A poly-cap is a small rubber
polyethylene
Polyethylene or polythene (abbreviated PE; IUPAC name polyethene or poly(methylene)) is the most commonly produced plastic. It is a polymer, primarily used for packaging (plastic bags, plastic films, geomembranes and containers including bott ...
bushing used to create smooth joints, or to keep something in place without glue in scale-models. In
model kit
A scale model is a physical model that is geometrically similar to an object (known as the ''prototype''). Scale models are generally smaller than large prototypes such as vehicles, buildings, or people; but may be larger than small prototyp ...
descriptions, they are sometimes referred to under the material acronym PE. They are usually found on kits such as those by
Tamiya and
Bandai
is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturer and distributor headquartered in Taitō, Taitō, Tokyo. Its international branches, Bandai Namco Toys & Collectables America and Bandai UK, are respectively headquartered ...
who have employed them for a long time.
Although regarded as a quick and reliable solution to create stiff joints to hold poses, they have shown to deteriorate in strength if too much friction is applied from shifting poses, as well as a loss in grip strength over the course of a few years without tampering, causing the final build to be unable to hold more complex poses over time. As such, manufactures such as Bandai have shown signs of abandonment in more recent releases of the part in favor of more solid, peg reliant engineering, and using harder plastics to keep poses held, although the material is still used in re-releases of old kits.
A typical "cap" is a small cylinder, but many other shapes exist. Bandai for example have a wide range of designs used in their mecha model kits (
Gunpla
Gundam Plastic models, Gundam Plamo, or are Plastic model kit, model kits depicting the mecha machinery and characters of the fictional ''Gundam'' multiverse by Bandai Spirits.
These kits became popular among Mecha anime and manga, mecha anime ...
, etc.).
Typical uses include
* Wheel or sprocket-hubs
* Pivot-points for guns
* Joints in robotic limbs
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Hardware (mechanical)