Demand for plastics lightweight parts manufacturing has increased over the years. New techniques and technologies have made it possible for product designers, engineers and plastics manufacturers to develop products and parts that are as effective as ever yet use less material and weigh less. Both of these factors result in cost savings. Fewer raw materials are needed. Shipping weight is reduced and so are the associated shipping costs. Lighter-weight plastics can also drive efficiencies in the final product; auto manufacturers have led the way in using lightweight plastics to reduce the overall weight of new vehicles for improved fuel efficiency.
How are these reductions achieved? Simply making a part thinner to reduce weight doesn’t always work. Parts must be able to maintain the desired thickness, strength, and durability, yet weigh less. Specialty plastics manufacturing techniques are responsible for driving these improvements.
Specialty Plastics Lightweight Parts Manufacturing At Baytech Plastics
Baytech Plastics is a leader in developing innovative solutions to modern challenges. As demand for lightweight plastic parts rose, we adapted. We expanded our capabilities and adopted new technologies to help our customers meet their production needs. Today, those changes are just a routine part of our operations; where we are always innovating and driving change to create solutions and improve outcomes for our customers.
Some of the processing techniques we use to support plastics lightweight parts manufacturing are:
- Structural Foam Molding. This technique produces parts that have a thick outer surface, but an interior that is made up of open-air cells. Think of a cellular shade or a honeycomb; both have open-air structures inside the product. We can do the same thing within plastic products, though not always as perfectly symmetrical as a honeycomb design. Structural foam molding is a gas-assisted process where gas is injected during production to create open-air cells. Structural foam molding makes it possible to create large parts at a reduced weight due to the open-air spaces inside.
- Gas-Assisted Molding. Gas-assist molding can be used in processes other than structural foam molding. Using this technique, we insert gas into specific areas of a mold to create hollow sections. By carefully selecting these areas, we are able to reduce part weight without compromising the strength or integrity of the final product.
- Insert Molding. Insert molding can help reduce weight in plastic parts by utilizing two different materials in the same component. One material is injected into the mold cavity, then plastic material is used around that inserted material. This process can be used to reduce the amount of metal used in a component or add strength to a part without adding too much weight.
These are just three examples of some processing techniques that use plastics in lightweight parts manufacturing. Other options, including new lightweight resins and polymers, may be suitable for your project. To discuss all of your options, contact Baytech Plastics. We will work with you to design, engineer, and produce lightweight plastic parts that meet your parameters and exceed your expectations.
Contact the Baytech Plastics team by calling (705) 526-7801 or emailing us.