Conductive Plastic Potentiometers
Conductive plastic potentiometers engineered for servo-grade linearity, low electrical noise and long rotational life. Standard series and fully custom designs — including hollow shaft (thru-shaft) and drop-in replacements for discontinued parts — with ODM tooling from 500 pieces.
Conductive Plastic vs. Other Potentiometer Technologies
Configurations We Manufacture
- Hollow shaft / thru-shaft potentiometers — a central bore lets your actuating shaft, rod or cable pass straight through the component for compact, coupling-free mounting.
- Servo-grade precision potentiometers — tight independent linearity, low output hysteresis and long life for closed loop position feedback.
- Multi-turn potentiometers — 3, 5 and 10-turn versions for fine adjustment of set-points and calibration.
- Rotary and angle-sensing types — with custom output curves for valve, throttle, steering and robotics feedback.
- Linear motion tracks — conductive plastic elements supplied as OEM tracks for linear position measurement.
- Sealed versions — IP65 / IP67 front-panel sealing for washdown, marine and outdoor equipment.
Key Specifications
- Resistance range: 100 Ω to 5 MΩ, custom values available
- Resistance tolerance: from ±5% down to ±1% on request
- Independent linearity: typically ±0.25% to ±1%
- Power rating: 0.5 W to 2 W depending on element size
- Operating temperature: −40 °C to +105 °C standard
- Rotational life: up to 10 million cycles
- Shaft: solid or hollow, with custom bore, diameter, length and shape
- Terminations: PCB pins, solder lugs, wire leads or connector
Applications
Conductive plastic potentiometers are specified where a sensor has to last as long as the machine it is fitted to:
- Industrial automation and valve / damper position feedback
- Medical devices and diagnostic instrumentation
- Test and measurement equipment, calibration rigs
- Professional audio and broadcast control surfaces
- Robotics, packaging machinery and HVAC controls
- Marine, energy and off-highway vehicle systems
ODM Customisation
Our ODM programme covers the full path from specification to series production:
- Custom resistance value, tolerance and taper curve
- Mechanical envelope built to your drawing, including hollow shafts
- Cross-reference and drop-in replacement of discontinued parts
- Sealing, temperature range and material selection
- Private label marking and full traceability documentation
- Prototypes in 2 to 3 weeks, series production from 500 pieces
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a conductive plastic potentiometer?
A conductive plastic potentiometer uses a moulded conductive-plastic resistive track instead of carbon, cermet or wire winding. The track is a homogeneous film with a very smooth surface, which gives low electrical noise, essentially infinite resolution, long rotational life and low output hysteresis. It is the preferred technology for servo-grade position feedback and precision control applications.
What is a hollow shaft (thru-shaft) potentiometer?
A hollow shaft or thru-shaft potentiometer has a central bore running through the shaft, so the customer's actuating shaft, rod or cable can pass straight through the component. This is used where space is constrained or where the sensor must be mounted directly onto an existing shaft without coupling. We manufacture hollow shaft designs with bore diameters and mounting flanges to suit the application.
Conductive plastic vs carbon potentiometers — which should I choose?
Carbon tracks are lower cost and suit high-volume consumer controls where some noise and wear are acceptable. Conductive plastic costs more per piece but delivers much longer life (typically millions of cycles), lower noise, tighter linearity and better stability over temperature. For industrial, medical, instrumentation and servo applications the total cost of ownership normally favours conductive plastic.
Can you build a drop-in replacement for a discontinued potentiometer?
Yes. Send us the datasheet, a drawing, a photo or a physical sample of the discontinued part and our engineers will produce a mechanical and electrical cross-reference. We reproduce the mounting envelope, shaft dimensions, resistance value, tolerance and taper so the part fits the existing assembly without redesign. Prototypes are normally available within 2 to 3 weeks.
What is the minimum order quantity for a custom conductive plastic potentiometer?
Our ODM programme starts from 500 pieces per configuration, which makes custom development viable for mid-volume industrial programmes as well as large production runs. Samples and small pilot batches can be supplied before series tooling is committed.
Which industries use your conductive plastic potentiometers?
Our potentiometers are used in industrial automation and valve position feedback, medical devices and diagnostic equipment, test and measurement instrumentation, professional audio, robotics, HVAC controls and marine systems. We support OEM and ODM customers worldwide from our Huizhou production facility.
Related Technical Guides
Need a Conductive Plastic Potentiometer Specification?
Send us your drawing, datasheet or a photo of the part you need to replace. Our engineers will respond with a proposal and sample plan within 2 working days.