Which US industries use injection molding services?
- Medical
- Pharmaceutical
- Telecommunications
- Consumer Products
- Packaging
- Food & Beverage
- Automotive
- Building & Construction
Plastic injection is one of the most used plastic manufacturing processes in the U.S. With its wide range of possible applications and its many benefits, it’s an ideal option for various companies seeking to manufacture high-quality, cost-effective parts. In fact, plastic injection molding is key to continued productivity and profitability in many sectors.
In this article, we’ll look at the top eight U.S. industries that use injection molding services, and why they depend on plastic injection molding manufacturing for their products.
Medical
There are many requirements that medical devices need to fulfill to be functional. Plastic injection, which molds molten plastics at high pressure, creates products that conform to even the most intricate details. This precision also can reduce material waste and weight, reducing lead time and costs in turn.
Furthermore, plastic resins offer many beneficial characteristics — like high temperature and corrosion resistance — putting them at par with materials like stainless steel. Thus, they fit the healthcare industry’s stringent requirements.
Most medical devices contain some form of plastic. Common items include forceps, clips, diagnostic test kits, and tubing, whose components are created with injection molding services.
Pharmaceutical
Similar to the medical industry, the pharmaceutical industry requires devices and equipment made exactly as designed to avoid the risk of injury or miscalculations when dealing with tablet and liquid manufacturing. Pharmaceutical companies rely heavily on injection molding services in the U.S. to create a variety of products.
Aside from precision, quality, and enhanced resistance to the elements, injection molding allows these products to meet the industry’s high standards for sterilization and durability. Injection molders typically manufacture tools like eye droppers, syringes, and other lab equipment.
Telecommunications
The telecommunications industry, which involves numerous electronics like cellphones and fiber optic cables to exchange information and data throughout the world, needs specialized parts to function properly. Injection molding services are crucial to creating these parts, and ensure the ever-growing industry can supply customers with reliable connectivity.
From plastic adaptors, frames, and casing, injection molders create parts that hold electronics together, as well as protect various electrical components from dust and other corrosive elements. Without injection molded plastics, electronics would have considerably more performance problems, as well as a shorter lifespan.
Consumer Products
One of the most commonly known uses for plastics is in consumer products, often purchased at the mall or used every day at home. For example, toys are a commodity product made by U.S. injection molders. Injection molding is preferred as it is capable of making identical and repeatable plastic products that are durable, cleanable, and child-safe.
Another example reliant on this service is shoe manufacturing. Almost all shoe manufacturers in the U.S. use plastic injection molding to create the soles for their products. This is because plastic resins can create soles that offer enhanced weight support and comfort for the user. They also use it to make other components with specialized textures, detailed designs, and flowing lines.
Packaging
Items like lids, jars, tubes, bottles, and other forms of packaging are often made through plastic molding. This is the preferred manufacturing technique for packaging as it offers a variety of plastic resins and additives. These can be used to create nearly endless combinations of shape, style, color, and textures. With plastic injection molding services, the packaging industry in the U.S. can create any desired appearance for their products.
Additionally, plastic resins offer versatility — different formulations can fulfill different capabilities for heat resistance, chemical resistance, UV light tolerance, impact resistance, and many other qualities which may be required of specific packaging.
Food & Beverage
Thousands of restaurants, groceries, food carts, buffets, and other businesses in the food and beverage industry make use of plastic injection molding services. Any products they use must meet strict Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standards — which injection molding does by using BPA-free and non-toxic resins and materials.
This manufacturing process can create products for the industry that are completely food-grade and safe for every consumer to use. Common products made with injection molding include plastic utensils, beverage filters, containers, and plasticware. Injection molding can also be used to produce components for conveyor systems and other manufacturing equipment.
Automotive
Plastic injection molding manufacturers provide countless automotive companies in the U.S. with products and parts. Important components like handles, brake pads, body panels, knobs, and much more are made through this process.
Many automotive companies collaborate with injection molding manufacturers to create vehicle components that are efficiently and precisely made to comply with safety regulations. Injection molders assist them by using processes like prototyping to test designs, ensuring they meet such regulations.
With the mechanical benefits of using plastic versus metals, these plastic components are more lightweight, yet equally durable products. As a result, the final result (cars and motorbikes) is higher-performing and more fuel-efficient.
Building & Construction
Steel and concrete may be the first materials that come to mind when you think of the construction industry. However, plastic is another staple for construction as it is a great alternative for heavier materials.
Plastics are durable, hard, and more resistant to unpredictable weather and thermal conditions. Additionally, plastic products — like window and door frames, molded fasteners, and supports — are easier to install, have lower production costs, and are lighter in weight.
Since plastic injection molding can craft such strong, lightweight, and stable products, many construction companies needing products with all these features opt for injection molding. Injection molding also offers highly customizable services, allowing companies to create custom parts for specific applications.
Key Takeaway
There are many U.S. industries that use injection molding services as they provide several advantages over other manufacturing methods. Thus, this method has benefited the majority of the products on the U.S. market.
With the versatility and efficiency of injection molding, you may be interested in using such a method for your company. If so, get in touch with Richfields today. With years of experience with various applications and industries in the US, we can help with your injection molding needs.
