In a recent Q&A, Ray Merritt — a toolmaker and moldmaker with over 50 years of experience — sat down to discuss what he does for The Rodon Group, how times have changed since he started out in the business of toolmaking and mold making, and what the industry can expect going forward.
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Injection molding is the most common plastic molding process and is used to create a wide variety of complex parts of different size and shape. Whether it’s an overcap for a water bottle or a vinyl window part being manufactured, injection molding is efficient and economical, especially if high volumes of parts are being produced.
With 2018 on the horizon, you're probably already caught up in the frenzy of holiday and New Year planning. Before we say goodbye to 2017, let’s take a moment to look back at our most-read posts from the past year. We had a busy, exciting year creating content with the goal of helping individuals and businesses become better informed about plastic injection molding and U.S. manufacturing.
As we look towards 2018, if there are topics you'd like us to write about, please let us know by using our comments section below. Have a wonderful holiday season!
Although plastic injection molding has advanced significantly over the years, it's still based on the same standard principles it was years ago; today's technological developments have only further enhanced its versatility and reliability.
During plastic injection molding, plastic particles are melted down and injected into molds, which are chilled via water or a coolant that allows the plastic to harden. Once it has hardened, it is ejected from the mold and ready for use.
With Halloween right around the corner, we thought it would be appropriate to discuss some of the scary things to look out for when it comes to defects that can impact the quality of your plastic injection molded part.
When engineering the wall thickness of a plastic part, a careful balance of weight, geometry, and budgetary considerations must be maintained. For example, while thick plastic walls offer more strength, they also have a greater tendency to warp during the cooling stage of the manufacturing process.
Next Friday, October 6th is National Manufacturing Day. As a U.S. manufacturer, we are proud to be participating in this annual event for the sixth time and excited to open our doors to students and educators from local technical schools and colleges.
As plastic injection molding methods continue to advance and evolve, allowing for enhanced flexibility and more sophisticated customization options, molding companies must be able to stay ahead of the curve in order to offer clients the latest technologies and highest-quality end products.
STEM and Manufacturing Careers
As an American manufacturer and a family-owned business, we are always looking for ways to support the future of not only our company but other American manufacturers. We know the impact of STEM education on today's youth and often provide tours for high school and college students that are interested in careers in STEM related fields. And on Manufacturing Day, we bring students in with their educators to discuss the opportunities available and give them a close up look at what it's like to work for a highly automated manufacturer.
