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Precision Plastic Injection Molders

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Plastic Injection Molding Tariffs: Preparing Your Business

Image of a stamp marking "tariff" on a document with business supplies nearby.

It’s important to understand that the US has a long history of tariffs. While these lessened in the free market economy of the 20th and 21st centuries after US manufacturing power increased, the use and threats of use are nothing new. The first Trump administration saw over $380 billion in tariffs, many of which were kept in place during Biden. Now, with the new administration’s larger blanket tariffs threatening global trade, you need to prepare your business for the impacts of plastic injection molding tariffs.

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Considerations for Coloring and Finishes for Injection Molded Parts

If you want your part’s appearance to pop, you’ve got several options and choices ahead of you. From high-quality finishes and textures on molds to changes in the plastics, additives, and manufacturing processes, there’s a lot to take in. Today we’re going to look at the two most common options: additives for coloring and finishes to the mold itself, along with other considerations, drawbacks, and options when it comes to injection molded parts.

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Understanding Manufacturing Machines: The Injection Molding Press

Closeup of the inside of an injection molding machine, showing an open injection mold and surrounding press.

At the heart of the industrial-scale plastic manufacturing known as injection molding machines, is the injection molding press. In these tightly engineered machines, heat, intense pressure, computerized systems, and precise machinery all work together to quickly and efficiently take molten plastic, subject it to high pressure, release, and then set up to do it all again. Understanding this part of injection molding machines can help you be better prepared to work with manufacturers on your products.

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Common Design & Production Issues with Offshore Injection Molding

Container ship representing offshore manufacturing and transportation.

Cost is a critical part of every business’s manufacturing. While injection molding is one of the cheapest options for large-scale manufacturing of plastic parts, there are some considerations to account for before you move that manufacturing overseas. Today, we’re going to look at common design and production issues with offshore injection molding, including issues with mold and part quality, differing design and manufacturing standards, and localization issues.

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Gates, Pins & Parting Lines: Designing Parts for Injection Molding

A lot of work goes into designing injection molding parts and the molds that produce them. While there are a thousand considerations to keep in mind with parts, molds, and manufacturers, today we’re going to focus on three: gates, pins, and parting lines. Designing parts and molds for those parts with placement for these features in mind produces better results and underlines why collaboration with your manufacturer earlier in the process can help avoid costly redesigns or inefficient production later.

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5 Ways to Get Better Plastic Parts Without Rebuilding Your Mold

Midstate Mold employee scans manufactured plastic part for defects in QA process.

If you’re seeing a decline in the quality of your manufactured plastic parts, one of the most common reasons brought up by plastic injection producers is a bad or deteriorating mold. But that’s not always the case. Today, we will look at solutions that can improve the plastic part quality, lessen defects, and improve delivery times, all without rebuilding your mold. Because sometimes it’s not the mold that needs changing—it’s your plastic injection molding manufacturer.

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