10 Benefits of Converting Metal Parts to Plastic
When manufacturing a part, you want to utilize a strong material that will stand the test of time. In the past, metal has been the material of choice, but advancements in the plastic industry have led to plastic resins that outperform metal. With proper design, engineered plastics and high-performance resins can be just as strong as metal. Many manufacturers are seeing many benefits of converting their metal parts to plastics. Let’s take a look at some of the top benefits and learn why you may want to consider converting metal parts to plastic.
Converting Metal Parts to Plastic: Why You Should Do It
- Reduced Cost: Plastic is a less expensive raw material compared to metal. Many times manufacturers will see an overall cost reduction converting metal parts to plastics due to injection molding, plastic weight reduction over metal and part consolidation.
- Higher Productivity: The process of manufacturing plastic utilizes different processes compared to metal. Injection molding can be utilized which allows for higher volume of parts produced.
- Faster Production Times: Due to processes like injection molding, cycle times are shorter and part are produced faster and more efficiently.
- Part Consolidation: Multiple part components can be incorporated into a single mold when using plastic. This increases the strength of the overall part.
- Longer Life: Plastic is corrosion resistant. This eliminates the need for secondary coatings and sprays.
- Thermally Conductive: Conducting plastics have been proven to offer cooling performance comparable to that of metal. They are resistant to heat and chemicals.
- Weight Reduction: Reducing part weight by using plastic gives you more parts per pound of material, significantly reduces shipping costs, and in some cases can improve the ease of use with the product.
- Design Flexibility: Complex parts are easier to produce out of plastic than metal. Injection molding easily allows for under-cuts, threads, ports and tight tolerances.
- Durability: There is added strength in plastic parts. The ability to mold in features for structural strength like ribs, bosses and gussets allows strength to be increased without adding additional cost.
- Labor Savings: Parts composed of plastic require little to no assembly to create the final product. Secondary operations such as welding, painting, and laser marking can many times be eliminated.
Should You Make the Switch?
Are you considering converting metal parts to plastic? Let Innovative Plastics walk you through the process. Our design engineers can look at your project and determine if it is suitable to for metal to plastic conversion. If you are starting a new project or looking to convert an old one – give us a call today. Let us put our experience to work for you.
