Custom Plastics Manufacturing
The plastic industries have become huge over the last 80 years. Because of the huge flexibility of plastic resins, the uses have created several individual industries that use plastic resin as the material.
This article is about the sub-industry of custom plastic manufacturing.
Plastic fabricators generally build custom projects from existing plastic materials or do hand-crafted molding. Projects can include large cases, POS racks, or custom reception desks and areas. But a manufacturer is set up to make thousands or millions of a single product, piece, or part.
A custom plastic manufacturer is in the business to assist a customer in the complex process of designing a plastic product and then setting up machinery and tools (molds) in high-speed machines that will mold the plastic into the customer’s product.
A company that is interested in a plastic container, for instance, has the option of buying a plastic bottle or jar “off the shelf,” or from a standard product that is kept in inventory or manufactured on demand based on volume sold. But while many designs are available, the container will be like many other products, the label being the only diffentiator.
Most companies want their products to stand out from the competition, sometimes this means a completely unique shape and design for their containers. In these cases new tools (molds) must be designed and machined from steel for the forms. Then these tools are added to the large blow mold machinery to make the containers. This requires a much different set of skills than simply making the same container shape for many years, even though the process for manufacturing is the same.
Another example that applies to injection molding would be parts. Obviously, a part must fit exactly with the other parts it will compliment to make a total product. In this case, each part must have tools made to the exact specifications necessary, then run on the appropriate molding machine.
Another service offered by custom plastic manufacturers is the use of molding machinery. Some custom manufacturers will rent space and run product on a machine owned by the customer. Very large quantities sometimes make it possible for a company to buy its own machine and contract to have the manufacturer’s experts set up and run the products. This can make sense when quantities, finance situations, or expensive space requirements of the customer make it more economical.
Custom plastic manufacturers have expertise in maintaining and running machinery and typically have large industrial space that is less expensive than other locations. So it is a nice service, even for very large users of plastic products, to consider.
In some cases using a custom molder is a good distribution strategy for the customer. The molding can be done in Southern California for a New York company, who contracts with a filling contractor in Southern California, where the product can avoid long shipping times and costs from New York.
Many companies want access to the enormous Southern California market but choose not to own real estate in California due to the high cost of space and regulation. These are good reasons to work with Southern California custom plastic manufacturers and still have full distribution of the complete line.
Custom plastic companies also are flexible about assisting with post-production functions, such as packaging, decoration, or light assembly. They can coordinate special services with well known and trusted contractors in close proximity to themselves.
Because custom plastic firms are used to working with many different companies and decision makers, they gain the skills required to adapt, innovate, and move quickly. Guidance through the complicated tool building phase is welcomed by most, and many costly mistakes can be avoided with this expertise when complicated tools can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Flexibility is the key benefit to a custom plastic manufacturer. This helps get projects done in a highly complex mix of design, tools, machine selection, volume and resin selection. Most products can be made more than one way; the custom house is good at understanding which way is the best and most economical.
Learn more about custom plastics manufacturing.
What are the characteristics of a reliable custom plastics manufacturer?
3 Options for designing your custom plastic container
If your firm designs its own products or containers, or you are considering doing so to differentiate from your competitors, give us some details and we can start a conversation.
