Baytech Plastics has been at the forefront of innovation in plastic injection molding services since 1946. The industry has changed immensely since our early days, but over the years, we’ve embraced these changes as a way to improve service to our customers and still offer affordability.
Innovation hasn’t stopped, though. Injection molding services and the injection mold industry itself continue to evolve as new technologies and techniques emerge and new demands from customers arise. In this post, we take a look at 5 trends that are driving innovation in the injection molding industry.
5 Trends Supporting Innovation in Injection Molding Services
- Design Engineering Improvements. There is definitely a trend in the industry toward taking an integrated approach to engineering and product design. Customers and injection molding companies alike have realized that many hiccups during the production process can be eliminated or minimized if the customer and the manufacturer work together during the design and engineering phases to make sure the product is designed for the desired manufacturing technique. This results in an overall smoother, more streamlined design and production process. Early engineering services are offered to every Baytech Plastics customer for this express purpose.
- Micro Molding. As plastics become more common in very small products, like medical devices and consumer electronics, the need for micro injection molding has grown. Micro molding is a very precise injection molding technique that has no room for error given the tiny scale of the products. Strong quality control measures, computer-aided design, and the use of robotics are all critical to successful micro injection molding projects.
- Eco-Friendly Materials. The use of eco-friendly and sustainable materials has risen exponentially in our industry as more and more consumers and manufacturers demand them. Plastics have always been valued for their ability to be melted down and re-used, but now we are seeing eco-friendly alternatives to thermoplastics in injection molding services, such as plant-based materials that have nearly the same benefits as plastic but are made from corn and flax instead of petroleum-based products.
- Automation & Robotics. Smaller sizes, more intricate parts, higher volume runs…they all demonstrate the need for and value of increased automation and robotics in injection molding. Although injection molding has been an automated process for decades now, there is always room for improvement. Robotics is the perfect example of this. By using robotics in plastics manufacturing, we can create more complex, smaller, or more delicate components for our customers. Robotic systems improve production quality by completing tasks that are difficult for humans or by working side-by-side with human workers to complete tasks.
- Supply Chain Considerations. For many years, it was expected that manufacturing would be less expensive if it was offshored. That is no longer the case. Canadian businesses have realized that Canadian plastics manufacturing companies are price-competitive with offshore manufacturers while providing many other benefits as well. These benefits include: greater quality, better customer service, established, trusted supply chains, lower shipping costs, faster time to market, and improved reliability.
Baytech Plastics: Innovating For Over 70 Years
Adopting the latest technologies, following our customers’ industry trends, and always keeping an eye on how we can improve our customer experience is the way we do business at Baytech Plastics. If you are interested in learning how our injection molding services and dedication to the customer experience can improve your plastics manufacturing process, contact our team at (705) 526-7801 or reach us online.