A Guide to Custom Plastic Enclosures for Electronics and Industrial Equipment

Custom plastic enclosures are some of the most manufactured components for contract manufacturers like Port Erie Plastics. While they are commonly seen on facility floors, not every manufacturing program is the same. 

Enclosures cover a lot of ground in numerous industries. Electronics, industrial, construction, appliances, agriculture, automotive, and consumer products all rely on plastic enclosures for various needs. 

Port Erie Plastics focuses in on custom plastic enclosures for electronics and industrial equipment by highlighting key parts of a manufacturing program. 

Identifying Project and Component Requirements 

Custom plastic enclosures – even with electronics and industrial equipment – covers a large range of potential applications. While there might be similarities among applications, the differences are large enough to warrant clear-cut project and component requirements to be identified. 

Typically, with an electronic or industrial application, enclosures are going to be mounted so consider the mounting method into both design and material selection. This could include mere wall mounts, DIN rail, panels, machine frame, handheld, or a portable enclosure. From there, a combination of environmental exposure and compliance/regulation needs should be weighed. Factors such as dust, UV exposure, rain, washdown, chemicals, vibration, and temperature cycling serve as the chief environmental conditions to weight. For compliance or regulation matters, this could be anything from flammability rating and ingress protection to electrical clearances. Be sure to check any industry-specific requirements as well. 

A final item to identify are production volume amounts. Injection molding supports the manufacturing of high-volume programs with parts in the millions throughout a given mold life expectancy.  

Material Selection Considerations 

The largest consideration to make for material selection in custom plastic enclosures is weighing all of the trade offs among impact strength, heat resistance, chemical exposure, UV durability, electrical performance, appearance, and of course, costs. 

In general, OEMs and supplier programs select ABS for cost-effective electronic housings that are primarily indoors. PC is chosen for mostly outdoor applications both electronically and industrially because of its impact resistance, heat performance, and transparency which promotes safety. However, a blended mix of these two materials combines the best of their properties. 

Design for Manufacturability 

Custom plastic enclosures work best when DFM practices are the driving point during pre-manufacturing engineering. As these enclosures are largely created through injection molding, it’s critical to ensure that there is consistent wall thickness throughout the enclosure. When wall thickness isn’t consistent, it can lead to potential defects such as uneven cooling, sink marks, warpage, and even longer cycle times which increases lead times, and subsequently, costs. 

Best practices for DFM in custom plastic enclosures includes using ribs to increase stiffness while maintaining uniform wall thickness, adding draft for easier ejection from the mold, avoiding too thick boss bases, utilizing snap-fits only where repeated assembly has been considered, and parting lines, gate locations, and ejector-pin locations are planned early. 

Partner with Port Erie Plastics for Your Custom Plastic Enclosures 

Port Erie Plastics is the turnkey plastic fabrication manufacturer that OEMs and supplier programs across the United States have trust since 1953. Our Harborcreek, Pennsylvania, facility, is where our injection molding, plastic extrusion, and structural foam molding operations all take place. 

Backed by knowledgeable engineers, skilled machine operations, and seasoned executive leadership, our team’s combined talent and experience are the driving force for many successful manufacturing programs. 

Above all, we pride ourselves on delivering high-quality manufacturing solutions. Port Erie Plastics remains ISO 9001 certified and through numerous in-house quality measures, we assure our customers that their components are ready for service once they leave our facility. 

Ready to begin a custom plastic enclosure program for an electronic or industrial application? Contact our team today. 

Why Plastic Injection Molding Assembly Services Matter for Consumer Product Manufacturing

Plastic injection molding assembly services are commonly used in consumer product manufacturing operations. Injection molding supports scalable, consistent, and repeatable production of components. When assembly operations are added into the mix, it makes the entire program much easier for contract manufacturers, OEMs, and of course, the targeted customer. 

Port Erie Plastic explains why plastic injection molding assembly services matter for consumer product manufacturing. 

Assembly’s Addition to Injection Molding 

One of injection molding’s greatest strengths as a means of plastic fabrication is that it supports the production of high-volume programs where repeatability and tight tolerances are achievable. When tooling is established, programs can have detailed shapes where integrated features are part of the design. That’s where plastic injection molding assembly operations enter the conversation. 

For consumer products specifically, assembly occurs before components hit the open market. This allows for the final customer to receive a fully functional part without any need for the customer to put items together. 

As an example, the housing that a Wi-Fi router uses features assembly operations throughout the component. 

Why it Matters 

When it comes to explaining the why of plastic injection molding assembly services, the why rests in the value of the service. These six points serve as reasons to consider assembly services for consumer product manufacturing. 

Fewer Suppliers 

If one manufacturer can control all facets of manufacturing – design, engineering, production, assembly, and packaging – it shrinks supplier handoffs and drastically reduces coordination work from an OEM with other vendors. 

Increased Speed in Product Launches 

Finished products leave manufacturing facilities faster since they can be assembled directly on the shop floor once molded parts have cooled. This saves time waiting for transfer, receiving, inspection, and scheduling for assembly. 

Improved Fit, Function 

This is a design point as OEMs and contract manufacturers can work together to incorporate DFM practices knowing that assembly is going to be part of the process. It places more emphasis on ensuring minimal defects such as warpage and dimensional issues occur. 

Cost-Effectiveness 

Largely related to partnering with a turnkey manufacturer, lowered total costs are achievable when one manufacturer performs the assembly operation. 

Improved Quality 

Quality engineers know when a manufacturing program features assembly operations. Functional checks are performed to expose improper snap engagement, missing inserts, incorrect fasteners, cosmetic damage, and even electronic failures prior to the product hitting the open market. 

Better Program Scalability 

Injection molding itself supports scalability in a manufacturing program. Once a mold and assembly program has been validated, it’s easier for manufacturers to scale back or forward production when production variables are known. 

Design Benefits 

When designers and engineers know that a specific manufacturing program features a component that will use assembly operations, they can incorporate that into the design process. It’s critical that it happens to, as design takes place prior to tooling and the costs associated with reworking mold construction can be damaging. 

A large part of the goal in using plastic injection molding assembly services to reduce component count, simplifying operations, and improving consistency, while supporting scalable production. Consider these design practices if your team knows assembly will be part of the manufacturing program. 

• Consolidate multiple components into one molded feature 
• Design self-locating features, alignment pins, and lead-ins so parts cannot be assembled incorrectly 
• Prefer snap-fits if they can eliminate screws and shorten cycle times 
• Decided which assembly operation is best – heat staking, ultrasonic welding, overmolding, threaded inserts, or conventional fastening 
• Base part tolerances on how mating parts will assemble 
• Choose materials that are compatible with the final product’s intended environment, but also the assembly method  

Contact Port Erie Plastics for Thorough Plastic Injection Molding Assembly Services 

Port Erie Plastics opened its doors for business in 1953 with a single injection molding machine and a dream: create high-quality, cost-effective plastic components. 73 years and millions of parts later, our team is living out that dream to this day. 

Even though we offer other manufacturing capabilities like plastic extrusion and structural foam molding, custom injection molding operations remain near to our team. Many of our programs do feature plastic injection molding assembly services. We offer a few different assembly services including heat staking, welding, and fastening. Our engineers work with your team to identify the need of your component and then plan the best course of action to determine which assembly method is most effective. 

Port Erie Plastic is here for all your plastic injection molding assembly services. Contact our team today and discover the difference we can make in your next manufacturing program.

A Guide to Plastic Trench Drains and Structural Foam Molding for Building Applications

Plastic trench drains are one of the best and most common applications of structural foam molding. Many modern construction projects require materials and parts that can withstand demanding environments, all while being cost-effective. 

Trench drains are used to manage water runoff in numerous places including residential, commercial, and industrial settings. These drains extend the life of paved surfaces, protect structures, and provide safety in these locations. 

Port Erie Plastics highlights plastic trench drains while go further and listing other building applications of structural foam molding. 

Why Structural Foam Molding Works for Plastic Trench Drains 

Structural foam molding is an ideal manufacturing process when parts are large, rigid, but need to be lightweight yet durable. That’s exactly what plastic trench drains need to be for building applications and other usages. 

Plastic trench drains created through injection molding feature high strength to weight ratios, dimensional stability, environmental durability, and cost-effective manufacturing. All of these aspects work for trench drains because they need to be easy to handle and transport, feature minimal defects as a result of low-pressure manufacturing, and cost-effectiveness from lower tooling costs compared to other manufacturing methods. 

Building Applications of Structural Foam Molding 

Structural foam molding can do more than just create plastic trench drains as a building application. Whenever parts need to be large, rigid, but lightweight, structural foam molding should be considered. 

Structural foam molding can be used to create insulated panels where thermal and acoustic insulation occurs. Durable utility boxes and values found underground, as meter boxes, and even housings that demand high impact resistance and long-term outside durability. 

Real-World Example of Plastic Trench Drains Through Structural Foam Molding 

Years ago, Port Erie Plastics added a new customer where their trench drains were created through injection molding. This except from our case study on the client success story highlights how well plastic trench drains and structural foam molding go together. 

Our customer was using a competitor’s straight injection molding process to manufacture a line of linear trench drains. These single-cavity molds ran very long cycles, and the parts had issues with warp and dimensional tolerances. We helped redesign the line for low-pressure structural foam molding. This includes 17 different size trenches, which are all 80” long, 6” wide and range from 6” to 20” in depth. We achieved a 20%-part weight reduction and 40% cycle time reduction, compared with the straight injection parts. We managed the aluminum mold build and designed a pair of tools with interchangeable plates so any two of the 17 sizes can run in one machine at the same time. Long term capability studies were performed to validate new processes and its effects on warp and shrink/expansion over time and temperature variations. 

Read More: “Process Redesign of a Structural Foam Molded HDPE Trench Drain for the Construction Industry” 

Contact Port Erie Plastics for Your Plastic Trench Drains and Other Structural Foam Molding Building Applications 

Port Erie Plastics has been one of the United States’ premier plastic fabrication manufacturers since our doors opened in 1953. We’re located in Harborcreek, Pennsylvania, and all of our manufacturing capabilities take place underneath a single roof – ours.  

When Port Erie Plastics first started, all we had was a single injection molding machine. Today we proudly boast injection molding, plastic extrusion, and structural foam molding capabilities, with the engineering and secondary services necessary to support three distinct manufacturing methods. 

Our work as a structural foam molder is well-regarded by our customer portfolio which includes OEMs, supplier programs, and other sources. We can have part production up to 7.5 feet in length, wall thickness between 0.2 and 0.5 inches, machine platen size of 96×89 inches, tie bar spacing is 58.5×67.5 inches, and shot sizes up to 150 pounds. Additionally, we specialize in two material sources – polypropylene and polyethylene. 

Need a new supplier for your plastic trench drains? Contact Port Erie Plastics today.

Tips and Considerations on Plastic Material Handling Equipment for Reusable and Returnable Packaging Programs

Plastic material handling equipment such as trays, totes, bins, and pallets can be manufactured in numerous ways, but structural foam molding is arguably the most beneficial and practical method. 

Structural foam molding benefits plastic material handling equipment with impressive strength-to-weight ratios, lower tooling costs, and dimensional stability to name just a few aspects.  

Port Erie Plastics offers some tips and considerations on how to ensure your packaging programs promote reusability with the right material handling equipment and manufacturing process 

Utilize the Benefits of Structural Foam Molding 

The benefits of structural foam molding blend well with what’s needed of plastic material handling equipment. Material handling equipment like totes can be created through structural foam molding and feature a high strength-to-weight ratio which allows for improved stiffness and durability but without added weight. 

With material handling equipment being lighter, that helps out in a couple of different ways in shipping and logistics. The first being since handling equipment weighs less, it costs less to ship out. Secondly, it features less handling strain making products easily reusable and returnable. 

Structural foam molding operates with low pressure in the manufacturing process which means tooling costs are lowered since less durable materials are needed for the molds. Your material handling equipment benefits from the structural foam molding process as well with consistent dimensional stability and impact resistance, as well as chemical and environmental resistance. 

Design for the Full Material Handling Cycle 

When thinking about design considerations for your plastic material handling equipment, it is important to focus on more than just the first usage of the equipment. Packaging programs are seeking reusable and returnable packaging solutions which means design considerations must focus on multiple shipments. 

Key considerations to extend the service life of material handling equipment can start with wall thickness and ensuring walls have uniform thickness for proper manufacturing. Focuses on ribs and bosses, in order to best maximize load bearing capacity, allow for ribs to equal nominal wall thickness and keep ribs both short and wide. 

Focus on Material Selection for Equipment 

Material selection should be treated as part of the design process because of how products are impacted by the materials used to create them. For most plastic material handling equipment, polypropylene is going to be the likely choice. 

Polypropylene is a rigid and lightweight closed-cell material. It is often chosen due to its excellent compression and impact resistance, and it offers resistance to chemicals and moisture across a wide range of temperatures. 

These properties pair well with the demands and potential exposures that material handling equipment can face. 

Factor Long-Term Production Support 

A reusable and returnable packaging system backed by material handling equipment only survives long term when the production support is planned for the long term. 

This can include routine mold maintenance to extend the life cycle of a mold and promote consistent manufacturing. Minimal design changes and sticking with the same material selection also can help with consistent manufacturing as there are minimal changes to the physical and dimensional properties of packaging materials. 

Partner with Port Erie Plastics for Reliable Plastic Material Handling Equipment 

Port Erie Plastics, located in Harborcreek, Pennsylvania, is one of the nation’s leading multi-faceted plastic processing manufacturers. What started off as an injection molding company has turned into multiple plastic manufacturing operations including extrusion and structural foam molding. 

Manufacturing programs focused on the creation of plastic material handling equipment is deeply rooted in structural foam molding. Port Erie Plastics’ structural foam molding capabilities include part production up to 7.5 feet in length, wall thickness between 0.2 and 0.5 inches, machine platen size of 96×89 inches, tie bar spacing is 58.5×67.5 inches, and shot sizes up to 150 pounds. 

We specialize in two material choices as well – polyethylene and polypropylene. These two materials give our customers plenty of versatility and unique material properties with polypropylene as the preferred choice for material handling applications because of its ability to resist chemicals and moisture across a wide range of temperatures. 

Port Erie Plastics has decades of experience in the material handling industry and our customers in the market know our commitment to manufacturing excellence and quality management. 

Contact our team today for more information on our plastic material handling equipment procedures and how we can best serve your reusable packaging program. 

Thick Wall Injection Molding vs. Structural Foam: What’s Best for Large Plastic Components?

There are multiple different manufacturing methods available to create large plastic components. Depending on the specs of your project, thick wall injection molding or structural foam molding might be two viable options for your team to consider.

Each manufacturing operation contains their own sets of benefits, best applications, and certainly their own process. But, how to tell which is right for your product?

Port Erie Plastics pits these two manufacturing operations against one another in the pursuit to find out which is best for large plastic component manufacturing.

Best Uses for Each Manufacturing Process

Thick wall injection molding and structural foam molding each are capable of creating large plastic components, but these two manufacturing operations should be used with specific considerations and project criteria in mind.

Thick Wall Injection Molding

Consider using thick wall injection molding for projects where wall thickness is more moderate and manageable rather than extreme. When parts need tight dimensional control and high, easy repeatable actions and better scalability, thick wall injection molding should be the go-to. Traditional injection molding already lends itself to high-volume capabilities, and even though the wall thickness might be larger than normal, the process still lends itself to high-volume manufacturing capabilities, just with a longer cycle time.

Structural Foam Molding

When parts are large, extremely thick, or highly ribbed, this is where the conversation should shift toward structural foam molding. The process uses low pressure and a cellular core with solid skin to create parts where stiffness to weight ratio is improved. Additionally, sink marks and warpage are greatly reduced because of the low pressure.

Structural foam molding better supports large molds and the materials required for tooling can be much more cost-effective since cavity pressures in the processes are lower.

Tradeoffs

Choosing one manufacturing process over the other means not having the capabilities of the passed over manufacturing operation. If your team decides on structural foam molding, you are forgoing manufacturing of complex designs, tight tolerances, and smoother aesthetics.

If the choice is thick wall injection molding, you’re passing on lower clamping forces, lower tooling costs, better stiffness, and overall lighter parts.

Large Component Focus

In general, large plastic components are going to be more favorable for structural foam molding to perform the manufacturing. This stems from the cost-effectiveness of the process and its ability to handle large component manufacturing with relative ease. While it’s more favorable, if parts do feature complex designs and intricate shapes or tight tolerances, the heavier costs of injection molding are likely to be endured.

Achieve High-Quality Thick Wall Injection Molding Services and Partner with Port Erie Plastics Today

Port Erie Plastics has operated as a plastic processing manufacturer equipped with multiple capabilities for over 70 years. When we opened for business in 1953, we did so with a single injection molding machine. Since then, we’ve turned that single machine into 90 with maximum clamping forces of 1,650 tons, shot sizes up to 470 ounces, and parts weighing as much as 24 pounds.

Of course, injection molding isn’t the only manufacturing operation we perform in our Harborcreek, Pennsylvania, facility. If your program isn’t a match for injection molding, we also perform structural foam molding operations, and our engineering team can work with you to transform your design from injection to structural foam molding with ease.

Thinking about starting a thick wall injection molding program? Contact the experts at Port Erie Plastics today.

A Guide to Large Part Injection Molding for Heavy-Duty Plastic Housings and Enclosures

Large part injection molding operations are commonly performed by contract manufacturers for specialized programs that need high-volume components at a cost-effective rate. Heavy-duty plastic housings and enclosures are just two examples of the numerous large parts that can be created through injection molding.

Typically, when injection molding is discussed, most companies think the manufacturing process can only do smaller parts. While it’s true that it might be a little easier for a program to feature smaller components, large part injection molding remains not only a possibility, but a capability.

Port Erie Plastics’ guide on large part injection molding services catered toward heavy-duty housings and enclosures provides design considerations, material selection advice, best tooling practices, and more.

Design Considerations

The larger a part gets, the more important it is that wall thickness consistency is maintained. Uneven sections of wall thickness can lead to increased defects such as sink and warp, it extends cycle times and quickly increases costs to correct the error, and there is residual stress throughout the component.

Additionally, draft, ribbing, and gate placement all become more critical in large part injection molding, especially for housings. Flow length and packing pressure losses rise with size, so careful consideration on those three aspects in design is important.

Material Selection for Large Part Injection Molding

No matter how big or small a component is, material selection is more tied toward part application, its intended environment, and manufacturing than it is to the size of the component. With our focus on housings and enclosures geared toward heavy-duty applications, this begins to narrow down the materials that make the most sense.

ABS, PC, a blend of PC and ABS, PP, HDPE, and PVC all serve is strong options for heavy-duty enclosures and housings because of their stiffness, impact resistance, chemical exposure, UV stability, and flammability needs.

By acknowledging where the enclosure or housing will perform serve will lead design and engineering teams down the correct path in material selection.

Tooling Practices

Tooling is one of the most critical aspects in large part injection molding – and one of the costliest. Large part molds require stiff tooling, vigorous cooling, and precise gating to manage shrink and warp. Cycle times are dominated by cooling of products; therefore, mold design and thermal control place a large impact on costs.

It’s common in large part molding projects that high-tonnage presses are required, but tonnage alone isn’t enough to have a successful program. Large parts are also dependent on bigger shot sizes, platen sizes, and tie-bar spacing. Connect with your manufacturer on how they handle venting, ejection, maintenance, and any trimming or assembly after molding.

Common Challenges

There’s a reason why large part injection molding isn’t often called upon, it’s because of the string of challenges that can come with it. Improper wall thickness is often the cause of product failures because warp, sink, and poor dimensional stability appear once cooling has finalized.

Compared to traditional injection molding, large part programs are also a costly venture not just including the tooling costs associated with it. The per-part cost ratio eventually dips as it does for standard injection molding programs, but it takes longer with larger parts.

Contact Port Erie Plastics for Large Part Injection Molding Services

Port Erie Plastics is a premier plastic processing manufacturing company equipped with numerous production capabilities, including injection molding. That’s how Port Erie got its start, back in 1953 when we first opened with just a single injection molding machine. Now, over 70 years later, we have 90 different machines on location to handle the most demanding injection molding services.

Injection molding of large parts is achievable at Port Erie with maximum clamping forces of 1,650 tons, shot sizes up to 470 ounces, and parts weighing as much as 24 pounds. Injection molding commonly creates small parts, but at Port Erie, we can handle it all. All components manufactured by us undergo thorough testing protocols to ensure part validation and the components can function as designed.

Our customers know that our testing and part validation services are an extension of our overall quality management systems, aimed at keeping us proficient. We’ve been continuously ISO 9001 certified for decades and maintain our commitment to quality by constantly creating new avenues to ensure our customers’ components are defect free and can function in the field of service.

Contact our team today for more information regarding large part injection molding services and how Port Erie Plastics can make a difference in your next project.

How to Select Injection Molding Materials Based on Product Application

Two of the most vital aspects of injection molding are design of the mold and the product itself, and material selection. These two factors go hand in hand with one another, and selecting the proper injection molding materials is largely dependent on your product’s intended application. 

Port Erie Plastics’ engineering team aids in material selection by viewing all of the specs of your product and communicating with your team to identify the best materials that will allow your product to function. 

Learn more about how to select injection molding materials based on your product’s application with our guide filled with considerations and best practices. 

Define Product Application Requirements 

Injection molded products can serve in numerous environments, if the right materials are used to create the products. This is perhaps the most important part of the material selection process as every consideration about the product’s application, including the environment it will serve, must be noted. 

Mechanical considerations such as a static, dynamic, or impact loads, product stiffness and flexibility, acceptable wear and friction amounts, and expected fatigue life factor into material selection. Following mechanical considerations, thermal aspects have to be discussed. This can include the standard, continuous service temperature, any peak or lows, thermal cycling, and in some cases, flame rating. 

It’s natural to go from thermal considerations directly into chemical exposure and environmental impact. Is your product going to be exposed to oils, coolants, solvents, UV rays, moisture, and/or sterilant? Does your product need to serve both indoor and outdoor, or just one? These questions all need to be considered and answered when selecting injection molding materials.

Certain industries such as the food processing industry or specific regions of the world like the United Kingdom require stringent compliance and regulatory measures on products for biocompatibility and food-safe materials, or an RoHS compliance in electronic components. 

And then a final consideration to make is from a visual standpoint. How does the product need to look? Will there be any secondary operations necessary and can the material withstand those operations? 

When all of these questions and considerations have been made, it provides the roadmap to acceptable materials to use in your product.  

Injection Molding Materials Based on Performance and Costs 

There are over 85,000 plastic materials readily available, but that doesn’t mean they all work as injection molding materials. The most common type of polymer used are thermoplastics, a class of polymer that can be liquified at high temperatures and then cooled into a specific shape. Consider these three groups when thinking about injection molding materials. 

• If your team needs low-cost materials that also have easy processing capabilities, materials such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, and acrylonitrile butadiene styrene. These materials are commonly found in many consumer goods, packaging, and simple housings. 

• If materials need to have better heat, chemical, and mechanical properties, and your team’s budget has a little more room for spending, polycarbonate, nylon, POM, PBT, or PET polymers could be a solution. These materials are all frequently seen in the automotive, electrical, and industrial industries. 

• If your team needs the highest performance injection molding materials where cost isn’t a factor, PPS, PSU, PES, and PEEK should be researched for your program. It’s common to see these materials used to create parts for the medical and aerospace industries as they can withstand consistent high temperatures and aggressive chemicals. 

Contact Port Erie Plastics for More Information on Injection Molding Materials and Making the Best Choice 

Port Erie Plastics are experts in plastic processing manufacturing, operating out of our Harborcreek, Pennsylvania, facility. We perform various kinds of plastic manufacturing including injection molding, plastic extrusion, and structural foam molding.

As a turnkey injection molding partner, our engineering team works tirelessly to aid our customers in selecting the right injection molding materials to ensure manufacturability for their products and that they can survive in their intended application. We work with your team to understand your needs and your product’s application to narrow down the material options and select the right material. 

Contact us today to learn more about the material selection process with Port Erie Plastics and let’s take your product from blueprint to serving in the real world.

How Plastic Manufacturers Manage the Injection Molding Supply Chain and How it Benefits Customers

The demand for products and having them readily available is always on the mind of OEMs, supplier programs, and contract manufacturers across the country and around the world. Managing the supply chain regardless of the industry or product is a delicate act that truly acts like a team sport. When one hand in the supply chain has an issue, it impacts the entire chain. 

The injection molding supply chain is no different than any other supply chain and management for millions upon millions of components requires careful coordination, abundant communication, and flexibility in strategy. 

Port Erie Plastics walks through key points in the role companies like us play in the injection molding supply chain and how it’s all aimed at benefiting not only our customers, but their customers as well. 

Steps Port Erie Plastics Take in Injection Molding Supply Chain Management 

Discussing the injection molding supply chain isn’t a new topic for us as our senior leadership all the way through to our entry-level operators know how vital the supply chain is to our customers and beyond. 

We have a detailed approach in supply chain management, and it starts with assessing risk management. Port Erie Plastics works with numerous suppliers of raw materials and for every single order, we perform analysis on factors such as geopolitical tensions, natural disasters, pandemics, and even supplier bankruptcy or financial issues. When these factors have all been considered, in the event that one of them becomes a legitimate threat of disrupting our supply chain, we have built-in contingency plans in place that we enact to minimize delays.

Maintaining multiple relationships with different suppliers is in the best interests of Port Erie Plastics and our customers. If we were to only rely on a single supplier, any disruption would cause harm to our customers, and we are constantly in communication with our suppliers getting real-time updates on material availability and logistics. 

Perhaps not commonly thought of as a way to handle the supply chain, but our list of capabilities is one of our greatest strengths in managing the supply chain. We serve as a full turnkey injection molding company that includes mold design and manufacturing, transfer tooling, and numerous machining operations to keep every aspect of the injection molding project in-house and reduce outside vendors, effectively shrinking the supply chain in a positive manner. 

Customer Benefits 

Managing the supply chain properly directly impacts the customer at the end of the day, so it’s critical for companies like Port Erie Plastics to do it well. When supply chains are strong from top to bottom, customers notice positive impacts in a few key areas. 

Cost effectiveness and overall efficiency are two of the most important items to note when an injection molding supply chain is well managed. This happens in a few ways, but primarily through partnerships with turnkey injection molding companies that can handle every facet of the production process, starting with design and tooling through secondary operations and logistics. When one manufacturer oversees all these aspects of manufacturing, the supply chain is simplified into fewer users, which is another benefit. 

When manufacturers have a detailed approach to handling the injection molding supply chain, customers can expect products to have a faster time-to-market speed as a result of turnkey operations and fast scheduling throughout the production process. Additionally, delays in communications or outright missed comms windows are eliminated in an efficient supply chain.  

Issues With Your Current Injection Molding Supply Chain? Contact Port Erie Plastics Today 

Port Erie Plastics has been in operation since 1953 when we opened with a single injection molding machine. Over the last 73 years and counting, we’ve evolved into a full service plastic processing company specialized in not just injection molding, but structural foam molding, and plastic extrusion along with numerous secondary operations support all of these manufacturing methods.

Managing the supply chain for injection molding projects is something our team takes seriously. We know the difference it makes in receiving parts on time at the volume amounts and the quality that’s expected. Our numerous capabilities at handling the injection molding supply chain are built with our customers and subsequently their customers in mind. 

Contact Port Erie Plastics today for more information on our supply chain management techniques and discover how we can find a solution for you.

The Benefits of Partnering with an In-House Mold Making Company

One of the most important aspects of any plastic manufacturing operation is tooling. Whether it’s creating a whole new die for a project or transferring your tooling operation from one manufacturer to another, if your tooling operation isn’t 100 percent accurate, that can create a long list of potential problems with your product. 

Those problems are heavily mitigated when creating a partnership with an in-house mold making company. From a more streamlined production process starting at the very beginning to keep costs in check throughout the program’s lifecycle, these partnerships have a mutual benefit for customers and manufacturers a like. 

Port Erie Plastics details the benefits of partnering with an in-house mold making company and why these partnerships matter. 

Central Benefits 

There are certainly more than five benefits of partnering with an in-house mold making company, but these five advantages are perhaps the most foundational and fundamental as they impact every facet of manufacturing, relationship management, quality, and more. 

There is no way of hiding that tooling costs and mold making are the most expensive items in a production process. But when that is handled in-house by the manufacturer who’s contracted to produce your component, there are often measures built to keep costs in check. Molds built in the United States are backed by more stringent quality control measures compared to, while cheaper, lesser molds from an overseas supplier. When quality is increased, it keeps long-term costs in check through reduced downtime, lowered product reject rates, minimal maintenance, and fewer production stops. 

In the same breath about quality, through engineering capabilities and overall better material usage, the in-house team catches any design or manufacturability concerns earlier and more often than not, before the steel is cut.

If your team creates a partnership with an in-house mold making company, you’ll also notice faster turnaround times on the molds. This includes the major stops in the process including design work, tooling, engineering, and quality review. By proxy, there is more streamlined communication and an early dialogue between customers and manufacturers. Both teams can create rooted relationships before any plastic has hit the facility floor and a better, unanimous understanding of what the final result should be. 

Lastly, there is inherently more flexibility in these partnerships. In-house teams can operate on the fly as needed and customers who have changes in design or prototypes, even process adjustments, there is more grace under pressure. 

Why Partnerships with In-House Mold Making Companies Matters 

This is arguably the biggest question for prospective customers such as an OEM of a given industry. For OEMs and other customers, two of the largest weighing factors prior to any contractual manufacturing are cost and risk. Even though multiple manufacturers might make components for an OEM, it’s their name on the product at the end of the day and that carries a large responsibility. 

Partnerships like this matter because the team that’s set to manufacture your products, if they are responsible for the creation of the foundational aspect – the mold – there is a significant chance the mold is less likely to fail because of fewer responsibility and communication gaps. 

Molds can vary widely in design, especially depending upon what type of manufacturing the mold is for. Whether it’s a simple mold with minimal complexity, or a challenging mold that demands the most out of a team, a higher success rate occurs in a program through a partnership like this. 

When These Partnerships Help Most 

There isn’t a scenario where a partnership with an in-house mold making company is not going to be a helpful choice. But when it’s most helpful matters significantly. Teams that rely on these partnerships usually feature multiple revisions during the process that require easy communication. This can also include design for manufacturability support. Secondly, teams that only want to work with one partner for a product program lifecycle will often go this route to keep every aspect of the program in a single manufacturer’s hands.

Contact Port Erie Plastics and Partner with an In-House Mold Making Company Today 

Port Erie Plastics has been operating as a plastics manufacturing company since 1953. Located in Harborcreek, Pennsylvania, our team handles multiple forms of plastic production services like extrusion, structural foam molding, and the one that started it all for us, injection molding. 

Part of our manufacturing capabilities include our in-house mold making along with mold design and transfer tooling operations. Our team can create single and multi-cavity molds, stack molds, and hot runners – all customized to fit your project. Equipped with the latest technology, our engineers can perform mold flow analysis to ensure proper injection pressure, identify potential air traps, and more. 

Whether it’s transferring your existing tooling and developing a brand-new die, Port Erie Plastics is the team for you. Contact us today.

What Different Types of Injection Molds Do for Projects

Injection molding is one of the most versatile plastic manufacturing methods in the world. With cost-effectiveness for high-volume production programs, a wide range of manufacturable materials, and numerous value-added operations to further enhance a product, it’s easy to see why injection molding is so widely used. 

The most important aspect of this manufacturing method is the molds themselves and for every production run, there’s going to be a different type of injection mold. Port Erie Plastics highlights how different types of injection molds work in projects and how your team can use this guide to identify what mold might be best for you. 

Cores 

Different types of injection molds are comprised of many parts that come together to form the final product that’s used during injection molding. The first place to start is with the core itself. 

Port Erie Plastics creates stack molds which feature multiple cavities and sets are stacked vertically in order to share a common hot manifold. Stack molds are more accurate in terms of shots per cycle, and it doesn’t require an increase in clamp tonnage. Customers that require a stack mold often are contracted in a high-volume program for items such as enclosures, lids, and containers. 

But there are other forms of cores as well. Another common form is a two-plate and three-plate mold. In a two-plate mold, there is just one parting line as the cavity and core halves separate to eject the part. These types of injection molds are commonly used for programs that have simple designs and prioritize cost-effectiveness above everything else. 

In a three-plate mold, instead of one parting line like a two-plate mold, there are two parting lines. The cavity and core have a middle plate that holds the runner and gate system. Three-plate molds are used where automatic runner separation is vital for program success.

Runners 

There are two types of runner systems used in the different types of injection molds. Hot runners, which Port Erie Plastics create, maintain a heated manifold that keeps the melted plastic within the runners. Plenty of high-volume production programs rely on hot runners as they keep cycle times low, lead to reduced scrap, and contain consistent shot filling balance of the melted plastic into the cavities. 

Opposite of hot runners are cold runners where the foundational difference is that the channel the melted plastic travels through to reach the cavities is unheated. The runners themselves are ejected along with the final injection molded component. Cold runners are often associated with heat-sensitive plastics and in low to medium production volumes. While they might be more cost-effective compared to hot runners, cold runners do lead to high material waste. 

Cavities 

The final main portion when discussing varying types of injection molds are cavities. There are two forms of cavities: single and multi. In a single cavity mold, there’s only part being created per injection. Single cavity molds support prototyping projects as well as low to medium volume amounts as they can account for design changes rather quickly. 

Multi-cavity molds feature multiple identical cavities that create anywhere from two to as high as 256 parts simultaneously. If your team is considering a multi-cavity mold, it is essential to check in with your manufacturer regarding clamping force to ensure proper shot filling into the cavity. 

Partner With Port Erie Plastics to Create the Different Types of Injection Molds Your Team Needs Today 

Port Erie Plastics is widely regarded as one of the premier plastic manufacturing companies in the country because of our wide range of capabilities. While we do perform numerous manufacturing methods, we got our start as an injection molding company and from custom projects to automated programs, we stay true to our foundation. 

Thanks to our in-house mold making, mold design, and transfer tooling operations, we are well versed in different types of injection molds. We can create single and multi-cavity molds, stack molds and hot runner molds all in our Harborcreek, Pennsylvania, facility. 

Whether you need a new mold or you are having problems with your existing tooling, Port Erie Plastics is the team for you. Contact us today to learn more about how we can create your mold and let’s take your project from concept to completion.