The Benefits of Plastic Injection Molding in Automotive Manufacturing


The Benefits of Plastic Injection Molding in Automotive Manufacturing

Plastic injection molding continues to advance as new technology emerges, and with its growth comes new opportunities for using parts made with this method in automotive manufacturing. The global industry continues to work a higher percentage of plastic injection molding parts into each new round of vehicle designs, and plastic injection molding is capable of keeping up with demand. Find out why parts made with plastic injection molding are so popular across the European, North American, and Asian automotive manufacturing markets.

 

Lower Total Weight with Plastic Injection Molding

Reducing the weight of all vehicles is a major technique for increasing fuel efficiency without having to sacrifice power. The less weight an engine must move, the more responsiveness the driver gets from the engine while still spending less on fuel and creating fewer emissions. Plastic injection molding helps the manufacturer achieve all of these goals by offering light weight parts that can replace heavier steel and aluminum components. With so many interior and engine parts currently made with plastic injection molding processes, even the weight of the largest cargo hauling vehicles is dropping steadily as time goes by.

 

Plastic Injection Molding for a Variety of Interior and Engine Parts

Getting a higher percentage of important automotive parts from a single supplier with plastic injection molding can improve your manufacturing processes and control costs. Since plastic injection molding can be used to create so many different parts used in every modern vehicle design, it’s possible to order dozens of distinct designs from just one or two plastic injection molding subcontractors. Some of the current automotive uses for this kind of molding include:

  • Light covers and lenses
  • Clips and housing covers for engine and lighting parts
  • Wiring harnesses and connectors
  • Engine hoses and tubes
  • Console and dashboard covers and brackets
  • Radio covers and internal components
  • Knobs for shifter levers and similar control levers
  • Buttons and bezel panels
  • Entire door handles
  • Controls and covers for sunroof and convertible roof assemblies

 

Advanced Testing of Plastic Injection Molding Materials

Since there are so many specific composite and plastic materials used for plastic injection molding, each one has received extensive testing to determine its exact properties and limits. This means a plastic injection molding subcontractor can quickly guide you to the right material for every part and component you need produced for a specific vehicle.

From engine parts that need corrosion resistance to exterior equipment that is subjected to damage from UV exposure, there’s a plastic injection molding material with the right damage resistance for your needs. The extensive background of existing testing information available for these plastic injection molding materials makes it much easier to design new parts or solve issues with existing models in order to issue a timely recall response.

 

Finer Detail with Plastic Injection Molding Services

Finally, turn to plastic injection molding in particular when you need automotive parts with extremely high tolerances and low chances for error. For example, a small error in the exact angle of an engine part could result in a fuel or oil loss that is catastrophic to the engine. Plastic injection molding is a low-error process with high tolerances in the finished parts. Quality control from the right subcontractor ensures that there are no manufacturing errors to cause future problems for your customers.

 

Looking for plastic injection molding services from a European subcontractor with plenty of experience? Find the suppliers on the cutting edge of design and manufacturing in the automotive industry by exploring the listings in European Subcontracting Network.