In the many steps for making your invention a reality, prototyping is a vital step. The prototype of your invention is where your idea finally takes physical form and leaves the blueprinting phase. The prototype stage is a time for showing your product to investors, testing your product, getting feedback, and finding things you didn’t even think of in the planning and design stages. For plastic prototypes, many designers choose between 3D printing and custom injection molding.

Pros and Cons: 3D Printing

3D printing is most commonly used by designers that need small quantities of their product or are looking to save money. Although purchasing and maintaining a 3D printer can be expensive, there are 3D printing facilities that can be rented. 3D printing is ideal for a prototype that is going to have many different iterations early on. 3D printing is not cost effective if you plan on creating your prototype in bulk. 3D printing also offers less variety of materials. 3D printing also requires that the inventor is experienced with digital design on supported software. Otherwise, the designer can hire a tech designer to help navigate the software.

Pros and Cons: Custom Injection Molding

Injection molding provides product designers with many benefits. Injection molding is perfect for producing prototypes en masse. Some plastic molding companies use Mold Flow software to minimize risk and maximize product perfection. This software allows the mold to be designed and tested digitally so that the mold can be used effectively. Injection molding also creates more uniform plastic pieces than a 3D printer. There is less error when using custom designed molds. When a designer has settled on a design for their plastic part, using custom injection molding ensures a high level of accuracy for less overhead cost. Injection molding also has efficiency in timing over 3D printing.

A Hybrid Method

Because of their various pros and cons, many designers develop their parts in two waves. In early prototype development, 3D printing allows for flexibility. If the product fails or it needs to be improved, at least you didn’t waste time and money developing a mold that is now unusable or getting hundreds of obsolete products. However, once a design is settled on, custom injection moldings is a cost and time effective way to produce the prototype accurately while also improving the product by using stronger or more flexible plastics.

If you are looking for a cost-effective way to develop your product, Lee’s Plastics offers professional custom mold injection. We also provide Mold Flow Analysis when needed to create the perfect mold for your product. Contact us to learn about our process and to submit your design.

Injection molding is a vital step in the process of getting a variety of products to market. Not only is it an important step, but it can also be a very costly one. In order to cut the cost of injection molding, you have to understand what affects the cost, to begin with. There are three main factors that can influence the cost of injection molding.

Physical and Cosmetic Design

The first factor is likely the most obvious – design. Larger parts require higher machine rates than their smaller counterparts which can quickly drive the price up. Very large molds may require extra set-up time before the production can begin. That extra set-up requires extra labor, which comes with a higher price tag. Of course, larger designs also require more materials to create the part. Another factor of your design that could be affecting the price tag is the chosen surface finish type. High-quality and optically clear finishes require more labor during the manufacturing process, bringing a higher cost along with it. the lower-quality the surface type you choose the cheaper the design will be to produce.

Material Costs

We mentioned material costs when discussing design, but there’s more to consider than just the amount of materials used. The type of resin your produce requires can cause a large price variation. For instance, products using more complex resins will be vastly more expensive than those using commodity resins. The filled resins require specialized equipment during the manufacturing process which is largely what leads to the higher price tag.

Manufacturing Costs

The cost to actually manufacture the product at hand will, of course, impact the final cost. More specifically, the tooling cost is an important variable to consider. We already mentioned that larger parts require a larger mold which takes more time and manpower to create, but size isn’t the only factor that impacts tooling costs. If your product requires a high number of cavities, tooling costs will be higher. Your tooling cost could see an increase of over 50% if you choose to double the number of cavities required. However, by increasing the number of cavities you’re also increasing the speed that your product can be produced. In this scenario, it’s important to speak with your manufacturer to learn how all of those factors are impacting the final cost. If you find that your design is out of your desired budget, there are plenty of small changes you can make to lower the final cost.

In a society that has placed such an emphasis on going eco-friendly with all of our products and making choices that will benefit our environment, recycling is among one of the top ways in which people contribute. We’ve been taught that it is important, so we separate our cans, cardboard, and plastics before disposing of them. We then dump them in a blue container labeled “recycling” rather than the trash can. But where do these items go? Are they used, and are we really making a difference with our efforts? Recycled plastic is used for a variety of things across many industries. Here are a few of the top uses for recycled plastic.

Bottles

The plastic bottles used for your water, juice, or soda can be turned into a variety of items when recycled. Clothing items such as t-shirts, sweaters, and jackets are among a few of them. Sleeping bags and carpeting can also be made from recycled bottle plastic.

Bottle Caps

They may be small, but you’d be surprised what they can turn into! The recycled plastic of bottle caps can be used to produce garden rakes, storage containers, shopping bags, brooms, and even car batteries! So the next time you finish a water bottle, be sure to recycle the bottle with the cap still on.

Plastic Containers

The container that your shampoo or soap comes in, laundry detergent, milk jugs, etc., are made of a lightweight, sturdy plastic that typically differs from that of a water bottle. These plastics can be used to create new bottles or containers, picnic tables, lawn furniture, playground equipment, and more!

Contact Lee Plastics

With the many examples above of how recycled plastic can be used, you can be rest assured that your recycling efforts are not going to waste! Many of the custom plastics that we create here at Lee Plastics are recyclable. To learn more or to get started on a mold injection project, contact us today!

When you think of plastic, you may think of some of the common uses such as plastic bags or straws, which have begun to take on a bad reputation in the past few years, as we recognize the harsh effects they can have on our earth. However, when we talk about plastic, we think about all of the intricate pieces that are in so many of the items, clothing, and appliances we use daily that enhance the quality of our lives; Some of these pieces so minuscule that you don’t even know they are there. Here are 3 different ways that plastic is used to make these aspects of our lives easier and more efficient.

Packaging

Because plastic is lightweight, yet durable, it’s an ideal material to be molded into different forms for packaging purposes. It’s especially ideal for food packaging, as it keeps fresh longer, reducing waste from spoiled food. As technology advances, plastic packaging has become significantly more efficient over the years.

Transportation

You’d be surprised to know how much of your car is actually made of plastic: New vehicle’s total volume is over 50% plastic. From steering wheels to door liners, seatbelts, stereo pieces, and even components of your engine are made of plastic. Even your windshield has a layer of plastic between two sheets of glass, to help protect you in case of a crash. As technology continues to advance, even more of your car may be made up of plastic, as it helps to reduce the weight of cars and trucks making them more fuel efficient.

Sports

Plastic is found in the sports world for a variety of uses, from equipment to apparel, and even on the fields. The helmets and plastic foam pads you wear in football, and mouthguards all help to protect you during play. Equipment such as distance markers in football, shin guards for soccer, and cleats all contain plastic, as it is a lightweight material that will still allow you to move quickly during the game. The turf of a football or soccer field might even use plastic to reduce water.

Contact Lee Plastics

These are just a few applications of plastic in our daily lives. If you’re manufacturing a product that requires plastic, talk to our team to see how plastic mold injection could benefit your project. This process allows for custom, intricate pieces to be molded in mass production. Fill out a contact form or give us a call today to learn more!

Custom plastic mold injection is widely used across many industries to mass produce precision parts of all sizes, ranging from tiny water bottle caps to large automobile parts. Being the most versatile of the molding processes, it leaves endless opportunities for creation. The efficiency and low cost of injection molding also make this a popular choice among many. Take a look at how these 3 industries utilize this manufacturing process.

Food and Beverage

The food and beverage is one of the top industries that have benefited from the use of custom mold injections. Anything used in this industry must be safe for human health according to the FDA, with may specifications including BPA-free and other non-toxic guidelines. Companies often use this process to produce conveyor system components, beverage caps, processing equipment components, beverage filtering components, and food or beverage containers.

Medical

Because of the extremely high pressure, plastic injection molding allows for the intricate detailing that medical equipment needs. With today’s rapidly advancing technology in medicine, companies need to keep up with the ever-changing medical field. The ease of mass production makes it easy to create a prototype, and produce the quantity of tools needed. Some of the most popular uses are diagnostic test kits, surgical prep products, dental x-ray component, and more.

Windows & Doors

Plastic injection molding is an optimal choice for the window and door industry, as the precision of our parts can meet specific applications to fit any project. Parts can also be made with weatherability and thermal characteristics. Using plastic resins rather than metal components can save you big on manufacturing costs when it comes to doors and windows.

Contact Lee Plastics

These are just 3 of the many industries that have taken advantage of the versatile, low-cost process of injection molding. To learn more and determine how you can utilize this process, contact the experts at Lee Plastics! Fill out an online contact form or give us a call today at 978-422-7611. 

Injection molding is one of the primary processes used for producing plastic articles, as it is a highly versatile method. It is a time-efficient and cost-effective process, capable of producing mass quantities of identical items. It can be used for anything from high precision engineering parts, to disposable consumer goods. Almost all sectors of manufacturing, from automobiles to children toys, use injection molded parts. There are many advantages to using this method, in comparison to other methods of plastic molding.

Advantages:

• Fast Production- One of the greatest advantages of using plastic mold injection is its high-efficiency rate. Once the injection molds have been designed, the molding process is very quick, producing high volumes of parts per hour. Depending on the number of impressions, it’ll typically take 15-30 seconds for each cycle time. This means that more parts can be manufactured from just a single mold. The production rate makes for a very cost-effective and efficient method.
• Detailed Features- Because the injection molds are exposed to extremely high pressure, it is possible to add intricate details into the design using this method. The molds are pressed harder against the mold than any other process, making it easier to create these complex designs and shapes.
• Multiple Plastic Types- With plastic injection molding you have the ability to use different types of plastic simultaneously. This can be done by using co-injection molding, which opens up your options to use multiple types of plastic. You can also easily change the color of the plastic, in addition to the material.
• Increased Strength– Injection molding allows for the use of filler in the molds. Using fillers can help reduce the density of the plastic while it’s being molded, which also helps add greater strength to the part once the process is complete. If you’re looking for durability in your parts, plastic injection molding is the most effective method.
• Low Costs– The majority of the injection process is performed by machines and robotics, which only takes one operator to manage. The use of automation helps to reduce overhead manufacturing costs. It also helps cut labor costs, making the overall cost of the manufactured product much lower. These savings can be reflected in the cost of the product being manufactured.

Contact Lee Plastics: With over 100 years experience in the plastic industry, Lee Plastics is well-equipped to take on any project, no matter how big or small. To learn more about our plastic mold injection services, contact us today! Fill out our contact form or call us directly at (978) 422-7611.

Antimicrobial materials reduce the chance of infection significantly.  This is especially useful in medical devices molded with this material.  Healthcare acquired infections, or HAIs, are a statistic that can cause alarm in the healthcare community so it is meticulously tracked to make sure products are safe for use.

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services launched a goal in 2011 to decrease the rate of HAIs by 40% compared to the previous years numbers, with an ultimate goal of eliminating all HAIs. Devices like in-dwelling urinary or vascular access catheters, IV components, wound dressings,  medical equipment, and implantable devices are all using antimicrobial materials in production.

The challenge is finding a way to keep the devices antimicrobial for the lifetime of the product. Silver is a widely used coating and is known to kill over 99.99% of bacteria within 24 hours of contact. It remains effective over the lifetime of the product. Newly advanced polymers are also being made with antimicrobial agents embedded in the resin itself.

Antimicrobial resins have been developed than can kill the most deadly infections, including MRSA, a most resistant and potentially deadly bacterial infection often found in hospitals.

When the iPhone 5c was first announced, many were excited about the new alternative to the expensive iPhone 5s.  Even though it didn’t have as many advanced features, it was $100 cheaper. Apple even made plastic a part of its appeal and advertised it as “beautifully, unapologetically plastic.”

Now, after the underwhelming success of the 5c, they are blaming it on the plastic. Former Apple ad executive Ken Segall wrote in his Observatory blog,”Clearly plastic was a big part of the iPhone 5c strategy. The launch ad was entitled Plastic Perfected. The launch video featured Jony Ive explaining that iPhone 5c was ‘unapologetically plastic.’ There was a strategic plan to head off the potential negative by boldly proclaiming it as a positive. There was some risk there, given that Samsung’s plastic Galaxy phone was often criticized for not being as substantial as iPhone.”

What do you think the reason was for the 5c’s flop? Was it the plastic? or was it because it came with less features?