Beyond "Just Plastic": The Strength and Versatility of Glass Fiber Reinforced Composites

When you hear the word “plastic,” what comes to mind? Maybe it’s the flimsy, single-use items we all try to avoid, or the cheap toys that break after a week. But not all plastics are created equal. At BuiltRight Industries, we use a material called Glass Fiber Reinforced Nylon, specifically GF20 Nylon, in many of our products. This is a high-performance composite that’s a world away from the brittle, low-cost plastics you might be thinking of.

Let’s break down why this material is so valuable and why you should feel confident in its use, especially in carefully designed components like our rear seat release pull strap tab, license plate relocation brackets, and select bedside rack MOLLE panel support brackets.

What is Glass Fiber Reinforced Nylon (GF20)?

At its core, GF20 Nylon is a composite material made by infusing nylon with glass fibers—20% by weight, to be exact. This might sound fancy, but the concept is simple: the glass fibers act like tiny rebar within the nylon, dramatically improving its strength and durability.

Here’s where it gets technical. The glass fibers enhance the mechanical properties of nylon, such as tensile strength, impact resistance, and dimensional stability. In plain English, this means GF20 Nylon can take a beating without cracking, warping, or failing—exactly what you need in automotive applications where parts are exposed to stress, vibration, and harsh conditions.

Why Not Use Metal?

We get it—metal has a reputation for being strong, durable, and, well, not plastic. But here’s the thing: metal isn’t always the best option. Metal parts are often heavier, more expensive, and harder to shape into complex forms. When you’re designing something that needs to be both strong and lightweight—like our license plate relocation brackets—metal can be overkill.

GF20 Nylon offers a perfect balance. It’s strong enough to handle the stresses of automotive applications while being significantly lighter than metal. This reduction in weight contributes to better fuel efficiency, easier installation, and less wear and tear on mounting points.

Plus, GF20 Nylon gives us the freedom to design parts with intricate geometries that would be difficult, if not impossible, to achieve with metal. Take our Colorado bedside rack MOLLE panel support brackets, for example. These parts are designed to securely hold gear in place, even when you’re bouncing down a rugged trail. The flexibility in design that GF20 Nylon offers means we can create parts that perfectly fit your truck’s contours and needs, without compromising on strength.

But Is It Strong Enough?

This is the million-dollar question, isn’t it? We often hear concerns that because these parts are "just plastic," they won’t hold up over time. But this isn’t the same kind of plastic that a cheap toy or disposable cup is made from. GF20 Nylon is used in a variety of high-stress applications where failure isn’t an option.

Take firearms, for instance. Many modern firearms use glass fiber reinforced composites in their frames and components. These materials have to withstand extreme pressures, impacts, and environmental conditions - likely far more intense than anything your truck will face. And they do so without breaking a sweat.

Similarly, GF20 Nylon is commonly used in the automotive industry for parts like intake manifolds and engine covers, where heat and stress are a constant challenge. It’s good enough for those applications and it’s more than up to the task for BuiltRight products when engineered and tested properly.

The Bottom Line

When you choose BuiltRight Industries’ products made from GF20 Nylon, you’re getting parts that are engineered to perform. These aren’t just any plastic parts—they’re high-performance composites that offer a perfect blend of strength, durability, and design flexibility. They’re lighter, more versatile, and just as strong as metal alternatives, making them ideal for the demanding environments our products are built for.

So, the next time someone says, “It’s just plastic,” you’ll know the truth. It’s not just plastic - it’s a carefully engineered composite that’s built to last, built to work, Built Right.