Guide to Manufacturing Processes for Plastics

Plastics are among the most common materials for producing end-use parts and products, ranging from consumer goods to medical devices. With their versatility, thousands of polymer options exist, each offering unique mechanical properties. But how exactly are plastic parts created?

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A variety of plastic manufacturing processes have been developed to cater to a broad range of applications, part geometries, and plastic types. For designers and engineers in product development, it's crucial to understand the current manufacturing options available and anticipate new developments.

This guide provides an overview of the most common manufacturing processes for producing plastic parts and offers guidelines to select the best option for your application.

How to Choose the Right Plastic Manufacturing Process

Consider the following factors when selecting a manufacturing process for your product:

Form

Do your parts have complex internal features or tight tolerance requirements? Depending on the design geometry, manufacturing options might be limited or require significant design for manufacturing (DFM) optimization to make production economical.

Volume/Cost

What's the total or annual volume of parts you're planning to manufacture? Some processes have high upfront costs for tooling and setup but produce parts at a low per-part cost. In contrast, low volume manufacturing processes have lower startup costs but involve slower cycle times, less automation, and manual labor, keeping the per-part cost fairly constant or only marginally decreasing with volume increases.

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Lead Time

How quickly do you need parts or finished goods produced? Some processes can create the first parts within 24 hours, whereas tooling and setup for high-volume production processes might take months.

Material

What stresses and strains must your product withstand? Picking the right material involves balancing cost against functional and aesthetic requirements. Evaluate the ideal characteristics for your application and compare them with the material choices available in the manufacturing processes.

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