Description: Macintosh, Apple II: Specifications of Plastic Enclosures (4/94)
Header: Macintosh, Apple II: Specifications of Plastic Enclosures (4/94)

 Article Created:  22 June 1989
 Article Reviewed/Updated: 1 April 1994

 TOPIC -----------------------------------------------------------

 What kind of materials are the plastic enclosures for Macintosh computers
 made of?

 DISCUSSION ------------------------------------------------------

 Macintosh cases, mouse devices, and keyboard enclosures through the Macintosh
 SE are made of Cycolac ABS grade KJC plastic.

 Macintosh plastic cases, mouse devices, and keyboard enclosures after the
 Macintosh SE are made of either
 * Cycolac ABS grade KJC plastic, rated at 94V-2, or
 * Cycolac ABS grade KJW plastic, rated at 94V-0.

 The keyboards listed below use unreinforced polyester for the keycaps.
 The polyester makes the sublimation printing of the legends possible.

 There is more than one vendor of polyester: the Apple Standard and Extended
 keyboards use Celanese Celanex 2000-2 resin.

 Vendor information on Asian manufacturers' plastic is not available.

 * the Apple Standard and Extended Keyboards
 * the Macintosh Plus keyboard
 * some Apple IIGS keyboards
 * all Apple IIc keyboards
 * possibly some Apple IIe keyboards

 Other keyboards have ABS keycaps; these keycaps are double-shot to put
 the legends in a different color plastic.

 Information on the plastic used in later keyboards is not available at
 this time.

 Article Change History
 ----------------------
 1 April 1994 - Reviewed for technical accuracy.
 8 July 1992 - Reviewed and retitled for accuracy.
 Copyright 1989-94, Apple Computer, Inc.
 Keywords:  specsht