The plastic industry has been constantly evolving and expanding over the years. This is because applications of plastic can be found in almost every industry including electronics, automotive, construction, healthcare, and textiles among others. Today, various types of plastic manufacturing techniques enable to mold plastic resins into desired shapes.
Plastic injection molding is one of the popular and most commonly used plastic formation techniques used for molding plastic. Various trends of plastic injection molding have emerged in recent years, and they continue to evolve.
Would you like to know what’s likely to drive the market for injection molding in 2019? This post discusses the injection molding trends in 2019.Impactful Plastic Injection Molding Trends in 2019
The following are some of the trends expected in the plastic industry in 2019.- Increasing Demand for Biodegradable Plastics: The biodegradable plastic industry has seen tremendous growth in recent years. Various studies suggest that this market may reach an approximate size of $6.12 billion by 2023, globally. As the name suggests, these plastics are made using plant-based raw materials such as vegetable extracts which assure easy decomposition. Injection molding of these biodegradable plastics will allow manufacturers to create sustainable and eco-friendly plastic products. Most of the leading food and beverage companies have already started utilizing injection molded bioplastic packaging. With the demand for biodegradable plastic rising for obvious reasons, the trend of injection molding of biodegradable plastic is expected to continue in the future, too.
- Increasing Demand for Reinforced Plastics: There is increasing use of reinforced plastic composites across various industries as they are lightweight and have high strength. As the name suggests, these plastic composites are formulated by injecting fibers into them. Some common fibers are carbon-based fiber, glass, aramid, and so on. These reinforced plastics are becoming suitable replacements for metals in various industries. Machined to produce parts with high part strengths, reinforced parts are largely used in the aerospace and automotive industry, where they assure better aerodynamics and fuel efficiency.
- Adding Metal, Carbides, and Ceramics into Molding: Years ago, many mold makers or manufacturers would not have any idea about injection molding ceramics and carbides. They could be formed through heat or pressure. But, not anymore. Just like metals, ceramics can also be molded using an injection molding process. These technologies are used to form mold from ultra-hard materials including Tungsten Carbide that never thought an option for molding. These materials feature superior properties such as high temperature stability, wear resistance, and electric insulation. These properties ensure increased operational life for many years.
- Software Enhancement: Plastic injection molding had increased demands in terms of quality, efficiency, on-time delivery, pricing and cost control among increased growth as well as the demand of products across the markets. Hence, manufacturers are looking for better ways to manage raw materials and improve production efficiency. This can be achieved using software like SolidWorks and MoldFlow with new updates and enhancements. These software assist in improving plastic part and injection mold designs as well as the overall manufacturing process. Alongside, improving the design quality and accuracy from the initial stage of molding ensures lower costs and savings for upcoming projects. Other developments in the software program include the ability to simulate how melted plastic flows during the molding process to predict the manufacturing defects. This helps evaluate and modify manufacturability and adjustments in the design process.
All the outlined injection molding trends continue to take shape in the coming years and beyond. Having a clear understanding of the evolution of plastic injection molding will help manufacturers capitalize on trends and ensure that end-products perform as planned. If you are a manufacturer of plastic components and you require recyclable resins, ensure you contact reliable manufacturers and suppliers such as Veejay Plastic. They also offer prototyping as a service which helps eliminate various defects before moving further into production.
