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Precision Plastic Injection Molders

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How to Protect Your Plastic Parts Supply Chain from Disaster

Collection of various logistics vehicles (trucks, trains, planes, and cargo boats) with icon nodes and lines representing a supply chain.

From production requests to manufacturing to shipping to distribution, plastic parts logistics are rarely straightforward, simple, or short. As a crucial link in that chain, we at Midstate Mold and Engineering have some insights on what you can do to protect your plastic parts supply chain from disaster, from dealing with delays and shortfalls to what to change if your supply chain is constantly breaking and affecting your bottom line. Read on to learn about the usual places for delays and what to do about them.

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What is the Push-Pull System for Part Manufacturing?

Silhouette Forklift truck lifting cargo container on a truck in the warehouse during sunset.

In parts manufacturing, the needs of the manufacturer and their client have three major points of overlap: the cost of the part, the quality of the part, and the availability of the part. In many situations, it seems like clients are stuck in the “pick two” scenario: good quality and cost but manufactured far away, or good cost and availability due to mass production but lower quality. Many systems in manufacturing work to remove these blocks by providing streamlined systems and logistics, one of which is the push-pull system we use at Midstate Mold.

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Who Should Store and Maintain Your Injection Molding Tool?

Midstate Mold staff working on maintenance and repair of tool part.

Plastic injection molding all revolves around the use of specially made injection molds – also known as tools or molding tools. Built to exacting specifications, these tools are also built to function under the punishing conditions of high temperatures and repeating cycles, producing hundreds or thousands of parts a day in as many cycles. As these molds wear down, the quality of the parts they make will degrade, causing increased costs and decreased production. Let’s dive into what proper tool maintenance and storage looks like.

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What Does It Take to Relocate an Injection Molding Tool?

Yellow forklift with box.

There are many reasons why businesses might want to relocate their injection molding tool (also known as a mold) from one injection molding business to another. It might be logistical, wanting to move the tool, therefore their manufacturing, closer to their company or market. It might be economical, moving to another region or country to capitalize on another rate. It might be due to quality control issues or many other factors. Whatever the reason, it’s important to know how to handle tool relocation.

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The Most Popular Thermoplastics Used in Injection Molding

Colored polymer granules in glass flasks in factory.

There are a lot of things that go into making plastic parts. But the single biggest choice that will affect multiple categories of strength, price, flexibility, production speed, and even mold design during the project is the kind of plastic resin you pick for your production. It’s also a decision that needs to be made by the client, not the mold or part designer. All we can do is suggest plastics based on your needs. Today we’re here to provide you with some background on the four most popular thermoplastics and why they are so often used.

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What Certifications Should Your Manufacturer Have?

Manufacturer certification and quality assurance standards and systems concept with business man standing behind with stylus.

There are many manufacturers that can make parts for your product. While we’re of course partial to injection molding, regardless of the process and the company, there are some key things that any manufacturer should have. One of those is certification – certification in whatever process they use, quality control, material sourcing, etc. In this post we’ll look at the types and specific certifications and standards you should look for when working with a manufacturer.

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