Reducing overall part weight has a dramatic impact on a company’s bottom line through savings in shipping, packaging, and installation costs. Below is a diagram released by PolyOne® Distribution highlighting the ability of being able to reduce the overall parts of a luminaire by converting to plastic. It is still a clear advantage that plastics can provide when consistent reuse occurs. So they cannot be corroded easily. injection molding. In addition to lower raw material and manufacturing costs, working with plastic allows product designers to incorporate multiple part components into a single mold or extrusion, reducing assembly costs and increasing the overall durability of the final product. Plastic resins are continually evolving, becoming more suitable to accommodate modern product demands of being lightweight, durable, thermally conductive, and easy to manufacture. It is clear to see that converting from a traditional metal luminaire system to one composed mostly of plastic dramatically reduces the amount of assembly required to create the final product. Because various metal parts in old vehicles are replaced with plastic parts. Companies are constantly dealing with tight margins and increasingly competitive marketplaces which puts an enormous amount of pressure on engineering teams trying to develop new products that are both cost-effective and of sound design. One of the main advantages to using plastic as a construction material is the cost to produce and use plastics – it is less expensive than most other materials. Combined with it’s toughness and versatility, this makes it the go-to material for all kinds of electronics. Lower electrical and thermal conductivity. Engineering plastics have become much more commonplace in the manufacturing industry over recent years, due to possessing a number of advantages over other materials. Indeed, engineering plastics have replaced metal in the manufacture of many different products. Therefore plastic part weight and cost are less compared to metal parts. Extremes of heat and cold can damage metal over time from continual expansion and contraction. Polyethylene Buckets. In this article we will discuss various advantages and disadvantages of plastic over metal parts. Easy adherence to various regulatory compliances. The major advantages of plastics over ceramics, glasses and metals are: 1. But plastics do not react with air or water. Reduced part weight. Whereas machined metal parts do not require special tooling. Plastic resins are continually evolving, becoming more suitable to accommodate modern product demands of being lightweight, durable, thermally conductive, and easy to manufacture. Can replace wood (from chairs, furnitures and what not). When we talk about replacing metal parts with plastics. Different parts require different injection molds. 1. Improved strength: Metal grades tend to be stronger, harder, … Some disadvantages of using plastics are that they pollute the environment, pose a danger to wildlife, … Plastics are not good conductors of heat. Lightweight properties are important when considering the cost and ease of installation, especially for pipe and tanks. However, many polymers cannot take exposure to extreme temperatures and don't always hold their shape in water. Pom Injection. Log in. One obvious advantage comes to mind is lower manufacturing cost and reduced weight. Therefore, it is used for making many utensils and storing various chemicals. When it comes to manufacturing parts and components, most companies use either plastic or metal material. Answered List the advantages of plastic over metal 2 See answers In a recent "Automotive Plastics Report," Market Search, Inc., Toledo, OH, identified five areas in which plastics suppliers will find strong opportunities over the next five years: Metal-based medical tools have now been replaced with plastic alternatives. Metals generally provide the following advantages over plastic fabrication: Heat resistance: Metals typically have a higher melting-point and are less likely to degrade under elevated temperatures. Best CNC Router and Desktop CNC Machines for Prototyping, Best 3D Rendering Software for Beginners and Experts in 2020, Various types of Metal 3D Printer Technologies. Manufacturing process is very difficult to control. Tolerance Stackup Analysis : Worst Case ... Heat Sink Thermal Resistance and Size Ca... Best CNC Router and Desktop CNC Machines... Best 3D Rendering Software for Beginners... Superior Design Flexibility (Integrating multiple parts into one part). Plastics are produced in faster cycles than metals which helps keep manufacturing costs down as well. Weight Advantages. Additionally, overall part weight is reduced and the manufacturing process becomes more efficient by going with plastic over metal with minimal secondary operations needed. List of the Disadvantages of Plastics. It is also known as the strength/weight ratio. Plastic over metal- Molding of a plastic substrate on top of a metal cast/part. Below is a specific gravity (kg/dm3) comparison of a few common metals compared to commonly used plastic resins: Although part weight reduction can be attributed to a large portion of cost savings for companies, plastic parts also generally cost less than their metal counterparts. But cost and weight are not the only factor that industries are using more plastic parts in their products. Click this link for more details on snap joints. Plastics can not be used for very high and low temperature ranges. Advantages of plastics over ceramics, glasses, and metallic materials are as follows: Plastic over ceramics: 1) Plastics denture are more preferred by doctors because ceramics dentures are less durable and have less chemical bonding with the plastic base. 1. The plastics industry only consumes 4% of the world’s oil production as feedstock. The advantages of using composites include: 1. The Advantages of Plastic over Metal As many industries become increasingly aware of the benefits of metal-to-plastic conversion, high-volume injection molding is quickly becoming the method of choice for part manufacture. Therefore it helps in reducing product cost. Read on to learn all about it from the plastics professionals. The benefits of using plastics over metalshas been one of the major reasons for this growth. jainam76 jainam76 04.06.2019 Chemistry Secondary School +5 pts. Read on to learn all about it from the plastics professionals. Therefore, designed plastic parts are lighter in weight compared to metal parts. Other materials, like rubber, are less than ideal for making many of the things we use plastics for instead. If you are starting a new project or are looking to convert a current product from metal to plastic, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 847.439.6770 or email us at sales@customplasticsinc.com. Nylon Buckets. The advantages of using composites over metals highly depend on the application. If plastic parts design is not as per guidelines or process is not controlled, various Plastic injection molding defects are observed. Assembly features such as snap are used to join plastic parts. Plastic bumpers absorb shock, plastic dashboards and door panels are a little kinder on your head during a wreck, and plastic fuel tanks minimize explosion risks. We are proud to offer several decades of injection molding experience. However, over the last sixty years there have been major advancements in the field of plastic engineering leading to new engineering-grade plastic resins that are continuously outperforming metal in industries across the board. Join now. For example, Latest manufactured vehicles are low in weight compared to old vehicles. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. These advantages are quantified in Table 1.2 where, for example, it is seen that nylon has a specific gravity about one-sixth that of … It’s even been used to create bullet proof vests that are stronger and lighter than some of the other materials they’ve been … With less weight in the aircraft structure, significant operational cost savings are realized; payload yields increased, maintenance costs decreased, and gre… Please add your comments, questions or suggestions on advantages and limitations of injection molded plastic parts in the comment box. Plastic products play a major role in … Concepts like single-use medical examination kits which make use of sterilized plastic instruments, as well as dis… Polymer and composite materials are up to ten times lighter than typical metals. With the invention of plastic injection molding techniques, the interest of manufacturers in using plastics for medical applications has seen a huge surge. But cost and weight are not the only factor that industries are using more plastic parts in their products. The production of most plastic products is not energy intensive compared to metals, glass and paper. Injection molding process is very difficult to control. This results in lower cost to manufacture parts from plastics over metal. Plastic parts offer several universal benefits over metal, including: Can have higher tensile strength vs. many types of metal The rest is used for energy and transport. The engineering team here at Custom Plastics has decades of experience in assisting companies during the design phase of projects and are experts at letting our customers know what types of designs can and cannot work for plastic extrusion and injection molding. Over 31,000 people in the United States are directly employed in the manufacturing of plastic bags. This plastic conversion model that the lighting industry is moving forward with can easily be applied to many industries across the globe. are used to get samples quicker. This plastic conversion model that the lighting industry is moving forward with can easily be applied to many industries across the globe. Requires less heat (than metal or glass) for giving a shape. Therefore plastic parts have a disadvantage of higher lead time compared to metal parts. Therefore plastic parts can not be used where high heat and thermal conductivity is required. (a) Following are the top advantages of using plastics over metals for various industrial applications: 1.) One of the main advantages to using plastic as a construction material is the cost to produce and use plastics – it is less expensive than most other materials. We will keep updating this article on advantages and disadvantages of plastic over metal. The type of equipment used in operations depends on the material. This is particularly true when it comes to metal. Chemical resistance : Plastics are generally less susceptible to damage from chemicals or chemical reactions, such as oxidation or rusting, than metals. You can expect 25 to 30% cost saving with metal-to-plastic conversion. Over 60 years of extrusion experience, with continuous value-added features incorporated over the years. Click this link for more details on snap joints. As a result product assembly time and cost is reduced. The plastics industry in the U.S. is currently the eighth-largest one presently operating. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. This is generally performed on the thin sheet of aluminum or thin sheet of glass or plastic. The rest is used for energy and transport. This material is non-corrosive, tough and flexible, which makes polyethylene perfect for free-flowing product applications. Thermoplastics parts are lighter in weight. It is generally cheaper and can easily be produced in much larger quantities than metal. A common property of composite materials is their light weight-to-strength ratio or “specific strength”. In Thin layer Chromatography also called (TLC) is widely used method for the separation and detection of an molecule from a given mixture of compounds.. Plastics are cheaper as compared to metals. Specific strength is a material’s tensile or compression force per unit area at the point of failure, divided by its density. Traditionally, plastic itself is often a less expensive raw material compared to metal. Even now, over half a century later, many manufacturers are still not really aware of the benefits of choosing plastic parts that they can’t get from using metal parts.Plastic isn’t only extremely durable and extremely reliable; it … Many plastics have exceptional weight to strength ratios, meaning that for the weight of the product they are very strong. Plastics are corrosion resistant and non-conductive in nature. Ask any metal manufacturer the same question and you will get a list of reasons why metal is superior. Lower cost: Generally, plastic gears are less expensive to produce than metal gears. Therefore plastics offer advantages of eliminating secondary finish operation. Elk Grove Village, IL. For instance, a plastic molding machine is ideal when dealing with polymers. But For smaller volumes Plastic Prototyping techniques are used to get samples quicker. Rubber over metal- Molding of a flexible rubber substrate on top of a metal cast/part. Light weight in plastics is due to three factors: low density, reasonably high strength, and ability to be molded or extruded in thin-walled shapes. The production of most plastic products is not energy intensive compared to metals, glass and paper. Additionally, new concepts have been made possible with the use of plastic parts. Buckets that are constructed from rigid and abrasion-resistant nylon are ideal for their ability to stand up to extreme abuse. Plastic parts are manufactured with an injection molding process. Metal parts require secondary finishing operations to achieve required aesthetics and corrosion resistance. 1. Lower Production Cost If production volumes are high. Your email address will not be published. Properties like lightweight, durability, thermal conductivity, faster manufacturing, etc are some key advantages of using plastics over metals. At Custom Plastics, Inc., we can provide in-house, value-added finishing services. Join now. Plastics are more durable than ceramics, glasses, and metals. This low weight means much less raw materials and less impact on the environment if using plastics over metals. Plastic wastage during injection molding can be reduced by using hot runner injection mold.Â. This process has an advantage of manufacturing complex features, geometries and integrating multiple metal parts in one plastic part. With the invention of new polymers, plastics are fast replacing their metal counterparts in multiple industries like automobiles, medical care, agriculture, aerospace, and hospitality. Advantages of Plastic over Metal When we talk about replacing metal parts with plastics. designers across various industries are reducing product cost by incorporating plastics parts. If a part is too expensive for the market, it will never sell, regardless of how amazing a new part design is or how much it will change the industry it is suited for. Superior design flexibility. One obvious advantage comes to mind is lower manufacturing cost and reduced weight. Plastics are more resistant to chemicals than their metal counterparts. The Advantages of Plastic over Metal. Table 2 summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of high temperature thermoplastics over metals. Plastics are made out of different resins. Ask your question. Lower packaging and shipping costs. For industries that need designing options, geometry and different kinds of textures, plastics are going to be the most suited materials. Polymer materials handle far better than metals in … Plastics have actually been used in cars since the 1950s, but it’s the latest innovations that are really changing the industry for the better. The automotive industry is a perfect example of this struggle – the federal government has established new standards requiring that by 2025 automotive brands must average 54.5 MPG throughout their consumer vehicle line-up for cars and light trucks; a daunting task for automotive designers who have to redesign their vehicles with materials that are cost effective, just as durable as their metal counterparts, but weigh significantly less. List the advantages of plastic over metal Get the answers you need, now! Polymer parts do not require post-treatment finishing efforts, unlike metal. Plastics typically come from non-renewable resources. Polymers such as plastic can be easily formed to make almost any imaginable shape and they are normally durable. Even with these gains on the auto front by metal makers, plastics continue their onslaught onto the automakers' components menu. Let’s discuss above disadvantages of plastic parts over metal in detail: Plastics have a disadvantage of higher injection molding tool development cost. Injection molding gear rack. Whereas metal parts are machined from relatively larger blocks. Unlike metals and ceramics, polymers don't require finishing to look good and last for a long time. In composite fiber laminate applications, tenacity is the usual measure of specific strength. Along with so many advantages, Using plastic parts instead of metal can have following limitations as well. Therefore plastic has the advantage of manufacturing parts with negligible wastage compared to metal parts. Plastics now offer similar tensile strengths of metal, can be thermally conductive, resistant to heat and chemicals, and offer many other properties once thought of to be unique to metals. Plastics of the following advantages over metals: Plastics are highly flexible as compared to metals. Faster manufacturing times. The manufacturing of plastic parts is budget-friendly. What are some advantages of using plastics over metals? In other words, many industrial applications can … Another very distinct advantage of FRP is its low weight-to-strength ratio. AIP explains the advantages of using plastics over metals in our infographic below, with special emphasis on how each industry benefits from using polymers. Lower cycle time helps in reducing plastic part manufacturing cost compared to metal parts. Whereas plastics have inherent corrosion resistance properties and required aesthetic finish can be achieved during injection molding. What are some advantages of using plastic over metals? Apart from weight and cost, plastic parts have the following advantages compared to metal parts. Even if you choose a fabric bag over a plastic one, you must use the reusable bag at least 40 times before you’re matching the environmental footprint of a similar plastic … Reduced waste. Just as the auto industry is dealing with reducing automotive weight and increasing efficiency, industries across the board are dealing with the issue of improving their part designs to outperform their competitors while reducing overall part costs. Specifically within the lighting industry, we are seeing many manufacturers of luminaires converting their metal housing and heat sinks into single injection molded parts using modern engineering-grade polymers that have similar properties as aluminum. Recycling processes can change the comparison at times. Advantages. This results in much reduced maintenance and repair costs. This is the main reason that plastic is commonly used in construction. AIP explains the advantages of using plastics over metals in our infographic below, with special emphasis on how each industry benefits from using polymers. Remote controls, computers, TVs, kitchen appliances – you name it and chances are it’s made of plastic. Advantages of Plastics are many- made from residual content of petrol/diesel, propylene and ethylene gas are the raw materials for polypropylene and polyethylene. This method is used for the separation of non volatile compounds. These modern plastics are also much more durable so they can resist hail and heavy snow or even flying baseballs or hockey pucks! Advantages of plastics over ceramics, glasses, and metallic materials are as follows: Plastic over ceramics: 1) Plastics denture are more preferred by doctors because ceramics dentures are less durable and have less chemical bonding with the plastic base. Plastics manufacturing process has advantages of Integrating assembly features in plastic parts itself. Parts designed and manufactured by Diversified Plastics offer many advantages over metal — particularly in environments with high exposure to water and chemicals or where weight and/or friction are factors. Our ISO 9001 Quality System assures repeatability, conformance, and continuous improvement. Metal vents, whether they are aluminium or galvanized, are prone to corrosion in wet environments especially if damaged. Plastic parts are manufactured by flowing molten plastic in the mold. Engineered polymers and plastics are continuing to replace aluminum and other metals in automobiles, with the average car interior now being made up of over 50% plastics. Required fields are marked *, Convection Calculator : Convective Heat Transfer, K-factor Calculator for Sheet Metal Bending. 2/25/15 — Ask any plastic manufacturer if a part should be designed in plastic or metal and they will give a list of reasons why plastic is always the way to go. These include wear and chemical resistance. 2. Additionally, overall part weight is reduced and the manufacturing process becomes more efficient by going with plastic over metal with minimal secondary operations needed. Plastic offers many advantages over metal, including cost, design, processing, and performance. Some Disadvantages & Advantages of an TLC.. New plastic materials offer strength and stiffness comparable to steel, and innovative processing capabilities allow us to machine plastic parts with tight tolerances. As a rule of thumb, for the same strength, FRP will weigh approximately one seventh as much as steel, and half as much as aluminum. With the help of our engineering team, companies are often relieved that we are able to modify and adjust part designs to maximize efficiencies and reduce secondary tooling costs that often plague companies after the initial sample run is complete. Which has relatively lower cycle time. Advantages of Plastic. Although metal products still exist, many companies have switched over to plastic for various reasons. To sum up, product designers across various industries are reducing product cost by incorporating plastics parts. Ten years dedicated to custom engineering plastics parts manufacturers +86-020-82257313 [email protected] Home; Products. Certainly there will always be a need for metal, but for many industrial and consumer markets, plastic is becoming the material of choice for many convincing reasons, and the most important of which is cost reduction. While each plastic resin has its own properties, all Fabriplastic polymers in general offer superior flexibility when compared to metals. Lighter weight: Plastics typically weigh less than metals of comparable dimensions. So how does the process of overmolding actually work? Generally speaking, the main benefits of using composites are: 1. Plastics offer various advantages compared to metal parts while fulfilling all functional requirements. Therefore plastic parts have a disadvantage of higher lead time compared to metal parts. What was missing from the article, and from Dietrich's report, was commentary on the substantial economic and health benefits that come from the use of plastic pipe over conventional metal pipes. 1. Plastic products play a major role … Benefits of Plastic Over Metal. Design Flexibility. Resistance to a wide range of chemical agents including acid rain and salt spray, conditions under which metal parts would suffer. Injection molding tool development has longer lead time. The, If you are starting a new project or are looking to convert a current product from metal to plastic, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 847.439.6770 or email us at, 1940 Lunt Avenue, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007. Injection molding gear. The following properties of plastic make it the material of choice for making many articles: Plastics are non-reactive: Most of the metals get corroded by air and water. How designers across multiple industries are reducing costs and increasing profits by incorporating plastic instead of metal in new product designs. Plastic: The Advantages of Plastic in Design For years, companies have been debating the use of metal vs. plastic parts. Here is the detailed discussion on the advantages of plastic parts over metal parts: Plastic has the advantage of higher strength to weight ratio and they are very tough in nature. The plastics industry only consumes 4% of the world’s oil production as feedstock. Freedom to tailor the stiffness and strength of a part by varying the thickness and fibre orientation; 2. Polymers are more resistant to chemicals than their metal counterparts. Plastic parts are manufactured by flowing molten plastic in injection mold. Can have higher tensile strength vs. many types of metal. So what are the advantages of plastic products over metal products? Additionally, the manufacturing process of plastic utilizes faster cycle times compared to metal, achieving lower production costs of plastic components versus metal components. They have higher life dependency. Log in. It is generally cheaper and can easily be produced in much larger quantities than metal. 1940 Lunt Avenue, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007   847-439-6770    sales@customplasticsinc.com. Without extensive and costly secondary finishes and coatings, metals are easily attacked by many common chemicals. High temperature plastics also provide weight savings in many applications (e.g., automotive) and as a … Reduced manufacturing costs. Below, we’ll look at the advantages that plastic parts can offer over metal ones, in the right applications. Therefore engineers are replacing metal parts with the plastic parts for various applications. Historically, metal has always been thought of as the go-to material when designing a part that needs to withstand the test of time. In our experience, as we talk with clients during their initial design phases, we have found there is a general lack of knowledge and many misconceptions surrounding the benefits of engineering-grade plastic resins. Nearly any transportation-related field can also benefit by investigating the advantages of metal replacement plastics: shipping containers, railroad manufacturing, heavy trucks and RVs, aircraft applications, and more. To solve this problem plastic parts are used in conjunction with metal parts. The advantages of using plastics are that they are lightweight, water resistant, durable, strong, economical and resistant to corrosion and chemicals. ’ ll look at the advantages of plastic over metals gains on the.! Are observed or galvanized, are prone to corrosion in wet environments especially if damaged metal-based medical have! Us to machine plastic parts for various applications to a wide range of chemical agents including acid rain and spray... 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