Industry 4.0 and Sustainability in Injection Molding

If your company is involved in the manufacturing industry, you know about the growing trends of sustainability and Industry 4.0—especially when it comes to plastic injection molding. What if we told you that you could continue and even improve your company’s sustainability initiatives without compromising your productivity by using a manufacturer that has embraced Industry 4.0 initiatives? Learn more about how Industry 4.0 and sustainability can go hand in hand if you partner with the right manufacturer.

Optimization with Industry 4.0 Injection Molding AI

The sensors, machine learning, networked controllers, and AI learning systems of Industry 4.0 injection molding not only create more efficient manufacturing but can reduce the energy and waste of the manufacturing process. Learning systems can optimize cycle times and speed up mold set-ups for higher productivity. They can also help detect and remedy part defects and predict maintenance for the mold and machine, all leading to better sustainability.

Sustainability with Manufacturing Robotics Systems

As we detailed in our Utilizing Robotics in Plastic Injection Molding Industry blog, robotic systems can improve the efficiency of the manufacturing processes, increasing the speed and reducing the waste of the injection molding machines they are incorporated with. Using Industry 4.0 networks to better monitor actions and improve over time, they offer more consistent cycles and free up staff for other processes like quality assurance.

Other Considerations for Sustainability

Of course, Industry 4.0 isn’t the only way businesses can have more sustainable manufacturing partners. Below are some additional considerations for sustainability practices:

• Picking More Sustainable Plastic Resins: The use of thermoplastic polymers in injection molding allows for the recycling of plastics, including on-site. Biopolymer plastics can provide more compostable plastics for single uses.
• Quality Assurance to Reduce Waste: Strong quality assurance (QA), along with better mold construction and manufacturing quality, means fewer parts need to be discarded due to defects or recalls.
• Reducing the Transportation Carbon Footprint: Having manufacturing closer to home, especially within the US, reduces the amount of emissions due to transportation, as well as stronger environmental regulations.
• Other Ethical Considerations Beyond Sustainability: You should check on your manufacturer’s policy on conflict minerals and learn more about the traceability of their materials. It might also be time to look at tool relocation to the US, not just due to labor and human rights concerns.

By working with Midstate Mold, you can have a great sustainability partner for life for all parts of injection molding. You don’t have to choose between sustainability and productivity when it comes to plastic manufacturing. If you’d like to learn about how we provide our clients with mold design and plastic injection molding with sustainability in mind, contact us online today, call us at 1-508-520-0011, or dive right into getting a quote.