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Midstate Mold & Engineering

Precision Plastic Injection Molders

push-pull system

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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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The Effects of Hydrocarbon Restrictions on Plastic Injection Molding

Azovstal industrial sector in Mariupol, Ukraine before the war.

With the new year, it’s important to look back on the shortages of last year, their sources, and what they mean for 2023. While these last few years we’ve felt numerous shortages due to the pandemic and labor shortages, in 2022 we saw a new one with the outbreak of war between Russia and Ukraine causing a shakeup of hydrocarbon restrictions—specifically natural gas and other derived chemicals—through both sanctions and the ripple effects of the conflict.

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Quick Response Manufacturing: QRM in Plastic Injection Molding

A close-up shot of a stopwatch meant to signify quick response manufacturing in plastic injection molding.

The increasingly competitive global workforce has challenged every industry. However, with new advancements in automation, machinery, and material handling, along with the innovative process known as Quick Response Manufacturing (QRM), plastic injection molders in the United States have been able to match overseas pricing. Not only that, but local manufacturers are even outpacing the competition in part design, execution, and lead times. Let’s discuss how manufacturers are exceeding their customers’ expectations by integrating QRM in plastic injection molding.

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Preparing Your Logistics for Natural Disasters: The Push-Pull System

An image of a spreading forest fire.

On top of the pandemic, the past two years have witnessed an increase in destructive natural disasters. Hurricane Eta rampaging through Central America, the ice storm knocking out power across Texas, and the deadly wildfires consuming much of the United States’ west coast were just a few of the catastrophes of the past year. These devastating natural disasters not only threaten residents of these areas but also create logistical nightmares for many supply chains. Let’s review the push-pull system in injection molding and how it can prepare your logistics for the natural disasters ahead.

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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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Plastic Injection Molding and the Lean Manufacturing Process

Plastic injection molding has been an ideal business to benefit from the lean manufacturing process. In previous articles, we have examined both low and high-volume manufacturing in Low and High-Volume Production: Injection Molding and 4 Benefits of Low-Volume Molding. In this article, we will primarily be discussing another form of production that we are capable of providing to our client—the lean manufacturing process (also known as “The Push-Pull System”). [Read more…] about Plastic Injection Molding and the Lean Manufacturing Process