Common Methods of Plastic Fabrication

When you hire a company for plastic fabrication service in Utah, you expect that your product will come out exactly as you expected, if not better. But how do they do it? What is plastic fabrication? As a plastic-based product creator, you probably have some insight into the process, or maybe you work in an industry that manufactures or sells plastic products and want to learn more.

First, let us talk about plastic fabrication. Essentially, plastic fabrication is the design and manufacturing of a variety of plastic products for a wide range of industries. A skilled plastic fabrication company can do this through one of several different methods. But why plastic? Many product manufactures prefer plastic fabrication, as opposed to working with other materials like glass or metal, because the process offers advantages in some applications. Plastic is malleable, durable and cost-effective, which makes it a versatile material for a range of product types.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the more common methods of plastic fabrication.

Plastic welding

Plastic welding is a process that uses heat to melt pieces of a project together; it’s particularly effective when working with thermoplastics that are not suited for adhesive binding. A filler material is used to fuse individual pieces together, which is especially helpful when the plastic pieces have very different melting points. Furthermore, there are several methods that can be used to reach a successful weld, including hot gas emissions, spinning, contact welding and high frequency vibration. The welding equipment used depends on the selected process and type of plastic.

Compounding

Compounding, also called blending, is a type of plastic fabrication method that mixes or blends together two or more plastics prior to their being formed into a single component; the melted plastic mixture is formed with a mold or other shaping tools. Some of these plastic compounds include base resins, polymer fillers, flame retardants and purge compounds. The compounding method is regularly used to improve material processing of plastic blends or to enhance product performance with the goal of creating a material that is beneficial to a specific application.

Molding processes

Molding is a method of plastic fabrication in which plastic is formed into specified shapes. This is done by letting the heated, flexible plastic piece cool and harden inside or around a mold. The plastic molding method can be executed in numerous ways, including blow molding (which is used to create things like bottles and fuel tanks), injection molding (to make items on a high melt index) and rotational molding (used in making hollow plastic products, like automotive parts, toys and canoes).

There are some things to keep in mind when choosing a plastic fabrication process or method, including product functionality and the ease of manufacturing. Note that some methods are not so great for fabricating certain types of plastic. As a result, they may not work for your project.

If you need the help of a plastic fabrication service in Utah, don’t hesitate to reach out to the team at D&D Plastics. Call us today!

Categorised in: Plastic Fabrication Company

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