Plastics & Injection Molding Manufacturer Blog

When it comes to plastics manufacturing, choosing ultrasonic welding services compared to traditional welding and adhesive methods offers a variety of benefits.

• Traditional methods of welding plastic components require higher temperatures or chemical adhesives.
• Ultrasonic welding takes less time.
• An ultrasonic welding machine doesn’t require as much power and/or fuel.
• Results of ultrasonic welding are more reliable than order methods.

In short, ultrasonic welding is faster, safer, and cheaper than other means of bringing plastic components together.

Read on to learn more about what ultrasonic welding is, how it compares to traditional methods and some considerations you should take before selecting a plastics manufacturer.

Injection molding is a tried and true manufacturing method that has experienced small, incremental changes over the years. It used to be, if you had a product or part to be manufactured, your injection molding manufacturer would provide you with a list of polymers to choose from. Your design and engineering team would work together along with the injection molding team to select a resin that would suit your needs. A variety of factors would be considered including durability, cost, flexibility and cosmetics.

Ready for a secret? It still works like that.

With most manufacturers, you are going to need to select the resin for your part from a list of available options. However, modern facilities have moved into a more advanced method of providing an option not previously available on that list—custom engineered resins.

Our 90th anniversary celebrations continue as Ferriot is the featured story on the front page of this week's Plastics News magazine! 

Craig Ferriot’s Speech at 90^th Anniversary Event for Employees on 6/11/19
Celebrating 90 Years of Excellence in Building Ferriot’s Future

This is our 90th year celebration. I can't believe it. I've been here a third of it. 33 years! And over the last couple of weeks, I've taken the opportunity to go back and look at some old literature, and I was able to get a lot of information from my dad, my grandfather and some others.  I was reminded of all the things that took place at Ferriot that made it successful.

Structural foam molding offers an alternative to traditional injection molding. 

Here at Ferriot, we’ve been proud to be a leader in thermoplastic injection molding since the 1940s. Our clients turn to us for professional assistance with contract manufacturing, custom injection molding, painting and assembly. Structural foam molding is another capability we offer when traditional injection molding may not meet part design requirements.  The structural foam process creates parts with a high strength-to-weight ratio and is often used for large parts and in metal to plastic replacement.

Company History Highlights by Gene Ferriot (1916-1970's) from steel engraving to injection molded plastics, from Disney characters to Polaroid aviator glasses – a nostalgic look back

In 1916, I started working at the Die Sinking and Machine Company, a machine shop started by my father, grandfather and uncle. I was joined a year later by my brother Glenn. I learned the steel engraving trade and Glenn learned the machinist trade.

Full-service custom injection molder of engineered resins
pays tribute to its long history, with an eye on a bright future 

On June 11^th, Ferriot began a year-long celebration of its rich 90-year history with a special event for employees at its Akron, Ohio facilities.

Privately held since its founding in 1929, the company spans over five generations of the Ferriot family. In 1999, Ferriot Inc. expanded to its current 200,000-square-foot office and manufacturing facility at 1000 Arlington Circle in Akron, Ohio.

Plastic injection molding is perhaps one of the most popular forms of manufacturing today. Engineers and manufacturing companies from virtually every industry around the world have found that using injection molding to manufacture their products is one of the most cost-effective ways to go. 

Structural foam molding is an option available to manufacturers who are looking for a way to create stronger, more rigid plastic parts.  It is also a method used to reduce potential part weight for larger parts. Almost any type of resin can be used with this type of injection molding. Structural foam  injection molding uses lower pressure and a foaming agent mixed in with the resin. The foaming agent expands within the resin, leaving a dense outer and inner wall with a foam or honeycomb-like center. This cellular core in the part is what contributes to the decreased part weight.  During the expansion process, internal shrinkage or "sink" is reduced which creates a more uniform and aesthetically pleasing part. This process can also contribute to less internal stress in the part with better stability. 

Part 1 of this blog post discussed some important considerations for custom mold designs for injection molding projects. Topics included the impact of resin selection and mold construction materials. Now, let’s consider how the resin is injected into the mold and the impact of the wall thickness of the part.