Plastics & Injection Molding Manufacturer Blog

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.

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.

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.

Designing custom molds for your injection molded products can be a complex process. However, working with the right team can greatly reduce the complexity and cost while improving the quality of the completed part and minimizing the length of the production cycle. Take the time to answer the following questions before you attempt to design molds for injection molding.

As discussed in Part I, chrome plating offers an attractive, durable finish for plastic parts used in a wide range of applications. Although chrome is the ultimate finish for a plastic part, adding chrome plating can’t be an afterthought in your product design. Any surface defects on the part will only become more pronounced once a decorative chrome finish is applied. Chrome requires advance planning and attention to detail in the design of the part, the mold and the specific molding techniques used.

Are you designing injection molded parts for a new product or looking to update an existing product? There are numerous finishes that may be of interest. Perhaps you are considering a chrome finish on your ABS or PC ABS part? Beyond the snazzy, visual appeal, there are other good reasons to use chrome. First and foremost is that it adds an attractive, decorative finish. In addition, it may also provide a level of corrosion protection, make cleaning the surface easier and increase the overall durability of the part.

Design engineers and their employers have shifted focus from the days when their company created an injection-molded part, turned it over to a contract manufacturer, and the purchasing department followed-up on delivery.  

As we mentioned in our blog last week, Ferriot is in the process of installing a new 2,250-ton Negri Bossi Bi-Power injection molding press. We were very excited to see this announcement featured in Plastic News and are both thrilled and a little humbled by the mention.

As anyone who’s worked in construction can tell you, nothing draws a crowd of “sidewalk superintendents” quite like the sight of someone else hard at work. Now, you can join the crowd without ever leaving your desk. Ferriot has installed a Go Pro camera on the ceiling in the production area, above the area where we’re assembling our new 2,250-ton Negri Bossi BI‑POWER injection molding press. Each week, Ferriot will update the photographs to allow checking in on the progress of the installation. In addition to using these photographs for sales and marketing purposes, the camera will let us document this milestone in our company history with a time-lapse video. To check on project status, visit our Negri Bossi Press Installation Progress page.