Always have a Plan B. That’s something we’re taught early-on in life, but the truth is, it’s easy to become complacent and not have a backup plan. For manufacturers, this can be particularly risky since, so often, unanticipated events out of their direct control on the supply side of production can cause turmoil.

Snap-fit designs can be an effective way to replace fasteners/hardware in injection-molded plastic parts or products. For most applications, snap-fit connections are the simplest and most cost-effective way to assemble two parts — making them ideal for high-volume production. The quick and easy connections help reduce the risk of improper assembly, which occurs more frequently in applications that require more components (fasteners) and tools.

May 7-11 found thousands of professionals from across the plastics industry and all of its vertical markets gathered at NPE2018: The Plastics Show (NPE®) — the world’s leading plastics trade show and conference.

Among plastic injection molders, there can often be a tradeoff between their ability to custom manufacture parts on an individual basis and their capability to automate the production process for high-volume cost-efficiency. The reality is that, with the proper injection molding partner, automation and its associated benefits can be within the grasp of companies even if they have smaller production runs. Here are three ways that injection molding automation can help level the playing field among manufacturers:

In Part 1 of our short blog series, we discussed the differences between today’s thermoplastics and liquid silicone rubber (LSR) thermoset resins, as well as their common advantages, disadvantages, and applications. In Part 2, we’ll talk about some of the up-and-coming plastic materials making their way onto the injection molding scene, specifically carbon fiber composites and bioplastics.

The plastics industry has been experiencing rapid growth since 2015. In that time, there have been numerous improvements to the materials, technology, and processes used, benefiting both manufacturers and consumers alike. The development of stronger, more lightweight plastics and thermoplastics has been one of the driving forces of growth, along with the use of recycled plastics and greener processes.

There are many steps that go into making a high-quality plastic injection molded product or part, many of which happen before production even begins. The quality planning and assurance process is one of these crucial steps, and it involves rigorous analysis to ensure the best possible design, materials, and production processes are being used for your application. Having a team of experienced quality engineers to plan and oversee this phase is critical for efficient, optimized production, and at Kaysun, we don’t cut any corners when it comes to quality assurance (QA) or testing.

Among today’s manufacturers, both 3D printing and injection molding are viable options for producing complex plastic parts and components. While these two techniques were originally considered competing technologies — and in some instances still are — for the most part, both have been recognized for having their own unique advantages, and can even be used together to help optimize production efficiency.

With speed to market being a top priority for many OEMs today, manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to make their processes quicker and more efficient. In 2018, this often means having certain tasks automated by robots, software, or other machines, and the injection molding industry is no different.