For anyone in the industry, it is no surprise that plastic injection moulding has moved to become one of the most popular techniques for manufacturing. It is affordable, durable and the multifaceted capabilities that it offers make it ideal for many industries and for consumers. High-end plastics now offer a luxurious feel, incredible strength and can be made into the widest range of products from car exteriors to the lids of drinks.
However, there are still some concerns about the negatives involved with plastic injection moulding. Concerns about the human environmental responsibilities and recycling of these products are on many people’s mind. The good news is that there are solutions to these problems, but manufacturers need to be aware of the potential risks when addressing them.
Plastic moulding is a technique that allows companies to produce those high-quality products while remaining environmentally conscious. By creating a closed industrial loop, the business remains efficient and can bring in processes that ensure waste production is kept to a minimum.
This means that plastic injection moulding, as a manufacturing process, is environmentally friendly, cost-effective and can produce products in the shortest time while remaining extremely flexible. So let’s look a bit more into how the process works.
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Plastic injection moulding and recycled plastics
An increasing number of people now recycle as much as possible, constantly aware of the impact their lives have on the environment. So too are governments and businesses while non-profits, activists and others are working harder to raise more of this awareness. Plastic manufacturing companies can help with these aims.
Plastic is a recyclable material that can be reprocessed and re-cused. Modern techniques mean that manufacturers can now recycle materials that would once have gone to landfill or, even worse, simply been left above ground to pollute the environment. These techniques mean the impact of plastic around the world can be dramatically reduced.
Recycled parts, when created incorrectly or in excess, can also help to handle problems such as ground pollution, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and keep rubbish away from landfill sites. Plastic production does rely on fossil fuels such as petroleum although there are some bio-plastics now in production.
This all means that plastic manufacturers can now recycle materials that were once destined to end up in landfill. And in addition, they can also recover polypropylene-rich materials from the environment that can be cleaned up and reused including from areas such as streams and rivers.
In this, plastic injection moulding can be a valuable part of cleaning up the environment with its extensive recycling applications, particularly in resource-intensive industries such as packaging, automotive and farming. The great part is that the recycled plastics are just as high quality and durable as those made without recycled materials.
Closing the loop with recycling
A closed loop is one that eliminates any input from the outside world – something that can be hard to do in the industrial world. It can be difficult to eliminate outside resource use, but recycling plastics and other materials can greatly reduce the number of external inputs needed. Old parts are sent back into the loop rather than sent to landfill and can be recycled, reused and made into new products.
Nor is there any need to sacrifice or cut corners in order to use recycling approaches. It is easy to make recycled plastics to the high degree of tensile strength, accurate form and low weight that can be made with new products. Plastic injection moulding with recycled products is as high quality as with new products.
Get the large scale right with prototyping
Prototyping is a great thing for the environment because by refining and improving a design before full production, errors and mistakes are greatly reduced. This means less potential scrap that could happen from initial production runs of an imperfect design. In best-case scenarios, these prototypes can also be recycled with minimal waste.
Rapid prototyping also reduces costs dramatically. Running a large production for plastic injected products is expensive and using prototypes reduces the chance of problems or errors. Many prototypes can be made with recyclable plastics.
Recycling to reduce production cost
Recycled plastics are usually cheaper than raw resin and this makes it cheaper to produce than new products. Plus there is the fact that recycled products are more predictable in their costs. Scratch plastics are at the mercy of petroleum prices while recycled plastic tends to be more stable in their price and this makes financial projections easier.
Upgrade your reputation, help your company and the environment
By recycling waste, extra material and faulty productions in the injection moulding industry, you can improve the reputation of your company. Environmentally conscious customers will be more inclined to work with you because you are embracing recycling and working against environmental damage. And this is done without cost for the quality of the product that you offer.
Injection moulding is cost-effective, high value and volume-effective for many businesses. Recycling plastics throughout the process can be hugely beneficial and makes it possible to work towards a closed manufacturing loop that fits with the growing green revolution.
