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The 3 Best Qualities of Successful Plastic Manufacturers

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 17:15:40 GMT

Many organizations that use plastic products do not necessarily manufacture them on their own. There are plastic manufacturing companies that offer production services, but don't offer a comprehensive service to create and distribute your product. Like everything in business, you need to make an informed choice when selecting a top plastic manufacturing company for your products. Your products are one of the most important aspects of your business, so deciding who to trust with them is a big decision.

Here are qualities to look out for in a company offering plastic manufacturing services.

1. Excellent Communication

One of the qualities to look out for in a plastic manufacturing company is the staff's communication skills. The team needs to communicate clearly and reliably. It is essential to opt for a company that walks you through the order placement process and gives you a brief series of events that take place during the manufacturing process. Ask yourself the following questions:

Are you offered a platform to connect and contact the manufacturer to receive regular updates as your plastic design is created?
Does the company speak to you in 'industrial terms' you can understand?

The manufacturer needs to be personable, professional, and avail themselves to you to make you feel included in the entire development process.

2. Years of Experience

While many aspects may accolade a manufacturer's capability to mold a flawless part, nothing beats the number of years a company has been in the industry. When searching for an experienced, dependable plastic injection molding manufacturer, be sure to inquire about the years they have been in the business, and ask about the expertise of its team.

3. Local Manufacturing

Having a manufacturer who does not outsource and manufacturers domestically is proven to create a competitive advantage. Knowledgeable engineers and in-house mold makers give customers a full service solution to meet their requirements. Local manufacturing also enables you to keep in touch with your manufacturer easily.

With more than three decades in the plastic molding business, Bennett Plastics has a combined skill of industry experts with proven results. When you partner with us, you will enjoy the following benefits:

All-round production cycle
Local delivery
37 years in business
Quality customer service
Flexibility and teamwork

Contact us today to see why you should work with our team. We work hard in order to bring your product visions to life for your business. Call us, we won't disappoint.

4 Helpful WaysTips to Prevent Defects in Common Plastic Injections

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 17:12:25 GMT

When it comes to plastic injection molding, there's room for several errors. Quality issues in plastic injection-molded items range from negligible surface defects to severe problems that affect the performance, safety, as well as function of the final product. Often times, the flaws are linked to the material used, tooling design, molding process, or a combination of all three.

Injection Speeds

Lowering resin injection speeds is proven to significantly lower burn marks. Burn marks are typically surface marks caused by resin that overheats or overheated trapped air. Decreasing resin injection speeds lowers the possibility of air becoming trapped, optimizes degassing and venting systems, and also reduces the mold/melt temperature.

Material Selection

Selecting the right material enhances the versatility and functionality of your product. It is advisable to work with a well-informed injection molder and design engineer to learn how various materials can optimize the life of your plastic part. The material selection is usually centered on the application of the product. The plastic requirements for food industry products may be immensely different than those of medical applications.

Processing Parameters

There are circumstances where the color of the finished product is different than the projected. This fault is usually caused by scorching barrel temperature, leftover pellets in the hopper, or unused resin in the feed zone. To prevent discoloration of the final product, it is advisable to flush the feed and hopper zone of the processing machine in between processes.

Tool Design and Build

A defect-free, flawless part starts with the mold. Designing and producing a product represents the largest investment in most manufacturing processes; thus, getting it right from the word go is vital to the success of the injection molding project. The material and volume of parts needed are of significant help when creating a mold.

Let Bennett Plastics Help!

The best way to prevent injection molding defects is to work with a knowledgeable service provider that fully understands the characteristics of multiple resins and their applications. Contact us today to learn how Bennett Plastics can help you lower injection molding defects. With over 30 years of experience, we have the expertise and equipment to bring your design dreams to life.

5 Great Benefits of Plastic Manufacturing in the U.S.

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 17:09:14 GMT

Despite living in the world's greatest nation, it has become tough to find items labeled "Made in America" in recent times. In fact, according to the Washington Post, 98% of shoes worn in the US are made abroad. Then, when you think about plastics, food items, electronics, and a surplus of items used regularly that are made overseas, you may wonder if Americans are producing anything.

The Benefits of Domestic Manufacturing

There are several benefits to choosing a plastic manufacturer located in the USA over those found overseas, especially in the long run.

Jobs

Selecting a US-based plastic manufacturing company translates to job opportunities for Americans. By basing our manufacturing plant in the United States, it means that Bennett is supporting the national and local economy and assisting those to prosper financially.

Supply Chain

In recent years, the logistic costs linked to shipping materials, products, and components across the world have risen significantly. Basing a company locally saves you outbound and inbound delivery and shipping fees.

Short Lead Times

When products have less distance to move to get to the intended retailer or distributor, they can be delivered fast to the consumer. This aspect accelerates the sales process, increases the forecast responses, and ensures that money gets into your account sooner. Having a short lead time also enhances customer contentment.

Guaranteed Quality

Being closer to the production unit enables us to be able to execute tight control over the entire manufacturing process. In the end, it guarantees that all items fit the outlined standards and specifications. If any problem arises, the company can see it and correct it much more quickly – saving money and valuable time in the long run.

Excellent Customer Service

Customer service is an essential part of any organization's success and is mainly influenced by the geographic location of the customer service staff. If the customer service department and centers are locally positioned, the customers will feel deeply connected with the people managing their service issues.

Bennett Plastics is a privately-owned and operated company that has been in the plastic injection molding industry since 1982. Supporting American companies supports us all. Click here, to learn more about our services and why choosing Bennett Plastics is your best option.

3 Ways We Employ the Best Sustainable Manufacturing Practices

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 17:05:54 GMT

Sustainability has been defined as: "The quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting natural resources, and thereby supporting long-term ecological balance." Another definition of sustainability that applies to the manufacturing industry is a process or approach that “focuses on meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs."

Sustainability is especially vital in the field of plastics manufacturing, since non-sustainable practices can, over time, cause great damage to the environment and hinder progress towards long-lasting, eco-friendly production solutions.

At Bennett Plastics, we take great pride in our sustainable manufacturing practices. Through these practices, we give our clients the highest quality products while maintaining and supporting our environment and eco-system. Here are 3 ways that we promote sustainability in our industry:a

1. We Use Sustainable Materials

We use bio-based plastics, or plastics that are bio-derived (sourced from organic substances) or bio-degradable (capable of being decomposed by bacteria). These include the following materials:

PHA
PLA
Acetate

2. We Design Parts with End of Life in Mind

Whether we are producing single or multiple use items, we always think about how the product can be recycled at the end of its functional life span. Thus, we use recyclable plastics like:

PET
HDPE
PP
LDPE
Polystyrene

3. Our Building Implements Sustainable Systems

Even in our facility's design we remain conscious of sustainability. We do so in the following ways:

We utilize LED lighting throughout our building
We employ a rainwater recycling system
We recycle all plastic and corrugated packaging
All of our equipment and systems are energy efficient

Since 1982, Bennett Plastics has been a leading provider of high quality custom plastic molds in the greater New York area. We work hard to offer only the best to our clients, and to do so in a sustainable, conscientious way. If you'd like to learn more about the benefits of partnering with us, reach out today for further information.

How to Tell if Your Plastic Products Are Safe for Babies and Toddlers

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 17:02:51 GMT

Plastic products made for babies and toddlers are often created using injection molding, a specialty of our company. Injection molding is a manufacturing process where molten substances are injected into a mold. This allows a product to be manufactured many times over. Remember when you were a child and you used a plastic fork to eat a birthday cake at a friend's birthday party? It was almost certainly made using an injection molding process. But are these products safe for babies and toddlers?

Safety Concerns About Plastic Products

Children can be messy. Plastic utensils such as forks, spoons, plates, and cups are popular because they make cleaning up faster and easier. But you may have heard concerns about the effects of plastics on the human body from friends or the media. Notably, an ingredient used in some plastics called BPA (Bisphenol A) has been the subject of studies that suggest possibly harmful effects on children. According to the New York Times, the FDA banned the use of BPA in the manufacture of baby bottles for this reason. We certify that the materials we use are BPA and Phthalate free in all of our baby products.

We Make Safer, Eco-Friendly, and Sustainable Plastic Products

What are some of the materials we use to do this?

Bio-Based Plastics
Biodegradable Plastics
Degradable Plastics
Bio-Filled Plastics
Recycled Plastics

And our commitment does not stop at the end product. We also work to reduce manufacturing waste and use product designs that make a product easier to recycle after it is no longer needed.

Why Choose Bennett Plastics for Your Manufacturing Needs?

With Bennett Plastics, you can have your plastic product manufacturing needs handled responsibly. We follow strict OSHA safety guidelines. We also save you the hassle and business dangers of dealing with overseas manufacturers. Contact us today for more information and guidance.

4 Shocking Facts Regarding the Plastic Injection Molding Industry

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 16:59:30 GMT

Plastic injection molding has become a very popular method over the last few decades. Just looking around you might not realize just how many every day products and pieces of equipment have been through the plastic injection molding process. Here are some surprising facts about the industry.

Fact 1: Most Well Known Products Are Plastic Injection Molded

Some very popular items in today's world are made using plastic injection molding. Over 400 billion Lego blogs have been created since 1949. Plastic parts are become more commonly used because of their adaptability and convenience. Plastic injection molds are used in a large variety of industries including:

Aerospace
Sports equipment
Medical
Food
Life Sciences
Industrial
Electronics
Automotive

Fact 2: Injection Molding Is One of the Fastest Methods of Manufacturing

In today's fast pace world speed is a factor in all our business decisions. One of the primary reasons plastic injection molding has become so popular is the speed at which a custom molding can be made. Even very complex molds normally take less than 30 seconds between cycles.

Fact 3: You Can Use an Endless Variety of Materials

The plastic industry is constantly innovating and expanding. Currently, there are over 80,000 different types of materials available for molding. Choosing the right material is essential for getting the desired result. Ten of the most popular materials used in plastic injection molding are:

Nylon (Polyamide)
Acrylic
Polycarbonate
Polyoxymethylene (POM)
Polystyrene (PS)
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)
Polypropylene (PP)
Polyethylene (PE)
Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU)
Thermoplastic Rubber (TPR)

Fact 4: Injection Molding Process Produces Virtually No Waste

Waste produced is cut down to almost zero through the plastic injection molding process. Only necessary amounts of plastic are used in making each part or product. The excess plastic is ground up and recycled to be used again, therefore minimizing waste. Most manufacturers also have sustainable product options available.

Let Us Help!

With Bennett Plastics you can create the part or product you need with the help of our expert team. Let us help you with your plastic injection molding project. Contact our team today!

The Most Common Methods For Coloring Plastics

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 16:55:08 GMT

Companies have turned to the use of plastic injection molding technology to manufacture plastic parts and products on a massive scale. Injection molding involves melting plastic before injecting it into the mold that shapes it into the desired form before cooling to produce the final product. This product may require a custom color to improve its aesthetic appeal and purchase rate. Molding companies have to add color to the raw plastic to achieve this feat. Common color plastic products include:

Combs and brushes for babies
Forks and spoons for toddlers
Cups
Plates
Plastic handles for various household items
Plastic covers

How Plastics Get Their Color

Coloring plastics isn't a matter of painting their surfaces with your preferred hue. The color may not last, or you may not achieve the best quality of the item. A more technical but effective way of introducing different colors to plastics is by introducing them in injection molding process.

Different Methods That Can Be Used

Compounding: This process involves premixing several colors with resin before introducing the mixture to the molding plastic.
Masterbatching: Colors are premixed with resin but are not introduced to the molding plastic as they are. It requires uncolored plastic or rubber to scale it down to at least 2% of the volume before it can be used.
Solvent Coloring: It requires the spraying of uncolored pellets with a solvent with the required pigment. Keep the ratio of the pigment to the plastic at 2% to achieve the best results.
Dry Pigment Mixing: The use of dry pigment powder which is mixed directly with the pellets in the injection machine. Ensure the 2% ratio before commencing the injection molding process.

Why Call Bennett Plastics?

With Bennett Plastics, you can never go wrong with your choice of colors. With a long history of injection molding and coloring, we have perfected the art of color matching to produce accurate results. If you need to make any inquiries, contact us today!

How Our Focus on Sustainability is Molding A Better World

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 16:36:31 GMT

Plastic And The Environment

Plastic pollution is a growing concern for many environmentalists and governments alike. Plastic can cause adverse effects for:

wildlife
habitats
water
humans

However, not all plastics are created equally. Knowing which plastic products are the most harmful is the first step in facing this problem head-on. Forbes and other news sites often focus on how plastic is harming the environment, but plastic can also be used to help the environment, when used correctly.

Making Eco-friendly, Sustainable Products

Bennett Plastics is an industry leader when it comes to injection molding of sustainable materials. This is accomplished through several steps.

First, we strive to use bio-based plastics whenever possible. This helps to reduce carbon footprints, reduce plastic waste, and increase sustainability efforts.
Next, we create a product ideal for its intended use that is also good for the environment. We always keep recycling a product at the end of its life in mind.
Knowing that plastics can be biodegradable, degradable, filled with other bio products, recycled, or even up-cycled gives us options in the manufacturing process. Pairing with responsible suppliers helps us produce the best products possible, both for our customers and our Earth.

In addition, Bennett Plastics also contributes to environmental initiatives in their daily business practices, such as using energy-efficient lighting, recycling water in the manufacturing process, recycling all plastic materials used, and continually improving the efficiency of our systems throughout the manufacturing process.

Why Call Bennett Plastics?

If you are looking for an American-based company that believes in traditional American values, you should give us a call. We believe in developing lasting partnerships to safely create made in the USA products you can count on. We strive for zero defects in our products, and promise to deliver quality with every shipment. Lastly, we pride ourselves on providing eco-friendly options and to eliminate unnecessary waste. If you're ready to discover more about the Bennett Plastic family, contact us today.

Here's Why Most Industries Prefer Metal Parts to Plastic Parts

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 16:32:54 GMT

Plastic parts are being used more in industries because they are cheaper to produce at a large scale and are high quality. Plastic is very versatile, and can be molded into various shapes and forms. It is continuously being re-engineered to make it lighter and efficient for various uses.

Plastic Injection Molding

Plastic injection molding is the most commonly used method in the mass manufacturing process of plastic. It requires the use of an injection molding machine whereby the plastic is melted in the machine and then put into a mold where it solidifies with time.

Plastic Parts Vs. Metal Parts

Various industries require plastic parts for manufacturing, for example; Automobile, Construction, Textiles, Medical, Aerospace, and Food & Beverage, and they prefer plastic parts over metal parts because of the following reasons:

Plastic is lighter than metal and cheaper to use in manufacturing because the denser the material, the more the installation and logistics costs.
The use of plastics is also less labor-intensive and does not take up a lot of production time, therefore saving on time and energy costs.
Due to various additions to plastic formulations like carbon fiber and glass fiber, the plastic part's strength to weight ratio is just as good as metal. Their strength to stiffness ratio is higher than most metals meaning that plastic parts are durable and not likely to deform.
Metal is harder to work with and shape as compared to plastic. Thermoplastics allow flexibility in design options as compared to manufacturing parts using metal.

Call Bennett Plastics!

Plastic parts are cost-effective in the long run, as they are cheaper to manufacture and durable. With Bennett Plastics, you are assured of the best quality, and we will custom make products for you according to your exact specifications. Contact us for more information.

How To Give Your Injection Molding Products A Unique Touch

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 16:29:19 GMT

Let's take a look into the world of injection molding and discuss how we can help your products capture consumer attention. We'll start with the basics.

What Is Injection Molding?

Basically, it's exactly what it sounds like–the process of injecting a melted substance into a mold to obtain the desired shape. To give a simplified example, when you pour cake mix into a cupcake tin, that's the same basic principle.

Injection molding has many applications such as:

Automotive Parts
Medical Equipment
Consumer Products
Packaging
Toys and Games
Lawn/Garden Equipment
Appliance Components
Computers
Electronics
Telecommunications Devices
And Many Others

How To Set Your Products Apart From The Rest?

There are things you can do to make your products stand out. Some things that help make these products more appealing include:
The Finish– Adding a unique and appealing finish to the product makes it appear high-quality and better than the competition.
Added Detail– Embossing and/or etching the surface gives the product raised details and raises the value in the mind of the consumer.
Integrated Decorating– When a decorative detail is added before the injection process to integrate a design element into the finished product.

At Bennett Plastics, we work with our customers to ensure that every product is unique in more ways than one. Beautiful design and flawless execution is what we strive for when we work on a product.

Why Do These Things Matter?

There are many products available to consumers, and they're always looking to find one that's different from the rest. Features like those mentioned above are the kinds of things that attract attention and hint that your product is better. If you can make the consumer look at your product and think that it's clearly better, either in quality or aesthetics, then you have their attention.

Why Work With Bennett Plastics?

Bennett Plastics has been a family business for three generations, so you can trust that we know what we're doing. We're committed to providing attentive customer service, competitive pricing, and flawless products. When you work with us you get a family of experts in custom plastics, injection molding, product design and development, rapid prototyping, mold making and modification, warehousing and fulfillment, and value add and finishing. Contact us today to discuss your needs and how we can help!

The Power of Plant-based Materials: Ethically Sourced Manufacturing

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 16:25:23 GMT

Plastic waste is at the forefront of the environmental conservation discussion. From straws to food packaging, water bottles to shopping bags, there is a push to either eliminate plastic use altogether, or use plastics that are responsibly sourced and that lessen the manufacturer's footprint on the environment.

That's why industry leaders like Bennett Plastics have begun incorporating ethical and environmentally friendly plant-based materials into their injection molding process.

Plant-based Plastics

There are three main bio-derived materials that Bennett Plastics uses for injection molding. They are:

PHA

PLS

Cellulose acetates

PHA, which stands for polyhydroxyalkanoates, comes from the bacteria in fermented sugars. This bacteria forms a naturally occurring type of polyester which is used in a wide range of applications in the manufacturing industry, the medical field, and an emerging utility in bio-derived plastics.

PLA, or polylactic acid, comes from fermented corn starch and acts as a substitute for oil-based plastics rather than a simple component. PLA is a desirable alternative as it is biodegradable over time through industrial composting.

Acetate, or cellulose acetate, is derived from cotton or wood pulp. Acetates have seen industrial use since the mid 1800s when they were used in early photography. In modern plastics, acetates are used as a hypoallergenic plastic material which can be composted after use.

Why Use Plant Based Materials?

Bennett Plastics creates products with the end of their useful life in mind. We are concerned with what happens to our plastics after their job is done. We aim for products that are biodegradable through industrial composting processes or degradable in natural settings such as water or air.

Our business philosophy is meant to minimize the impact that our processes and our products have on the earth. We use renewable resources and implement sustainable practices with the future in mind.

Sustainable Plastics

We believe it is our responsibility to ethically source materials for our injection molding while continuing to craft the products that our customers need. With Bennett Plastics, you can count on quality plastic products made from environmentally friendly materials. Please contact us to help design your custom plastic solutions.

How We Reduce Scrap Metal In the Injection Molding Process

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 16:22:30 GMT

Injection molding is a cost-effective manufacturing method that involves the production of parts in large volumes. It is used in mass production processes that involve the consistent production of identical parts. If the proper steps are not taken, this production process has the potential to result in large amounts of scrap that could amount to waste in landfills and a large carbon footprint.

Production Scrap

The injection molding process does not produce large amounts of waste per unit. The scrap produced from the injection mold cycle can come from the sprue, runners, and molten plastic overflow from the part's cavity. However, if you have the a consistent and validated molding process, you can bring that waste down to 0%.

How We Aim To Reduce Scrap

The following are the various ways we aim to reduce scrap in the injection molding process:

Recycling: Recycling scrap is one of our sustainable policies to reduce the cost of production and protect the environment.
Manufacturing Optimization: Defects can be costly in manufacturing. Therefore we have to ensure that the production of defective parts in the manufacturing process is reduced by taking the right measures. For instance, using proper tooling design and software for refining part designs. This ensures the manufactured components are well designed before mass production. An optimized manufacturing process is cost-effective in the long run.
Molding Process: We ensure that all jobs have a consistent and validated process. Therefore if there is any waste in the process, it is predictable and can be properly reused and recycled. However, a strong manufacturing process will significantly minimize waste in the production process, and will lead to an efficient and sustainable manufacturing system.

Why We Focus On Eco-Friendly Sustainable Products And Machines

At Bennett Plastics, we manufacture packaging materials and parts that are recyclable, and we use eco-friendly machines. This is because:

We are dedicated to environmental sustainability and energy conservation.
They are cost-effective: Recycling minimizes production costs.
We are keen on customer safety and hence adhere to strict manufacturing guidelines.

Put Your Trust in Us!

Call us for any inquiries about our products or services. With Bennett Plastics, you are assured of high-quality services and products that are eco-friendly. Contact us today; we look forward to doing business with you.

Why Manufacturing During the COVID-19 Pandemic is Critical

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 16:09:46 GMT

During these trying times, companies are struggling to find the resources they need to stay in business. With the U.S. having limited access to the outside world, it is imperative to have options here in our own borders. At Bennett Plastics, we manufacture millions of parts each year in our 36,000 square foot facility in New Jersey. If you are located in the Unites States and are in need of injection molding, custom plastics manufacturing, 3D printing/prototyping, warehouse & fulfillment, or value add & finishing, please call us today at 973-684-1501 or email info@bennettplastics.com .

Pharmaceutical, Food Service and More

With local and national directives limiting non-essential business, we know how important it is for certain industries to be actively contributing to our communities. For companies and businesses in the pharmaceutical industry, we are committed to making sure you don't run out of the manufactured plastics you need most.

For those in food service, the increase in take-out dining only will see a huge demand for disposable plastic products. Bennett Plastics produces plastic products according to FDA guidelines including bowls, containers, knives, spoons, cups, plates, and trays.

Other industries we serve that may be struggling to keep up with demand during the COVID-19 crisis include:

PHARMACEUTICAL
PACKAGING
ELECTRICAL
INDUSTRIAL
TOYS & NOVELTY
FOOD SERVICE
BABY PRODUCTS

If you're finding that the import/export restrictions for your manufactured goods are affecting your business, we hope you will consider U.S.-based Bennett Plastics as an option.

We're Local and We're Here for You

For nearly 40 years, Bennett Plastics has been committed to providing superior products and exceptional service. You can count on us to provide our same exceptional service during these trying times. Please contact us today at 973-684-1501 or email info@bennettplastics.com

Plastic in the Medical Industry: What You Need to Know

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 15:59:25 GMT

Plastic injection molding is a manufacturing process of parts that involves the use of a plastic injection molding machine, melted plastic and other components and a mold . The process is versatile and very efficient for producing large volumes of plastic parts.

Why The Medical Industry Prefers Plastic

The medical industry requires plastic parts for many components and devices. Medical suppliers prefer the plastic injection process for manufacturing of the parts because of the quality, specifications, and safety. The price favorable compared to other non-plastic materials.

Examples of plastic injection molded medical components and devices include:

Artificial limbs
Surgical equipment and instruments
Housings for large electrical diagnostic equipment
Test tubes and beakers
Dental instruments
Components for orthopedics
Drug delivery components
The Advantages of This Manufacturing Process Are:

Cost-Effectiveness: Why are plastic parts considered cost-effective by the medical industry? The medical industry needs quality parts in large volumes. Plastic injection molding is regarded as an efficient and cost-effective method of production of these parts.

Durability: Plastic injection molding produces quality parts. With the proper engineering, design, and material considerations. Plastic parts can withstand very long periods of heavy usage.

Hygiene: The thermoplastic parts are designed in such a way that they can withstand the sterilization process without significant changes to the piece. They also tend to be resistant to contaminants and are therefore a good choice for the manufacturing of medical equipment.

Precision: Accuracy is an attribute of the plastic injection molding process. The process can manufacture parts with a high degree of accuracy and tolerance, making it a favorable method for not just the medical industry but other industries as well.

For more information on the plastic injection molding process, contact us . With Bennett Plastics you are assured of quality products and services.

Why Do Consumers Care About Reducing Waste?

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 15:54:22 GMT

Every manufacturing company that is keen on environmental conservation uses waste minimizing technology to reduce the amount of waste generated during production. Sustainable manufacturing processes means sustainable manufacturing activities. At Bennett Plastics, we use eco sustaining manufacturing processes and state of the art machinery to minimize the amount of waste generated during production.

What is waste minimization technology?

It is important to recycle plastic because plastics can take hundreds or thousands of years to breakdown. This means that large amounts of plastics accumulate in the environment, causing environmental pollution. Waste minimizing technology aims at preventing waste from being created by recycling and source reduction. At Bennett Plastics, we strive to reduce waste in all stages of the manufacturing process.

Do consumers care about minimizing waste?

Most consumers, especially younger generations, are focused on environmental conservation and sustainable living. They prefer to buy sustainable products and support eco-friendly companies. Waste reduction policies are key as consumers hold these industries accountable. The green movement has become gained a lot of momentum because of a general concern about the environment and its sustainability for the generations to come.

Why we focus on eco-friendly sustainable products

At Bennett Plastics, we focus on eco-friendly sustainable products because we seek to reduce waste in all parts of the manufacturing process. We strive to reduce landfill waste and conserve natural resources by reusing and recycling. We consider manufacturing materials that can be easily recycled and recycle all plastic and corrugated material.

We are focused on Eco-Friendly products and technology because:

We are dedicated to preserving the environment and saving energy
They are cost-effective
We want a sustainable future for our customers and Bennett Plastics

Call us today for any inquiries on our manufacturing processes. With Bennett Plastics, you are assured of high quality injection molded products that are eco-friendly. Contact us today for tailor-made product designs and services.

The Importance of A Good Relationship With Your Injection Molding Manufacturer

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 15:50:01 GMT

The Benefits of A Solid Relationship With Your Plastic Injection Molder

If you are considering manufacturing or you are already doing so, is there a need for you to have a relationship with your manufacturer? The answer is YES. In every business there is a need to have a good relationship with your supplier, and there are benefits for this business relationship. In manufacturing this is especially important, because quality and specifications are crucial. The following are the benefits you will get from having a good relationship with your plastic injection molder:

Communication

Communication is essential as your manufacturer will know exactly what you want (specifications). Besides a streamlined manufacturing process, clarity is necessary for the following reasons:

Any problem with the production process and possible solutions should communicated early.
Consistency in production.
No or minimal delays in delivery of the final parts.

Economies of Scale

By being a regular client of your manufacturer, you get to enjoy economies of scale. This is because, with consistent large production orders, you get to enjoy material cost savings and favorable prices.

Guaranteed Quality

Switching from one manufacturer to another can be detrimental to the quality of your product. It is best to work with one manufacturer who knows precisely what what is needed deliver the best quality. If you are not satisfied with the final product, they can work on improving the tooling or processing of the raw material to meet your specific needs.

For more information on our services, contact us . With Bennett Plastics, you are assured of quality products and services.

3 Factors That Determine The Cost of Plastic Injection Molding

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 15:46:31 GMT

The 3 Determining Factors of Plastic Injection Molding Costs

What do you need to know about the cost of plastic injection molding?

Material

Plastic is generally low cost and preferable raw material by manufacturers and their clients. Every material has its own properties that will make it suitable for the manufacturing of a certain part. The availability, additives and value of the materials used will impact the manufacturing costs.

Mold / Tool

The mold design and cavitation determines is a major factor in determining part price. The more complex the part the more expensive the mold will be. The more cavities in a mold, the more parts per cycle can be produced, and therefore, your part price will decrease as the number of the cavities increase, but the price of your tool will increase.

Cycle Time

The cycle time is the total time used to complete the plastic injection process. It is the longest time of the production process and it determines when the next molding cycle will begin once the part has cooled and can be ejected.

Why we focus on in house manufacturing and sustainable products

At Bennett Plastics we are dedicated to providing our customers with high quality products, which is hard to achieve with overseas manufacturing. We are also focus on sustainable products, using recycled and bio-based plastics (bio-derived/biodegradable) for manufacturing and strive to minimize waste in the production process.

Why Call Bennett Plastics?

For more information on our manufacturing processes, contact us . With Bennett Plastics you are assured of high quality products and services at a favorable price.

Metal Or Plastic Parts: Which Should You Choose?

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 15:41:22 GMT

Metal Or Plastic Parts: What's The Difference?

Metal and Plastic Parts

Metal parts are manufactured using powder injection molding. It is whereby metals are combined with polymers in powder form and heated. The polymer is later removed, and the part made into the required density. The process is used to produce large quantity of metal parts. Plastic parts are made from polymers like nylon, polystyrene, and polyethylene. The process involves melting plastic injecting it into a mold where it solidifies into the required part.

Why are plastic parts preferred in manufacturing?

Economical: Plastic is a low cost raw material compared to metal. It is also less costly to process. Plastic injection molding generally requires only one process to get to the finished part. Whereas metal requires additional processing once molded.
Durable: Plastics are long-lasting. They do not corrode or oxidize easily. Metals generally require maintenance over time.
Design: It is easy to design complex shapes and textures in the tooling that manufactures them. Metal requires expensive complex processing and tooling to achieve complex shapes.

The Significance of Plastic Injection Molding

The following are reasons why plastic injection molding is widely used in manufacturing:

It is the most efficient method as its production output is high in comparison to other methods.
It is cost-effective because it has lower labor costs and overall the manufacturing cost per unit is low.
If need be the strength of the manufactured parts can be enhanced.
Huge amounts of types of plastics can be incorporated into the molding process as per the customer's preference.
If done properly it can be an eco friendly process because it has minimal waste and parts can be reused and recycled

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Everything You Need to Know About Post-Consumer Recycled Products

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 15:36:19 GMT

Post-Consumer Recycled Products: What Are They?

Recycling of plastic is not only important in minimizing adverse environmental impact; it can also be significant in boosting the sustainability of a manufacturing operation. Sustainable manufacturing is essential to company growth and global competitiveness.

What are post-consumer recycled products?

Post-consumer recycled products are those that are created by recycling of products that have reached their end-use. Products like water bottles, utensils, and other consumer packaging are examples of waste diverted from landfills that can be used to make other products. Post-consumer products are made by manufacturers that rely on this waste for the making of new products such as consumer packaging, toys, and beauty products.

How does it contribute to our sustainability?

The following are ways in which recycling contributes to sustainability:

It provides materials for manufacturing purposes and encourages the re-use of wasted plastics for manufacturing.
It helps in environmental conservation by avoiding the need to obtain more natural resources, ultimately reducing the carbon footprint.
Re-use helps in the reduction of operating costs
Conservation efforts and complying with regulation requirements enhances business viability.

Is post-consumer recycling use important to buyers?

More and more, today's consumer understands the importance of using sustainable products, and taking care of our environment. As this trend continues, post-consumer recycled parts are becoming an important part of the consumer mindset.

Why we focus on Eco friendly sustainable products

At Bennett Plastics we manufacture Eco friendly sustainable products for the following reasons:

We take environmental conservation very seriously
We adhere to to strict manufacturing guidelines
Recycling is cost-effective

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The Art of Recycling Injection Mold Scrap

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 15:26:56 GMT

The Importance of Recycling Injection Molding Scrap

Many manufacturers adopt technology and methods that aim to reduce scrap produced during the injection molding process to increase the efficiency of the operation while also enhancing sustainability and conservation of the environment. Strong partnerships with material suppliers and processors, as well as the use of various tested and sustainable materials for different applications and industries, has enabled Bennett Plastics to be a leader in injection molding of sustainable parts.

What Scrap Comes From Injection Molding?

The injection molding process does not produce large amounts of scrap per unit. Still, because large volumes of parts are produced per manufacturing cycle, the waste can accumulate rapidly if not properly addressed. The scrap usually comes from the following sections of the mold: 1. The Sprue 2.Runner 3. Ejector pins 4. Gate locations 5. Runner system channels

How Scrap Is Typically Discarded

The scrap produced from the injection molding process can be recycled back into the manufacturing process. For manufacturing purposes, post-industrial scrap can be shred and fed back into the injection molding machine or the plastic melted into pellets for reuse. At Bennett Plastics we aim to reduce scraps of the molding process by:

Re-using the material scrap
Recycling the waste into production
Repurposing the bi-products

Why We Focus On Eco-Friendly Sustainable Products

We focus on Eco-friendly sustainable products because it's the right thing to do for the environment and we can maintain the same level of quality and durability in our products. At Bennett Plastics we are dedicated to environmental conservation and sustainability. We also aim to minimize waste and recycle our raw materials. When we are designing parts and packages, we always have the end-user in mind.

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For more information on our manufacturing process, contact us . With Bennett Plastics you are assured of quality products and services.

Plastic Injection Molding Is Here to Stay

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 15:22:26 GMT

Plastic Injection Molding Is More Prevalent Than Ever

Do you use a plastic spatula in the kitchen, a plastic dustpan, or type on plastic keys on your computer? Is your toothbrush plastic or the lid for your shampoo bottle? Do your kids play with plastic building blocks or game pieces? If you answered "yes" to any of those, and you probably did, you've enjoyed the results of plastic injection molding.

What Is Made with Plastic Injection Molding?

Plastic injection molding forces molten plastic into molds to produce multiple identical plastic items for any number of uses across a wide variety of industries. Common products and parts made with plastic injection molding include caps, lids, toys and toy parts, handles, buttons, cases, utensils, and containers. Bennett Plastics can provide injection molding services across many industries.

Why Choose Plastic Injection Molding?

Variety and Versatility - The variety of materials readily available and high-tech design and rendering technology ensure an extensive range of products and variations can be made to precise and complex specifications.
Quality and Agility - Precision design and analysis tools aid in predictable product outcomes and shorter production times, saving you time and money.
Efficiency and Sustainability - Advanced design and rendering tools along with conformal cooling techniques help keep planning, prototyping time and cost to a minimum, while recyclable and sustainable materials can limit costs and reduce waste.

Why Choose Bennett Plastics?

You can see the many benefits of plastic injection molding for your manufacturing needs, and Bennett Plastics can make your product a reality, start to finish.

Mold design and construction - We take full advantage of the latest technology for the most precise design and carefully constructed molds. Design takes into account the flow and cooling of the injected material for the most efficient production. Molds are produced to exacting details. This level of accuracy reduces the need for any additional finishing time.
Materials - We can work with a variety of plastics, including bio-based and recyclable plastics, and are committed to sustainability wherever possible.
Experience and Commitment - Bennett Plastics has provided superior service, high quality, durable products, and excellent customer service for decades. We are constantly striving to improve our processes and advance our technology, and we look forward to working with you.

Make the smart choice for Bennett Plastics injection molding services. Contact us today to discuss your plastics design and manufacturing needs.

5 Tips for Designing Injection Molded Plastic Parts

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 15:13:54 GMT

5 Helpful Design Tips for Injection Molded Plastic

Designing a part for manufacturing is a crucial component of getting a product to market, and designing that part for plastic injection molding requires some special considerations. Here are five tips for designing the perfect part.

Prototypes

Creating a prototype is an essential part of the part design process, particularly for injection molding. An early prototype can save on costs by helping to identify potential problem areas for the flow of plastic through the mold, cooling without warping or sinking, and possible ejection issues. Prototypes also allow you to physically examine and test a part before taking the next step to full-scale production.

Mold and Part Interaction

The simplest and most cost-effective design will allow parts to be molded with a simple open-and-close action of the mold rather than more complex (and more expensive) side action or lifting mold mechanisms.

Plastic Flow

Thick to Thin - A critical part of planning any part for plastic injection molding is to take into consideration the way plastic will flow through the mold. You want to make sure it will flow through rapidly, smoothly, and evenly. The best designs will force plastic to start in the thickest areas and progress to thinner areas which helps prevent blockages if plastic cools too quickly in thin areas preventing material from reaching the areas beyond that point.
Wall Thickness - Consistent wall thickness for best flow will aid in the smoothest flow of plastic and will help prevent warping and unattractive sinks during the cooling process.
Curves - Rounded corners and smooth transitions rather than sharp angles and corners will keep the plastic flowing easily through the mold, helping to reduce stress on the plastic and prevent warping and weakness.

Mold Ejection

Getting your part out of the mold after it's cooled is just as important as getting the plastic properly into the mold in the first place. Adding an appropriate taper (draft angle) to parts will make them less likely to stick in the mold, and will add to the stability of parts. Rough surfaces for parts can also make them difficult to eject from molds.

Materials

The types of plastics used for parts should be carefully chosen. Each kind of polymer, additive, and filler has different suitabilities for different types of parts. For the best results, take into consideration the stress and strains on the part, the strength it will need, its durability and lifespan, the cost of different material choices, and, of course, its physical appearance.

There's a lot to take into account when designing a part for plastic injection molding. Bennett Plastics has decades of experience in successfully taking customers through the entire process, from prototype design to finished products. Contact us today to see how we can partner with you to bring your product to life.

How The Beauty Industry Uses Plastic Injection Molding

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 15:08:15 GMT

Plastic Injection Molding And the Beauty Industry

A new revolutionary way of mass-producing plastic has arisen in the past decade. Plastic injection molding is a cheap, cost-effective way to create large quantities of plastics. With the ability to manufacture a wide variety of plastics in different shapes, this technology is extremely effective. Not only does Plastic Injection Molding work efficiently, but it also has an extremely low scrap rate, minimizing the waste of material.

An Innovative Manufacturing Method

The way Plastic Injection Molding works is through a unique process of injecting different materials into a specific cast which can be replicated to satisfaction. The ability to develop complex shapes is an advantage that this process allows, as well as the ability to use sustainable and environmental materials.

Diverse Beauty Applications

We offer a wide range of custom beauty products tailored specifically to your needs. Whether you need various hair accessories like brushes or combs, or caps and closures for creams and lotions, we've got you covered. The ability to use Plastic Injection Molding allows the production of these products to be as practical as possible. The versatility of this practice allows us to create different unique products for our customers.

A Commitment to the Environment

At Bennett Plastics Inc, we strive to be as sustainable as possible. We work diligently to ensure our consumer goods are environmentally friendly by regenerating old parts, which also has the benefit of reducing the cost of materials. Our goal is to lower our carbon footprint as much as possible creating a better world

"At Bennett Plastics, quality and sustainability are our top priority. Feel free to contact us with any questions about our process or our products."

How To Tell Which Injection Molding Company Is Best for Your Business

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 14:32:11 GMT

How to Determine Which Injection Molding Company Is Best for Your Business

Choosing a manufacturing partner to produce your injection molded parts is an important and complex business decision with many factors coming into play. Here are some points to consider when making this crucial choice.

Experience and Expertise

You've spent the time and resources to develop your product, so you want to be sure to choose a plastic injection molding company with the experience and skills to produce a high-quality part in a cost-efficient way. You want to work with a company who can help guide you through important choices about producing your parts such as appropriate material selection to match their intended use, and mold design for efficient, quality production. Choose a company with a proven track record and the longevity that shows their commitment to precision in production, depth of knowledge, quality assurance, and great relationships with their business partners.

One-Stop Shopping

Choosing an injection molding company which also offers design and prototyping services is extremely beneficial. Using prototyping and design solutions can save you time and costs by choosing a team who are already experienced at working together and communicating quickly and efficiently. Depending on your needs, you may also want to choose a company that can provide value-added services like warehousing, assembly, packaging, and printing.

Production Capacity and Specialization

Naturally, manufacturers of injection molded parts can produce different volumes of parts over the same timeframe. Choose a company that can match the scale of your production needs without sacrificing quality. Be sure to choose a company that has expertise in your industry so that specialized knowledge and experience can best suit your needs.

Quality and Reputation

Of course, the quality of your product is of the utmost importance, so select an injection molding company with a solid track record and a clear commitment to quality assurance, high standards, and customer satisfaction. Ensure that the plastics manufacturer you choose is respected and meets your quality standards and those in the industry. Consider companies who communicate with you clearly and honestly, and welcome those who welcome you with offers to visit the facility and references from customers past and present.

Efficiency and Location

You won't want to sacrifice quality for speed when producing your product, but you can save production time (and money) by using a US-based injection molding company. Domestic production can dramatically shorten the time required for making design changes and the lead time to product completion. Communication will also be easier and more convenient with a US-based manufacturer.

Sustainability

Consumers and the companies who make products for them are increasingly concerned with the environmental impact of products and their manufacture. Look for a manufacturer who uses bio-based, bio-degradable, bio-filled, or recycled materials, and which employs smart design practices to include consideration of product lifespan and minimizing production waste. Choosing a company with these practices shows your customers you're doing your part.

Making the right choice when selecting a plastics injection molding company is as important as designing your marketing materials or planning your sales strategy. At Bennett Plastics, we have the experience and expertise to take your product from concept to store shelf. Contact us today to see how we can build a great business partnership together.

How Our Building Contributes to Our Sustainability

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 14:28:09 GMT

At Bennett Plastics, one of our primary goals is sustainability. Beyond our manufacturing initiatives to use eco-friendly materials, reduce waste, and recycle whenever possible, we also strive to incorporate sustainable features in our building and facilities.

Why Is Sustainability Important?

To be sustainable, at its simplest, is to use resources in the present in ways and degrees that won't harm future generations from also doing so. How could we not want to protect the safety and prosperity of our children, grandchildren, and generations to come? We support this philosophy in our manufacturing options by being experts at using eco-friendly plastics such as biodegradable and compostable materials and recycled plastics. We have also developed manufacturing processes that minimize waste and embrace recycling whenever possible, from design to production, and to fulfillment.

Sustainability and Our Building

Using eco-friendly materials and processes isn't enough for us, though, so we've worked to make our entire facility increasingly sustainable.

LED Lighting

Using LED lighting is a smart practice in countless ways.

Lifespan - LED bulbs have the longest current lifespan, so we use fewer bulbs overall.
Low Energy Consumption - LED bulbs are the most efficient bulbs available, so the energy used to light our facilities (which can be up to 40% of electric costs!) is minimized.
Cool Lighting - LED bulbs produce the least heat, meaning we spend less on cooling in the summer.

Rainwater Recycling

We collect rainwater for our cooling tower (a system that keeps parts of our machinery at the appropriate temperature so that plastics melt at specified rates and keeps machine oils at safe temperatures). Our recycled rainwater also works to cool molds so that injected plastic parts can be removed from them. A cooling tower system can use tens of thousands of gallons of water a day, so recycling our water is the smart, environmentally friendly thing to do!

Recycling Plastic and Corrugated Packaging

For a plastics company, recycling our plastic scraps is a no-brainer. With careful quality checks, we recycle our plastic waste materials. Corrugated cardboard materials used in packaging are also on our recycling list.

Efficient Equipment and Systems

Throughout our facilities, we've made the choice to have the most efficient equipment possible. Our entire process, from design through production and to warehousing happens on-site. That means we're not wasting resources moving between facilities.

At Bennett Plastics, we want to make the parts you need in the most sustainable way possible. Contact us today to see how we can make that happen for you.

The Use of Custom Plastic Molds in Baby Products

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 14:23:36 GMT

Plastic products for infants must be safe, made with high-quality materials, and designed and produced with precision and attention to detail. Bennett Plastics has the experience and expertise to create custom plastic molds for your baby products.

What is a Custom Plastic Mold?

Just as it sounds, a custom plastic mold is one designed and created to your exact specifications, so that your end product will match those requirements precisely.

Why Use a Custom Plastic Mold?

Baby products are one of the most carefully scrutinized areas of plastics production, requiring special attention to source materials, design details and safety concerns.

Safety - Using a custom plastic mold ensures that each detail of shape, size, and material will fulfill your safety requirements and the specific concerns of making child-safe products.
Materials - Custom molds are designed to accommodate your exact choice of materials, color, and finish, so that your products will meet or exceed your safety and design standards. We have the expertise to help you select materials that will be safe and durable for babies. We source, FDA approved, BPA and Phthalate free resins.
Design Details - Naturally, a custom mold is designed to match your exact specifications, so every product detail is taken into account.
Cost - Proper design of custom plastic molds includes the creation of prototypes, so you can see and feel what your part will be like and make adjustments before undertaking full production.

What Are the Steps in Custom Plastic Molding?

Several steps take you from your concept through the mold design process, resulting in your finished product.

Design - Starting with your product specifications, our experienced team will work with you to design a mold that will result in the shape, color, surface, weight, and details you require.
Prototype - Once the mold is created, a prototype will be made and examined carefully to ensure it meets your precise specifications.
Production - After any adjustments are made and tested, we can start to manufacture your product. Rest assured, our rigorous quality assurance will ensure your products meet our high quality standards.

Why Bennett Plastics for Baby Products?

Experience and Expertise - We've done it and we've done it well for decades. We have an excellent track record and satisfied customers prove it.
Full-Service - Our entire process from design through production and value added services like assembly, packaging, warehousing, and fulfillment are all done in our New Jersey facility.
Efficient - With a talented team who can take you from concept to store shelves, we are agile and able to quickly make adjustments with no lag time between facilities or shipping delays.

Are you looking for a manufacturer for your plastic baby product? Contact us today to start building a great partnership.

Compostable & Sustainable Eco-Friendly Packaging

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 14:19:13 GMT

Many people think of plastic as being incompatible with the environment, but that is just not the case today. Sustainable plastics are a thoughtful choice for packaging, combining the convenience and protection of plastics with the environmentally smart options of recycled plastics and bioplastics. Bennett Plastics is committed to providing eco-friendly options with compostable, degradable, bio-filled, and recycled plastics for your packaging needs.

Bioplastics

Bio-based plastics are made from renewable, biological sources rather than non-renewable petroleum sources.

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) - PHA is produced from sugar, glucose, or vegetable oils which are fermented with certain bacteria. Unlike many other bioplastics, PHA tolerates heat well, making it an excellent choice for packaging which can also be used to heat food, and related convenience packaging. Because PHA is not affected by UV light exposure and is also moisture and odor resistant, it's a great choice for food and cosmetics packaging.
Polylactic Acid (PLA) - PLA is derived from corn, sugarcane, or sugar beets, and can generally be used in the same places a PET plastic can be used. It is commonly used to make bottle packaging for foods and disposable flatware. It is a heat-sensitive plastic, but is a great choice for deli containers, clamshell boxes of salads, and similar cold product uses.

Biodegradable and Degradable Plastics

Biodegradable and degradable plastics are those which break down naturally (via microorganisms like bacteria and fungi) or which will break down with the aid of some processing such as high temperatures. Because they will decompose, they are a good choice for single-use packaging.

Bio-Filled Plastics

The manufacture of bio-filled plastics replaces some non-renewable components of the plastic with natural, organic fibers such as ground nut shells, paper pulp, wood fibers, and ground coconut shells. Hemp-based bioplastics can also be created in the same manner. Bio-filled plastics reduce the amount of non-renewable resources used in the plastic's manufacturing, and can be used in place of traditional plastics in almost all injection molded packaging needs.

Recycled Plastics

Familiar to almost everyone, recycled plastics are an important step to reducing our reliance on single-use plastics. They can also provide a more environmentally-friendly source material for injection-molded plastic packaging. Post-consumer recycled plastic is frequently used in such injection molded packaging as food bottles and jars, shampoo and cleaner bottles, and butter tubs and milk jugs.

Consumers are eager to see fewer single-use plastics and more biodegradable and compostable plastics both in their products and in that packaging. From our reuse of rainwater and recycling of plastics and corrugated materials, to our minimum-waste design and manufacturing processes, Bennett Plastics offers eco-friendly options for your plastic manufacturing needs. Contact us today to see how we can work with you.

4 Things You Can Expect From a Domestic Manufacturer

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 14:03:38 GMT

Among the most important choices in selecting a manufacturer for your product is their production location. In short, you can choose a domestic manufacturer located here in the United States, or you can choose a manufacturer located outside this country. What can you expect when you choose a domestic manufacturer?

Faster, More Agile Production

Because all of our design and production takes place in one facility here in the US, we are able to respond and react quickly to design updates and changes to consumer demand patterns. We can rapidly communicate and adapt to meet your needs, and do not need to waste time and money moving people and products between locations. Supply chains, too, will be shorter and more reliable.

Cost Savings

With shorter lead times, fewer transportation needs, and no import or tariff costs, you'll see savings in production and delivery. More efficient processes with on-site expertise from design through fulfillment also translate into lower costs for you.

Quality and Safety

Working with a domestic manufacturer, you know already that we're working to the same high standards of quality and safety you expect. Closer proximity also means you can more quickly and easily verify that our products meet your specifications, and examine materials and processes, too. Your intellectual property is also safer domestically, with legal and regulatory protections that are higher than in many other countries.

Satisfaction

When you choose a domestic manufacturer, everyone wins!

You create and maintain US jobs.
Income and taxes are returned and reinvested to the economy.
You have the opportunity to form a long-lasting partnership with us - we enjoy our customers so much, we even invite you to tour our facilities!
You and your customers have the satisfaction of American Made products.

Bennett Plastics has been US owned and operated for decades, and we'd love to work with you. Contact us today to see how choosing a domestic manufacturer can work for you.

Designing Your Products for Manufacturability

Mon, 23 Sep 2024 13:59:14 GMT

In the crucial design phase of developing your product, it's important to pay attention to its ease of manufacturing. Making some thoughtful decisions at this early stage can save you time and money by simplifying production and ensuring your product can be made as efficiently as possible.

Mold Design & Part Geometry

The simpler the mold design, the more efficient the production runs will be. Of course, the complex requirements of your product may require a more complex mold.

Undercuts

Undercut hollows for latches, clips, and barb fittings can complicate ejecting a part from the mold. Consider adding tapered edges (draft angles) to simplify production.

Flexible Hinges

Bending hinges (aka living hinges) don't work well with some plastic materials, so ensure your design and chosen materials are compatible.

Writing & Symbols

Very small, detailed writing and symbols work best with sans-serif fonts and raised letters. They should also be tapered and use rounded corners when possible for easy ejection from molds.

Flow of Plastic

In injection molding, plastic enters through a "gate" and flows to fill the mold cavities. Sharp angles and thin sections can result in blockages and warping if the melted plastic can't flow through at an appropriate rate. The flow should start at the thickest areas and move into the thinnest spaces. The related process of part ejection is equally important, making sure your part can be easily removed from the mold without additional steps if possible.

Types of Plastic

Choosing the right blend of plastic for your product is absolutely essential. Every polymer offers variations in strength, elasticity, flow rate, shrink rate, environmental and appropriate usage, so you'll want to work with a team who can help you choose the best material for your product so your end product meets your specifications.

In injection molding, every part of the process, from part and mold design to material choice and cooling strategy works together to achieve a consistent, precise result. At Bennett Plastics we have the experience and skills to make your product a reality. Contact us today to see how we can help manufacture your plastic parts.

The Benefits of Replacing Metal with Plastics

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 16:45:41 GMT

Metal-to-plastic conversion has been available for decades, and has gained a greater foothold in industry each year. If your products and parts have been successfully made of metal, why would you want to switch to plastic?

Versatility

The variation and versatility in almost every aspect of plastics far outstrips what metals have to offer. Color, finish, and intricate details are just a few of the qualities where plastics lead the way.

Strength

It's easy to think of plastic as being weaker than metal, but innovations in plastic blends to include carbon or glass fibers allow us to work with plastics that can be as strong as or stronger than metal. This is particularly true when comparing strength-to-weight or strength-to-stiffness values.

Weight

Plastic parts will naturally weigh less, which results in lower shipping costs. In addition, for products such as automotive or aerospace parts, that lighter weight translates into future savings in fuel economy and efficiency.

Flexibility of Design

Plastics allow you to combine into a single mold components which would have to be welded or otherwise attached in a separate process if they were made of metals. Plastic blends are also extremely customizable for color and feel, allowing designers more options.

Production Costs

Surface textures, branding, and other details can be included in the design of a plastic mold, saving on multiple, additional processing steps. Tooling for plastic molds will also last longer than for tooling metal.

Speed

Because the process requires fewer individual production steps, and so incorporates much less labor, choosing plastics will result in shorter time to market.

Durability

Plastic parts and products can outperform metals in a variety of environments and uses including those where metals would corrode. Plastics can also be more damage-resistant, bouncing back from impacts without denting.

Quality

Injection molded plastic parts generally require few if any secondary processes and can be easily mass produced, product quality remains consistent.

Environmental Impact

With shorter production time and less scrap and waste, plastics can edge out metals for environmental considerations. Lighter weight and therefore reduced shipping costs will also lessen the environmental impact of their production.

With decades of experience in the industry, Bennett Plastics stands ready to help you make your products come to life. Contact us today to see how we can help you make the transition from metal to plastic.

3D Printing vs. Injection Molding - Which Is Better?

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 16:38:37 GMT

Comparing new processes and technologies with tried-and-true methods is a helpful exercise for many businesses. Innovations in manufacturing may save you in production costs or allow you to add details or functionality to products. New techniques may produce less satisfactory results, or introduce costs in a different area. So how do you know which to choose?

The Processes of Injection Molding and 3D Printing

Injection molding involves designing a product, making a mold for it, injecting melted plastic into it, and releasing the cooled, finished product. 3D printing also involves designing a product and printing it from plastic layer by layer with special printing equipment.

Equipment Required

3D printing requires, at minimum, a 3D printer and the raw material (filament) it uses to create the finished product. Injection molding requires the molding machine which melts and injects the raw plastic, the mold to shape it, and, of course, the raw plastic material.

When to Choose 3D Printing

Very Small Runs - 3D printing can make sense if you only need to create very small batches of a product, avoiding the costs of tooling.
Immediate Changes - 3D printing can be paused mid-print, adjustments made, and printing resumed if immediate changes are needed, while expensive retooling the mold might be required in injection molding.
Many Intricate Details - While injection molding can accommodate almost any intricate shape, ejection from a mold may introduce complications that are avoided with 3D printing.

When to Choose Injection Molding

Speed - Once a mold is created, injection molding is infinitely faster than the painstaking 3D printing process.
Volume - Multiple molds can be used simultaneously, allowing for a large volume of products to be produced at one time.
Strength - The molding process is less likely to have breaks or separations as may occur between layers in 3D printing.
Size of Product - Injection molding can easily and successfully produce products on almost any scale, while 3D printers are limited by their fixed, individual capacities.
Finish - Parts produced by injection molding can have a wide variety of finishes, including extremely smooth surfaces for parts which work against each other. 3D printing will always show the printing layers to some extent or require additional finishing.

At Bennett Plastics, we've found that the best solution employs a combination of 3D printing and injection molding, allowing us to easily take products from concept and prototype through finished results. Contact us today to see how our expertise and decades of experience can work for you.

Plastic Injection Molding and the Toy Industry

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 16:33:08 GMT

One look at any store's toy aisle will show you that for the majority of toys on the market today, most toys are plastic. From building bricks to robots, game parts, figurines, and model cars, plastic's moldability, light weight, colorfulness, and strength have made it the go-to material for modern toy making.

Why Is Plastic So Great for Making Toys?

Plastic is a wonderful material for making toys because it doesn't have a lot of the drawbacks other materials have (wood splinters, metal rusts, cardboard is weak, none of those is suitable for babies who put toys in their mouths). But plastic can stand on its own laurels, too. Plastic can be:

Lightweight - lighter toys are especially welcome for younger children and save on shipping costs
Colorful - unlike other materials, plastic doesn't need to be painted or printed on to be colorful
Finely detailed - plastic is well suited for fine and complex details in molds
Quickly produced - injection-molded plastic toys and toy parts can be molded in rapid timing
Strength - anyone who's ever stepped on a plastic toy knows just how strong they can be!
Environmentally friendly - plastic products can be made with bio-friendly materials and injection molding produces very little waste material itself, much of which can even be recycled

Safe, Smart Plastics Toys

Many families are concerned about having toys for their young children that are made from safe plastics. Others are worried plastic toys are a problem for the environment. Thankfully plastics innovations in recent years allow manufacturers to develop ways to make safer, more eco-friendly toys.

Bio-based plastics - PHA, PLA, and other bio-based and biodegradable plastics are being more frequently used to produce safer children's toys. In fact, PHA and PLA are safe enough for medical grade uses such as sutures and implants. In addition, bio-based plastics do not contain BPA or phthalates.
Many traditional plastics such as PETE, HDPE, and polypropylene are also BPA-free, making them good choices for toy manufacturing.

Plastic injection molding has made a massive impact in the toy industry, and likewise, innovations in the toy industry have fueled advances in injection molding such as multicolor plastic injection molding. Bennett Plastics has the experience and expertise to make your molded plastic toys and parts a reality. Contact us today to see how we can build the future of play together.

Custom Plastic Molds in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 16:29:30 GMT

From syringes and device housings to blood and fluid delivery and dose packaging, custom injection molded products are abound in the pharmaceutical industry.

Benefits of Using Plastics

For decades, plastics have been available for making products for use in the pharmaceutical industry. Their longevity and popularity reflect the value of using plastics for such uses, replacing older materials such as metal.

Strength & Weight

Weighing less than metal but just as strong in many cases, plastics can provide the same strength with the benefit of a lighter, equally durable product.

Precision

Plastics can be molded with the same or greater precision as metal to accommodate the precise tolerances required by some pharmaceutical applications.

Versatility

Source material, color, and finish can all be easily and specifically designed to provide an exact and desired result. Specific plastics can be adjusted for flexibility, heat-resistance, and other necessary qualities.

Cost

Plastic manufacturing is generally less labor-intensive, raw materials are generally cheaper to purchase, and the lighter weight of plastic parts will result in less expensive shipping and logistics costs.

Finishing

Plastics offer numerous approaches to finishing, from embossed text and measuring markings to color variations and assembly, all requiring less labor than equivalent processes with metal. Packaging and fulfillment can also be provided to provide concept-to-delivery results.

Plastics Uses in Pharmaceutical Industry

Countless pharmaceutical products are made with plastics today, taking advantage of the flexibility, durability, light weight, and convenience plastics provide. Pharmaceutical products manufactured with plastic include:

Caps
Closures
Dose Packaging
Vaccine Vials
Inhalers
Syringes
Diagnostic Tools
Blood and IV Bags
Tubing

Produced in accordance with FDA and USP regulations, plastics for the pharmaceutical industry must meet high standards for quality and safety.

With decades of experience in custom injection molding, we have the knowledge and expertise to make your custom pharmaceutical plastics a reality. Contact us today to see how we can work together.

5 Tips to Make Your Injection Molded Products Stand Out

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 13:30:54 GMT

As with houses, a little curb appeal can make your products more eye-catching and attractive. Some extra attention to details and finishing can make your plastic injection molded products stand out from the rest. Here are some tips on designing products that have a little more wow factor.

Choosing the Right Material

Your choice of resin must balance your product's functional needs and any aesthetic considerations you have. Material choice will also help determine the color, clarity, and feel of your product. Selecting sustainable materials may help your product appeal to a broader range of customers.

Functional Design = Better Appearance

Draft angles and consistent wall thickness are important from a functional standpoint, adding strength and stability to your product. As a bonus, they can also make your products more attractive. Even wall thickness can help prevent the plastic sinking and burning in the mold which can occur in narrower or uneven walled sections. Adding draft angles can help in ejecting parts from the mold while also helping prevent ugly drag marks.

How the Plastic Flows

Carefully designing the flow of plastic can make for a more attractive product, and one that requires less post-processing time and labor. Gate and ejector placement design can reduce trimming and punch marks from ejector pins. Knit lines form wherever flows of plastic meet each other as they move through a mold (around a core or if there are multiple gates to admit the plastic). These meeting points can be more or less visible depending on design, color, and material choices.

Finishing

Careful mold design can help to limit the amount of finishing needed. When finishing is needed, it can include trimming, sandblasting, polishing, and laser-etching to produce the surface and look you want.

Value-Added Services

While your product may stand out on its own, value-added services such as packaging, bagging, and decorating are important elements of creating the whole package.

Getting your product noticed and valued is a crucial part of your business, so be sure you're making the right choices. Contact us today to create your stand out product.

The Use of Acetate in Plastic Manufacturing

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 13:19:51 GMT

Developed in the 19th century from wood and cotton fibers, cellulose acetate is still used today for some products in the plastics industry, particularly for eyewear, films, and packaging.

What Is Acetate?

Acetate is a kind of polymer plastic made by processing the cellulose naturally found in trees and wood pulp.

What Makes Acetate Desirable?

Besides being a renewable plastic, acetate is also fully recyclable, making it a desirable choice. Products made with acetate have a rather natural feel, and are popular for products which are handled frequently such as eyewear and tool handles. Acetate is also flexible, lightweight, printable, and hypoallergenic. It is approved for medical and food uses where it is particularly useful because of its breathability. Easily colored and thermoformed, it has a glossy look, is very transparent, and can be layered for richer, deeper color effects.

Drawbacks of Acetate

One of the main drawbacks of acetate is that it eventually degrades, which is particularly problematic in photographic film.

Uses of Acetate

Food Industry

Acetate is approved for direct contact with food, and its ability to "breathe", allowing moisture through, makes it an excellent choice for bakeries and to keep goods fresh, and in display cases where it's less likely to fog up.

Films

One of acetate's primary uses, it forms the material for photographic film, also known as "safety film". Although eventually it will degrade, it was developed as a safer alternative to highly-flammable nitrate film which preceded it. Acetate has also historically been used as a coating on magnetic tape used for early computer storage, and for the plastic sheets used with overhead projectors.

Eyeglasses

Because of its flexibility and versatility of color and layering techniques, acetate has been, and continues to be very popular for better-quality eyeglass frames, particularly tortoiseshell and other colorful patterns.

Crafts

With a neutral pH value and great clarity, acetate film is great in arts and crafts projects such as cards with clear window panels or filled shaker charms. Ink reservoirs for various types of pens and markers often use acetate and acetate film sheets are frequently used for non-archival storage and protection of art.

Tobacco Industry

Filters for cigarettes are made almost entirely from cellulose acetate.

One of our oldest plastics, acetate still plays an important role in plastics manufacturing today. To learn more, and to see how we can manufacture plastic products for you, contact us today.

Plastic Mold Parts: Buy New or Modify the Original?

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 13:13:45 GMT

Creating the mold for your plastic products is often the most expensive part of production. Should you need to update the design of your part, can you save by modifying an existing mold, or should you invest in a new one? Here are some things to consider when making this choice.

Modifying Molds

Going back to basics, it's important to remember that the mold is the shaped hollow into which the plastic will be injected. You can remove more of the mold so it can be filled with more plastic, but you can't add back to the mold so that it requires less plastic. Changes to molds must be "steel safe", meaning you are taking away metal from the mold rather than trying to add to it.

How to Choose

Age & Wear of Mold

The older a mold is, and the more wear it has, the more carefully you will need to consider any modifications. The overall cost of modifying a mold which is nearing the end of its useful life may be greater than replacing it with a new mold.

Feasible Changes

Cutting changes into molds can only be done to certain minimum depths. Any modifications to a mold must be millable to that minimum depth or they cannot reasonably be made. For these changes which cannot reasonably be milled, a new mold will be required.

Parting Lines

Because parting lines indicate where the two halves of the mold meet, changes which affect parting lines will usually affect gating (how plastic gets into the mold) and venting (where air gets out as plastic fills the mold). These additional changes and their effect on how plastic flows through the mold can make mold modifications too broad or simply impossible to accomplish and a new mold will be needed.

Undercuts

Because undercuts usually require a special action to eject parts from the molds, such changes in design are usually better suited to a new mold rather than attempting to modify an existing mold.

With decades of experience and expertise in the plastics industry, Bennett Plastics is ready to help you design and create your products and bring them to market. Contact us today to see how we can partner with you.

The Pros and Cons of Custom Plastic Molding

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 13:09:40 GMT

What Is Custom Plastic Molding?

Custom plastic injection molding involves the creation of a unique mold and selection of materials to produce a specific part or product that meets your precise specifications and requirements. Unlike other industrial fabrication processes, custom plastic injection molding offers an array of benefits and only a few disadvantages which can be easily overcome with a little careful planning.

Pros:

Speed of Production

After the initial setup, plastic injection molding is an automated, rapid process, allowing many products and parts to travel through the full production cycle in a matter of seconds.

High-quality, High-strength Products

Many plastic formulations and blends can be as strong as metal, and the injection molding process lends itself to consistent, accurate production of parts in volume.

Cost-effectiveness

Because the plastic injection molding process is primarily automated after initial setup, labor costs are low, saving you money.

High Accuracy & Repeatability

Plastic injection molding can produce parts with accuracy as fine as .005 inches. It is also a very consistent, repeatable manufacturing process, increasing part reliability.

Versatility

Combinations of shapes, materials, additives, colors, details, and finishes that injection molded plastics offer are nearly endless, allowing exceptional versatility.

Efficiency

With little, if any, finishing required, injection molding makes excellent use of manufacturing time. Additionally, scrap can be recycled and reused for greater material efficiency.

Sustainability

Options for eco-friendly plastics and renewable materials in our environmentally-conscious facility ensure production is as sustainable as possible.

Design Flexibility

The specific nature of the plastic injection molding process offers opportunities for nearly endless designs and shapes.

Cons:

Initial Costs

Mold tooling costs can be high, and are usually the greatest expense in manufacturing an injection molded plastic product.

Potentially Longer Lead Time

Because prototyping and tooling must be done accurately and carefully, lead time may be longer than you may have initially expected.

Modifications

Because molds are typically made from steel, later-stage modifications may be difficult, time-consuming, or costly to make.

Technical Considerations Influencing Design

The injection molding process, while very versatile and flexible, does have some limitations in what is technically possible to produce. These limitations may, in a few cases, affect product designs.

Taking advantage of the expertise and experience of a skilled design and production team, such as the team we have here at Bennett Plastics can mitigate most of these disadvantages. We work together, in-house, and take great care to do it right the first time so your tooling and prototyping costs and time are as low as possible while maintaining our commitment to superior quality. Contact us today to learn more about our custom plastic injection molding capabilities.

The Effects of Biopolymers in Plastic Injection Molding

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 13:00:59 GMT

Renewable and sustainable, biopolymer plastics are bio-based plastics created from biomass such as starches. PHA bioplastics are made by fermenting sugar or glucose with specific bacteria. PLA bioplastics are produced with sugar cane, sugar beets, or corn, and are quite similar to PET plastics. Acetate is a common bioplastic based on plant cellulose found in trees and substances such as cotton fiber. Biopolymers are biodegradable and compostable, making them excellent choices for sustainable injection molding.

Comparison with Traditional Plastics

While biopolymers are evolving and expanding in functionality daily, they already perform similarly to familiar plastics such as polystyrene and polyethylene.

Strength

Many biopolymers have tensile and impact strengths similar to plastics such as polystyrene.

Density

On average, biopolymers have densities similar to polycarbonate.

Aesthetics

As with many plastics, biopolymers can be clear, opaque, or produced in a variety of colors.

Durability

While compostability is one of the most desirable characteristics of bioplastics, it can also limit their shelf life. For example, a purely bioplastic food container may not last as long in a cupboard or refrigerator as one made from purely traditional, petroleum-based plastics. Newer additives are enhancing these capabilities though, so bioplastics can match traditional plastics in durability.

Production Concerns

Because of their biodegradability bioplastics can be susceptible to problems during the molding process. Cooling temperatures and moisture in the air can both degrade bioplastics in production. Mitigations for these risks can include agitating hoppers for the cooling process and crystallizers added to the melted bioplastic.

Common Uses of Biopolymers

Biopolymers are increasingly popular with environmentally-conscious companies and consumers, and their biodegradability makes them an excellent replacement for traditional single-use plastics in many cases. Common products injection molded with bioplastics include:

Packaging and Shopping Bags
Food Service Products - especially disposable cutlery, food and beverage containers, and coffee pods
General Household & Consumer Products
Medical Uses - containers for medications as well as surgical pins and screws and dental implants
Garden Items - especially products designed to degrade such as temporary plant stakes

Biopolymers are already everywhere, helping our environment and making plastics more appealing to a broader slice of the population. Recent innovations in additives such as eggshell-based nanoparticles, are expanding the strength, flexibility, and durability of bioplastics. At Bennett Plastics, our long-standing commitment to sustainability means we have the experience and expertise to satisfy your bioplastic injection molding needs. Contact us today to request a quote and see how we can work with you.

What Kind of Injection Molding Machine is Best for Your Project?

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 12:52:40 GMT

Injection molding can be performed by several types of machines with varying techniques. Machine selection is an important part of planning your injection molded project, helping determine the types of materials and molding techniques available to you.

What Is Injection Molding?

The injection molding process creates parts and products by pushing a melted material such as plastic resin or polymer, into a mold so that it makes a specific shape when cooled. Injection molding machines must heat the raw material, maintain adequate pressure in the mold while forcing the raw material in, cool the molded part and eject it once cooled.

Types of Injection Molding Machines

Injection molding machines have two primary parts, the injection unit and the clamping unit, but the ways each part can work differ among types of machines.

Power Source

Hydraulic - Most common among injection molding machines, they are run by a hydraulic pump and a fixed speed electrical motor.
Electrical - Functions are digitally controlled and powered by an electrical servo motor.
Hybrid - Also known as servo-hydraulic machines, they feature hydraulic power and on-demand electric motors.

Comparing Features of Injection Molding Machines

Specific products and material choices will influence your machine choice, but some more general features to evaluate include:

Quality

Product design will determine the tolerance required in producing your project, so your injection molding machine should be able to repeatedly mold products within those tolerances. Hybrid and electric machines offer the greatest precision while hydraulic machines tend to be the least precise. Electric machines generally provide the most repeatability.

Clamping Power

Hybrid machines offer the greatest clamping force, but purely hydraulic machines are also well suited to producing larger sized products.

Speed

The rate of part production may play a role in machine selection. Electric injection molding machines tend to offer the fastest production.

Material Options

Material choices may limit your choice of machines. Hydraulic machines generally require higher molding temperatures, so not all resins will be suitable for use with them.

Mold Size & Design

Ensure the injection molding machine has adequate size to accommodate the desired mold. Hybrid and electric machines offer the most flexible design options.

Hydraulic Accumulator

An accumulator helps provide consistency and stability in the injection process which is particularly needed for thin-walled projects.

Screw Type

General purpose screws may be suitable for the majority of plastics, though they may slow production and decrease quality with some materials. Other materials may require specialized screws for specific injection pressures.

Special Uses

Fluid leaks with hydraulic systems can render those machines useless for clean room part production.

Not sure about choosing the appropriate machine for your project? We have the machines, the expertise, and decades of experience, so contact us today to see how we can help.

Different Types of Plastics and Their Function

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 12:45:35 GMT

Plastic has a bad reputation, but in this article we're going to reiterate why plastic plays such an important role in the world today. We believe it's important to highlight the various kinds of plastics, and why those differences matter, so you can choose the right plastic for your needs.

Plastic Myths

Not all plastics are created equal. While plastic's name was thrown in the mud, the truth is, there are only a couple of dangerous plastics, and even those are being improved year-by-year. So how do you know you have the right plastic for the job, and how do you know if it's safe?

6 Main Types of Plastic

1) Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

This plastic is usually used for the one-use water bottles. And the dangerous plastics we were talking about earlier? PET is one of them. While it's usually used for storing food and water because it prevents oxygen from moving in or out, it contains carcinogens, which has been closely linked to causing cancer. Heat+PET= not a good combination.

2) High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

A thick, dense plastic, HDPE is often used for milk containers, shampoo bottles, and shopping bags. Incredibly stable and recyclable, this plastic is useful and safe.

3) Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)

If you're not familiar with PVC pipes, this plastic can be quite hard, and has been used in everything from toys to blood bags. Unfortunately, this is also the most hazardous plastic, and both the creation and destruction process emits chemicals (BPA) that are dangerous for humans and the environment.

4) Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE)

Often very thin and flexible, this plastic is most often used for plastic wraps, or wire/cable coating. Though a bit more difficult to recycle, this product is safe for the environment.

5) Polypropylene (PP)

This plastic is one of the most useful. Both heat-resistant and safe to use, you can find this plastic in disposable diapers, car parts, and even thermal vests!

6) Polystyrene (PS)

Finally, PS, or styrofoam. Setting aside the fact that it releases various toxins after coming in contact with heat, this plastic is also very difficult to recycle, and very little effort is made to recycle it.

But what do we use, at Bennett Plastics?

Bennett Plastics Inc.

At Bennett Plastics, we use Bio-Based plastics like PHA, PLA, and Acetate, as well as other options. If you're looking for the safe, environmentally friendly plastics for your wire coating, molding, or prototyping needs, contact us to find out more about our products!

5 Benefits of Plastic Molding in the Food Service Industry

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 12:39:42 GMT

Cost-effective, attractive, and functional containers and tableware are critical to the success of the food service industry, particularly for takeout and self-service situations. Consumers demand safe, leakproof, effective packaging and quality tableware and injection molded plastics are ready to meet this challenge.

How Is Plastic Molding Used in the Food Service Industry?

When selecting meals from food service providers, we expect to enjoy clean, safe, uncontaminated food, and injection molded plastics easily satisfy those requirements. From crystal-clear cake display trays and familiar deli containers to serving implements, beverage cups, and plastic silverware, injection molding offers countless, cost-effective solutions.

Benefits of Plastic Molding in the Food Service Industry

Versatile, inexpensive, and often sustainable, plastics have a lot to offer the food service industry, as they are:

1. Flexible

With nearly endless varieties of plastic formulations available, there are suitable materials for virtually any food service application. Crystal clear plastics enhance food presentation, flexible plastic wraps and protects foods, stiffer plastics make excellent beverage bottles, and plastics with a higher range of temperature tolerances make reheatable trays and utensils, for example.

2. Customizable

Because plastic injection molding is such a versatile process, it's very easy to customize products, including for the food service industry. Whether your product needs to have a special shape, a particular look and feel, or other functional requirements, we can make it happen.

3. Sustainable

Consumers love the safety and convenience of plastic containers and utensils, but dislike the perceived wastefulness of extra packaging. Innovations in bio-based plastics now offer sustainable options which can perform as well as or better than traditionally formulated counterparts.

4. Safe

With many food-grade, chemically-resistant plastic resins available, using plastics in the food service industry is a reliable approach to regulatory compliance.

5. Efficient

With rapid production cycles and easily-controlled costs, plastics are a reasonably priced, highly effective option for the food service industry.

At Bennett Plastics, we have decades of experience in manufacturing products for food service and dozens of other industries, with expertise from design and production through delivery and fulfillment. Contact us today to learn more.

Plastic Solutions for Child-Resistant Packaging

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 12:35:25 GMT

Child-resistant packaging, also called "CR packaging" or "special packaging", is a critical component in safely preparing many products for consumers, including health and beauty products, medicines and pharmaceuticals, cleaning products, and household chemicals, pesticides, and most recently with cannabis and CBD products. With their flexibility and versatility, plastic resins are the most common material used to create such crucial packaging.

What Is Child-Resistant Packaging?

Since the U.S. Congress passed the Poison Prevention Packaging Act in 1970, child-resistant packaging has been required for most potentially hazardous products. Designed to prevent access by children under age 5, most child-resistant packaging closures use a combination of techniques to open reclosable containers, such as push-and-twist or squeeze-and-twist. Child-resistant packaging can also employ non-reclosable packaging such as blister packs and clamshells designed to be too difficult for children to open. We will work with you to choose appropriate plastic resins for your child-resistant packaging needs, including sustainable plastic options.

Benefits of Child-Resistant Packaging

Of course, the most obvious benefit of child-resistant packaging is to decrease the likelihood that children will be able to inadvertently expose themselves to or ingest drugs, chemicals, and other hazardous substances. Properly designed child-resistant packaging can also:

Enable regulatory compliance
Enhance consumer confidence
Help to limit liability

Who Needs Child-Resistant Packaging?

Not surprisingly, the pharmaceutical, consumer goods, health & beauty, and food and beverage industries are among the most frequent users of child-resistant packaging. In fact, the pharmaceutical industry uses around 75% of the global market share of child-resistant packaging. Demand is projected to increase in coming years, and the expanding market for nutraceuticals, e-cigarettes, and cannabis and CBD products also fuels the need for special packaging as safety requirements are developed and industries must comply.

At Bennett Plastics, we take product safety seriously. Our decades of experience and commitment to customer satisfaction mean we will meet or exceed your plastics manufacturing needs. Contact us today to start creating your child resistant packaging with us.

Seal the Deal with Plastic Caps & Closures

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 12:31:11 GMT

Sealing, protecting, spraying, pumping, misting, or dispensing, plastic caps and closures allow us to both contain and use products in safe, helpful, and appropriate ways. An easy-to-use, properly designed closure can make the difference between a frustrated and a satisfied customer.

What Are Plastic Caps & Closures

Molded plastic caps and closures are an integral part of packaging design. Billions of these small but critical parts are made each year, serving industries from pharmaceuticals and cleaning products to food, beverage, and personal care. Caps and closures come in a multitude of styles depending on their purpose, and work with containers and labeling to create consumer-friendly packaging. They can also be made from the same sustainable plastics used for the rest of a product's packaging, adding to consumer satisfaction and reducing environmental impacts. Well-designed and manufactured caps and closures should:

Work well
Be easy to use
Look great
Share your product and brand identity
Feel good and be easy to grip
Use resins that won't react with contents
Use sustainable plastics when possible

Benefits of Plastic Caps & Closures

Appropriate caps and closures offer safety and functionality while also serving as part of a product's image and identity. Closures can:

Keep food, beverage, health, and medical products safe and uncontaminated
Prevent children from easily opening products
Aid seniors and others in easily opening products
Indicate if products have been tampered with
Preserve freshness
Enable spraying, misting, or other uses

Industries Served by Plastic Caps & Closures

Of course, caps and closures are important to the packaging products industry, but our plastic closures are utilized across multiple industries, including:

Pharmaceutical
Health & Beauty
Consumer Goods
Baby Products
Food Service
Toys & Novelty

At Bennett Plastics, we know that caps and closures are more than just a small detail — they're critical components of your product packaging. Contact us today to see how our decades of experience and plastics expertise can bring you the plastic packaging you need.

Why Is Plastic Injection Molding Your Best Option?

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 10:33:35 GMT

Injection molding is an adaptable process that can be used to produce plastic parts quickly and accurately. If you want to manufacture a large volume of high-quality products in a rapid, cost-effective way, plastic injection molding is likely your best choice.

What Is Plastic Injection Molding?

In brief, plastic injection molding involves feeding a melted plastic resin into a carefully designed mold and ejecting the cooled, finished product.

Comparing Plastic Injection Molding with Other Processes

Versatile and popular, injection molding is one of many ways to create plastic products, but how does it stack up against the competition?

Injection Molding vs. Blow Molding

Blow molding works by blowing a tube of melted plastic into a mold until the plastic fills it. It offers a fast, low-cost production method for hollow, one-piece parts such as bottles and watering cans. Injection molding is a better option for solid or detailed parts, those with multiple cavities, or when high precision is needed. Injection molding also generally produces less waste and can take advantage of a wider range of plastic resins and colors.

Injection Molding vs. 3D Printing

3D printing is an increasingly popular process, particularly for creating prototypes, very small runs, and those requiring extremely brief lead-up times. 3D printing also requires little setup time, but injection molding wins every time for speed and volume production.

Injection Molding vs. Thermoforming

Thermoforming creates shapes by pressing heated plastic sheets over the surface of a mold. It's better suited to simpler shapes requiring less precision, and lower volume production. Injection molding offers much tighter tolerances, greater capacity for detail and complexity, and is suited to larger production runs.

Injection Molding vs. Rotational Molding

Rotational molding creates hollow plastic parts by heating plastic in a mold and rotating it to coat the interior evenly. Injection molding allows for faster production of a greater range of shapes and geometries, with a wider variety of materials than those suitable for rotational molding.

At Bennett Plastics, we have decades of expertise in plastics manufacturing, from design and prototyping through production, finishing, and fulfillment. With our commitment to superior customer service and quality, we'll work with you to choose the best processes and materials for your products. Contact us today to learn more about partnering with us for your injection molded plastic needs.

Why Are Plastic Parts Important in the Electrical Industry?

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 10:17:18 GMT

Plastics have revolutionized many aspects of our lives and the way we manufacture goods and provide services, including in the electrical industry. Plastics are routinely used in everything from housings and controls to timers, wiring, and components. They perform important jobs, including adding insulation, shielding, safety, strength, and protection.

Safety

Providing durable, flexible, highly effective insulation, various types of plastic resins are used across the electrical industry, including in high-voltage applications. From plastisol-coated bus bars, safety equipment, and electrical tools to PVC-coating wire, tap connectors, and bushings, plastics have greatly influenced the way goods and parts are manufactured.

Durability

With resistance to chemicals, impacts, abrasion, moisture, environmental exposure, and more, plastics form an effective, long-lasting, protective barrier between electrical parts and the people and objects around them. Sturdy plastics such as HDPE, used as conduit, can protect wires and buried cables from construction damage, utility work, burrowing animals, and other hazards.

Flexibility

Plastics offer literal flexibility, making them an excellent choice for coating wires which must bend and turn. Plastics also provide flexibility of use, with some resin formulations able to insulate or conduct electricity, and to meet other requirements related to rigidity, ultraviolet light resistance, mechanical strength, heat tolerance, temperature resistance, and many other qualities. Easily molded into nearly any shape, plastics can be used to easily meet any functional needs.

Accuracy

Many plastic resins can be used to create products and components quickly, with short lead time, and with a repeatable, high degree of accuracy, and fine tolerances can be achieved with many materials.

At Bennett Plastics, we recognize the importance of manufacturing high quality plastics for the electrical industry and others, and show that understanding in our commitment to customer satisfaction and superior quality. Contact us today to see how we can partner with you to provide your plastics manufacturing solutions.

Is Prototyping a Custom Injection Mold Important?

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 10:13:50 GMT

Creating a custom injection mold for your product or component can be a substantial commitment of time and resources, therefore it makes sense to take advantage of any opportunity to spot design flaws and identify potential improvements at the earliest stage possible. Prototyping custom molded plastics, especially with the rise of fast, cost-effective 3D printing, is one of the most efficient ways to do so.

What Is a Custom Injection Mold?

A custom mold is not just the creation of a new mold to make a plastic product which hadn't existed before that time. Properly done, custom molding is a multi-step process starting with a review and analysis of product specifications, prototype or custom mold design and creation, testing, and finally, production.

Why Should You Prototype a Custom Injection Mold?

Prototyping a custom mold is a worthwhile investment in the early stages of production, saving you time and resources in the long run, by providing opportunities to:

Spot design flaws which are likely to make production too slow or costly.
Identify areas to enhance a product's design, appearance, durability, and functionality.
Explore the look and feel of the real product rather than a two-dimensional representation, a step which frequently prompts design adjustments.
Evaluate material choices for their suitability, including such aspects as strength and durability.
Allow product testing as early as possible in the manufacturing process, so any weaknesses or functional concerns can be addressed.
More accurately assess realistic manufacturing costs, including production time and materials.
Envision ways to simplify or streamline product design or aspects of production such as by combining components or adjusting needed mold tooling specifications for added efficiency and reduced costs.
Reevaluate a product's usefulness and marketability before committing to full-scale production.

At Bennett Plastics, we offer decades of experience with a full range of plastics manufacturing services, from design and prototyping to production and fulfillment. Contact us today to learn more about our capabilities.

3 Surprising Facts About Plastic Components

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 10:09:53 GMT

Since John Wesley Hyatt designed the first injection molding machine in 1872, technological innovations in materials and manufacturing processes have resulted in the explosion of plastic products and components that fill our world today, but there are always some unexpected ways to think about plastic.

1. Plastic Components Can Perform As Well As or Better Than Metal Ones

If you don't know a lot about plastic, it's easy to brush it off as a weaker, poorer substitute for components made of metal, but that misconception is far from the truth. Many plastic components can match or even outperform their metal counterparts.

Strength & Weight - Naturally more lightweight than metal counterparts, plastic components made with many polymers and composite materials offer equal or better strength-to-weight and strength-to-stiffness ratings. Lighter weight for the same or improved performance can mean reduced fuel consumption for automotive parts, lower transportation costs, and lighter end-product weights.
Tolerance - While varying among different plastic resins, and environments, plastic components can often be produced with tolerances rivaling those for metal components, often with far less waste.
Resistance & Durability - Many plastics resist weathering, corrosion, chemical contact, impacts, and other exposures more effectively and for a longer time than similar metal components.

2. Plastic Components Can Save Lives

Plastic components offer protection in countless ways, including impact resistance and shielding from heat and electricity. Plastics improve many lives as well, protecting water and food from contamination, and being used to make thousands of medical components and products from syringes and hearing aids to ventilator parts and pacemaker insulation.

3. Plastic Components Can Be Made From Corn

While traditional plastic components have been made from petrochemical-based plastics, innovative new ingredients and techniques offer plastic blends based on products as diverse as sugar, corn, potatoes, trees, coffee grounds, and hemp. In fact, tens of thousands of plastic resin formulations are available for component manufacturing.

At Bennett Plastics, we have decades of experience using many types of plastics and techniques to manufacture products and components for countless industries. Our expertise can take you from concept to fulfillment. Contact us today to learn more about our services and capabilities.

The Benefits of Using Bio-Derived Plastics

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 10:05:40 GMT

Bio-derived plastics are the plastics we've all dreamed of — renewable, sustainable, more eco-friendly materials to do the same work as traditional plastics without a reliance on fossil fuels and finite resources.

What Are Bio-Derived Plastics?

Bio-derived plastics are, simply, plastics created primarily from living or formerly-living materials such as plant fibers and oils, starches, proteins, and vegetables. Renewable and, in many cases, biodegradable, these modern substances perform as well as than fossil fuel-based predecessors, but with reduced environmental impact. Common bio-derived plastics are created from corn starch, sugar cane, sugar beets, and tree pulp, and ongoing research is identifying innovative ways to expand the formulations and capabilities of bio-derived plastic materials.

Benefits of Bio-Derived Plastics

Making the transition to bio-derived plastics offers many advantages for businesses, consumers, and the planet as a whole.

Environmental Benefits

Without a question, the primary benefit of shifting from petrochemical-based plastics to bio-based plastics is a reduced impact on the environment, which is reflected across the plastics lifecycle.

Bioplastics Materials - By their nature, the materials used in making bio-derived plastic materials are renewable and sustainable.
Bioplastics Production - Bio-derived plastics use substantially fewer fossil fuels in the manufacturing process, also resulting in reduced pollutants, emissions, and lowered need for toxic chemicals.
Post-Consumer Bioplastics - Most bioplastics are not only fully recyclable, many are also biodegradable and compostable, resulting in less litter, limiting landfill use, and decreasing risks to both the environment and wildlife.

Corporate Benefits

Consumer Satisfaction - Consumers increasingly seek out products using sustainable practices and materials, while passing over or even shunning those made with traditional petrochemical-based plastics. Opting for bio-derived plastics will almost certainly improve consumer satisfaction and brand reputation.
Supply Chain - When oil prices rise, availability decreases, and supply chains falter, bio-derived plastics, which can often make use of more locally available raw ingredients, may lower supply and transportation costs.

At Bennett Plastics, we are committed to sustainability across the board, from our facility and practices to the materials we use. Contact us today to learn more about partnering with us to make your traditional or bio-derived plastics products.

The Importance of Surface Finishes for Molded Plastic Products

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 09:59:39 GMT

Creating quality, injection-molded plastic products is more than just producing the correct shape and function. Surface finishing by carefully polishing or texturizing a mold's surface allows that finish to be transferred to the plastic molded within it. This process offers both practical and aesthetic benefits, resulting in products that look better, feel better, and work more effectively.

Appearance of Mold Finishes

Industry standard surface finishes cover a 12-grade range from a mirror-like shine to a dull, matte surface.

High-Gloss (Diamond)

The highest grades require diamond powder-polished molds which produce the smoothest, most mirror-like finishes used for optics, mirrors, and lenses.

Semi-Gloss (Paper)

Mid-grade finishes are created by using fine sandpaper to polish a mold. The results are a high-quality, smooth finish where any tooling, machining, and molding marks do not show.

Matte (Stone)

Polishing a mold with stone powder produces a dull, matte finish. This economical grade of surface finish also ensures no tooling, molding, or machining marks are visible on the finished product. Matte finishes are best suited to internal parts or those where appearance is minimally important.

Textured (Dry-Blasted)

Special textured finishes can be created by sandblasting a matte-finished mold to create anything from a fine, satin-like texture to a bumpy, stippled surface, depending on your preferences and materials.

Finishes for Functionality

Of course, plastic products don't just need to be attractive, they need to function safely and effectively — goals which can be achieved in part through surface finishes which can:

Improve durability - Adding textured surface finishes can help prevent scuffs, scratches, or other damage in transport or display that might be visible with smoother finishes.
Add safety - Textured finishes can make a product easier to grip or add traction and friction if needed.
Enhance additional finishing - Some surface finishes can improve the ability of paint and labels to adhere to products.

Surface finish choices depend on your needs as well as on the mold material, part design, and the selected plastic resin. At Bennett Plastics, we have decades of experience and the expertise to help you design and manufacture the best products possible. Contact us today so we can partner with you.

What Types of Plastics Are the Most Sustainable?

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 09:44:21 GMT

Industry and science have worked together for decades to develop sustainable plastics which help address the abundance of non-sustainable plastics which consume valuable resources, create pollution and burden our landfills and environment. Plastics can be made more sustainable in several ways, focusing on the key goals: recycle, reduce, reuse.

Recyclable, Reusable Plastics

One of the most straightforward ways to make plastic sustainable is to reuse it rather than consuming additional petroleum products to create new plastic material. Post-consumer, recycled plastic is frequently used in making a variety of injection-molded packaging such as milk jugs, butter tubs, and shampoo bottles. Recycled plastics are also used across many industries to produce everything from fleece hoodies and picture frames to carpets and composite decking.

Reducing Non-Renewable Materials

Some approaches to plastics manufacturing can limit the use of non-renewable materials in the process.

Bio-Filled Plastics

Straddling the divide between renewable and non-renewable raw materials are bio-filled plastics in which renewable, organic materials such as ground coconut shells, rice hulls, nut shells, and cotton fiber are used to substitute plastic material.

Bioplastics

Made from purely biological materials such as sugar, corn, and vegetable oil, bioplastics are an improvement on traditional petroleum-based plastics. Popular types such as PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates), PLA (polylactic acid), and acetate can perform as well as many traditional plastics.

Biodegradable & Degradable Plastics

A final consideration on sustainability is which plastics will break down naturally through exposure to heat, UV light, moisture, bacteria, fungi, and other environmental factors. Interestingly enough, not all bioplastics are biodegradable, and some petroleum-based plastics have additives to make them biodegradable. Many biodegradable plastics can't merely be composted, but require additional processing to degrade.

At Bennett Plastics, we have a solid commitment to sustainability and decades of experience with all types of plastic resins. Contact us today for help in choosing a plastic material that meets your sustainability goals.

Safely Using Plastics in Baby Products

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 09:41:06 GMT

Few areas of product safety are considered more carefully than with products designed for babies. Care must be taken to ensure this vulnerable segment of our population is exposed to only the safest of products. For the plastics industry, this means both thoughtful product design and careful selection of plastic resins.

Product Design for Plastic Baby Products

While regulatory guidelines determine many aspects of baby product design, working with an experienced injection molding team can enhance your product design. With knowledge of everything from safety guidelines and best practices to expertise in plastic resin selection, mold design, and finishing processes, plastics experts can help you make safe, durable, high-quality products in the most efficient ways.

Safe Plastic Resins for Baby Products

Beyond design considerations, one of the most common concerns for consumers is an item's material makeup. Increased awareness of the potential harm caused by phthalates, BPA, and other chemicals in some plastics has changed manufacturing choices for these products in recent years. While older children and adults may be affected by these chemicals, infants and toddlers are particularly susceptible to ill effects due to their age, and how often these products find their ways into baby mouths (sippy cups, teethers, toys, plastic silverware and dishes, packaging, and more).

At Bennett Plastics, we take safety seriously, from our own employees through the supply chain and certainly, to the end users of the products we manufacture. Contact us today to take advantage of our decades of experience and satisfied customers, knowing we can help make your plastic baby products among the safest on the market.

What Industries Rely on Injection Molding Manufacturing?

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 09:30:40 GMT

Injection molded products are used across such a vast array of industries, it might be easier to ask what industries do not take advantage of injection molding. Some industries, however, are more reliant on this cost-effective, versatile, efficient process to manufacture their parts, products, and packaging. Several of these heavy hitters include:

Food & Beverage

One of the largest consumers of plastic injection molded goods is the food and beverage industry. From takeout containers and disposable flatware, plates, cups, and bowls to processing and retail packaging, plastics help meet regulatory requirements, maintain cleanliness and safety, and add functionality, convenience and visual appeal to foods and drinks.

Medical & Pharmaceutical

While plastics sometimes get a poor reception, in the medical and pharmaceutical field, they can be lifesavers. Countless applications for injection molded plastics offer everything from testing and monitoring devices to implants, emergency equipment, and thousands of other products and parts. Plastics can meet safety and sanitary regulations, protect from contamination, and can offer non-reactive materials and high precision when needed.

Consumer Products

Injection molded products are all around us, from shampoo bottles and toothbrushes to lipstick cases, and bottles for household cleaners. With fast, versatile, efficient production, injection molding can quickly produce high-quality consumer goods and packaging and make your brand stand out.

Packaging

Bottles, closures, lids, jars, tubs, buckets, and dozens of other packaging components are excellent candidates for injection molding. With nearly endless combinations of shape, style, color, and texture available, plastic packaging can be efficiently produced to create desired appearances. The versatility of different plastic formulations offers a wide range of capabilities for heat tolerance, strength, chemical resistance, UV light tolerance, impact resistance, and dozens of other qualities which may be required of specific packaging.

No matter what your needs, at Bennett Plastics, we stand ready with decades of expertise with plastics serving countless industries. Contact us today to start bringing your plastic products to life.

The Importance of Plastic Injection Molding in Common Consumer Goods

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 07:39:31 GMT

From shampoo bottles and milk jugs to remote control casings, bird feeders, toys, and flower pots, injection molding quickly, consistently, and efficiently produces countless items we depend on and enjoy in our daily lives.

Variety of Plastics for Injection Molded Consumer Goods

An astounding variety of plastic resins, with additives to enhance various aspects of their performance, means there's a plastic formulation to meet virtually any requirements and specifications. Thermoplastics are generally best suited to injection molding, including:

Polystyrene — Flexible and inexpensive; popular for food service containers and utensils and packing materials
Polypropylene — Durable and non-reactive; commonly used for food and beverage containers
Polyethylene (HDPE & LDPE) — Versatile, strong, recyclable; often used for bottles, films, trash cans, and shopping bags
Nylon (Polyamide) — Strong, heat-resistant, popular for fasteners and car parts
Polycarbonate — Clear, strong; commonly used for eyeglass lenses, and food and beverage containers
ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) — Strong and resistant; popular for toys, keyboards, and sporting goods
Sustainable plastics — Various bioplastics and recycled plastics are excellent substitutes for these thermoplastics, with formulations to match their performance

Advantages of Injection Molding for Consumer Goods

Versatile and efficient, injection molding offers many advantages in producing consumer goods, including:

Cost-effective — Many plastic resins are inexpensive, and after tooling costs, injection molding is less expensive than many other manufacturing processes. Automated production also means reduced labor costs.
Versatility & Complexity — Color, multiple colors, finish, texture, and virtually any shape can be successfully molded.
Low waste — By its nature, injection molding produces minimal waste.
Speed & Consistency — Injection molding is perfectly suited to rapidly producing long runs of identical products.
Strength & Resistance — Plastic formulations can rival performance of nearly any material on the market.
Lightweight — Reduced product weights save in transportation costs.

At Bennett Plastics, we have decades of experience producing injection molded consumer goods, and bring our expertise to every job. From design through fulfillment, we offer a full array of services to bring your products to life. Contact us today to see how we can partner with you.

What Kinds of Materials Support Sustainability in Injection Molding?

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 07:35:08 GMT

Increasing emphasis on sustainability in products and manufacturing processes has often placed an unjustly large share of the blame on the broad category of plastics. Many of these critics are unaware of the multiple ways that manufacturing with this versatile material can actually be highly sustainable.

Sustainable Plastics

Two key efforts in achieving sustainability are to recycle and to choose renewable options when possible, both of which can be accomplished with plastic injection molding . While this process is, by its nature, a low-waste manufacturing technique, careful material selection can further limit the environmental footprint of producing plastic components and products.

Recycle & Reuse

Thermoplastics, the most commonly used type of material for injection molding, can technically be recycled infinitely, though additives in some formulations can reduce quality and the number of times recycling is feasible. In addition to recycling and reuse of traditional plastics, newer compostable, degradable, and biodegradable plastic materials are expanding material options. These innovative plastics decompose into organic components such as water, carbon dioxide, and biomass which are easily recycled. Compostable plastics can be especially environmentally friendly as they leave no toxic chemicals behind.

Renewable Options

Using plastics made completely or partially from renewable components promotes sustainability and limits reliance on fossil fuels used to make traditional plastic resins.

Bioplastics such as PHA and PLA, made from sugars, grains, and oils, can perform as well as their traditionally formulated counterparts.

Bio-filled plastics replace traditional fillers such as carbon, glass, or metal with bio-friendly materials such as cotton fiber or ground hulls or shells from various plants.

At Bennett Plastics, we support sustainability efforts across our manufacturing processes and even throughout our entire facility. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you bring more sustainable products to life with injection molding, or about any of the full range of services we offer.

The Relationship Between Plastic Parts and Packaging Products

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 06:48:41 GMT

As many industries seek to reduce part costs and use less material overall, plastics manufacturers and designers are working together to apply the skills learned in making packaging products to modifying how parts are made. This approach to injection molding, called thin-wall molding, requires thoughtful design adjustments, specialized processes, and careful selection of plastic resins.

What Is Thin-Wall Injection Molding?

Thin-wall injection molding is a subtype of standard injection molding that's designed to produce thinner, more lightweight parts. Inspired by techniques used to create thin plastic packaging (with walls thinner than 0.025 inch or 0.62 mm), thin wall molding produces parts with much thinner walls compared to their overall size (based on flow length) than with traditional methods. In order to make parts meeting these specifications, molding pressure, molding speed, and cooling rates must be increased, and adjustments made to gating and part ejection.

Advantages of Thin-Wall Molding

Of course, one of the greatest advantages of thin wall molding is creating strong, high performing parts and packaging using less resin. Savings on materials, transportation, and other production costs due to their lighter weight and rapid manufacturing provide additional advantages.

Applications of Thin-Wall Molding

Because the thin wall molding process generates parts and products at or over a specified ratio of flow length to wall thickness, both small and large parts can take advantage of these techniques. Applications for thin wall molding can be found across dozens of industries including:

Packaging for produce, baked goods, and other food products
Packaging for non-food products
Containers, caps, and lids
Electronics and cell phone components
Medical devices, packaging, and single-use items
Consumer products and packaging

At Bennett Plastics, we are always seeking ways to expand our capabilities, and serve you better. Contact us to learn more about the full range of plastics manufacturing solutions we've developed over decades of innovation.

Comparing Injection Molding vs. 3D Printing

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 06:45:25 GMT

Injection molding and 3D printing are popular techniques to create a variety of products, from prototypes to components and shelf-ready products. While both processes make use of many of the same plastic resins and can produce similar results, there are situations in which one technique may be more suitable than the other.

Comparing Injection Molding and 3D Printing

Both processes involve the shaping of heated plastic, either through molding or layered deposits. In both cases, precise parts can be consistently made, though sizes are limited by the available printing area or mold capacity. Choosing either of these effective plastic manufacturing processes depends on your specific requirements.

When To Choose Injection Molding

Injection molding requires the design and creation of a mold, into which the molten plastic resin will be injected, cooled, and the completed part ejected. Injection molding is most suitable:

For longer production runs, especially as molding costs can be spread over a large volume of parts
When production schedules allow lead time that includes tooling — the actual injection molding process is quite rapid
When perfectly smooth results are required (3D printing may require finishing and printing layers may show)
When strength is a concern since injection molded parts don't have layer lines
When reduced friction between parts is desired

When To Choose 3D Printing

Creating parts layer by layer, 3D printing is a great choice when:

When frequent adjustments or updates are needed during production
When producing smaller runs (generally 100 or fewer)
When you need more immediate results (without tooling time)
When designs have gaps, spaces, or branching parts which are more challenging for injection molding

At Bennett Plastics, we apply our decades of experience to helping you determine the best designs, materials, and manufacturing processes to create your products. Contact us today to learn more about our custom plastics manufacturing services.

Design Engineering’s Importance in Injection Molding

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 06:41:29 GMT

Many steps are involved in creating plastic parts before the actual plastic injection stage is reached. One of the most critical of these steps is engineering a part's design, a step which has ramifications for every successive step along the way.

Importance of Design Engineering at Various Stages of Injection Molding Plastics

Part Design & Prototyping

Design engineers can help ask the right questions about your part or product to ensure you end up with the best results. They can help you determine your part's shape, how it can fit with other parts, areas where strength or flexibility are needed, and more. Finally, design engineers can ensure your part is actually moldable with injection molding techniques, or modify a part's design until it is and generate a prototype to test that design.

Choosing a Plastic Resin

Selecting an appropriate plastic resin for your product can have a dramatic effect on many aspects of production, including material costs, production speed, tooling costs, and product appearance, flexibility, resistance, and durability. Additional factors may play a role in resin selection, including additives such as color, plasticizers, and antibacterials.

Designing Molds

While there are countless parts and components you can design, each will require a mold to create it with injection molding techniques. In general, the more complicated the mold, the more expensive it is to machine. A design engineer can help you simplify your design to accomplish the same goals with reduced costs.

What Can Happen If You Skip Design Engineering

Failing to take advantage of the expertise and skills of design engineers in creating a part to be manufactured by injection molding can results in a number of undesirable factors, including:

Unnecessarily expensive mold tooling costs
Poorly performing products
Slow production as a result of extra molding or finishing steps
Weak or ill-fitting parts

At Bennett Plastics, our design team has the expertise and skills to bring your product successfully to life. Contact us today to learn more about all of our plastic injection molding and related services.

Is Plastic Molding Safe for Children's Toys?

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 06:36:36 GMT

Plastic is one of the most versatile and cost-effective materials available for mass-production. Since its arrival on the manufacturing scene, it has become a go-to substance for making children's toys. Recent discoveries about some plastic compounds has many families wondering if any plastic toys are safe for their children. Rest assured, conscientious companies and their injection molding manufacturing partners are producing safe, fun toys all the time.

Why Is Plastic a Great Fit for Children's Toys?

Plastic's versatility is, perhaps, the main reason it's such a perfect material for making children's toys. It can be soft and stretchy, firm and bouncy, solid and durable, and impact resistant, suiting it for anything from teethers and rattles to bouncy balls, tea sets, and ride-on toys. Plastic can be any color or texture, and can have countless other special features such as glowing in the dark or sparkling with glitter, making it a particularly appealing material for toys. Even better, it is easy to clean and resists moisture and other environmental hazards which would likely damage other materials.

Problematic Plastics

In recent years, scientists have discovered the potential harm caused by compounds such as phthalates, found in some polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and bisphenol A (BPA), present in some polycarbonates and epoxies. Infants and younger children at the greatest risk, primarily due to their young age and how often younger children put toys in their mouths.

Safer Plastic Solutions for Children's Toys

Innovative plastic formulations have been developed for use in children's toys and other products to limit everyone's exposure to potentially harmful chemicals. These include more traditional materials such as polyethylene, ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA), and polypropylene.

At Bennett Plastics, safety is one of our highest priorities, particularly when manufacturing products for children. Our design and production teams have decades of experience and the expertise to help guide product creation for the safest possible results. Contact us today to learn more about our USA-made plastic injection molding solutions.

"Green” Standards in Plastic Injection Molding

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 06:33:21 GMT

From biodegradable and recycled plastic resins to sustainable design and practices, "green" standards are improving plastic injection molding, offering a more environmentally friendly process from start to finish. Taking advantage of improvements at each stage and in every aspect of the manufacturing process adds up to a big improvement in setting a "green" standard.

Materials

Innovation is the name of the game with recycling techniques and new plastic resins and additives made from renewable raw materials. PHA and PLA, two of the most popular bio-based plastic formulations, are derived from such products as sugar cane, corn, and vegetable oil. Updates to fillers replace traditional metal, glass, or ceramic reinforcements with renewable materials such as ground coconut shells and rice hulls. Ongoing research offers an expanded range of new materials on a regular basis, too. While bio-based plastics can perform as well as or better than their traditional, petroleum-based counterparts, there are certainly situations where those traditional formulations are a better fit. In these cases, we design carefully to maximize the use of easily recycled plastics and take product lifespan into account.

Manufacturing Techniques

Injection molding is a naturally low-waste process, since only the amount of plastic needed for a part is forced into a mold. With a thoughtful approach to product design, and production processes, we can limit waste by recycling wherever possible, planning production runs to maximize efficiency, and conserving energy.

Facility Design

Sustainability and environmental considerations should not be limited to our manufacturing processes, so we work to make our facility as eco-friendly as possible, too. This includes using LED lighting, and using recycled rainwater for cooling purposes in our equipment wherever possible.

Best Practices

Working as a team, from design through fulfillment, strong communication and coordinated efforts allows combined input to streamline production, resulting in fewer resources being used throughout the manufacturing process.

At Bennett Plastics, we are committed to sustainability and strive to offer eco-friendly materials and practices. Contact us today to plan your injection molding project and take advantage of our decades of expertise and plastics experience.

8 Reasons Why Injection Molding Is Important in the Health & Beauty Industry

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 06:28:28 GMT

Health and beauty products generally have very specific product and packaging requirements. Injection molding techniques are particularly well suited to satisfying these requirements in an effective, efficient way.

Functionality

From syringes to squeeze bottles, health and beauty products must work in specific ways to perform as required. Injection molding's versatility, precision and consistency over long production runs make it an excellent choice for these industries' wide variety of applications.

Safety

Child-proof caps, protective packaging, and disposable products to maintain sterility between patients are just a few of the safety features injection molding can offer efficiently.

Chemical & UV Resistance

With such a broad array of plastic resins available, there are many ways to create injection molded products and packaging which will not react when in contact with certain chemicals and compounds. Many health and beauty products are also susceptible to damage by UV light exposure, so plastic resin formulations which can protect valuable contents are an excellent choice.

Durability

Plastic can be strong, flexible, hard, firm, stretchy, soft, or impact resistant, among other qualities, depending on its formulation, offering injection molded products and parts that will last as long as you need them to.

Attractiveness

With a nearly endless variety of health and beauty products filling store shelves, packaging which makes your product stand out is crucial to its success. Injection molding techniques can create products and packaging that stand out from the crowd.

Versatility

Hard or soft, clear or opaque, colorful or plain, textured or smooth, thick or thin, plastics offer an amazing ability to match nearly any requirements imaginable in form and function through injection molding.

Sustainability

Satisfy consumers and yourself by using renewable materials and partnering with an injection molding company with a sustainable mindset, like us here at Bennett Plastics.

Efficiency & Consistency

Injection molding can quickly and accurately produce large volumes of identical products, meaning your 50,000th bottle, jar, comb, or other health and beauty product looks just as good as the first. Rapid manufacturing means your products are available for fulfillment in a very short time, allowing you to easily meet demand and changing trends.

At Bennett Plastics, we have decades of experience designing and manufacturing products and packaging for the health and beauty industries. Contact us today to take advantage of our injection molding expertise.

Plastic Injection Molding in the Medical Industry

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 06:23:17 GMT

Plastic products for the medical industry must be consistent, durable, and cost-effective, made with precision, and must meet strict specifications and comply with numerous regulations. Injection molding techniques can easily satisfy these requirements, resulting in high-quality parts and products at a reasonable price.

Value of Plastic Injection Molding for the Medical Industry

Plastic injection molding can easily meet the critical requirements for parts and products used by the medical and pharmaceutical industry. These include:

Durability

Plastic parts used in the medical industry must be produced with a durability to match their intended lifespan, from products and components which will see repeated use or contain valuable medicines or compounds to single-use and disposable items.

Consistency & Precision

Whether it's ensuring syringes accurately reflect the volume they contain or that parts fit or slide together smoothly, consistent, precise parts are absolutely necessary for the medical industry. Plastic injection molding is easily able to offer these valuable qualities over even the longest production runs.

Safety

From selecting resins able to perform as needed to ensuring end-user safety when using plastic parts, safety is a key factor.

Cost-Effectiveness

Plastic injection molding is one of the most efficient techniques for quickly creating large numbers of identical products. With minimal waste and lightweight products that reduce transportation costs, injection molding can be extremely cost-effective.

Strength

Some plastic parts must be exceptionally strong to perform as needed for the medical industry. Many plastic resins can perform as well or better than metal or other alternative materials, giving plastics the clear edge in manufacturing them.

Regulatory Compliance

Experienced injection molding manufacturers have the knowledge and resources to comply with regulations and specifications which govern medical and pharmaceutical products.

At Bennett Plastics, we are proud of the decades of quality products we've manufactured with our partners in the medical and pharmaceutical industries. Contact us today to explore our injection molding and many other plastics manufacturing and value-added services.

The Relationship Between Sustainability and Profitability

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 06:16:31 GMT

Sustainability and profitability have traditionally seemed like opposite ends of the spectrum in the plastics industry. Manufacturers focusing on sustainability would see reduced profits while those who aimed for greatest profitability often did so at an environmental cost. Thankfully a combination of innovation and consumer demand has resulted in a situation where sustainability and profitability are not mutually exclusive goals.

Myths about Sustainability and Plastics

Many people have some misconceptions or outdated beliefs about sustainability and plastics, leading them to expect unprofitable results. Here are a few:

Sustainable Plastics Are Too Expensive to Manufacture

Of course, material and production costs must be low enough that manufacturers are able to realize a profit on their parts and products. Early recycled plastics and bio-based resins cost substantially more than traditional, petroleum-based materials, dramatically lowering or erasing profitability. Today's innovative materials and recycling techniques are a great improvement, offering much higher returns.

Sustainable Plastics Don't Perform as Well

Early formulations of bio-based and other sustainable plastics often suffered from appearance, performance, and consistency issues, making them less desirable options. Today, such resins as PLA and PHA and many others make excellent substitutes for traditional plastics.

Consumers Won't Pay More for Sustainable Plastics

Consumers' willingness to spend is critical for profitability, and some early, poorly performing, or overly expensive sustainable plastics found very limited demand and little customer satisfaction. Improved materials and an increased awareness and focus on environmental issues in recent years has significantly reduced costs and boosted customer satisfaction and support for sustainable plastics.

Sustainability, Profitability, and Partnering with Bennett Plastics

At Bennett Plastics, sustainability is a key component of our philosophy, affecting how we run our facility and in the products and services we offer our business partners. We strive to offer you eco-friendly manufacturing in the most cost-effective way so your products can earn the profits you need in an environmentally-minded way. Contact us today to learn more about achieving sustainability and profitability with your plastic products.

Plastic Injection Molding Defects & How to Prevent Them

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 05:18:49 GMT

No one wants to examine the results of an injection molding production run to find out they're flawed. A combination of planning and best practices can help prevent problems, so you can achieve predictable, reliable, high-quality results.

Design Thoughtfully & Prototype

The most fundamental way to prevent defects is to design parts and molds thoughtfully. Consider every aspect of how the part will function, how it will be molded and ejected from the mold. Creating a prototype early in the process can help you spot any problematic areas of your design that may require adjustment.

Proper Plastic Flow

Specific to injection molding is the need for melted plastic to flow quickly, smoothly, and uniformly through all parts of a mold. Using a thick to thin flow pattern can minimize opportunities for resin to cool too quickly in thinner areas, creating blockages which can leave areas beyond the barrier unmolded.

Wall Thickness

Inconsistent wall thicknesses can cause plastic to flow and cool unevenly, resulting in warping and sinks in finished products. Designing with even wall thicknesses can help eliminate these problems.

Curves, Not Angles

Smooth lines with rounded corners rather than right angles can help melted plastic flow smoothly through a mold. When possible adjust those sharp angles in your part design for best results.

Resin Selection

Plastic resins along with additives and fillers all have varying strengths, weaknesses, and suitabilities. Working with plastics manufacturing professionals who have the knowledge to help you design and produce parts effectively is the smart way to go, offering you the best chance to create superior, flawless products.

At Bennett Plastics, we've built our expertise with decades of satisfied customers, and bring those skills and capabilities to every project we take on. Contact us today to take advantage of our knowledge and full array of plastics manufacturing and value added services.

4 Benefits of Choosing a Manufacturer in the U.S.

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 05:09:15 GMT

With a world full of plastics manufacturers out there, narrowing your choices can be a challenge. Many factors come into play, and recent decades have seen some shifts to overseas production. While both domestic and overseas manufacturers have a lot to offer, we think you'll find the benefits of choosing U.S. manufacturers tip the scales in our favor. Here are a few of the great reasons to choose a domestic manufacturing partner:

Reduced Costs

While lower labor costs can sometimes appear to give overseas manufacturers a cost advantage, we think an examination of total project costs will result in lower domestic production costs overall. A domestic manufacturer offers shorter lead times, faster, more efficient transportation, and isn't subject to the taxes and tariffs an overseas partner may need to add on.

Shorter Lead Time

Since all of our processes are coordinated between teams here in our New Jersey facility, no time or resources are wasted moving materials, people, and products between locations. With design and production all under one roof, the entire production process is more efficient, meaning your products are ready for you much more rapidly.

Improved Quality, Safety, & Communication

Because we are in compliance with all relevant safety and quality measures, you can be assured your products will be manufactured to meet those high standards and exceed your expectations. Our team is easy to communicate with, and we are probably only a time zone or two away from you at most, so communication is simple and straightforward.

Good for All

When you choose domestic, you get a quality product, support American workers, improve the U.S. economy, and can build a relationship with a manufacturing partner near you. Even better, your customers will be proud you support American business.

At Bennett Plastics, we have decades of experience manufacturing quality injection molded plastics in our New Jersey facility. Contact us today to learn more about partnering with us.

The 6 Main Steps of Plastic Injection Molding

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 04:45:59 GMT

The process of plastic injection molding truly starts with part and mold design, polymer selection, and prototyping to ensure a top-quality result. While these preliminary but critical stages may take a few weeks, the actual injection molding process is so efficient, many parts can be fully molded in mere seconds. Here's how it works.

Closing the Mold

Whether preparing for the initial molding cycle or after ejecting the previously molded part, the first step is to close the mold so that all openings are blocked except the gate (to allow melted plastic to enter the mold), the mold cavity (where the actual part is molded), and tiny vents which allow the air flow needed for successful molding.

Injecting Polymer

A barrel with an auger or screw inside is filled with pellets of the selected polymer resin. As the auger turns, the pellets move from the feeder area into a zone where the barrel is heated to melt the resin to a specified temperature. As the auger moves forward, melted polymer resin is forced at high pressure into the mold, displacing the air inside, which escapes through the tiny vents.

Cooling

Naturally, the melted plastic must cool and harden in the mold in order to retain its shape. Molds are designed with channels to allow a coolant, normally water and/or ethylene glycol, to flow through and cool the mold and the part inside it at a carefully determined rate.

Reloading the Barrel

When the part is cooled, the auger moves back and the barrel is reloaded with additional polymer pellets to prepare for the next cycle.

Ejection

While the pellets are heating, the mold opens and the cooled part is removed from the mold by ejector pins which push it away from the mold surface where it drops into a box, chute or conveyor system.

QA & Finishing

Finally, parts are checked to ensure they meet our high standards, and any finishing steps are performed, such as removing any rough edges left where the mold halves meet.

At Bennett Plastics, we have decades of experience and expertise with every step in the plastic injection molding process. Contact us today to learn more about our capabilities and our array of value-added services.

Enhancing Electronic Devices With Custom Plastics

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 04:39:15 GMT

From phones and thermostats to controls and digital tools, electronic devices play numerous critical roles in our personal and professional lives. Whether for protection, aesthetics, or functionality, custom plastics can improve the durability, performance, and usability of these important tools across countless industries. Here are just a few of the ways plastics can improve how our electronic devices function and how we interact with them.

Protection

Perhaps the most important reason to use custom plastic parts with electronic devices is to protect vulnerable components from wear and damage, prolonging their usable life. Plastic housings and cases can protect electronics from many hazards, including:

Eliminating or minimizing exposure to water and other liquids
Reducing the effects of vibrations and impacts on delicate electronic parts
Limiting buildup of dirt, dust, and debris
Reducing wear and tear from frequent use
Insulating devices from unwanted contact among electrical components
Protection from magnetic interference

Visual Appeal

With their versatility and customizability, plastics can add aesthetic value to many products, showcasing a product or brand style, or adding flair and personality. Some types of products which can benefit from an attractive plastic case or housing include:

Remote controls
Thermostats
Televisions and streaming devices
Security cameras
Mobile phones
Handheld games
Clocks
Calculators

Enhanced Functionality & Performance

Custom injection molded plastics can be very lightweight and can provide additional functionality and improved performance for electronic devices such as:

A case which can fold into a stand
Cases and housing provide room for air circulation
Ergonomic features and comfortable buttons and other controls
Integrated pen holders
Safety features such as latches, switches, and toggles
Handles and grips
Viewing windows and protective clear covers

At Bennett Plastics, our expert team can assist you at every step from design and manufacturing through fulfillment, creating and delivering the plastic parts and products you need. Contact us today to learn more about our injection molding and other plastics capabilities.

Visualizing Concepts With Rapid Prototyping

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 04:33:13 GMT

Gone are the days of patiently (or impatiently!) waiting for expensive and time-consuming prototypes to be created, or trusting that computer modeling has accounted for every detail without being able to touch and feel a product or component. Rapid prototyping, most commonly using 3D printing, has revolutionized this process.

Limits of Computer Design & Traditional Prototyping

Product design on computer screens is a valuable and critical part of the process, but it can be challenging, even with animation, to form a mental image of the finished product, or to envision how parts will work together. Nor does CAD design offer a physical part that you can hold, examine, and manipulate. Traditional prototyping is an expensive and time-consuming process, meaning designers may take fewer risks or be less creative in their designs.

What Is Rapid Prototyping?

Rapid prototyping is a process where a detailed 3D object can be quickly created from a computerized CAD design, most frequently by using 3D printing. Innovations in the process and reduced costs offer a speedy, reliable, cost-effective way to turn digital designs into tangible objects which look, feel, and function like the desired end products.

Visualizing With Rapid Prototyping

While speed and cost are important details in designing a part, functionality is often critical. CAD designs do an excellent job, but having a high-fidelity, accurate, physical copy of the part that design produces is even more valuable. With a physical product to evaluate, a design team, customers, focus groups, and others can see the part in action, review its appearance and function, and imagine improvements. Design flaws can be more easily discovered, experimental concepts explored, visual appeal improved, and enhancements made, all with minimal investment of time and resources.

At Bennett Plastics, our expert design and production teams can bring your concepts to life with rapid prototyping and our full array of plastic manufacturing services, all here in our New Jersey facility. Contact us today to take advantage of our decades of expertise in product development and manufacturing.

Converting Metal Industrial Parts to Plastic

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 04:29:27 GMT

Countless industrial parts have traditionally been made of metal, but innovations in plastic formulations in recent decades have produced plastic resins which can perform as well as or better than their metal counterparts while offering reduced costs and a variety of other benefits.

Some Benefits of Plastic Parts Over Metal Parts

Versatile and highly customizable, plastics can be designed to meet virtually any performance and appearance requirements, and offer many advantages over metal parts, including:

Enhanced strength, outperforming metal in some cases
Reduced vulnerability to moisture, corrosion, impacts, abrasions, and other hazards
Formulations to meet environmental requirements such as UV tolerance, heat/cold tolerance, flame retardancy, and others
Rapid production cycle
Versatility in color, finish, and even plastic resin
Fewer secondary operations needed as ribs, gussets, and assemblies can be molded as a unit without welding or other processes
Reduced material costs with more stable prices
Lower transportation costs with lighter weight, often smaller, thinner parts

Steps in Metal to Plastic Conversion

A careful analysis of your metal parts in coordination with our team of plastics experts can simplify the metal to plastic conversion process. Main steps in the conversion include:

1. Choose Parts to Convert

Review parts and identify those which are best suited to conversion, including:

Parts needed in high volume
Parts where secondary operations can be eliminated
Parts where reduced weight is desirable
Parts where multiple colors or formulations are wanted

2. Specify Part Requirements

Identify the specific requirements each selected part must meet so designs and plastic formulations are optimized. Consider:

Required strength, durability, and other performance needs
Regulatory compliance
Environmental exposures and resistances desired

Work With Our Team

Our expert team will work with you to select, design, and produce the parts you need to meet or exceed your specifications and requirements.

At Bennett Plastics, we have decades of experience in manufacturing plastic parts and products, from design and material selection through manufacturing and fulfillment. Contact us today to learn more about converting your metal parts to plastic.

Custom Plastics: More Affordable Than You Think

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 04:24:25 GMT

The thought of custom manufacturing can make anyone fear for their bottom line. Rest assured, though, custom plastics manufacturing can be much more affordable than you might expect.

What Is Custom Plastics Manufacturing?

Custom plastics manufacturing, like any custom manufacturing, involves making parts or products designed and created to precisely and accurately match your exact specifications. We work closely with you at every step of the process, from design and prototyping to testing, production, and any value-added services you select.

What Factors Affect the Cost of Custom Plastics?

While many elements such as labor, inspection, testing, shipping, and others contribute to any part production costs, some are specific to custom plastics manufacturing, including:

Mold Costs

Generally the most expensive component of production, mold costs are also one of the most variable factors. Mold complexity, the number of parts which can be produced per cycle, and other design concerns can have the greatest effect on costs.

Materials

Your resin selection and any additives your project requires will factor into your final costs. Inexpensive, so-called commodity resins will be much more affordable than the next step up, engineering resins. Highly specialized resins designed for extreme conditions such as aerospace and military applications will generally cost the most.

Finishing

If your product requires additional steps after molding, such as assembly, printing, or packaging, costs will also be higher.

Reducing Custom Plastics Costs

Our team of experts has decades of experience with a wide variety of custom plastics manufacturing. We will work with you to explore the full range of design and production options to accurately create your part or product in the most cost-effective way possible.

At Bennett Plastics, we are committed to our customers' satisfaction and strive to exceed your expectations and help you create the parts and products that meet your specifications at a cost that works with your budget. Contact us today to discuss your projects and our capabilities.

Common Misconceptions About Plastic Sustainability

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 04:20:21 GMT

Despite the presence of plastic recycling and innovative, bio-based, biodegradable, and sustainable plastics, the plastic manufacturing industry is still frequently singled out as one of the worst burdens on our environment. Sustainability is, in fact, a vital effort and one we are committed to as a company and as members of the industry in question. There are many misconceptions about whether plastics and environmental concerns can be compatible, and we'll take a few moments here to address some of them.

Myth: If something is compostable and biodegradable, it is also sustainable.

While compostable and biodegradable plastics are beneficial in ideal conditions, they aren't automatically sustainable. The vast majority of families don't have access to composting facilities. Compostable plastics instead often end up in landfills, creating methane, or contaminating other materials if they're recycled with non-compostable plastics. Similarly, biodegradable plastics generally don't degrade easily, but often require treatment at high temperatures or exposure to special bacteria or enzymes which break them down.

Myth: Plastic has a greater environmental impact than other packaging materials.

While traditional plastics are created from non-renewable materials, they are also often lighter and require less energy to produce than other packaging materials, offering tradeoffs in reduced transportation and production impacts. In the end, the carbon footprint can be equivalent between plastics and many other materials.

Myth: Plastics manufacturers don't care about sustainability.

Plastics and their manufacturers have frequently been the scapegoat in discussions of sustainability in recent decades. In truth, innovations in plastic resins and industry-wide support for recycling and eco-friendly initiatives have been front and center for plastics manufacturers. We are firmly committed to maintaining our industry while embracing new materials and technologies to make our efforts more sustainable.

Myth: You can't dispose of plastics sustainably.

In addition to proper recycling, plastics can, in fact be disposed of sustainably. Those plastics which are not or cannot be recycled can be incinerated using carbon capture technology to drastically limit problematic emissions, and the heat produced by the process can serve multiple purposes.

At Bennett Plastics, we are committed to sustainability in our practices and in our facility itself. Contact us today to explore our plastics manufacturing capabilities.

How a Prototype Will Save You Time and Money

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 04:16:37 GMT

Since prehistoric peoples advanced from using rocks to shaping tools out of copper and iron, metal and wood have been the favorites for making nearly any parts and components. Even well into the 20th century, most plastics were too weak or brittle to take the place of metal parts. Today, custom plastics manufacturing can take advantage of innovative plastic formulations that can meet or exceed metal's performance.

Advantages of Plastic Parts Over Metal Parts

Especially when the idea of replacing metal parts with plastic ones was first being explored, many scoffed at the very idea of flimsy plastic replacing powerful metals. Chemists, engineers, and the entire plastics industry have worked to create plastic formulations that can rival or outperform metal for the same use. Today, many industries consistently prefer plastic parts over metal ones.

Plastic Parts Can Be Stronger Than Metal

Modern plastics, especially with the addition of carbon or glass fibers, can be extremely strong and durable. The natural flexibility of plastic can also make these strong parts a little more resilient than metal.

Plastic Is More Resistant Than Metal

Plastic is better suited to withstanding all sorts of hazards and exposures, including moisture, chemicals, electrical current, and abrasions. Even heat-resistant resins are available.

Plastic Provides More Variety & Customization

Whether you need more flexibility in your design, a variety of colors, textures, or other characteristics, plastic parts are easily customized. Changes can also be made during production, and multiple resins can be used.

Plastic Parts Are Less Expensive to Make

Using plastic parts instead of metal ones can save your budget, with reduced costs for:

Raw materials
Minimal waste and smaller carbon footprint
Little if any secondary steps or finishing needed
Transportation due to lighter weight of parts

Plastic Parts Offer Faster Production

Injection molding is incredibly fast, and consistent over even very long production runs.

At Bennett Plastics, we can help you convert your metal parts to plastic ones, or work with you to design new plastic parts to meet your needs. Contact us today to partner with our full-service team of experts.

Toy Safety for Toddlers: Why the Right Packaging Makes a Difference

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 04:00:26 GMT

When parents, grandparents, and others shop for gifts to give the little ones in their lives, they are swayed not only by the product, but, by the packaging as well. Toy safety is, naturally, a major concern, and when they examine a toy, its packaging plays a crucial role in how safe they feel a particular toy may be.

Safety Considerations for Toy Packaging

When most people shop for toys, they are influenced by their values and thoughts of the children for whom they are shopping, leading them to often be a bit more cautious than with other purchases. Some important toy evaluation criteria include:

Chemicals in Plastics

News stories abound with mentions of harmful BPA and phthalates in many plastic formulations and the health problems they can cause, particularly to a young, growing child. Packaging which is free of these chemicals, such as that made with polyethylene or polypropylene will often be looked upon more favorably, which are formulated to be BPA-free.

Child-Safety

Packaging designs should allow easy access for toys which can be given directly to children, but should prevent their access in cases where some assembly is needed or small parts must be dealt with before they can have it.

Sustainability & Eco-Friendly Packaging

People often select children's products with an eye to their future and helping to protect the planet for them. Packaging that uses biodegradable, recycled, or other eco-friendly plastics will tend to be more appealing.

At Bennett Plastics, the safety of everyone who uses the products and packaging we make is of utmost importance to our team. Our decades of experience enable us to help you produce the safest toys and other parts and products along with the safest packaging. Contact us today to explore our wide range of injection molding and other plastic manufacturing capabilities.

How a Global Pandemic Impacted the Custom Plastics Industry

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 03:47:41 GMT

It was the best of times...it was the worst of times. These familiar words by Charles Dickens have certainly rung true over the course of the last year or so as the world faced the global threat of the novel coronavirus. The custom plastics industry experienced some ups and some downs as we all weathered the most unusual and unexpected year of many of us can remember. Through it all, we learned how resilient we can be as individuals and as an industry.

How Plastics Helped During the Pandemic

From the earliest days of the recent pandemic, preventing the transmission of germs and limiting personal contact has been a key element of curbing the spread of disease. The custom plastics industry rose to the occasion as personal protective equipment (PPE), as well as packaging for individual servings and reduced-contact service, became critical. Single-use packaging products, disposable food packaging and utensils, face shields and their holders, gloves, and so many more much-needed products were produced rapidly, in the quality and quantity needed, and delivered to areas most in need.

How the Pandemic Affected Plastics Manufacturing

At the same time the plastics industry was seeing an unprecedented demand for products, we were also challenged by reduced labor forces, shutdowns during periods of peak infection rates, supply and logistical issues, and a constantly changing environment. As so many companies have done over the course of the last year or so, we adapted, relied on time-tested procedures, and utilized the experience and collective knowledge of our Bennett Plastics team to meet demand. As we begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel, it is our hope that the strong partnerships we maintained and new ones we forged over this difficult time will be long-lasting ones that see us and our valued business partners into the future together.

At Bennett Plastics, we are prepared to face whatever challenges we encounter, striving to meet or exceed our customers' expectations regardless of the situations we face as a company and as an industry. Contact us today to learn more about how we can partner with you to manufacture your custom plastic parts and products.

How Non-Recyclable Plastics Are Converted to Energy

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 03:43:44 GMT

Have you ever heard the term "pyrolysis"? This word describes a process commonly used to turn non-recyclable plastic into multiple types of fuel and energy. If you've been curious about how we can benefit from the plastics that aren't recyclable, read on to learn more.

What Are Non-Recyclable Plastics?

Of course, non-recyclable plastics are ones which cannot easily be recycled due to their chemistry, production techniques, available technology, or due to excessive costs involved. In general, thermoplastics, plastics which can theoretically be melted, shaped and remelted indefinitely, are easily recycled. These include the familiar #1 and #2 plastics accepted by recycling facilities in most municipalities. Thermoset plastics, on the other hand, are those which do not soften or melt when reheated, and are very challenging or impossible to recycle. These thermoset plastics include vinyl, silicone, polyurethane, and epoxy.

How Are They Turned Into Energy?

Because they are made, in large part, of carbon and hydrogen, plastics can behave similarly to other hydrocarbon materials such as gasoline and heating oil. The pyrolysis process usually involves heating non-recyclable plastics in a low-oxygen environment, during which they generate solid, liquid, and gas to be used as fuels. Another pyrolysis technique involves superheating plastics until they vaporize, producing hydrogen (used as a synthetic natural gas, or syngas) which can be used as fuel to generate electricity and to run hydrogen-fueled cars. Innovations in the process involving cold plasma pyrolysis and plasma gasification are producing similar results more quickly and without the soot and other less-desirable byproducts that traditional pyrolysis techniques can generate. New techniques and applications for previously non-recyclable plastics are advancing every day, offering new ways to take advantage of some of our most common plastic materials.

At Bennett Plastics, we are committed to sustainability and support environmentally-friendly materials and practices whenever possible. Contact us to learn more about our sustainability initiatives and the recyclable and bio-based plastics we have to offer.

Why the Sustainability of Your Beauty Product Packaging Matters

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 03:36:28 GMT

Today's enlightened consumers and the beauty bloggers and influencers who help guide their choices are increasingly focused on "sustainable beauty", seeking out organic, natural, and "green" beauty products. For this ever-expanding segment of the beauty products market, sustainable packaging is a critical component of positioning your products for success.

Why Sustainable Packaging Matters for Beauty Products

The $532 billion beauty product industry continues to grow, and odds are it will join numerous other product and service categories in seeing increased consumer demand for environmentally-friendly beauty products. Surveys indicate that products marketed as natural, organic, or sustainable are most likely to lure consumers away from their favorite brands. Younger consumers who have yet to identify favorite brands are highly likely to follow, or even lead trends toward, sustainable products. While products themselves are of the utmost importance, the quality and sustainability of their packaging is a very close second.

Options for Sustainable Packaging

Not very long ago, if you asked people whether they thought plastic packaging could be sustainable, most would have said no. Innovations in bioplastics and bio-based plastics, as well as improved recyclability, have made plastics more environmentally friendly. Many plastic resins such as PHA, PLA, and acetate are made with renewable materials such as corn, sugar, and other natural products, while still offering the flexibility, clarity, safety, durability, functionality, and aesthetics that are so important to beauty product packaging. Other resins are biodegradable, and improved recycling options offer additional benefits. These advances combined with reduced shipping weights and injection molding's naturally low-waste manufacturing process increase the sustainability benefits of many plastic packaging options.

At Bennett Plastics, we're committed to sustainability, from the materials we offer to our processes and right down to our production facility itself. Contact us today to discuss your sustainable packaging needs or to take advantage of our other plastics capabilities.

Custom Plastics Taking Off: Our Role in the Travel Industry

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 03:30:56 GMT

Custom plastics have applications throughout the travel industry, from parts and components for airplanes, buses, and passenger trains to amenities packaging and other supplies for hotels and travel-related venues.

Why Custom Plastics in the Airline & Transportation Industry?

Early plastics were much weaker than metal, and lacked the durability to survive the rigors of travel by airline, railway, bus, or other vehicle. Modern plastics are a world away from those early materials, with some that can perform even better than metals under the same conditions. For airlines, custom plastics are an invaluable part of making plane interiors functional, attractive, durable, and easy to maintain. They are used for seating, trays, covers, armrest parts, doors, hatches, and more. In the unseen world under the hull, plastic parts can offer superior performance over traditional metal counterparts, while their much lighter weight reduces fuel consumption. Rapid, accurate, low-waste production processes provide additional savings. Railways, buses, and other travel vehicles can take advantage of the same benefits, reducing costs while improving performance.

Why Custom Plastics for the Hospitality and Travel Industries?

For many years, hotels, bed-and-breakfasts, and numerous other travel-related facilities have relied on small, injection-molded, plastic bottles to supply guests with everything from shampoo and lotion to mouthwash, drinking glasses, and other single-use toiletries and amenities. As many transition to larger sizes and bulk dispensers to meet the expectations of more environmentally-conscious travelers, the custom plastics industry is already pivoting to the production of expanded sizes and dispenser-ready packaging. Custom plastics have a lot to offer, from the wide variety of materials, colors, and finishes available to customizable shapes and other details.

At Bennett Plastics, our broad experience fulfilling custom plastics needs across numerous industries gives us the expertise and knowledge to meet any requirements. Contact us today to see how our capabilities can bring your products to life.

Top 6 Reasons to Use Plastic Injection Molding in Your Manufacturing Project

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 03:25:20 GMT

1. Cost-Effective

After initial setup, production is primarily automated, reducing labor costs and allowing production to run around the clock. A wide variety of resin and molding options mean there's a suitable material and technique to meet any budget.

2. Versatile

Endless combinations of plastic resins, additives, molding techniques, and finishing steps mean almost anything is possible with injection molding. Innovations in plastics offer every color, texture, and formulations with numerous specialized characteristics including performance equal to or better than metal.

3. Sustainable

With recycled resins, bio-plastics and a minimal waste process, injection molding can be very environmentally friendly, especially in our facility where sustainability is part of our mission.

4. Efficient

From automated, rapid production to lightweight parts that minimize the costs of transportation, injection molding can be highly efficient in time and resources.

5. Customizable

A rainbow of colors, special effects, textures, and finishes along with an array of resins, molding techniques, and value-added services mean parts and products that meet or exceed your design and performance specifications.

6. Accurate & Consistent

Injection molding allows manufacturing with a precision that rivals metal, and offers extended, high-volume production runs with accurate, consistent, reliable results.

From prototyping and production to finishing and fulfillment, at Bennett Plastics, we're ready to bring your project to life. With decades of expertise and a commitment to excellent customer service, our team is ready to partner with you. Contact us today to learn more about our full range of plastics manufacturing capabilities.

How We Make Injection Molding More Sustainable

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 03:10:36 GMT

As growing attention is paid to the impact humanity has on our planet, offering sustainable materials and processes is increasingly critical to protecting our future. Plastics manufacturers have a vested interest in developing and supporting products and practices which will enable our industry, partners, and end-consumers to thrive and grow for many years to come. At Bennett Plastics, we not only offer expertise with a variety of more sustainable plastic resins, we are continually improving our facility and practices, making them more sustainable, too.

Plastics Can Be Sustainable

Despite the beating plastics often take in the public eye, a lot of the abuse heaped on this valuable and versatile material is unfounded and doesn't reflect the world of today's plastic resins. Many recycled, biodegradable, and bio-based plastic resins are available, supporting the use of renewable and reusable materials.

Sustainable Manufacturing Practices

The plastic injection molding process is, by its nature, one with minimal waste, as only the amount of plastic needed for each cycle is used. Rapid, automated production and lightweight products result in lower energy and transportation costs which support sustainability and reduce the carbon footprint of injection molding plastics, making it very comparable to other techniques. Innovations in rapid prototyping also mean less waste with more efficient, high-quality results.

A More Sustainable Facility

In our own facility, we strive to be good stewards of our resources, from cool, low-energy LED lighting and rainwater recycling for our cooling tower needs to recycling our own scrap plastic and corrugated packaging. Because we are a single-site facility, we can be highly efficient with time, logistics, transportation, and other resources, reducing waste across the board.

At Bennett Plastics, we have been dedicated to supporting sustainability throughout our manufacturing processes and facility for many years. Contact us today to take advantage of our sustainable plastics manufacturing expertise in our full-service, New Jersey facility.

Is It Safe to Microwave My Food in Plastic?

Sun, 22 Sep 2024 02:57:25 GMT

From storing leftovers in your refrigerator to holding prepackaged frozen meals, containers and wraps made of plastic are a convenient, durable, highly effective solution. Unfortunately, not all plastics are created equal. Some plastic formulations are perfectly suited for heating food in the microwave, while others may pose some risks and should not be used in the microwave.

Why Are Some Plastics Unsuitable for Microwaving Food?

When plastics are heated, microscopic amounts of material may be absorbed by the food against the plastic. In most cases, this is completely safe and in such minuscule amounts it may not even be detectable. Some plastic formulations are not designed to withstand the high temperatures of microwaving and some may release toxic chemicals through heat exposure.

What About Bisphenol A (BPA)?

You may have heard that plastics with BPA may be unsafe. Because of increasing public concern about BPA, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which governs food safety in the US, has undertaken multiple, extensive studies on BPA. Their results show BPA to be perfectly safe at current levels of exposure, and that even higher levels are very unlikely to be a cause of concern. Your personal preferences should guide your approach to plastics with BPA.

Plastics to Avoid When Microwaving Food

These plastic formulations (listed with their recycling numbers) may perform poorly in the microwave and may interact more with your food, particularly greasier foods. They should only be used in the microwave if they have the microwave-safe label.

Polystyrene (styrofoam) — #6 — Not heat tolerant.
Polycarbonate — #7 — Many formulations may contain BPA.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) — #3 — Rarely used for foods.
High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) — #2 — While generally safe, HDPE is less heat-tolerant.
Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) — #4 — While usually safe, LDPE is also less heat-tolerant.
Most bioplastics — While safe, they often perform poorly when heated.

Safe Plastics to Microwave Food

Despite the often alarming headlines and stories online, using plastics labeled "microwave-safe" is a simple, convenient, and safe way to heat or reheat foods.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET/PETE) — #1 — Safe to use with the microwave-safe label.
Polypropylene (PP) — #5 — Most often used for frozen meals and food storage containers, safest for microwaving.

At Bennett Plastics, our commitment to safety is evident in our decades of satisfied customers. Contact us today to learn more about our injection molding and other plastic manufacturing services.

5 Common Places You'll Find Plastics in the Electical Industry

Sat, 21 Sep 2024 03:57:30 GMT

Since the early days of synthetic plastics, when newly-discovered Bakelite was used in light bulbs and other electrical devices, plastic's excellent performance as an insulator, versatility, strong resistance, and durability have made it a star in the electrical industry.

1. Insulating Wires & Conduit

Remaining flexible while offering superior insulation is one of plastic's most valuable characteristics, so resins such as plastisol (polyvinyl chloride) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) are frequently used to coat wires and conduit. Nylon and ECTFE (such as Halar) are also common wire coatings.

2. High Voltage Tools

To enhance safety and ease-of-use, many tools, such as crimpers, pliers, and cable cutters, designed for use in high-voltage environments are coated in durable, insulating plastics such as plastisol or epoxy. Coatings offer color coding, excellent insulation, and improved safety.

3. Power Distribution Equipment & Components

Plastic coatings and components can help reduce unwanted contact with electrical current. Numerous plastic formulations are used for such purposes, including:

Plastisol — coating for bus bars, underground tap connectors, switches, and relays
Alkyds — resins sometimes used for switches, housings, and circuit breakers
Epoxy — used for thermal interfaces, high-voltage insulation, and component encapsulation
Polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) — used for insulation and transformers
Fluoropolymers — Teflon, Halar, and others, used with aircraft wiring, RF cables, and connector assemblies

4. Cases and Housings

Durable, attractive, and customizable, plastic cases and housings are frequently manufactured from any number of resins including Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and polypropylene (PP). Beyond appearances, they serve to prevent people and pets from contact with the electrical current inside, and protect delicate components from internal contacts, damage, dust, moisture, and other hazards.

5. Fittings, Switches, & Handles

Phenolic plastics (such as Bakelite), epoxies, polyamides, and others are commonly used in these applications where their higher heat tolerance is needed.

At Bennett Plastics, we have decades of expertise manufacturing plastic products and components across dozens of industries. Contact us today to put our knowledge and superior service to work for you.

How to Choose the Right Sustainable Packaging for Your Product

Sat, 21 Sep 2024 02:16:22 GMT

Matching your packaging with your product is a critical step in getting it to consumers. Sustainable packaging can not only satisfy increasing popular demand for environmentally friendly products and their packaging, it can also offer savings of materials and resources.

Sustainable Materials

For materials to be considered sustainable, they are generally easily recycled/biodegradable, made from renewable materials, or both. Naturally, packaging materials must also be compatible with their contents and function as required.

Heat Tolerance

Some biopolymers, such as PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate), can perform well when heated, making them great choices for heatable food packaging.

UV Exposure

PHA and a few other biopolymers are more tolerant of UV exposure if that is a requirement of your packaging.

Food Safe

Many biopolymers, including PHA and PLA (polylactic acid), can be excellent, safe choices for contact with food or cosmetics.

Appearance

From crystal-clear PHA formulations to opaque, naturally-colored hemp-based bioplastics, dyed cellulose and others, there's sure to be a sustainable material that can give your packaging the look you want.

Easy to Recycle

Bioplastics aren't the only route to sustainability. Using recycled source material and/or making your packaging easy to recycle are additional ways to make it more environmentally friendly.

Sustainable Materials

Plastic injection molding is inherently low-waste, since only the amount of plastic needed for each piece is blown into the mold. Careful design and material selection can result in minimal finishing work so that resources and labor are also reduced. Lightweight plastics reduce shipping weight, further reducing the environmental impact of your products. In addition, our design-to-fulfillment, one-stop facility and other building and production systems make us a more sustainable manufacturer.

At Bennett Plastics, our decades of custom plastics manufacturing experience mean we can partner with you to choose the right sustainable packaging to bring your products to life. Contact us today to learn more about our full range of capabilities.

Injection Molding Design: Things to Consider

Sat, 21 Sep 2024 02:04:43 GMT

Plastic injection molding is a versatile, powerful, cost-effective technique for rapidly creating products for dozens of industries. Ensuring a mold design that will work best with your chosen plastic material will produce the best results with this speedy, accurate process. Some things to keep in mind when designing your mold include:

Movement through the Mold

Fundamental to the whole molding process is how the injected plastic resin will move through the mold. Areas where it moves slowly, unevenly, or incompletely, can result in poor quality and appearance. Consider:

Wall Thickness

Mold designs should allow melted plastic to move from thicker areas to thinner areas to avoid creating a bottleneck and possibly blockages if the plastic cools and solidifies too quickly.

Crevices and Hollow Spaces

Forcing the flow of melted plastic into hollow areas or crevices can be challenging for injection molding. Limiting such spaces in your mold design can improve quality and allow for a more cost-effecting molding process.

Angles and Curves

If you envision the melted plastic flowing into the mold, you can imagine that sharp angles can slow or block the flow while curves and gentle angles can move it along smoothly.

Level of Detail

Injection molding allows for a high level of both detail and accuracy. Though molding costs may be a little higher, production costs will be lower, and high accuracy is maintained over even very extended production runs.

Material Selection

Each type of plastic resin will flow through a mold and cool differently, so choosing compatible materials and mold designs is vital for successful results.

Mold Ejection

At the end of each cycle, the finished part must be ejected from the mold. Simple, single-step mold ejection will be the most efficient and cost-effective design, while additional steps will add to your bottom line.

Developing Toys Using 3D Prototyping

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 16:33:21 GMT

In an ideal world, the initial design for a toy would require no adjustments and production could begin as soon as the design is completed. Of course, in reality, it's not that easy, and in the past, prototyping and mold modifications could be an expensive and time-consuming process. The advent of 3D printing has changed everything, so that inexpensive prototypes can quickly be generated, allowing a realistic toy to be tested and readied for market. In today's world of rapidly changing trends, getting your toy to store shelves more quickly can be critical.

What Is 3D Prototyping?

Also known as rapid prototyping, 3D prototyping is a computer-based way to generate a physical, to-scale, plastic copy of your toy's design using a 3D printer. Several techniques are available, varying a little in their level of detail. Multiple types of plastic source materials can be used, allowing a prototype to be virtually identical to the end product.

Benefits of 3D Prototyping

Besides being a much more rapid process than traditional prototyping techniques, 3D prototyping has a lot to offer.

Testing. Simplify safety testing and easily make multiple copies of your toy to test with focus groups — especially for children who need to handle a realistic version.

Adjustable. Design changes can quickly be tested, even modified during the printing process.

Savings. Time saved in prototype creation (3D printing is generally much faster than other methods), and better testing and evaluation options mean less risk of retooling costs and a shorter, more cost-effective production cycle.

Sustainable. Able to be done quickly, in-house, and using a minimum of material with almost zero waste, 3D prototyping is a sustainable way to generate a physical copy of your toy's design.

Selecting Color for Your Plastic Products

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 16:27:24 GMT

Color plays an important role in our lives, from blaze orange that draws our attention to products in our favorite colors. Of course, color choices can be made for purely aesthetic reasons, but they can also be used to enhance safety, or to categorize products by size, type, strength, or other categories. The wide variety of plastic resin choices available for injection molding make it an excellent process for producing colored plastic products.

Why Color Your Plastic Products?

There are as many reasons to color your plastic products as there are colors to choose from. Some common purposes include:

High-visibility colors for safety
Opaque, dark, or other color choices to protect light-sensitive contents
Countless colors for visual appeal
Specific colors for brand identity
Color identification for sizes, styles, shapes, or other distinguishing factors

Plastic Coloring Options

Plastic resin formulations vary in their ability to be colored and the range of colors each type of plastic will accept. Regardless of material selection, methods of coloring plastic for injection molding involve adding specialized dry or liquid colors to plastic pellets, or combining plain and colored plastic pellets to create desired colors. Most commonly, a small percentage of deeply colored pellets are combined with uncolored ones to produce a chosen color.

Tips for Best Results

To achieve the most even, accurate colors:

Be specific about the color your product needs to have and how precisely it must match. For example, do you just need "dark blue" or is there a specific Pantone shade that meets your needs?
Know that colorant types must be properly matched with the plastic resin being molded to avoid problems with appearance, performance, and tolerances, so material choices may dictate your color options.
Be aware that colorants generally make up about 2% of the total source material, and that colorant ingredients may affect regulatory compliance for food, medical, or other products.

At Bennett Plastics, we have the expertise to manufacture your products in the colors to meet your specifications. Contact us today to learn more about partnering with us to bring your products to life.

Reduce & Recycle: Dealing With Injection Molding Scrap

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 16:21:23 GMT

Reducing waste and reusing scrap materials whenever possible are just two of the many ways we encourage sustainability in our manufacturing practices and throughout our facility. Injection molding is a naturally low-waste process, but we still strive to limit waste and repurpose it when possible.

How Much Scrap Does Injection Molding Produce?

Because each cycle uses just the amount of plastic needed to fill the mold, injection molding involves almost no waste. What little there is comes from the extra spaces where the plastic moves into and through the mold that aren't part of the finished product (gates, runners, and sprues).

How We Reduce Waste With Injection Molding

At Bennett Plastics, we take several approaches to reduce waste at all points in our manufacturing processes.

Thoughtful Mold Design

In consultation with our customers, we can design molds that minimize the amount of plastic used in the injection molding process such as limiting the number and length of runners, and designing gate and ejection pin locations.

Recycling and Reusing Scrap Plastic

In most cases, what little scrap plastic is produced can be melted and reused, or can be milled into pellets as material for a future project.

Can Scrap Plastic Be Recycled?

Because injection molding most commonly uses thermoplastic materials (such as PET, PETE, HDPE, LDPE, and ABS), nearly all scrap plastic from injection molding projects can be recycled for later reuse. Occasionally, thermoset plastics (such as PVC, silicone, epoxy, and polyurethane) are used, though the injection molding process for thermosets is somewhat different. Because these plastic formulations cannot be melted down to their original state, they cannot be as easily recycled.

At Bennett Plastics, reducing our environmental impact and supporting sustainability are vital components of our business practices. Contact us today to learn more about our sustainable solutions and take advantage of our decades of plastics manufacturing experience.

3D Printing Vs. Injection Molding: Which Is the Right Choice?

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 16:16:02 GMT

The rise of cost-effective 3D printing offers a powerful tool for rapid prototyping, as well as an alternative to injection molding for making plastic parts and products. Injection molding and 3D printing are both versatile, effective techniques, but sometimes, one approach will be better suited to your project. Evaluating some aspects of your project can help to determine whether injection molding or 3D printing will be a better fit.

How Big Is Your Production Run?

Because injection molding requires custom metal molds, it is most cost-effective for making larger quantities where that cost is spread across the full production run. 3D printing is generally more cost-effective for smaller runs, in the range of hundreds or fewer.

What Is Your Production Schedule?

3D printing has a very short lead time, but actual production is much slower than injection molding, which is one of the fastest manufacturing methods once tooling is completed.

Does Your Product Have an Unusual Shape?

Some shapes can be more challenging for injection molding or may require additional tooling, adding to costs. 3D printing may be better suited for designs with spaces, gaps, branching or intricate structures, or other elements which would make it difficult for the injected resin to properly fill a mold or for parts to be ejected from it.

What Surface Must Your Product Have?

3D printing may result in a slightly rougher surface, or visible layering. If a very smooth surface or minimal friction are important aspects of your product, injection molding is likely to be a better fit.

How Strong Does Your Product Need To Be?

Because injection molded parts are produced in a single step, they tend to be stronger than 3D printed parts which may weaken where layers meet.

At Bennett Plastics, our team has decades of experience in plastics manufacturing, and we're ready to help you make the best choices for manufacturing your products. Contact us today to request a quote or to learn more about what we can do for you.

Plastic Toys: Safe & Sustainable

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 16:11:08 GMT

Since its early days, plastic has been a natural fit for manufacturing children's toys, and with a global market nearing $100 billion, toys are big business. As consumers become more aware of the safety and environmental impact of their purchases, plastic toys are a frequent target of concern. While these worries are not unfounded, reputable, responsible manufacturers, like ourselves, work hard to offer safe, sustainable methods and materials to produce plastic toys, and countless other products.

Making Plastic Toys Safe

Media attention in recent years has focused a lot of attention on cases where plastic materials may contain substances, such as BPA and phthalates, which may be harmful with increased exposure. Children's exposure to these compounds may be of more concern since they are younger, smaller, and may have increased contact. Selecting safer plastic resins for toys and other children's products can eliminate these concerns. BPA-free plastics, such as polyethylene and polypropylene are available, as are phthalate-free formulations of PVC, and other similar materials, such as ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA).

Sustainable Plastic Toys

Despite what you may have heard, plastic and sustainability aren't mutually exclusive. In fact, manufacturing plastic toys can be highly sustainable when you consider:

Sustainable plastic resins are effective and available — these include recycled plastics, bioplastics, and other innovative materials
Plastic toys are generally lighter than their counterparts in other materials, reducing transportation impacts
Manufacturing plastic toys often requires much less energy and produces substantially less waste than other production methods, using fewer resources overall
Many plastics can be recycled and reused
Sustainable manufacturing techniques reduce our environmental impact

At Bennett Plastics, safety and sustainability are critical components of how we work, whether we're partnering with you to manufacture children's toys, food packaging, or products for any of the many industries we serve. Contact us today to learn more about our full range of plastics manufacturing capabilities and additional services.

5 Sustainable Uses for Your Plastic Food Packaging

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 16:06:43 GMT

Three of the most important ways we make plastic sustainable are to reduce, recycle, and reuse. While the amount of plastic used in injection molded food packaging can be reduced with modified designs, and most packaging can be recycled, as manufacturers, we don't always examine ways food packaging can be used to make it more sustainable. Choosing packaging designs and materials that encourage reuse is a great way to promote sustainability. Here are just a few of the many ways your food packaging can be reused with sustainability in mind.

1. Milk Jugs in the Garden

Traditional milk jugs and other large beverage containers are found in most homes. After they've finished delivering milk, their bottoms can be cut off, so they can be reused in spring gardening to protect young plants from animals and harsh weather until they are large and strong enough to survive on their own.

2. Small Item Storage

Food packaging with wide openings and lids designed to open and close repeatedly can be reused as perfect storage spaces for small, loose items such as coins, rubber bands, screws, nails, paper clips, and countless other small parts.

3. Mini Greenhouses

Rotisserie chicken and similar food packaging can be reused to create mini-greenhouses, either for entertainment, or to grow windowsill herbs, sprouts, or other small plants. They can also be reused to start seeds in the spring before planting them outside.

4. DIY Bowling Pins

Numerous kinds of plastic bottles, filled with sand, rice, or even water, can be reused in matching sets to make a fun, easy, impromptu set of bowling pins.

5. Storing Leftovers

Packaging which closes tightly can frequently be repurposed for storing leftovers in the fridge. Clear packaging is especially helpful, making it easy to see what's inside.

At Bennett Plastics, we take sustainability seriously, and offer materials, techniques, and expertise to help you design and manufacture sustainable plastic products with us. Contact us today to learn more about our full range of capabilities.

Most Commonly Used Types of Plastic

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 16:00:49 GMT

With so many plastic products playing important roles in our daily lives, it's hard to believe that just a handful of different types of plastic make up the majority of what we encounter each day. Five of the most common types can be easily identified by their recycling identification numbers.

1. Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET or PETE)

Probably the most widely used plastic, polyester-based PET plastic is a crystal clear material used for food containers and beverage bottles, as well as microfiber and polar fleece materials.

2. High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)

Strong and durable, HDPE is often used when plastics need to be tougher, such as chemical or cleaner bottles, shopping and storage bags, safety helmets, patio furniture, milk crates and jugs, and even playground equipment.

3. Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE)

A slightly less durable cousin of HDPE, flexible LDPE plastic is everywhere, from all types of bags and packing materials to stretch wrap, and all kinds of injection molded products and components.

4. Polypropylene (PP)

A favorite for injection molding, polypropylene is clear, durable, heat-tolerant, and is commonly used in packing tape, microwavable food containers, storage bins, and medical equipment.

5. Polystyrene (PS)

Commonly used for disposable dishes and silverware, polystyrene is also frequently used for CD cases, model kits, and laboratory containers. In its expanded form, more commonly known by the brand name Styrofoam, polystyrene is popular in packaging, disposable cups, insulation panels, and other foam products.

At Bennett Plastics, our team has the expertise to help you choose the best materials to bring your products to life. Contact us today to take advantage of our full array of plastics manufacturing capabilities.

Is Rapid Prototyping Right for Your Business?

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 15:52:46 GMT

Devoting time and resources to creating your part or product is a critical investment for your business. While injection molding is a very cost-effective manufacturing solution, the initial cost of mold tooling can be expensive, especially for shorter production runs. Rapid prototyping can help reduce costs while improving results.

What Is Rapid Prototyping?

Rapid prototyping is a way to quickly create a tangible, physical copy of a part or product from a digital design. Traditionally, prototyping has not been particularly rapid, but the development of 3D printing and its increasingly lower costs make it a highly effective solution for generating a prototype in a very short time.

When Could Rapid Prototyping Benefit Your Business?

Of course, prototyping any product or part before launching full-scale production is a smart way to prevent issues and unnecessary expenses. There are, however, some situations when rapid prototyping is particularly useful.

Rapid Prototyping to Explore New Concepts

Because rapid prototyping requires little investment of time or resources, it is an excellent way for your business to try out a new design or experiment with several variations on a style before you commit to a final design for production.

Rapid Prototyping for Thorough Testing

Even the best computer models and simulations lack the accurate results gathered from testing physical copies of a part. With rapid prototyping, you can quickly create a prototype, test it, make any adjustments, and test again without the costly expense of retooling.

Rapid Prototyping for Clear Visualization

Sometimes, it can be challenging to get a real feel for a product without having a physical copy to hold, examine, and feel. With rapid prototyping, such visualization is a breeze, allowing you a fast, cost-effective way to truly see your product before production.

At Bennett Plastics, we offer single-facility, one-stop service from product design and prototyping through manufacturing and value-added services, including warehousing and fulfillment. Contact us today to take advantage of our full capabilities and decades of experience.

Sustainability in the Custom Plastics Industry

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 15:47:37 GMT

Plastic has come under increasing scrutiny in recent decades as environmental concerns and outdated views of the plastics industry have given rise to a negative perception of this valuable and versatile material. The plastics industry as a whole, and certainly the custom plastics industry, is committed to sustainability and works hand in hand with manufacturing partners to promote sustainability whenever possible.

What Are Custom Plastics?

In brief, custom plastics are parts and products which are fabricated with careful consideration of product and mold design, material selection, and a manufacturing process carefully planned to complement those choices. Custom plastics production allows us to work with you, our customers, as a team to match our expertise in plastics design and fabrication with your knowledge of requirements and preferences to create products that meet or exceed your needs.

Sustainability in Custom Plastics Design

When designing custom plastic parts and products, and the molds that will produce them, special consideration must be given to sustainability concerns. While injection molding is, naturally, a low-waste process, that is only one contribution to sustainability. Some ways to encourage sustainable custom plastics design include:

Choosing sustainable materials, including recycled resins, renewable plastics, and bioplastics
Designing products for easy reuse or recycling
Considering the impact of single-use packaging and designing accordingly
Using 3D printing for prototyping to reduce waste and to minimize mid-production adjustments

Sustainability in Manufacturing Custom Plastics

The manufacturing process for custom plastics should also involve sustainability efforts. At our New Jersey facility, we have renovated our buildings to use LED lighting, collected rainwater, have installed efficient equipment throughout, and whenever possible, we recycle or reuse any wasted materials.

At Bennett Plastics, we know the path to the future for the custom plastics industry means shared steps towards greater sustainability, and we're doing our part. Contact us today to learn more about our sustainability initiatives and our full range of plastics manufacturing capabilities.

The Advantages of Plastic Toys

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 15:40:19 GMT

Polymers and related materials have been a natural match for making toys since the first synthetic plastics were developed. It's no wonder, given the many natural characteristics polymers possess which make them suitable for making toys.

Advantages of Plastic Toys

When plastic is used to create children's toys, it brings a number of benefits that no other single material can offer. Some of these include:

Weight

Plastic can be very lightweight, particularly when injection molding is used to create a toy, meaning toys are easier for youngsters to enjoy more easily.

Easy Cleaning

Impervious to many chemicals and other substances, plastic toys may resist marks and stains, and can generally be easily cleaned as needed.

Safety

While plastic has gotten a bit of a bad reputation for safety, due primarily to plastics containing bisphenol-A (BPA), phthalates, safe plastic toys can be made with many formulations which do not contain these compounds. In addition, many plastics can include antibacterial and antimicrobial additives to enhance safety. Finally, most plastics do not easily conduct heat or electricity, adding to their safety features.

Strength & Impact Resistance

Toys are generally designed to take a beating, and plastic can be one of the most resilient materials for them. Its high strength in comparison to its weight, and its flexibility give it the ability to withstand extensive play.

Durability

Because most plastics are generally able to tolerate a wide variety of exposures to varying temperatures, moisture and chemical contact, and other hazards, they make for long-lasting toys.

Customizability

A nearly infinite variety of colors, textures, and finishes can be produced in many plastics, allowing for tremendous freedom of design and functionality.

At Bennett Plastics, our 3D prototyping, injection molding and other plastics manufacturing services can bring your toys and other products to life. Contact us today to learn more about all of our capabilities.

Reach Your Prototyping Goals With Casting

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 15:34:42 GMT

When you're planning to send a new product or part into production, one of the most important steps you can take is to properly create a prototype. How you produce that prototype, whether by casting, 3D printing, or another method, depends on the details of your product and other project plans. With constantly evolving technologies, working with an expert plastics manufacturing team can help you choose the best prototyping approach to bring your product to life.

Why Create Prototypes?

Prototypes can serve multiple purposes, from allowing you to examine and test a realistic, physical copy of your product or identify design flaws, to evaluating functionality and other product design elements. A small upfront investment can save you time and money in the long run.

What Is Rapid Prototyping with Casting?

Prototypes can be created through a variety of techniques. Casting is a method that is well-suited to prototypes that are completely functional. Typically, the materials used to create prototypes with casting processes are rubbery and stretchy, such as silicone and other elastomeric compounds, in varying degrees of firmness.

How Casting Services Can Satisfy Your Prototyping Needs

Creating prototypes with casting techniques offers speedy results in a cost-effective way so you can:

Review product designs for enhancements or areas of improvement
Prevent more expensive adjustments when parts are in full production
Examine and test a fully-functional version of your product

When To Choose Casting for Prototyping

Elastomer casting is a great prototyping choice for accurate, usable, flexible parts that show a product's appearance and function, and which are fairly durable. Other processes, such as machining, 3D printing, or laser cutting offer similar results, but will generally have a different look and feel. Matching a technique with a product design is a critical step to generating a valuable, useful prototype.

At Bennett Plastics, our team has the expertise to partner with you every step of the way, from concept and product design, and, of course, prototyping, through manufacturing, finishing, fulfillment, and more. Contact us today to learn more about our full capabilities and start planning your prototyping and other plastics manufacturing projects.

The Benefits of Short Production Run Injection Molds

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 15:26:01 GMT

Plastic injection molding is one of the most popular manufacturing techniques in use worldwide, in large part because a high volume of identical parts can be rapidly created from a single mold without a loss in quality. Its main drawback is tied to the expense and time necessary to design and produce the steel mold used in production. While these costs are inconsequential over a long production run, they can be high for small runs, so adapted techniques for short production runs can make small volumes just as worthwhile.

What Is a Short Production Run for Injection Molding?

Standard production runs for injection molding normally run from hundreds of thousands into even millions of parts, so the time and cost of mold creation are minimal compared to the value they provide. Short runs tend to be 10,000 parts or fewer, even into the hundreds. Costs for these smaller runs are usually reduced by using less expensive materials for molds, such as aluminum or a lower grade of steel. These molds produce the same quality products but are usable for a shorter number of products.

Benefits of Short Production Runs

Shorter production runs offer a number of benefits over longer batches, including:

Shorter lead times
Enabling smaller-budget projects, opening the injection molding process to a broader range of customers
Allowing adjustments and modifications without the financial commitment of a large production run
Make usable prototypes that may require less finishing than 3D printed parts

Reasons to Choose Short Production Run Injection Molding

Companies large and small may all find occasion to choose small run injection molding, including:

Creating custom products or those for niche markets
Producing enough to test the product and/or market before committing to a full run
Times when 3D printing isn't a suitable prototyping method

At Bennett Plastics, we offer decades of expertise in full-service custom plastic injection molding which is suitable for customers large and small. Contact us today to learn more about our complete range of in-house capabilities.

Plant-Based Plastics: Sustainable Manufacturing

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 15:21:05 GMT

The plastics industry has gotten an unfairly poor reputation in recent decades as environmental considerations take center stage. What many critics of the industry don't realize is that many manufacturers have adapted both materials and processes to develop a more sustainable approach to plastics. One area of innovation, plant-based plastics, is rich with new, sustainable materials that often perform just as well as their traditional counterparts.

What Are Plant-Based Plastics?

Just as it sounds, plant-based plastics are resins produced primarily from plant or tree materials. They hearken back to the earliest plastics, such as celluloid and acetate which have been made from cotton or wood fibers since the late 1800s. As fully synthetic polymers, such as nylon, polystyrene, and other modern miracles were invented, plant-based plastics became less popular. Sustainable, plant-based plastics have made a comeback in recent years, and find uses in everything from shopping bags and children's toys to food packaging and garden supplies.

What Is Sustainable Manufacturing?

Using recycled and renewable resins, and reducing waste overall, while embracing sustainable manufacturing practices are vital ways in which plastics manufacturers can improve on the naturally low-waste injection molding process.

Common Plant-Based Plastics

Modern plant-based plastics are a constantly changing area of development with frequent improvements producing resins that are equal to or better than traditional polymers, more sustainable, and more cost-effective. Popular plant-based plastics include:

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) - based on sugars and vegetable oils, heat tolerant
Polylactic Acid (PLA) - based on corn and sugars, less heat tolerant
Acetate - based on tree or cotton fiber, breathable

These bioplastics are used everywhere from disposable silverware and eyeglass frames, to craft materials, packaging, and beverage bottles.

At Bennett Plastics, we know sustainability is vital to ensuring the plastics industry continues to make the products consumers need in a more environmentally-friendly way. Contact us today to learn more about our commitment to sustainability and how it enhances our full range of plastics manufacturing capabilities.

Creating Baby & Toddler Products With Custom Plastic Molds

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 15:07:58 GMT

Lightweight, resilient, flexible, colorful, inexpensive, and easy to clean, plastic has been an ideal match for making products for young children since synthetic plastics first arrived on the scene. Modern formulations offer safe and effective materials for toys, packaging, and other products for babies and toddlers. Custom injection molding means those products can be manufactured to meet or exceed your precise specifications with the help of our expert team.

What Is Custom Plastic Injection Molding?

In the custom injection molding process, we can partner with your company every step of the way, as much as needed, to create products that fulfill your expectations. The custom process starts with part design, prototyping, and mold design, where our decades of plastics expertise and experience can help make design choices to meet your budget, design requirements, and other specifics. We can then manufacture your products, making any adjustments needed along the way. Finally, our full-service facility can also provide additional services, such as assembly, decorating, packaging, warehousing, and fulfillment.

Why Is Custom Molding Great for Children's Products?

Custom molding allows you to determine every detail and aspect of how your products are made, offering complete control over the results. Because children's products are subject to many requirements for safety, custom molding makes it easier to incorporate elements needed for compliance while maintaining your design and style. This allows you to easily accommodate requirements for:

Safety features, such as closures, tabs, and other parts
Particular materials, for example, sustainable plastics or BPA- and phthalate-free formulations
Physical characteristics such as color, finish, texture, stretchiness, shape, or flexibility
Budget requirements to create the products you want in the most cost-effective way

At Bennett Plastics, our team of experts offer custom injection molding knowledge and experience to bring your products to life. Contact us today to learn more about our full array of in-house design, prototyping, manufacturing, and value-added services.

Maintaining High Quality in the Custom Plastics Industry

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 15:01:50 GMT

A good reputation is critical to being an effective, competitive business in plastics manufacturing and other industries, and consistently offering our customers high quality is one of the best ways to build and maintain that reputation. We strive to ensure high quality at every step of the way and at every level in our business. We do this through:

High Quality Services

We have decades of experience in plastics design and manufacturing and bring that knowledge and expertise to every project. As we innovate and expand our services, we ensure our own skills and equipment are top notch so we can offer you only the best design, prototyping, injection molding, custom plastics manufacturing, and secondary services with confidence.

Quality Assurance in the Manufacturing Process

Our overall quality assurance goal is to ship your products with zero defects. To make certain you get precisely what you want, we also consult with you to design project-specific quality assurance checks.

Effective Communication and Consultation

Clear, effective, two-way communication is the best way to make sure we're all on the same page and that your project is proceeding just as you expect. Without you, our customers, we wouldn't be in business. In fact, you're more than customers to us—you're partners with us in every project, from design consultation and manufacturing through warehousing and fulfillment.

Concept to Delivery Continuity under One Roof

Because every step of our plastics design and manufacturing process takes place here in our New Jersey facility, internal communication and quality assurance are easy to maintain with a simple visit to another part of our building.

At Bennett Plastics, we believe you deserve the best we have to offer, and we bring that philosophy to every project that comes to our facility. Contact us today to learn more about how we can bring your plastic project to life.

Sustainability: Practicing What We Preach at Bennett Plastics

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 14:13:30 GMT

Let's face it, the plastics industry has taken the brunt of consumer dissatisfaction over environmental concerns, and companies which pay lip service to reducing their impacts while continuing with business as usual, and those operating in regions with less oversight aren't helping matters. The future of the plastics industry clearly depends on consistent, effective changes that support sustainability, and that's just what we do here at Bennett Plastics.

How Bennett Plastics Supports Sustainable Plastics Manufacturing

With our decades of experience in the plastics manufacturing business, we've seen a lot of changes in everything from how plastics are made, what materials are available to make plastic products, and even how consumers view the products we make. Supporting sustainability by adapting what we do and how we do it is a central part of our business.

In Our Facility

We are continually improving our New Jersey facility to reduce our impact on the environment. Focusing on the goals of reducing, recycling, and reusing, we have upgraded our building to:

Reduce electric usage with efficient LED lighting throughout our facility
Recycle rainwater for use in our cooling towers
Recycle cardboard and other materials
Reuse and recycle plastic scrap material

In Our Manufacturing Practices

Adapting our manufacturing processes to be more sustainable is a critical part of how we run, including:

Offering a selection of sustainable plastic materials, including bioplastics, bio-based plastics, and recycled plastics
Using efficient machinery and systems throughout our facility
Working with our partners to design products to be easily recycled or reused
Providing a variety of low-waste prototyping and manufacturing processes, including injection molding and 3D printing

At Bennett Plastics, we have the expertise and knowledge to make your parts and products in the most sustainable way possible. Contact us today to learn more about our full capabilities, and let us take your project from design through fulfillment.

The Benefits of Machining Before Mass Production

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 14:08:06 GMT

Machining is a manufacturing process that can be used to create anything from a single prototype to mass-produced parts. While 3D printing, short run injection molding, and other processes can generate effective prototypes, machining offers some benefits that the other processes can't match.

What Is Machining?

Although the term machining covers some broad territory, at its simplest, it means a carefully controlled process of removing selected areas from a larger piece of a material, usually performed by computer-guided tools (CNC). At Bennett Plastics, our machining services include CNC turning (the workpiece moves and the tool remains in place) and milling (the tool rotates and the workpiece is held in place).

Benefits of Plastic Machining for Prototyping Before Production

Choosing between the many options for generating prototypes can be a challenge, with each process possessing unique benefits. Making an effective prototyping choice will depend on the specific details of your project, your budget, time, material selections, and other features. Some reasons to choose machining over other processes to prototype your design include:

Cosmetic — None of the layer lines that 3D printing may show, and no mold marks such as parting lines or gate marks that may require finishing with injection molding
Strength — Added part strength because it's formed from a solid piece of material
Fast — No time is needed for mold design and tooling
Cost — 3D printing may be the least expensive option for single prototypes, but for batches of prototypes or small production runs, machining may be more cost-effective
Flexible — Allows easy, inexpensive design changes
Precision — Can be a bit more precise than injection molding
Versatile — Offers access to plastic formulations that aren't suitable for injection molding or 3D printing

At Bennett Plastics, our expert team can help you choose the plastic manufacturing process best suited to your project and bring your product to live in the best and most efficient way possible. Contact us today to learn more about our full capabilities.

Eco-Friendly Plastics in the Toy Industry

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 14:02:58 GMT

The push for more sustainable, eco-friendly plastics has gained momentum in recent decades, affecting the plastics manufacturing choices made by most industries. The use of plastics in the toy industry is no exception, where sustainability goals must mesh with the durability, functionality, and safety necessary when it comes to products used by children.

What Are Eco-Friendly Plastics?

Eco-friendly plastic resins are those which are renewable, including bioplastics or bio-derived plastics, which are based on sustainable materials, and recycled plastics.

Bioplastics

Made from materials such as wood pulp, cotton fiber, sugar, starches, proteins, and vegetables, these plastics can replace traditional petroleum-based plastics.

Recycled Plastics

Just as they sound, recycled plastics are generally made by reprocessing many types of plastics to purify them and create new plastic resin pellets that are ready for use in the next round of injection molding. Industry regulations specify how and when recycled plastics can be used for pharmaceutical packaging to ensure safety and eliminate the risk of contamination.

Benefits of Eco-Friendly Plastics in the Toy Industry

Using eco-friendly plastics in the toy industry offers a variety of benefits to companies, customers, and the environment.

Reduced Environmental Impact

The manufacturing of plastic toys produces less waste than other production methods. The process often requires much less energy and fewer resources, too. From an emissions standpoint, the lightweight nature of plastic toys makes for a lighter vehicle. The lighter the cargo, the lesser the fuel consumption.

Customer Satisfaction

Many consumers have a negative impression of plastic toys used by babies, toddlers and even older children. Opportunities to be more environmentally-friendly and support sustainability can only improve matters. Bioplastics and recycled plastics approved for children's toys are safe and reliable, further enhancing peace of mind for parents and consumers.

Industry Benefits

Reliance on petroleum-based plastics means dependence on materials with often volatile price changes and potential for supply chain disruptions. Using more eco-friendly plastics can offset some of those cost concerns, particularly when locally-sourced bioplastic materials are available.

At Bennett Plastics, we are fully committed to sustainability from the materials we use and our manufacturing practices to our facility itself. Contact us today to learn more about eco-friendly materials and our full plastics manufacturing and secondary capabilities.

Bioplastics & Biopolymers: Are They the Same Thing?

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 13:49:04 GMT

If you've spent any time exploring the world of sustainable plastics manufacturing, you've most likely come across the terms biopolymer or bioplastic. A little clarification of these similar terms can make it easier to understand some of your sustainable options for custom plastics manufacturing.

What Are Biopolymers?

Polymers are substances that are made when groups of smaller molecules (monomers) form larger molecules and those larger molecules join together. Biopolymers are polymers which are found in living organisms, such as the cellulose in wood, silk from silkworms, or collagen in mammals. Synthetic biopolymers can also be created to reproduce those found naturally. Neither natural nor synthetic biopolymers are produced from petroleum products.

What Are Bioplastics?

Technically, bioplastics are a subset of biopolymers, meaning all bioplastics are biopolymers but not all biopolymers are bioplastics. While the word bioplastics is used freely in many discussions of sustainable plastics, it does not always mean quite the same thing. Typically, it is used to describe plastics with one or more of these characteristics:

Plant- or animal-based source
Biodegradability
Compostability

Common Bioplastics

Bioplastics, or bio-derived plastics include everything from some of our oldest plastic formulations to the innovative formulations of today. Many bioplastics can perform as well or better than their traditional counterparts. Some more popular bioplastics include:

Cellulose acetate - plant or wood fiber based
PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate) - sugar or glucose based
PLA (polylactic acid) - based on sugar cane, sugar beets, or corn

Source materials for bioplastics are extremely diverse and include everything from chicken feathers and avocados to used cooking oil and potato peels.

At Bennett Plastics, we are committed to sustainable plastics manufacturing through the materials we offer, our design, prototyping, and manufacturing services, and throughout our facility itself. Contact us today to learn more about making a sustainable choice for your plastic packaging, parts, and products.

The Colorful World of Custom Plastics

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 13:39:31 GMT

It's no secret that the color of a product or its packaging is a critical element of its design. We rely on colors to quickly identify brands, styles, sizes, and so many other details about the products we use every day. Luckily, most resin formulations used in custom plastics manufacturing can be colored to suit your needs. Here are some answers to common questions about entering the colorful world of custom plastics.

What Colors Can Custom Plastic Products Be?

The short answer is that the sky's the limit and all colors are available. In reality, however, each plastic resin varies in its ability to be colored. If color is a critical part of your product's design, your resin options may be more limited, while if the type of plastic resin is more important, your color options may be more limited. We can help you find the best options to create your products.

How Are Colors Added?

While there are multiple techniques for adding color to injection molded plastics, they all require coloring compounds to be added to the resin before the molding process. Different coloring methods are available for different resins.

What Are Common Reasons to Color Custom Plastics?

Besides the obvious visual appeal, some reasons to add color to custom plastics include:

Preventing light exposure
Color coding
Safety features

Is Precise Color Matching Possible?

For resins which are suited to it, such as polypropylene and polyethylene, exact color matching is possible. Other resins may have a more limited range of coloring options.

Can Sustainable Plastics Be Colored?

Yes, many sustainable plastics, including some bioplastics and bio-based plastics, can be custom colored just as their traditional counterparts are.

At Bennett Plastics, our expert team has decades of experience with custom plastics design and manufacturing to bring your products to life. Contact us today to take advantage of our services, from design and prototyping through manufacturing and fulfillment.

Are Plastic Parts Better Than Metal Parts?

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 07:07:15 GMT

Advantages of Plastic Parts Over Metal Parts

Plastic Parts Can Be Stronger Than Metal

Plastic Is More Resistant Than Metal

Plastic is better suited to withstanding all sorts of hazards and exposures, including moisture, chemicals, electrical current, and abrasions. Even heat-resistant resins are available.

Plastic Provides More Variety & Customization

Plastic Parts Are Less Expensive to Make

Using plastic parts instead of metal ones can save your budget, with reduced costs for:

Raw materials
Minimal waste and smaller carbon footprint
Little if any secondary steps or finishing needed
Transportation due to lighter weight of parts

Plastic Parts Offer Faster Production

Injection molding is incredibly fast, and consistent over even very long production runs.

Consumer Products & Plastics: A Common Bond

Thu, 19 Sep 2024 07:04:23 GMT

From the bottles and jars that hold medicines and food to children's toys, disposable silverware and all kinds of packaging, custom plastics manufacturing produces them quickly and efficiently. Plastic has become the go-to material for making consumer goods, where its versatility, durability, and natural characteristics are unrivaled. Planning for the future and meeting consumer expectations has also expanded methods and materials for manufacturing consumer goods by embracing more environmentally friendly options, including support for post-consumer recycled products and bioplastics.

Why Are So Many Consumer Goods Made with Plastic?

Plastics are a natural fit for making countless consumer goods because they are:

Budget-friendly — With so many material and method choices, there's a solution for every budget
Versatile — Numerous resin formulations and additives offer nearly endless choices
Long-lasting — Resilient and durable
Easily recycled — Many types of plastic are easily recycled to be reused again and again
Lightweight — Reducing transportation costs
Safe — Resistant to chemicals, impacts, abrasion, and other hazards, plus many non-toxic formulations
Environmentally friendly — Bioplastics and recycled resins offer more sustainable solutions
Colorful — Most plastics can be colored to match your needs
Strong — Some products can be stronger than their metal equivalents

Why Choose Injection Molding for Consumer Goods

There's a reason (or a few!) injection molding is one of the most popular manufacturing methods in use today. Advantages of injection molding include:

Minimally wasteful — Virtually all plastic used ends up in the product
Cost-effective — Especially over long production runs
Quick — Many parts can be molded per minute
Consistent — Parts can be reliably made over very long production runs with no loss of quality
Sustainable — Bioplastics, recycled materials and other options
Customizable — From mold design and material choice to finishing steps, plastics can bring your product to life just as you imagine it

At Bennett Plastics, we are committed to partnering with you to create your plastic products from design and prototyping through finishing and delivery. Contact us today to learn more about our custom plastics manufacturing and sustainable solutions.