In part one of this two-part blog series, we went over some of the primary benefits of transitioning to plastic parts rather than metal within several industrial areas. This shift has been taking place for several years now, and even for decades in certain industries that were quick to pick up the numerous benefits of such a switch.
At EnviroTech, we provide the most popular and well-known format for plastic part manufacturing: Custom plastic injection molding. In today’s part two, we’ll go over a few additional benefits of the transition to plastic from metal, plus some of the primary industries and part types that have already begun this switch – or have already virtually completed it, in some cases.
Infusion With Other Materials
In addition to the numerous benefits of plastic part manufacturing we listed in part one, a particular quality that separates it from metals and other part types is the ability to infuse it with other materials. While plastics are extremely strong, for instance, there might be certain applications where you’re looking to increase their strength even further – this is a simple process, one that involves infusing some glass beads, carbon fiber or another strong material into the manufacturing method.
This works because plastics in general are very capable of increasing their weight-bearing loads through adding other components. This can generally be done without sacrificing a single element of their quality, and for an easily affordable price.
Additional Benefits
Here are several additional, universal benefits of plastic compared to metal within the manufacturing world, including a few we’ve mentioned previously but not expanded on:
- Higher tensile strength than many metal types
- Reduced waste created during the manufacturing process, which impacts several areas including costs
- Faster manufacturing times than comparable metal products
- Reduced part weight
- Increased design flexibility and customization capability
- Far easier to adhere to various regulatory requirements within several industries
- Lower packaging and shipping costs due to lower weight
- Lifespan up to six times longer than comparable metals
- Repeatable manufacturing process
Industries Moving From Metal to Plastic
Due to many of the benefits we’ve gone over here, numerous major industries have almost universally switched from metals to plastics in several areas, and continue to make this transition with each passing year. These industries and part types include each of the following:
- Automotive industry: Fuel tanks, modern vehicle parts and others
- Industrial bearings, fasteners and related parts
- Air travel industry: Plastics are used to replace most previously metal parts of airplanes
- Plumbing: Drinking water lines and sewage lines increasingly are made from plastic
- Watercraft bodies and parts
- Metal foils for electrical component packaging
For more on the value of utilizing plastic parts within several areas of industry, or to learn how this applies to your field, speak to the staff at EnviroTech today.