long the film stays on and where the panels are staged, because tack behavior over months differs from weeks, and a rooftop-bound unit may sit outdoors.
Peel per ASTM D3330 is on the TDSs, and final film selection should be validated on the actual finish. [3]
What material makes a good door bumper or strike pad that lasts?
It is a resident part, so it is chosen by durometer and flame class, not by packaging logic. A soft SAE pressed felt pad quiets a metal-on-metal strike and protects a finish; a firmer PVC-foam or solid-PVC bumper takes the recurring impact of a latching access door. Where the part lives inside the equipment space, a UL 94 HF-1 grade per its TDS is the starting point, with compression-deflection per ASTM D1056 picking firmness. Most mount on PSA, so the adhesive framing applies: validate the adhesive on the actual finish in the application.
Can I use a polymer shim that tolerates the unit's running vibration?
Yes, and that is often the better choice. A rigid metal shim closes the gap but can fret under running vibration; a compliant polymer shim closes the same gap and takes up warp without becoming a fretting interface. For shims that carry real bolt load without creeping, UHMW strip and solid PVC hold dimension under sustained compression; for compliant gap-take-up that tolerates motion, cork, rubberized cork, or firmer PVC foam close the gap while absorbing the vibration.
If the part is really a tuned isolator sized to a frequency target rather than a gap, that review moves to the HVAC vibration and acoustic control page; this is the shimming and gap-take-up case.
Does H-O design the packaging, or just cut it?
H-O converts: die-cutting, kiss-cutting, slitting, waterjet-cutting, laminating, and kitting to your packing drawing, with the static-stress math and density recommendations as part of the engineering review. H-O does not run distribution-test labs or own the pack evaluation; that belongs to the shipper's design process and whatever method it is evaluated to, by designation.
What H-O adds converter-side is real: density options with TDS data per ASTM D3575/D3574, clean geometry that assembles the same way every time, kits labeled by position, and lot-code traceability per material.
What should I put on the drawing set so the quote comes back right the first time?
By job: for slide and skid pads, the contact pressure, mating surface, and cycle count; for anti-chafe, what is being protected and which member of the pair you can modify; for bumpers, durometer, impact frequency, and any flame-class callout; for dunnage, masses, bearing areas, and the packing drawing or the CAD to build one; for protection films, the finish, dwell, and staging environment; for shims, the gap, the bolt load, and whether it sees running vibration.
Plus quantities for prototype and production, and liner and kitting preferences. "Recommend the family" is a valid callout: that is what the engineering review is for.
Glossary: terms used on this page
Quick reference for the wear, film, and packaging terminology used throughout. Each entry links to the relevant standard or test method where applicable.
UHMW polyethylene (UHMW-PE)
Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, the resin family described by ASTM D4020 [1]: a tough, low-friction, abrasion-resistant polymer that is also electrically insulating. The default wear-face and anti-chafe material on this page, as adhesive-backed tape (6311 series), film and liners, and thicker strip by thickness.
Skived PTFE film
PTFE film shaved from a sintered billet in continuous gauges (DW2000: 0.0005″–0.040″ per its TDS). The lowest-friction liner family here; soft under point loads, which is why heavy skids move to UHMW.
PTFE-coated fiberglass
Woven glass cloth carrying a PTFE surface (6085-03 through 6085-14): the slickness of PTFE on a body that holds dimension and shrugs off abrasion. Used for guides, fixtures, and durable re-usable liners.
Coefficient of friction (ASTM D1894)
The ratio of sliding force to normal force, measured for plastic film and sheeting per ASTM D1894 [2]. Friction comparisons on this page are qualitative in the spirit of that methodology; per-grade values, where published, live on the maker TDS.
Contact pressure (static stress)
Supported mass over actual bearing area, in psi. The number that sorts UHMW from PTFE on slides and picks the foam density in dunnage: each foam's working range per ASTM D3575 [5] has to bracket it.
Cold flow (creep)
Slow permanent deformation of a polymer under sustained load. The reason soft PTFE film under a heavy point load can thin and wear through, the reason a soft shim creeps flat under bolt load, and the reason contact pressure, not gross weight, drives liner selection.
Peel adhesion (ASTM D3330)
The force to peel a pressure-sensitive adhesive from a substrate, per ASTM D3330 [3] on the liner-tape and protection-film TDSs. A comparison basis, not a field promise: adhesive results depend on substrate, energy, prep, dwell, and pressure, validated in the application.
Tack class
The adhesion step a protection film is bought by: enough to stay put through handling and transport, low enough to remove cleanly at the end of dwell. The whole protection-film spec in one word, matched to finish and dwell per the grade TDS.
Dwell
How long an adhesive or film stays applied before removal or service. Adhesion commonly builds with dwell, which is why a film that peels cleanly after three weeks may behave differently after eight months; dwell belongs on the spec.
Density class (pcf)
Shipping foam is specified in pounds per cubic foot (1.9# and 2.8# EPE; ClipFoam™ 2–12#), each density with its own compressive behavior per ASTM D3575 [5] (and PU foam per ASTM D3574) on the TDS. The pack works when static stress sits inside the chosen density's working range.
Block-and-brace / dunnage
The packing strategy of locating an item with fitted blocks rather than loose fill, and the general word for the foam, pads, and protectors that ride with a shipment. On this page: EPE blocks, crosslinked-PE fitted pieces, PU and EVA corners, and Wonder Pads separation, cut to the packing drawing.
ISTA series / ASTM D4169 (by designation)
Packaged-product distribution-test frameworks, per [7]: ISTA series test procedures and ASTM D4169 performance testing of shipping containers and systems. They evaluate packaged systems, not component materials; on this page they are cited by designation, and the foams and pads support designs evaluated to them.
Skid pad / slide liner
A converted polymer pad that turns a metal-on-metal sliding or rigging interface into a bearing, so equipment sets and slides into position without galling. UHMW for heavy point loads, skived PTFE for the lowest rigging effort, PTFE-coated fiberglass for abrasive guides.
Last updated · Reviewed by H-O Products engineering (ISO 9001:2015 certified converter, Winsted, CT).
Standards, test methods & technical references
The standards, test methods, and maker technical data sheets cited throughout this page, by name and designation. Packaged-transport methods are cited by designation: they evaluate packaged systems, and the evaluation belongs to the maker's tested pack. Standards editions current as of June 2026; verify against the publishing body before final spec. H-O converts materials tested to the material-level methods on the source maker's TDS; H-O does not certify systems or independently certify materials unless explicitly stated on the quote.
[1] ASTM D4020
Standard Specification for Ultra-High-Molecular-Weight Polyethylene Molding and Extrusion Materials (ASTM International). The resin family behind the UHMW wear tape, strip, and slide pads on this page; cited by designation, with per-grade values on the maker TDS.
[2] ASTM D1894
Standard Test Method for Static and Kinetic Coefficients of Friction of Plastic Film and Sheeting (ASTM International). The methodology behind this page's qualitative friction comparisons between UHMW, skived PTFE, and PTFE-coated fiberglass; per-grade values, where published, are on the maker TDS.
[3] ASTM D3330 / D3652
Standard Test Methods for Peel Adhesion of Pressure-Sensitive Tape (D3330) and Thickness of Pressure-Sensitive Tapes (D3652), ASTM International. Cited on the UHMW liner-tape and protection-film TDSs as the peel and gauge bases.
[4] ASTM D461 / F36
Standard Test Methods for Felt (D461) and Standard Test Method for Compressibility and Recovery of Gasket Materials (F36), ASTM International. The basis for the density, tensile, and service-window data on the SAE pressed felt grade TDSs (F-1 through F-55) and the cork compressibility data.
[5] ASTM D3575 / D1056 / D3574
Standard Test Methods for Flexible Cellular Materials Made from Olefin Polymers (D3575: EPE, crosslinked PE), Flexible Cellular Materials—Sponge or Expanded Rubber (D1056, the cellular rubber classes), and Flexible Cellular Materials—Slab, Bonded, and Molded Urethane Foams (D3574, the flexible PU foam methods), ASTM International. The compressive-class bases on the shipping-foam and PVC-foam TDSs.
[6] ASTM D4169
Standard Practice for Performance Testing of Shipping Containers and Systems (ASTM International). A packaged-transport method cited here by designation; it evaluates packaged systems under stated distribution cycles, and the evaluation belongs to the maker's tested pack design.
[7] ISTA series (by designation)
International Safe Transit Association distribution-cycle test procedures (ISTA series). Packaged-product transport-simulation methods cited here by designation only, with the evaluation belonging to the maker's tested pack design. The foams and pads on this page support designs evaluated to them.
[8] UL 94
Standard for Tests for Flammability of Plastic Materials for Parts in Devices and Appliances (UL). Flame classes belong to the listed material grades per their TDSs (e.g. HF-1 on the HT70 UL PVC foam grade); they are material classes, not equipment listings.
Updated . Standards editions current at publication; verify against the publishing body before final spec. H-O converts materials tested to the methods cited; H-O does not certify systems. Lot-specific documentation available on request.
Get a wear & packaging engineering quote
Send a drawing set, packing drawing, or part list. We typically respond within one business day with a material recommendation, prototype lead time, and TDS verification against your contact pressures, tack classes, foam densities, and standards language.
See also: related H-O application pages
Engineering content for the adjacent HVAC sub-applications, the cross-industry wear-and-packaging analog, the capabilities behind these parts, and the owning industry hub. Each page covers material selection, failure modes, and converter-side process detail for its application family.
One drawing starts the program
Slide and skid pads, anti-chafe liners, door bumpers, dunnage sets, protection film kits, or vibration-tolerant shims: send the drawing and get an engineering review, a manufacturable option, and the TDS within about one business day.
Material data & standards. All friction, peel, compression, felt, and temperature values on this page are taken from the source maker's technical data sheets with the method named (ASTM D4020 UHMW resin; D1894 friction methodology; D3330 peel; D3652 tape thickness; D461 felt methods and F36 cork compressibility; D3575/D1056/D3574 cellular methods; UL 94 classes per the listed grade TDSs).
Packaged-transport methods (the ISTA series, ASTM D4169) are cited by designation only: they evaluate packaged systems, the evaluation belongs to the maker's tested pack design, and the materials on this page support designs evaluated to them. Adhesive and PSA performance depends on substrate, surface energy, temperature, exposure, dwell time, applied pressure, surface preparation, part geometry, and assembly method.
H-O converts materials; H-O does not design equipment or packaging systems or certify systems, and does not independently certify materials against the standards unless explicitly stated on the quote.
Verify against the maker TDS, and validate final material selection in the application.
Conversion scope. H-O and converts sheet, roll, and plank stock to drawing in Winsted, Connecticut: die-cut and kiss-cut pads, liners, and bumpers, slit film and tape widths, waterjet-cut foam dunnage and thick UHMW, laminated PSA constructions, and kitted protection and pack sets, with material traceability and lot-code TDS records. H-O does not mold or extrude in-house; molded or extruded profiles are coordinated through a partner network. Lead-time and MOQ details are in the quote form above.