The conversion of metal, concrete and wood components to plastic have delivered significant, and in many cases unmatched cost savings.
Most materials have a set of properties and characteristics that are commonly known for their current design and use. The primary consideration for a possible plastic material in any application is the effect of “normal” operating conditions. Characteristics of plastics are offered in a wide range to suit your needs for tensile strength, heat tolerance, and chemical resistance with over 70,000 resins available. Various fillers and additives allow flexibility in most plastic resins to meet specific criteria.
Things to consider in plastic selection:
- Temperature requirements-what environment will the plastic be exposed to?
- Can plastics reduce the steps required to make a product?
- What are the dimensional requirements?
- Will the part require physical characteristics for heat or electricity conduction?
- Does the part come in contact or have exposure to chemicals? What kind?
- Investment in tooling
The primary benefits of plastic are:
- Weight reduction
- Strength to weight ratio
- Lower cost
- Reduce the number of components in an assembly
- Incorporate recyclable materials
- Can be integrated with other materials
- Reduce manufacturing scrap costs
DeKalb Molded Plastics offers expertise in plastic product design, material selection, molding, finishing and decorating that provides the solution to your product needs.