As a secondary machining process, plastic machining can help save cost and heighten quality control for injection molded plastic components.
While plastic injection molding remains the cornerstone of plastic components manufactured at Boyd, plastic machining is one of the many secondary capabilities available to our customers. With a dedicated and automated equipment for machining, Boyd can machine plastic parts up to 20" x 40" in size. But what are the benefits of plastic machining? Plastic machining is ideal for additional machining of injection molded parts. For parts that need to be modified to create a unique part number or multiple from a host molded part, machining is a cost-effective solution to minimize the cost of the tool.
What are the Core Advantages of Plastic Machining?
Some of the core advantages of plastic machining include:
1) Lowered Cost
Depending on the order quantity, utilizing machining over a tool can result in significant cost savings. For instance, machining can eliminate the need for tooling in lower volume projects, thereby reducing non-recurring engineering (NRE) costs.
2) Heightened Quality Control
Machining provides with greater control over part quality and production process. By eliminating the need to sub-contract machining and performing it in in-house, machining has allowed Boyd to reduce paperwork and handling charges.
3) Fine Trimming and De-Gating
Most plastic parts require a smooth finish, especially from highly regulated industries such as medical and aerospace. Machining can be used to remove the gate from an injection molded part, making the surface smooth and gate-free.
4) Tapping Holes
Machining offers the ability for holes to be tapped rather than using an unscrewing tool. While it's not only cost-effective for lower volumes, it also allows for better control of threads and holes.
There are several factors to consider while deciding between tool and machining. While machining may eliminate the tooling cost, it increases the price per part. So, depending on the volume, tooling may be more affordable. But if you need to change an existing part, secondary machining may be the process of choice.
Boyd serves customers in nearly every industry with our machining capabilities. To figure out which plastic manufacturing methods are right for your next project, reach out to one of our experts.
