Why Hire a Company to Make Custom Plastic Parts (Conclusion)

Plastic injection molding is still a relevant technology even in the age of 3-D printing.  Why? Well...

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Plastic Injection Molding and New Technologies

3-D printing is a great invention.  It allows someone to take a drawing or picture, and with the help of a computer, can create a part that looks exactly like the picture or drawing made of pretty much any substance. There are even 3-D printers that make cakes in wild and fantastic shapes. It truly is amazing technology.  3-D printing can produce plastic parts.  There are several drawbacks, however, which makes plastic injection molding all the more valuable and a much more viable alternative to 3-D printing.

3-D printing is also prototype technology still, which means that parts are still relatively expensive to produce.  It also isn't fast.  It takes hours to produce one part, as opposed to less than 30 seconds to produce a part with plastic injection molding.

The Advantages of Plastic Injection Molding

In the injection molding process, the molds that are used are subjected to very high pressure. Due to this, plastic in the molds is pushed hard against the mold as compared to other molding techniques.

Due to this high pressure, it’s very easy to add several details to the final design of the part, and even design intricate custom plastic molds. In addition, due to very high pressure during the process, the intricate and complex design can be easily made which would be otherwise hard to manufacture.

Plastic injection molding is still the most cost-effective technology.  Though initial creation of a mold can be expensive,  once it is created a company can use it again and again to create a large volume of custom plastic parts at a minimal cost. For this reason, large production runs using plastic machining can easily cost up to 30 times more than plastic injection molding.

It's widely used.  Plastic injection molding is widely popular plastic producing processes. Just look around – you can easily see plenty of products that have been made via the process.

In manufacturing, various parties involved in the process, from design experts to the consumers, aim for lowered cost and quality of the products. Both these attributes of the product tend to have inverse relationship, where improvement in the quality of product often leads to increased cost. One important feature that easily resolves the tow is sharing the entire cost of the process across large volume production, thereby working at quality of the desired product at planning or design stages. With custom plastic parts using injection molding, customer and everyone in-between benefits greatly from the accuracy and intricacy of the output and reduced costs due to automation and rate of production. Most of the injection molding companies are online and provide details of the services provided by them on their websites. This will help you in making the right choice according to your needs for a custom plastic parts manufacture in Chandler.  

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Plastic Injection Molding: Automation and the Human Touch (Contd)

Plastic injection molding offers flexibility in terms of trying out new designs. 

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Why Go to Professional Plastic Injection Molding Service?  

Plastic injection molding is all about versatility.  Different materials can also be used in the making of the parts. Flexibility in design and production for a manufacturing company is very vital, thus explaining why so many companies opt to hire an injection molding company for plastic parts manufacturing.

Molding machines offer low labor cost. Compared to having a group of people hammering the parts to be manufactured, a plastic injection molding machine is autonomous and requires very few people to run it. Low labor cost for a manufacturing company translates to lower input thus maximized profits. Materials contribute to the profitability of a manufacturing company. It is therefore vital that material waste is as minimal as possible to maximize on the profits realized by the company. 

Plastic Injection Molding and Manufacturing Parts

Plastics are currently the most common manufacturing material in use. The molding machine usually uses plastic for the manufacturing of the desired product. Since plastic can be recycled, any waste during injection molding gets recycled, thus reducing wastage on materials and maximizing the company’s resource utilization and profits. 

Though injection molding has its own disadvantages such as some restrictions in the designing of the parts to be manufactured; which is attributed to a number of reasons such as the parts made through the process must be solid and not hollow, this manufacturing practice is still common among manufacturing industries around the globe. The number of components and parts that can be made through this process is quite big. The number of companies specializing in plastic injection molding is also increasing due to the increasing popularity of this manufacturing practice.

If you get to look around you, and see the number of components that have been made through injection molding, you will have an endless list. This manufacturing practice is here to stay as it has lots of promise, to the manufacturing industry. 

So remember, you want to best components for your manufacturing facility.  Start with parts that are easily produced and mass produced as well.  That's how you know you found the right source for custom plastic parts in Phoenix.

AZP & Associates
295 E. Corporate Place
Suite # 108
Chandler, Arizona 85225
602-437-0136
http://www.azpandassociates.com

Plastic Injection Molding: Automation and the Human Touch

Plastic injection molding has been a combination of human involvement and automation.

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Plastic Injection Molding in Phoenix

Injection molding has been automated a while now. This is a great leap as plastic parts manufacturing through injection molding have become more accurate with enhanced precision due to the use of automation, thus providing better results. Some companies own molding machines that they use in the manufacturing of their own products.

A molding machine is expensive equipment that needs a lot of cash to install and maintain. Similarly, skill is required to run this machine. However, many companies prefer to hire a company that will manufacture for them their products or components instead of them purchasing and installing their own molding machine.

It is true that there are companies out there in the market that deal in the production of custom made parts, made through injection molding. These companies offer supplementary services to manufacturing companies by assisting them in their production process. But why would such kind of companies exist? Setting up and running a molding machine is a task that requires both money and skill. Since so many companies don’t want to spend a huge amount of money in purchasing this machine much less hire the personnel to run it, they make use of other companies that specialize on plastic parts manufacturing through injection molding.

Injection Molding and Manufacturing

As we covered previously, the reason why injection molding is a common manufacturing practice in the manufacturing industries is because of the advantages it has when put in use. One of these advantages is faster production. Injection molding is a process that takes only a short while to have one part or component manufactured. With a high output rate; which is usually a matter of 15-30 seconds per part though this is dependent on the type and amount of material being used, injection molding surely speeds up the manufacturing process. This enables the manufacturing company to meet the demand in the market through faster production.

Designing is a never ending process, and there is no perfect design that has ever been made. All designs do change and when different designs are being tried out to see which one is more appealing than the other, time is a limiting factor as well as flexibility of the equipment manufacturing the part. For molding machines however, the molding cavities can be changed according to the required design. Plastic injection molding is the future.

AZP & Associates
295 E. Corporate Place
Suite # 108
Chandler, Arizona 85225
602-437-0136
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The Fives Stages Of Plastic Injection Molding

Injection molding is a process that is used when plastic parts need to be fabricated. There are several products that are manufactured with the injection molding technique and each varies in their sizes, applications and complexity. Usually, this process requires injection molding machines, raw plastic materials as well as molds. The plastic is melted down into this machine and then injected into a mold, where it is left to cool and eventually solidify into the final product. The process for injection molding is relatively short, on average taking between two seconds and two minutes. Lets take a moment to discuss the four stages that are involved in this process.

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Plastic Injection Molding: Initial Stages

Stage 1: Clamping
Before anything is injected into a mold, both halves of the mold have to be clamped together in order to ensure they are securely closed. Each half is fixed to the injection molding machine and one of the halves is allowed to slide. The clamping unit, which is hydraulically powered, then pushes both of the mold halves together and gives off enough force to keep the mold securely fastened while the material is being injected. How much time this process takes is completely dependent upon the size of the machine; larger machines exert greater force and will require much more time.

Custom injection molding is also based on the quantity as well as materials used in the molding process. 


Stage 2: Injection
In the injection stage, plastic pellets are fed into the machine and the injection unit pushes them towards the mold. During this time, the pellets are melted down by the pressure and heat. This molten material is then quickly injected into the mold which causes a buildup of pressure which, in turn, packs and holds all of the material. The amount of material that is being injected is called a 'shot'. Its very difficult to accurately calculate the injection time because of the complex and ever-changing flow of molten plastic into the molds. However, time can usually be estimated by each shot volume and the injection pressure and power.

Custom Plastic Parts: The Desired Shape and Quantity

Stage 3: Cooling
As the molten plastic inside the mold makes contact with the surfaces of the interior mold, it starts to cool down. As it begins to cool, it solidifies into the desired shape. Shrinkage may take place during this phase, however, packing of material during injection allows additional material to make its way into the mold and this helps to reduce the amount of shrinkage. The mold is not opened until the appropriate amount of cooling time has passed. The time it takes for cooling can be estimated from the part's maximum wall thickness as well as various thermodynamic properties of the plastic itself. After the custom plastic parts have cooled, then any excess material is trimmed off.

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Plastic Injection Molding and Professional Design (Contd.)

The products plastic injection molding can produce are simply inexhaustible and comprise diverse components.


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What Can Be Made With Injection Molding? 

From small packaging parts like bottles, lids, tops and covers to large automotive components, injection molding is the source of several manufacturing products. Some of the products of this process include electrical switches, automotive dashboard houses and wheel bins, power-tool housing, drug inhaler units, DVDs and telephone handset among others. Battery casings, recycling boxes, disposable razors and crates are all parts resulting from injection molding. Virtually all manufacturing practices involve some level of injection molding which is why the process yields tens of thousands of products used for various functions.

• Custom parts – When looking for custom plastic parts, as we covered previously, it is important to contract professional and experienced molders. Custom parts will require modification of the impression molding tool to provide needed appearances. This requires the services of an expert who can guarantee required outcomes. The easiest way to contract molders is through their official websites. They should be linked to reputable companies in the plastic industry and must have proof of providing high quality products only. Machine size and computerization Large machines that spread over a wider surface area provide a base to counter the injection pressure and also boost hydraulic power. The use of computer technology on the other hand leads to efficiency, reduced time and labor as well as consistency of outcome. Bigger molding machines also provide higher locking force which is a combination of hydraulic pressure and toggle clamping.

Computer Technology and Plastics Design

Computer technologies are also used when redesigning the molding surface using CAD applications and advanced impression tools. When looking for custom plastic parts made from injection molding, the distributor must be a genuine one and licensed. This guarantees high quality products that match desired description. Conclusion
Plastic injection molding is a very popular technique used in modern manufacturing of parts and components. Various materials are used and the pressure applied also varies depending on the product being created.

The technique produces both small parts and large wholesome components which is why manufacturers love employing it in their processes.

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Plastic Injection Molding and Professional Design

Many businesses and companies use custom plastic parts for their packaging materials, product housings, cases and covers among other small components.

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What is Plastic Injection Molding For?

Injection molding is the primary technique used in the plastic manufacturing industry to produce such parts. When looking for custom plastic parts, a number of considerations must be looked into. It is also important to understand the plastic injection molding processes used and specific materials that make up the molded part. There are many reasons why businesses or individual clients may need custom parts ranging from patenting designs to a way of branding their business. These parts are made using high precision tools and processes to achieve consistency and efficiency in production.

Examples of plastics used
In plastic injection molding, specific types of thermoplastics and thermosetting polymers are used. These plastics are easy to melt, channel, mold and cool under high pressures. Some of the plastics commonly used for this type of injection molding include;
• Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene ABS
• Polystyrene GPRS
• Polypropylene PP
• Polycarbonate PC
• Nylon PA
Different plastics present varying properties and attributes. They are used for different components. Injection molding can also use elastomers, glass and confections.

The Molding Process

Plastic injection molding is used to produce a range of products that include small home-use tools and parts to large complex components. A special injection molding machine is used with a set of repetitive instructions to allow mass production and efficiency. Most modern machines feature computer control which relies on sensor-fed information to initiate machine action and molding. The process comprises material melting, channeling to molding tools and cooling. Machines can print a given single part or employ multiple impression techniques to produce different components of the entire product.

A typical plastic injection molding machine consists of a barrel equipped with reciprocating screw, runner channels and paths as well as a molding tool. The machine uses hydraulics to exert pressure and also inject these plastics. Injection material is loaded to the heating barrel via a hopper. Once the polymer has been heated, rotating screws basically maintain heat and crush non-fluid plastics before releasing it to flow along the runner channels. The final stage is cooling in the molding tool which provides desired impression. In order to allow quick production, the molding tool is made of non-stick smooth surfaces that leave desired impressions on the cooled component.  That's what plastic injection molding is in a nutshell

We will cover this more in a future article.

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The Four Steps In Plastic Manufacturing (Contd.)

Plastic injection  molding doesn't use just one type of plastic.  There are several types in fact.  

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Types of Plastic in Injection Molding

No matter which process takes place, whether it is plastic injection molding or not, polycondensation or polymerization, different types of monomers are combined in order to form resin with various characteristics. They can also be mixed with other specific additives, such as plasticizers or flame retardants which will ensure that the end product is less brittle.  

Continuing from our previous article, here are the remaining steps of plastics manufacturing:

Step 3: The monomers are processed into thermoplastics or thermosets.

There are two forms into which polymers can be processed: thermoplastics or thermosets. Thermoplastics tend to melt when they reach a specific temperature, but become hardened when they cool off. The exact opposite happens when it comes to thermosets; they get harder as the temperature rises, however they can only be heated and set once. While thermoplastics create chains that alternate between soft and hard sections, thermosets form bonds that are hard and interlocked. 

Step 4: The thermoplastics or thermosets are molded.

Thermoplastics are processed through several forms of extrusion or molding. Extrusion means that the resin is pushed through a mold in order to make it form a specific shape, and is used to make items such pipes, fibers for weaving and straws. Molding is achieved by heating the resin and injecting it into molds or blowing air into softened tubes of resin which are inserted into molds in order to make it take on a specific shape. Molding is used to create items such as soda bottles, containers and toys. Thermoplastics may also be calendered-- melted and pressed between large rollers in order to create long plastic sheets which can eventually be used to make flooring.

Thermosets can also be molded, though molds are usually pressurized so as to encourage polymers to link more closely, which is meant to make the final product more durable. They are also occasionally treated with a chemical before being molded. The first process is used to create end products that need to be able to take heavy impact (due to consumer use) such as sports equipment and phones, while the second is used in order to make stronger things (for the sake of longevity) like machines or parts for vehicles. This type of plastic is sometimes used as a coating for materials, like fabric or paper or fabric in a process called lamination. 

Injection  Molding: Final Thoughts

Plastic is plastic, right?  Wrong! The sort of part that you need will be determined on a lot of factors such as how much wear and tear will it be exposed to?  A harder, more brittle plastic would be worthless in a part that needed a bit of give and take.  Inversely, a plastic part that needs rigidity would go bad if a softer plastic was used.  

Ultimately, you want to work with a company that can do custom work, and create custom plastic parts for you.

Read more on this subject here.

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Chandler, Arizona 85225

602-437-0136

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The Four Steps In Plastic Manufacturing

Plastic injection molding is one of the four steps of plastic manufacturing.  Today's article will cover the first two steps.

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Injection Molding and Plastics Manufacturing

Not a day goes by that we don't use some form of plastic. Whether it is being used as a container, such as a milk carton or is a piece of equipment used in our favorite sports such as catcher's mask, plastic is all around us. We can't avoid it, but how much do we actually know about plastic and what goes into its production?

The exact details of how plastic is manufactured will depend on what type it is as well as what it is going to be used for, but the fundamental steps will be the same for every kind of plastic. One of the most common ways to make plastic parts is by plastic injection molding.  It's created by using various chemicals and refining processes which turn single molecules (commonly referred to as monomers) into long chains (commonly referred to as polymers). After all of this occurs, the polymers are capable of being shaped or molded into the desired end product. Lets take a moment to discuss the step by step process of plastic manufacturing.

Plastic Manufacturing and Custom Plastic Parts 

Step 1: Hydrocarbons are used to create monomers.

Fossil products, such as natural gas and crude oil, are among the main types of raw materials which are used in order to make plastic, though it may also be created from things such as hemp, soy and corn. All of these products contain compounds which are called hydrocarbons and are used to create monomers. Hydrocarbons are either chemically treated or heated to very extreme temperatures in order to break them down into monomers such as styrene or ethylene.

Step 2: The monomers are chemically treated.

After being extracted, monomers must be chemically treated in order to ensure that they bond together and can form long polymer chains. This is done through either polycondensation or polymerization. If its done through polymerization, then monomers are mixed in with another chemical that functions as a catalyst and causes them to bind together in order to form a resin. If, however, this is accomplished through polycondensation, the monomers are processed so that they bind together and release byproduct like water.

We will continue this topic in a future article.

For now, know that you want to make sure you find a plastics manufacturer that does plastic injection molding to make sure you get the custom plastic parts that you and your business needs.

AZP & Associates
295 E. Corporate Place
Suite # 108
Chandler, Arizona 85225
602-437-0136
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Plastic Injection Molding in Manufacturing (Contd.)

Here is a bit more about the process that is involved with plastic injection molding.

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Plastic Injection Molding: The Process

As we covered previously, plastic injection molding has a definite process.

A plastic injection molding tool or machine consists of a hopper through which molding material is introduced. The machine has heating barrels that are equipped with reciprocating screws which feed molten plastic into a split mold through runner channels and gates. The screw adds heat and melts the polymers through its shearing action before they are injected into the mold tool. This is a crafted tool where the desired product will be formed on cooling. The tool is designed with non-stick material that allows quick removal of cooled parts thus increasing production of many components. The molding tool may produce a single consistent part using repeated procedures. It can also use multiple impressions to produce many components of the same product.

Machine size relevance – Injection molders come in different sizes, surface areas, hydraulic pressure and toggle clamping. The combination of these elements constitutes what is known as locking force which can be thousands of tons. Large machines that spread over a large surface area provide more locking force and are thus better in large scale production since they can easily counter injection pressure. Computer control in injection molding The advances of computer technology have been applied in the control and operation of injection molding machines. They incorporate sensors that feed information to a computer program to initiate different processes and basically control the actions of injection machines. The use of computer controlled tools triggered by sensor fed information ensures shot-to-shot quality and production of consistent outputs. Impression making can also be computerized and molders use software programs to design unique impressions and components. This however is part of computer aided designs.

How to Find a Plastic Injection Molding Service

There are fewer companies that offer injection molding when compared to other service providers. The best way to contract an expert molder is through official website of relevant companies who operate in existing plastic industries. Direct communication with these companies should be a priority before anything else.

There are sites that also refer or link to official molding companies. Most of these sites also offer a review of each company to help clients in choosing the best molder.

Conclusion Plastic injection molding is used in day-to-day manufacturing of several different parts and components. This technique is used in production of both small and large wholesale parts. What’s more, the process can be computer controlled to increase efficiency and consistency of outcome. For these reasons, plastic injection molding is a very popular manufacturing technique in the plastic industry.

Read more on this subject here.

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Chandler, Arizona 85225
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Custom Plastic Parts in Phoenix: The Insider's Guide

There are custom plastic parts, and there are plastic parts that aren't the greatest quality.

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How to Tell Quality Custom Plastic Parts

Custom plastic parts should have a few criteria to determine if you're getting good stuff or substandard equipment.  First off, how much splay is left on the part after it's molded.  Splay is the left over plastic.  There should be little to no splay on the part, or otherwise it means that the mold is either damaged or needs to be re-machined.

Next, you want to make sure that the parts that you ordered are what you actually have received.  If you ordered a bunch of plastic boxes that are made of high stress acrylic, but you get paper thin plastic that cracks easily, you didn't get quality plastic injection molding.  Another way to tell is if there are any defects in the part, such as pits, holes, or gaps.

Ultimately, you want to make sure that the plastic injection molding company that you're going with knows what they're doing and has a good reputation.



AZP & Associates
295 E. Corporate Place
Suite # 108
Chandler, Arizona 85225
602-437-0136
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Plastic Injection Molding for Industry and Commercial Purposes

Plastic injection molding is a product of the 20th century that has uses  even in the 21st century.

Plastic Injection Molding | 

What is Plastic Injection Molding?

What is plastic injection molding? According to this article excerpt from Wikipedia.ORG:"Injection moulding (injection molding in the USA) is a manufacturing process for producing parts by injecting material into a mould. Injection moulding can be performed with a host of materials, including metals, glasses, elastomers, confections, and most commonly thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers. Material for the part is fed into a heated barrel, mixed, and forced into a mould cavity, where it cools and hardens to the configuration of the cavity.[1]:240 After a product is designed, usually by an industrial designer or an engineer, moulds are made by a mouldmaker (or toolmaker) from metal, usually either steel or aluminum, and precision-machined to form the features of the desired part. Injection moulding is widely used for manufacturing a variety of parts, from the smallest components to entire body panels of cars. Advances in 3D printing technology, using photopolymers which do not melt during the injection moulding of some lower temperature thermoplastics, can be used for some simple injection moulds."[READ MORE]

Plastic molding helps industry to create custom parts.  However it isn't just industry that benefits from custom plastic parts.  Sometimes, our customers can be pretty diverse.

Custom Plastic Parts

For example, let's say you have a company and you want to create a whole bunch of cell phone holders for your company booth at a career or tech expo.  That's where plastic molding comes in.  A company like ours can make as many or as few of these doodads as you're going to need.

So remember, plastic is the future.  So make sure that you find a plastic injection molding company in Chandler.

AZP & Associates
295 E. Corporate Place
Suite # 108
Chandler, Arizona 85225
602-437-0136
http://www.azpandassociates.com