Tag: automotive plastics

A Guide into Sourcing Automotive Plastics

Posted on September 25, 2017 by - Blog

A Guide into Sourcing Automotive Plastics

For a very long time, alloys have overwhelmed the general material substance of a car. Nonetheless, in the most recent decade, because of new regulations and fuel costs, there has been a noteworthy move to utilizing lighter weight materials, most commonly plastics or composites. This ascent in the car plastics is because of the business’ push to diminish the general mass of a vehicle, which is being driven by government controls and benchmarks (CAFE), and fuel costs.

An acquisition professional should always remember the following things before settling on a plastic injection molding crew. Not only do all of the following affect the overall pricing of the component, but equally as important, they affect the quality.

Automotive Plastic Fabrication Company Quality Mold Shop McMinnville TN

Key Considerations

Car plastics present one of a kind and valuable properties, for example, sturdiness, solidness, recycle capacity, heat stability, strength, protection, design adaptability, and light weight. The most widely recognized applications for plastics in autos are with the inside, outside and motor segments since they offer a lighter-weight choice, while expanding fuel effectiveness. Plastics likewise enhance the look or style, diminish noise and vibrations (NVH), keep in heat, and so on. Plastics offer a more reasonable way to deal with a more maintainable vehicle.

Process

To legitimately source a car plastic part, a plastic injection professional must consider and completely comprehend the procedure that the segment and application warrant. Many variables determine which process is worthy. These incorporate size, weight, shape, application, surface area, heat, stream, and so forth. The most well known plastic procedures for car applications, incorporate the accompanying:

Injection Molding

Injection molding is the most mainstream process utilized for car plastic segments. With this procedure, the plastic (in pellet frame) is put into a container which moves the plastic pellets into a warmed infusion unit, where it is pushed through a long chamber. The material is liquidized amid this procedure and solidifies in the wake of drying. For high-volume plastic segment programs, this is the prescribed procedure.

Thermoforming/Vacuum Forming

Thermoforming utilizes a plastic sheet, which is shaped with a form by applying air or through mechanical help. The pneumatic force utilized can be about zero psi, or a few hundred psi. At 14 psi, which is roughly proportional to air weight, the weight is made by emptying the space between the shape and the sheet. This is known as vacuum framing.

Blow Molding

At the point when the segment should be empty or have liquid move through, the blow shaping procedure is most useful for the application. A liquid tube is made with blow molding utilizing packed air, which explodes the tube and powers it to comply with the chilled form.

Pressure Molding

Pressure molding is the most well-known process utilized with thermosetting materials and is typically not utilized for thermoplastics. With this procedure, the material is crushed into its shape with the assistance of weight and warmth. At the point when the mold is shut and warmed, the material experiences a synthetic change that makes it solidify into the coveted shape. The temperature, weight, and time allotment used amid this procedure relies upon the coveted results.

Extrusion

The procedure of extrusion is normally used to make items, for example, film, ceaseless sheeting, tubes, profile shapes, poles, coat wire, fibers, cored, and cables. Similarly as with injection molding, dry plastic material is put into a container and bolstered into a long warming chamber. Toward the end of the chamber, the material is moved out of a little opening, or a die, in the state of the completed item. As the plastic leaves the die, it is put on a transport line where it is permitted to cool. Blowers are now and then used to help in this procedure, or the item might be submerged in water to enable it to cool.

Material

In light of the use of the part, its nearness to a heat source, area on the vehicle, and process, there are an assortment of elite plastics that are broadly utilized as a part of the car business, and a plastic injection molder must consider the attributes of every while sourcing a plastic segment. The most common materials for car plastics include: Polypropylene (PP), Polyurethane (PUR), Poly-Vinyl-Chloride (PVC), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), and Polyamide (PA, Nylon 6/6, Nylon 6).

Conclusion

The car plastics industry is situated to grow exponentially in the coming years. Understanding the above key aspects will guarantee trust in sourcing choices and offer organizations an upper hand in settling on future choices. Despite the fact that these thoughts are perhaps basic, there are numerous plastic injection professionals today settling on key choices without considering every single potential alternative with regards to plastic preparing and material determination. A true plastic injection molding expert will invest the energy it takes to completely comprehend plastic applications, volumes, procedures, and materials before sourcing to best plan their organizations can supply for your project.

Learn more about plastics and their qualties with this article! Looking for a plastic molder?

Automotive Plastic Injection Molding

Posted on September 18, 2017 by - Blog

Automotive Plastic Injection Molding

The automotive industry has profited much from the injection molding process. Formed plastic parts from the littlest segment to entire body panels of vehicles can be massed delivered utilizing Injection molding methods. Learn more from this slide show.

Plastic Injection Molds and the Automotive Industry

Posted on September 11, 2017 by - Blog

Plastic Injection Molds and the Automotive Industry

Vehicles have come a long way since they started, while some of the first forms of human transportation was nothing more than simple horse-drawn carriages as chariots, the development of new technologies soon led to cars, boats, motorcycles and trucks powered by engines. Even so, the development of plastic injection molds allowed for much growth in the automotive industry, and engine-powered vehicles have come a long way since their humble beginnings.

The First Cars

Henry Ford is widely seen as the first inventor to make cars that were widely accessible to the general public. However, the first cars tended to consist mainly of metal parts, predominantly steel. The main drawback of this was that these cars were heavy, meaning they had more weight for the engines to drag along, because of this, most older cars tend to have high fuel consumption levels.

Another major drawback of heavy steel cars was that production techniques didn’t allow manufacturers to think much about aerodynamics in order to minimize air resistance on a moving vehicle.

All of the above-mentioned things were some of the initial challenges faced by the first car makers.

Plastic in the Automotive Industry

In modern times, plastics are crucial in the production of almost anything you can think of, including cars. In the automotive industry, the main benefit of plastic is that it helps to make vehicles lighter, which helps to make cars more fuel efficient.

However, modern vehicles often merge the automotive industry with technology, and new cars often come out with features like built-in screen displays, rear view cameras and more. Most of these luxury features need plastic molded parts too, and so the amount of plastics in cars tends to become more and more, not only because parts that were previously made from steel (like bumpers and inside door panels) can now be molded from plastic, but also because new technological features necessitate the use of additional plastic parts.

In a world of advancing technologies, plastic has been a crucial ingredient in our modern success. This is no different in the automotive industry where improved molding techniques and the availability of new materials has made it possible for the automotive industry to advance in ways we previously would never have been able to imagine.

Automotive Injection Molds

The use of plastic in advancing technology is indisputable. However, few people stop to think about the process of creating plastic pats. The advances visible in society today have only been made possible through the use of precision-engineered plastic molds.

But plastic injection molds aren’t simply forms to pour molten plastic into. The production of a plastic injection mold that can produce parts for modern vehicles is a meticulous process. A mold that’s been made with care is one of the main things that will ensure that molded parts are free of defects. A faulty mold could result in problems such as a mold cavity that doesn’t fill, or dark lines on the molded part (among other possible problems that could occur). This is especially true with parts that that have curves, lines and other complex shapes that are commonly required in the automotive industry.

To prevent injection molding defects while producing plastic parts, automotive manufacturers simply need two things: a reliable molds that have been designed right, and the correct use of polymers in the mold. This is because using the wrong plastics, or even using the right plastics at the wrong temperatures could result in defects in the molded parts. And while it’s easy to change issues with polymers simply by using different plastics, or by changing the temperatures at which equipment operates, having a faulty mold changed would be a more costly.

Mold gates placed in the wrong areas, for instance, would be a difficult, costly problem to fix. Remember, molds have to be designed with their end purpose in mind. And in the case of plastic injection molding, the flow of the molten materials through a mold is an important thing to keep in mind while designing and making the mold.

In order to get a quality molded part that will live up to expectations, automotive manufacturers must begin with molds that can do the job right.

Injection Molds, TN

At Quality Mold Shop, we can help you make molds for the automotive industry. With our modern equipment, powerful computers and software, as well as our team of highly skilled staff, we can produce both simple and complex molds for various industries.

But our mold making capabilities isn’t where our list of services ends. We enjoy building long-term relationships with our customers and can help you with mold maintenance, repair and alterations. Our goal is to provide customers with high quality molds that will perform according to expectations so production can run smoothly, while also giving you someone to call for mold maintenance and repair.

Learn more about auto plastics
Check out our local McMinnville office.

How do hybrids utilize eco-plastics?

Posted on March 2, 2017 by - Blog

The whole point of a hybrid is to be eco-friendly, so why would the manufacturers lean to more eco-friendly plastics? Of course that is easier said than done; what of the crash safety? There may finally be a breakthrough in the eco-plastics world.

With about 250 pounds (113 kilograms) of plastic in the average car, the auto industry is doing its part to fill the world’s trash heaps. When that average car outlives its usefulness, all that fossil-fuel-based plastic ends up in one of two places: either recycled into other plastic parts, releasing tons of carbon dioxide in the process, or spending anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand years in the average landfill, where it proceeds to take up space and leach harmful chemicals into the air, soil and water supply.
Read More Here

Plastic Injection Molding for Automobiles

Posted on December 26, 2016 by - Blog

Plastic Injection Molding for Automobiles

Plastic injection mold makers have developed technologies for producing quality parts over the years. With so many thing that are made from plastic nowadays, it’s hard to believe there was a time it didn’t exits. Plastic injection molding is used a wide variety of things. Everything from children’s toys to medical equipment and household items are made using plastic injection molding techniques. What many people don’t realize is just how much plastic injection molding has developed.

Plastic Injection Molding in the Automotive Industry

In the automotive industry, plastic injection molds are used to make a surprising amount of vehicle parts. The interior of most cars are filled with plastic. The dashboard, inside door panels, ashtrays, buttons and even the carpets and bumpers are all made through plastic injection molding processes. But even when you take a look under the engine cap, you’ll see a good deal of plastic molded parts.

In recent years the use of plastic has become especially popular in the automobile industry. And this shift from using metal components to plastic is about more than just saving on production costs.

Car manufacturers constantly strive to design vehicles that are lightweight. These lightweight vehicles have been proven to be environmentally friendlier because of their lower fuel consumption. It’s been estimated that every 10% reduction in vehicle weight can lead to a 5-7% increase in fuel efficiency.

In order to make vehicles more efficient, the automotive industry is trying to revolutionize the way plastics are used in cars, aiming to make as many car parts as possible from durable, lightweight plastics. Even though an average modern car consists 50% of plastic, the plastic molded parts only account for roughly 10% of its weight, which shows how for the automotive industry has already come in using plastic improve car performance.

But the use of plastics in cars also has other benefits. By using durable plastics, car manufacturers can also avoid common problems associated with using metal, like metal fatigue and rust. The fact that plastic is lightweight, highly affordable and sometimes even more durable than metal makes it the perfect choice auto manufacturers.

The use of plastics has helped car manufacturers design and produce cars that are safer, cheaper and more eco-friendly. The best part is that these newer, more fuel efficient cars are both cheaper to buy and drive when compared to their older counterparts. Back in the day when cars still largely consisted of metal, it wasn’t as common for an average middle class family to have their own transportation.

Automotive Mold Design and Manufacturing

When it comes to molding car parts, molders need the best possible plastic injection molds to assure every part will perform well. Good molders already know how to mix polymers for maximum durability while producing parts, but there’s an essential step to producing quality parts that can’t be overlooked.

If you’re a molder, producing automobile parts your clients will be satisfied with begins with the molds you use. A good mold is one of the key things you need to run a successful plastic injection molding company. Your mold making company should be your trusted business partner who will guide you through the design, manufacturing and maintenance process every step of the way.

Keeping your molds properly maintained is necessary if you want to consistently mold durable parts for automobiles. Without proper plastic injection mold maintenance, your parts will eventually develop faulty spots and become structurally weak.

American Plastic Injection Molds for the Automotive Industry

Injection molds are expensive pieces of equipment. The mold making process requires precision engineering and manufacturing standards to create molds with tight tolerance that will serve your business for years to come. A good mold shouldn’t be a finicky piece of equipment that sporadically breaks down. After all, you can’t afford to regularly have an unscheduled halt in production of parts simply because your mold won’t function as it should.

Many plastic injection molders make the mistake of working with foreign companies that can produce molds for much cheaper. But when it comes to buying plastic injection molds, you really do get what you pay for.

If you buy a mold at a fraction of the price you’d pay in America, it’s not just because you’re buying from a country with a weaker currency. A large part of the the discount you think you’re getting is because workers producing the molds aren’t equally skilled. Companies that cater to a cheaper market aren’t set on giving you the best worth for your money in the long-term. They’re simply looking to reduce your immediate expenses, even if it ends up costing you more in maintenance and repairs in the long-run.

While the initial cost of buying a local, American-made mold might seem like a large amount to pay upfront, it’s an investment that can make or break your company. Buying a good mold from a company that will help you keep it properly maintained according to a maintenance schedule you can plan in advance (as opposed to a mold that breaks down when you need it most) will help you run your company in a way that’s within your control. A reliable mold can help you stay on top of part production and streamline your processes for maximum results.

Learn more about the automotive plasic industry!
Check out our local McMinnville office.