Implications Everywhere: How Injection Molding Is Benefiting A Large Range Of Industries

January 24, 2018

Regardless of an industry or specific application, plastic injection molding has overwhelming benefits in manufacturing high-quality, affordable, high-volume parts. In fact, you might be surprised by the unique products and industries that utilize plastic injection molding throughout their manufacturing process.

When it comes to parts production, it’s difficult to beat the cost effectiveness of plastic injection molding. Here, will we provide some unique examples of industries that have reaped the benefits from this plastic manufacturing technique.

Plastic Injection Molding in the Food and Beverage Industry

The Food and Beverage industry is one of the largest industries in the world. Think about how many restaurants, pubs, and other dining establishments there are. As you can imagine, this industry generates a huge demand for various products and parts other than food.

Cups, silverware, cutting boards, dishes, mugs, knives, storage tubs: every surface that is going to come into contact with food needs to be contact-safe, or risks emerge regarding chemical exposure. For plastic injection molding foodservice applications, various food grade materials are utilized to comply with FDA and GMA regulations, as well as non-toxic guidelines.

High-volume and customized orders for plastic parts are common in the food and beverage industry. A monthly order for plastic branded beverage lids, for example, requires a manufacturing technique that can be personalized, but also mass produces efficiently and consistently.

Plastic injection molding efficiently expedites packaging and processing applications in the foodservice industry. When mass manufacturing beverage caps, filtering components, food containers, and conveyor systems injection molding processes can keep costs low while safety and functionality can be maximized.

Plastic Manufacturing and Shoe Manufacturing

At this very moment, you might be walking atop plastic injection molding. If you were to look down at your shoes, you’d probably think “these are made out of leather or fabric.” You’re right, the tops of the shoes often are sewn together from various fabrics. However, many manufacturers, including Nike, are utilizing plastic injection molding processes to create the soles of shoes.

Shoe soles can be composed of a range of materials and resins, and their production focuses on lightness, support, durability, and comfort.

Rubber soles can be created via plastic injection molding to be both durable and comfortable. When weight is a priority waffle molds are typically utilized. These soles will be light, but also provide plenty of cushion for comfort and arch support.

Plastic manufacturing is great for shoes because consistency is a must. Even slight variations in the sole’s size and performance can cause huge issues. With plastic injection molding every shoe with have a very similar look, feel, and performance. In general, plastic manufacturing plays a huge role in the clothing and apparel market.

Plastic Parts for Window and Door Industry

The next time you look out of a window or walk through a door take a minute to evaluate their structures. Have you ever considered the production process to create windows and doors? Surprisingly, window and door manufacturing is a multifaceted process. Many companies have utilized plastic injection molding to increase the quality of the products and parts.

Window stops, latches, locks, and various other parts can be produced via plastic injection molding. As you can guess, precision is vital for many of these parts. Fortunately, plastic manufacturing provides both high precision and consistency.

With plastic injection molding, various parts can be designed to minimize assembly and reduce costs. Plastic molded parts are often lighter and easier to use. High-quality resins, meanwhile, offer excellent strength even when compared with metals. Plastic parts are also able to better cope with unpredictable weather and thermal conditions.

Consider rust, for example. Rust can be detrimental to the form and function of many metal parts. Heat, meanwhile, can expand metal fixtures, and potentially damage frames.

For this reason, plastic injection parts are frequently replacing metal parts in doors and windows. You might not notice how many parts go into hanging a door or window, but there are quite a few. Plastic manufacturing in combination with high-quality resins is lowering costs while also increasing performance.

Conclusion: We’re Only Scratching the Surface of Plastic Injection Molding

Plastic injection molding and plastic manufacturing are intertwined in the manufacturing processes of various industries. The examples above are just a few industries out of an exhaustive list. Wherever consistency, affordability, and reliability are essential for high-volume parts plastic injection molding may be the solution needed.