The plastics manufacturing industry has taken the world by storm ever since the 1930s. With more innovative technology and machinery, plastic fabrication is the only way to go for all your pharmaceutical, marine, and boat needs.
For this reason, we’ve put together a beginners’ guide explaining the processes of plastic fabrication as well as its advantages.
What is plastic fabrication?
Plastic fabrication is the process of shaping, cutting, moulding, or changing the form of a material into a product.
Types of plastic fabrication processes
The chosen plastic fabrication method depends significantly on the function of the product, the appearance, and, of course, the budget.
There is a wide selection of plastic fabrication options to customise and tailor your designs.
The more well-known processes include:
Cutting
Cutting is the process of removing any additional material to meet the required shape and size. Our expert engineers often use cutting torches and band saws to safely carry out this plastic fabrication process.
Machining
Machining includes drilling, lathing, and honing to shape the material – be it automatically or manually.
Welding
Welding covers the process of using heat or pressure to bring together two or more components as one product.
Benefits of plastic fabrication
With many types of plastic such as nylon and acrylic, it’s difficult to determine the advantages of each one individually without listing every type of plastic. More generally, however, there are certain benefits of plastic fabrication over metal fabrication. These include:
Plastic is very malleable
As plastic has an incredibly low melting point, it is very malleable and, therefore, great to use if the design has complex patterns.
Plastic is very lightweight
Compared to glass, plastic is very lightweight. This doesn’t mean it is weak, but it certainly means it’s a much easier product to ship, install and maintain.
Saving money
By using plastic, you will be saving money.
How?
You won’t need to paint after fabrication as plastic can be painted before the process begins.
Chemical resistant
You don’t have to worry about rusting or oxidation as plastic is chemical-resistant.
Fast manufacturing timeframes
The plastic fabrication cycle time is very quick. In other words, you won’t have to wait long to see the end product.
Looking to start a project?
With over 50 years of experience and ISO 9001:2015 accreditation, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our expert and friendly team at Hampshire Plastics for all your plastic fabrication needs.
If you are in the process of starting your search for a supplier or are ready to start a discussion, we are ready to help regardless of the commercial outcome.
Looking for the advice of an expert?
Contact us now by calling 023 9248 6633. Alternatively, send us an enquiry via our contact page.
