Guides / Sourcing
The Checklist for a Food or Pharma PEEK Drawing
September 26, 2026
Sources: manufacturer datasheets and published standards. See editorial standards.
A drawing for a food or pharma PEEK part carries more information than a general industrial part, and most of the extra lines are things a shop cannot guess on your behalf. Leave one out and the gap usually surfaces after the parts are cut, which is the expensive time to find it.
1. Grade, stated with its compliance status
“PEEK” is not a specification. State the grade, unfilled, GF30, CF30 or bearing grade, and whether it needs a current food contact declaration, USP Class VI data, or both. A shop quoting against “PEEK” alone will price the cheapest compliant option it has on hand, which may not be the one your quality group actually needs. The grade by grade differences that affect this choice are covered in which PEEK grade should be on your drawing.
2. Tolerance that matches how the part is actually used
State the tolerance and the temperature it applies at. PEEK’s expansion with temperature is significant enough that a fit correct at room temperature can bind or loosen once the part is in a hot cleaning cycle or a heated process line. Realistic tolerances for machined PEEK covers what a shop can reasonably hold and where tightening the number just adds cost without adding function.
3. Surface finish, specified rather than left open
Sanitary equipment specs generally call for a smoother finish than an industrial part needs, because a rougher surface gives residue and organisms more places to collect between cleaning cycles. Put an actual finish value on the drawing rather than leaving it at the shop’s default, since “smooth” means different things to different shops and only one of those meanings will pass a cleaning validation.
4. Cleaning chemical and temperature the part will survive
Name the actual cleaning chemistry, caustic concentration, acid rinse, sanitizer and the steam or hot water temperature the part sees in service, not just “food safe” or “chemical resistant.” This is the information that determines whether unfilled PEEK is enough or whether a different grade is worth the cost, and it is the same information covered from the equipment side in PEEK parts for CIP and SIP process equipment.
5. Documentation to ship with the part
List exactly what needs to travel with the shipment, not just what needs to exist somewhere in a file:
- Certificate of conformance naming the resin grade and lot number
- Food contact declaration under the applicable regulation, if the part contacts product
- USP Class VI or extractables data, if the buyer’s quality group requires it
- Traceability back to the resin producer, the same standard covered in verifying the PEEK you’re buying
Why these lines get skipped
None of the five items above are unusual on their own. What causes them to get left off a drawing is that a general industrial PEEK part does not need most of them, so a buyer moving from industrial work into food or pharma sourcing for the first time copies the format of a drawing that worked before and misses the parts that were never relevant until now. The fix is not a longer drawing template, it is treating grade, finish and documentation as decisions that get made deliberately for this kind of part rather than left at whatever the shop defaults to.
Putting it together
| Line item | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Grade and compliance status | Determines whether the stock is legally usable in the intended contact |
| Tolerance, with reference temperature | PEEK moves enough with heat that a cold fit is not the whole answer |
| Surface finish value | Controls cleanability, not just appearance |
| Cleaning chemical and temperature | Confirms the grade can survive the actual service, not a generic one |
| Documentation to ship with parts | Avoids a certificate showing up weeks after the parts do, or not at all |
None of these five lines are exotic. They are the difference between a quote that reflects the real part and one that reflects a generic guess at “PEEK.”
The general version of this checklist, for any PEEK part, is in our guide to custom PEEK parts.
Ready to send a drawing with the conditions spelled out? Send it here and we match you with shops that already work to this level of detail.
Frequently asked questions
What is the single most common thing missing from a food or pharma PEEK drawing?
A clearly stated grade with its compliance status. "PEEK" alone tells a shop nothing about whether the specific formulation is food contact compliant or carries USP Class VI data, and that gap is usually caught late rather than at quoting.
Does the surface finish need to be called out separately from tolerance?
Yes. Tolerance controls dimensions, finish controls the surface texture that residue and organisms can collect in. A drawing can hold a tight tolerance and still specify a finish too rough for the cleaning validation the part needs to pass.
What paperwork should ship with the parts, not just the quote?
A certificate of conformance naming the resin grade and lot, plus whatever food contact declaration or USP Class VI data the part requires. Ask for these to travel with the shipment, not to be emailed separately after the fact.
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