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Within the realm of plastic processing, there are several methods of manufacturing. Two of the most popular processes include extrusion and injection molding. While they produce similar results, they use different equipment and techniques. Whether you are forming plastic pieces for commercial, industrial, or medical use, the manufacturing method you use will vary. Here are the important differences between plastic extrusion and injection molding.

Continue reading “Plastic Extrusion vs. Injection Molding: What’s the Difference?”

When you need high-precision dosing for extrusion and plastic injection molding, you will want to install a gravimetric blender onto the line. This piece of equipment can decrease blending variability from overdosing colorants and additives by allowing plastics processors to measure materials accurately. Let’s examine how gravimetric blenders provide blend accuracy even when there are bulk density variations among materials.

Continue reading “How a Gravimetric Blender Works”

The main draw of using a gravimetric blender in your production process revolves around how accurate measurements it produces with each use. You can save a lot of time and money, thanks in large part to this accuracy. Gravimetric blenders are complex and intricate machines with many different components working together to ensure it works correctly. These machines run for hours on end and often find themselves integral parts of the production process. For each blender to do its job well and perform a perfect blending of materials each time, you want to have an established maintenance routine in place. Regular maintenance will help keep your gravimetric blenders working as intended. 

Continue reading “The Importance of Gravimetric Blender Maintenance”

As technology advances, all facets of the human experience become more streamlined and more convenient. The plastics industry is no different. Look around you. How much of your immediate surroundings is composed of plastic? If you’re sitting near a window, its construction may be primarily plastic, or it has plastic components. 

Continue reading “Injection Molding: A Staple of the Windows and Doors Industry”

Injection molding is a popular plastic manufacturing technique. It is widely regarded for its versatility, flexibility, cost efficiency, and precision. It is also well-known for its ability to work with multiple plastic resins simultaneously. Some plastic resins are easier to work with than others.

Continue reading “Common Plastic Resins Used in Injection Molding”

In today’s testing and manufacturing landscape, both 3D printing and plastic injection molding are viable options for producing complex plastic components. While initially regarded as competing technologies, both techniques are now considered to have distinct advantages and can be used in tandem to optimize production efficiency.

Continue reading “3D Printing vs. Injection Molding: A Comparison in Plastics Manufacturing”

The bulk density of plastic is used to describe the material’s mass per unit volume. Bulk density is most commonly expressed in grams per cubic centimeter and calculated by dividing the mass of a material by its volume. Depending on the material, however, bulk density may also be written as kilograms per liter (kg/l) or pounds per cubic foot (lb/cu ft). 

Continue reading “How Does Bulk Density Impact Different Phases of Plastics Processing?”

In the first part of this blog, we discussed how automation and renewability are revolutionizing the plastic injection molding industry. In this second part, we’ll explore the final two top trends that have made a significant impact on how manufacturers use plastic molding technologies to ensure precise, practical parts manufacturing processes: the employment of high-performance materials and reinforced plastics. 

High-Performance Materials

Makers in sectors like the automotive industry are utilizing durable, temperature-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials instead of steel to increase the longevity of components, reduce weight, and improve overall fuel efficiency. Sophisticated technology has evolved over the past few years that allows plastic makers to mold metals, ceramics, and carbides, in addition to plastics. While ceramics and carbides have generally been regarded as being formed through heat or pressure, they can now be molded using an injection molding process. These technologies create a mold from dense materials, including Tungsten Carbide, that manufacturers never thought would be a contender for molding. These materials feature superior properties like high-temperature stability, wear resistance, and electrical insulation.

Reinforced Plastics

As the name suggests, plastic composites are formulated by injecting fibers into them, including carbon-based fiber, glass, aramid, and so on. These reinforced plastics are becoming adequate replacements for metals across various sectors like aerospace, automotive, construction, power, marine, and nano-material industries.

Plastic composites are an appealing trend for mold makers, as these materials exhibit low weight and high strength. Per-product costs are also reduced in various applications without compromising on strength or durability. In applications in the automotive or aerospace industries, a reduction in weight can increase the value of the final product via a more efficient fuel economy and enhanced aerodynamic properties.

To Plastics, and Beyond!

As trends in plastic injection molding continue to “take shape” and adapt to economic demands in 2020, an increasing variety of industries can benefit from a partnership with trusted experts in the plastic injection mold industry. Plastrac is proud to be one of them! For more information on cost-effective, cutting-edge technology solutions for your manufacturing needs from design to finished product, contact us today!

We look forward to helping you and your organization turn ideas into high-quality commodities.

The plastic injection molding market has been steadily evolving and expanding in recent years. Since its inception, it has become one of the most commonly-used plastic formation techniques utilized across a variety of industrial applications today, including automotive, consumer goods, electronics, construction, packaging, medical applications, and more. 

Several growth drivers are resulting in a rise in the demand for injection-molded plastic items. In the first part of this blog, we’ll take a look at a few of the top trends propelling the progress and innovation of the plastic injection molding industry.

Automation

Automation has created a groundbreaking influence on practically all industries worldwide. Robotics has long since been a disrupting innovation in the manufacturing sector, and if surveys are any reliable indication, its impact in the injection-molded plastic industry is expected to be immense. Automated tools and robotics have transformed the dynamics of the manufacturing sector, as they are quick, accurate, and adaptable, ultimately translating into efficient production.

In 2019, designing software like SolidWorks and MoldFlow from Autodesk included updates that improved plastic part and injection mold designs, as well as facilitated the overall manufacturing process. Improving upon the design quality and accuracy ensures lower costs and future savings in rework undertakings. Other developments in these programs include the ability to simulate melted plastic flows during the molding process to better predict manufacturing defects. This simulation allows designers to evaluate and modify component manufacturability and make necessary adjustments early on in the design stage, resulting in cost-savings along the way.

Renewability

Following noble trends of eco-friendliness and sustainability, injection-mold industry players are always striving to develop bio-based, recyclable products. Lots of companies have implemented a prototype of such products, from soybeans, flax, corn, etc. which are gathering industry acclaim. China’s new National Sword policy banned plastic waste from being imported. As a result, plastic mold manufacturers and their contemporaries are now generating a responsible plan for the proper handling and disposing of plastic scrap in an environmentally-conscious way. 

In the next part of this blog, we’ll explore two more significant trends driving the plastic injection molding industry. For more information about our products, contact us today!

There’s no denying the increasingly significant impact that plastics, especially injection molded plastics, have demonstrated in recent years. And according to Global Market Insights Inc., a global market research and management consulting company, that trend is expected to continue well into the new decade. In fact, the organization predicts that the North America injection molded plastic industry is slated to achieve a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.8% as we approach the year 2023. 

Here at Plastrac, we manufacture material blenders and loading machines to add efficiency to plastics molding machines, and we understand the industry has constantly been evolving and expanding. Now, let’s take a look ahead at some of the developments to watch for in 2020.

Enhanced Software

Keep an eye out for improved technology updates that will make creating mold designs easier and faster than ever before. Not only will this result in greater accuracy and quality of design, but it can also help to lower costs and advance the overall manufacturing process. 

Increased Recycling Initiatives

For more than two decades, many developed countries, including the US, sent much of their plastic waste to China instead of recycling it stateside. However, China has since banned plastic waste from being imported, leaving manufacturers and mold makers with the responsibility to dispose of their waste and scrap plastic in an environmentally-friendly manner. 

High-Performance Materials

The use of more durable and resistant materials will continue to increase over the next few years as well. Since many industries, including the automotive sector, are turning to plastics to replace steel components, there will be a need for materials that can withstand rigorous temperatures and resist corrosion. Not only will manufacturing these components from plastics increase their lifespans, but it will also help to lower their weight, leading to improved fuel efficiency.

Reinforced Plastics

A number of industries that rely on plastics, such as aerospace, construction, and marine sectors are experiencing a growing trend for reinforced plastics. The composite materials are typically mixed with fibers like glass and aramid, and generally exhibit low weight and high strength — precisely what these industries need to ensure their manufactured products are resilient, and in some cases, more aerodynamic. 

For more information on growing plastics trends in the industry, or to inquire about our sophisticated but easy-to-use plastics blending and loading solutions, contact us today.