Straight answers.

PSG manufactures and supplies colour-coded Polymex® plastic shims, gaskets, precision die-cut components and specialist plastic films. The group has five divisions: Plastic Shims & Gaskets, Carton Window Films, Trade Conversion Services, Archival & Conservation Materials, and Specialist & Packaging Film.

PSG's founder, Inam Gardezi. Working in the engineered shim industry in the 1960s, he saw how hard it was to tell one thickness of steel shim from another, and had the idea of a colour-coded polymer for each gauge. Plastic Shims & Gaskets was born from his home in Bethnal Green, London, in 1969.

PSG's headquarters is Polymex House, Unit 9-10 Sketchley Meadows, Burbage, Hinckley, Leicestershire, LE10 3EN, in the UK. PSG supplies customers and provides technical support and advice worldwide.

Aerospace, security and defence, marine and subsea, energy and renewables, automotive, bioscience and medical, general industry, and packaging and films. Brands that trust PSG include NASA, BAE Systems, the Royal Navy, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz and Tata Steel.

Polymex® is PSG's own range of colour-coded polymer materials. Polymex® polyester and polypropylene shimstock gives every thickness from 12 to 3,000 microns its own colour, so the thickness is identified at a glance. Polymex® does not absorb moisture, so it will not swell or degrade, and it offers excellent insulation and high compressive strength. The range also includes archival films.

Plastic shims are lighter, will not corrode, do not absorb moisture or swell, resist oils and insulate electrically, and Polymex® shims are colour coded, so the thickness can be checked without a micrometer. Metal shims are the better choice where the shim carries heavy or shock loads, sits in high heat or must not compress at all. PSG supplies both.

Polymex® polyester shimstock is made to within 5% of its nominal thickness, and Polymex® polypropylene to within 10%. Metal shim tolerances depend on the metal and the gauge, and PSG states them with the quotation. If a joint needs a closer tolerance, say so when you ask for a quote.

Yes. PSG cuts custom shims, gaskets and components in-house by die cutting, laser and water jet, from prototypes to production runs. Small quantities are usually cut without a tool, so there is no tooling cost to spread across them.

Use the quote request form on PSG's website. Include the product, the material if you know it, the sizes or a drawing, the quantity, when you need it and what the part is for. You can attach up to three files in PDF, DXF, DWG, STEP, IGES, PNG or JPG format. If you do not have a drawing yet, dimensions, a sketch or a photo with measurements are often enough.

PSG quotes for the quantity you need, from prototypes and trial quantities to production runs, and can hold stock for call-off on repeat orders. Any minimum depends on the product and its format, and is confirmed with the quotation.

Every order is made to the customer's requirements. When the material is in stock, PSG can usually work to short lead times, often delivering within days. The lead time for your order is confirmed with the quotation.

Yes. Files sent with a quote request are stored privately, only PSG's team can open them, and they are used only to prepare your quotation.

PSG's quality management system is approved to BS EN ISO 9001, certified by BSI. PSG is also BRCGS Packaging Materials certificated and Cyber Essentials certified, and is a member of the UK Gasket & Sealing Association.

Yes. You can send your own film, paper, card or other material to be converted to your specification, or PSG can supply the material from its stock for a completely outsourced service. Conversion covers core cutting, slitting, sheeting, guillotining, die cutting and corona treatment, and tissue can be interleaved between sheets to prevent scratching.

Polyester film is made from a few microns thick, for capacitors and ribbons, up to several hundred microns for rigid applications. Polymex® polyester film is published from 12 to 350 microns. Tell PSG the application and its team will advise on the right thickness.

Yes. Give PSG the grade name or data sheet and it will supply that grade where it is available, or recommend an equivalent with a data sheet and samples for approval.

PSG's films for food packaging are supplied under its BRCGS Packaging Materials certification. Ask for the declaration of compliance for your grade and its intended use.

PET is recyclable where collection exists, and PSG's carton window films are available with 30%, 60% or up to 90% post-consumer recycled content. PSG's Enviromex® films are specially formulated to be biodegradable, and its technicians work with recycling plants on new recycling solutions.

Archival polyester film protects documents, photographs, fabrics and artefacts in encapsulation, sleeves and storage, while keeping them visible without handling. Polymex® archival film is a barrier against acidity and airborne contaminants, the main causes of paper and fabric deterioration, and offers many decades of protection. It is used by museums, galleries, libraries and conservators worldwide.

Tell PSG what the part or film is for and the conditions it works in: temperature, chemicals, oils, moisture, load and whether it must insulate or seal. PSG's technical team have decades of combined experience and will recommend the most suitable material and work with you through development.