The plastic fabrication industry serves a diverse cross-section of commercial and industrial interests. Innumerable products require custom plastic components to optimally suit their applications, driving constant market demand for experienced plastic parts fabricators dedicated to quality and service. Read on to learn more about the advantages of custom plastic machining and the industries that most commonly benefit from these services.
Benefits of Custom Plastic Machining
Choosing to incorporate custom-machined parts of durable plastic can be highly advantageous for your end products. The primary benefits of this process include:
- Design versatility and improved product functionality. Plastic machining lends itself to custom production, enabling an impressive design flexibility that other manufacturing techniques can’t achieve. The process creates complex and diverse shapes, precision products that facilitate integration into final assemblies, and parts ideally suited to specialized applications to offer maximal performance.
- High-quality materials with reliable durability. The technique’s compatibility with high-quality plastics equates to reduced part maintenance, replacement, and associated costs. Depending on the type of plastic you choose for your custom machined parts, manufacturers can enhance a product’s durability, longevity, and resistance to factors like wear, high temperatures, and chemical exposure.
- Faster prototyping and production. Greatly accelerating the design and prototyping phases of production, plastic machining allows you to quickly develop, test, and modify designs, then streamline production and shorten your product’s time to market.
- Scalable production volume. It’s possible to accommodate very large or small production volumes with custom plastic machining. Based on demand and order size, plastic parts manufacturers have the flexibility to scale operations with minimal effort or delay.
Top 10 Industries That Rely on Custom Plastic Machining
Its high versatility lends custom plastic machining to many different markets.
Military
The military is one of the top markets for plastic fabrication services. Military organizations capitalize on the benefits of machining to generate high volumes of strong yet affordable components ranging from personal protective equipment (PPE) and gear to parts for mechanical and electrical systems.
Aviation/Aerospace
Since 1970, these industries’ use of plastic components has quadrupled. Companies are swapping metal for plastics to create FAA-compliant parts that have comparable strength at a fraction of the weight. Maximizing strength-to-weight ratios in this way helps dramatically cut down on fuel costs (approximately $1,000 saved for every pound taken off a plane’s weight over the craft’s lifespan).
Telecommunications
Telecom companies depend on custom plastic machining services to rapidly manufacture long-lasting parts that improve network performance and reduce downtime. With the potential to dissipate static, plastics can also provide high corrosion and thermal resistance, all properties that help telecom components protect sensitive electrical devices against damage.
Consumer Electronics
Plastic parts manufacturers also assist the modern consumer electronics industry. Lightweight, durable machined components of hard plastic provide an affordable means of protecting cellular phones, computers, and other sensitive or portable electronic devices.
Medical
The healthcare sector depends on highly specialized, precision plastic components that are long-lasting, simple to clean, and meet strict regulatory standards. Alternatively, the industry also utilizes disposable plastic products that must be produced economically. Custom plastic machining can achieve these goals affordably and efficiently.
Construction
While plastics aren’t typically the ideal material for structural applications, the construction industry still relies on many custom-machined plastic components. Common examples include tools and hardware that are economical and lightweight yet durable.
Oil and Gas
The oil and gas sector requires highly specialized plastic parts capable of withstanding extremely high temperatures, pressures, and loads. Plastic also resists many types of chemicals and oil while supporting operational safety, allowing companies to machine components that are fully compliant with all necessary industry standards, including ISO, ASME, API, NACE, and Norsok.
Agriculture
From irrigation systems and spray tanks to augers and greenhouse components, plastic machined parts are indispensable to modern agriculture. In fact, the U.S. agricultural sector utilizes an estimated 1 billion pounds of plastic per year. Custom components of plastic construction help agricultural operations protect the land and crops from weeds, insects, and even excessive sunlight and moisture loss in dry locations.
Food
Products machined from food-safe plastics help food and beverage companies meet FDA regulations. From safe food storage to utensils, the food and beverage market reaps the benefits of custom plastic goods.
Waste Treatment
Plastic machined products are ideal for wastewater treatment applications, due to their material’s high chemical resistance and low porosity. Custom plastic valves, pipes, rollers, and screens don’t absorb moisture or contaminants, helping improve sanitation at waste treatment facilities.
Custom Plastic Machining at WS Hampshire, Inc.
Custom plastic machining provides several key benefits, facilitating rapid prototyping and scalable production. Advancements in the plastic machining industry make increasingly complex parts possible while reducing costs and products’ time to market. At WS Hampshire, we pride ourselves on being at the forefront of plastic machining, creating high-quality components tailored to your specific applications. To learn more about our capabilities for custom production and how we can support projects in your industry, contact us today.