Best CNC Router and Desktop CNC Machines for Prototyping, Best 3D Rendering Software for Beginners and Experts in 2020, Various types of Metal 3D Printer Technologies. Metal parts require secondary finishing operations to achieve required aesthetics and corrosion resistance. List the advantages of plastic over metal Get the answers you need, now! Which has relatively lower cycle time. When we talk about replacing metal parts with plastics. Lower cost: Generally, plastic gears are less expensive to produce than metal gears. Whereas metal parts are machined from relatively larger blocks. Remote controls, computers, TVs, kitchen appliances – you name it and chances are it’s made of plastic. Lower cycle time helps in reducing plastic part manufacturing cost compared to metal parts. However, over the last sixty years there have been major advancements in the field of plastic engineering leading to new engineering-grade plastic resins that are continuously outperforming metal in industries across the board. Additionally, overall part weight is reduced and the manufacturing process becomes more efficient by going with plastic over metal with minimal secondary operations needed. 1. Whereas plastics have inherent corrosion resistance properties and required aesthetic finish can be achieved during injection molding. Certainly there will always be a need for metal, but for many industrial and consumer markets, plastic is becoming the material of choice for many convincing reasons, and the most important of which is cost reduction. If production volumes are high. This is the main reason that plastic is commonly used in construction. Reduced manufacturing costs. Metals generally provide the following advantages over plastic fabrication: Heat resistance: Metals typically have a higher melting-point and are less likely to degrade under elevated temperatures. But cost and weight are not the only factor that industries are using more plastic parts in their products. The major advantages of plastics over ceramics, glasses and metals are: 1. Injection molding tool development has longer lead time. Without extensive and costly secondary finishes and coatings, metals are easily attacked by many common chemicals. Plastics can not be used for very high and low temperature ranges. But cost and weight are not the only factor that industries are using more plastic parts in their products. Freedom to tailor the stiffness and strength of a part by varying the thickness and fibre orientation; 2. This process has an advantage of manufacturing complex features, geometries and integrating multiple metal parts in one plastic part. jainam76 jainam76 04.06.2019 Chemistry Secondary School +5 pts. In our experience, as we talk with clients during their initial design phases, we have found there is a general lack of knowledge and many misconceptions surrounding the benefits of engineering-grade plastic resins. Polyethylene Buckets. Polymer and composite materials are up to ten times lighter than typical metals. Over 60 years of extrusion experience, with continuous value-added features incorporated over the years. The, If you are starting a new project or are looking to convert a current product from metal to plastic, please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 847.439.6770 or email us at, 1940 Lunt Avenue, Elk Grove Village, IL 60007. One of the main advantages to using plastic as a construction material is the cost to produce and use plastics – it is less expensive than most other materials. designers across various industries are reducing product cost by incorporating plastics parts. Plastic parts are manufactured with an injection molding process. Therefore plastic parts can not be used where high heat and thermal conductivity is required. With the invention of new polymers, plastics are fast replacing their metal counterparts in multiple industries like automobiles, medical care, agriculture, aerospace, and hospitality. The type of equipment used in operations depends on the material. Rubber over metal- Molding of a flexible rubber substrate on top of a metal cast/part. Resistance to a wide range of chemical agents including acid rain and salt spray, conditions under which metal parts would suffer. Can have higher tensile strength vs. many types of metal. Click this link for more details on snap joints. One of the main advantages to using plastic as a construction material is the cost to produce and use plastics – it is less expensive than most other materials. Requires less heat (than metal or glass) for giving a shape. We will keep updating this article on advantages and disadvantages of plastic over metal. Easy adherence to various regulatory compliances. Advantages of Plastic over Metal When we talk about replacing metal parts with plastics. The automotive industry is a perfect example of this struggle – the federal government has established new standards requiring that by 2025 automotive brands must average 54.5 MPG throughout their consumer vehicle line-up for cars and light trucks; a daunting task for automotive designers who have to redesign their vehicles with materials that are cost effective, just as durable as their metal counterparts, but weigh significantly less. Plastic products play a major role in … Plastics are corrosion resistant and non-conductive in nature. One obvious advantage comes to mind is lower manufacturing cost and reduced weight. Concepts like single-use medical examination kits which make use of sterilized plastic instruments, as well as dis… Therefore plastic has the advantage of manufacturing parts with negligible wastage compared to metal parts. These advantages are quantified in Table 1.2 where, for example, it is seen that nylon has a specific gravity about one-sixth that of … Log in. Buckets that are constructed from rigid and abrasion-resistant nylon are ideal for their ability to stand up to extreme abuse. Therefore it helps in reducing product cost. When it comes to manufacturing parts and components, most companies use either plastic or metal material. Lightweight properties are important when considering the cost and ease of installation, especially for pipe and tanks. Additionally, new concepts have been made possible with the use of plastic parts. Polymers such as plastic can be easily formed to make almost any imaginable shape and they are normally durable. A common property of composite materials is their light weight-to-strength ratio or “specific strength”. But plastics do not react with air or water. With less weight in the aircraft structure, significant operational cost savings are realized; payload yields increased, maintenance costs decreased, and gre… But For smaller volumes Plastic Prototyping techniques are used to get samples quicker. Read on to learn all about it from the plastics professionals. The rest is used for energy and transport. Join now. Our ISO 9001 Quality System assures repeatability, conformance, and continuous improvement. 1. Other materials, like rubber, are less than ideal for making many of the things we use plastics for instead. Along with so many advantages, Using plastic parts instead of metal can have following limitations as well. Additionally, the manufacturing process of plastic utilizes faster cycle times compared to metal, achieving lower production costs of plastic components versus metal components. The plastics industry only consumes 4% of the world’s oil production as feedstock. Below is a diagram released by PolyOne® Distribution highlighting the ability of being able to reduce the overall parts of a luminaire by converting to plastic. Superior design flexibility. The production of most plastic products is not energy intensive compared to metals, glass and paper. Design Flexibility. Advantages of Plastic. It is also known as the strength/weight ratio. Engineering plastics have become much more commonplace in the manufacturing industry over recent years, due to possessing a number of advantages over other materials. Another very distinct advantage of FRP is its low weight-to-strength ratio. Unlike metals and ceramics, polymers don't require finishing to look good and last for a long time. Light weight in plastics is due to three factors: low density, reasonably high strength, and ability to be molded or extruded in thin-walled shapes. Plastic parts offer several universal benefits over metal, including: Can have higher tensile strength vs. many types of metal (a) Following are the top advantages of using plastics over metals for various industrial applications: 1.) Lower packaging and shipping costs. Plastics manufacturing process has advantages of Integrating assembly features in plastic parts itself. Reduced part weight. Can replace wood (from chairs, furnitures and what not). Benefits of Plastic Over Metal. The plastics industry in the U.S. is currently the eighth-largest one presently operating. 2/25/15 — Ask any plastic manufacturer if a part should be designed in plastic or metal and they will give a list of reasons why plastic is always the way to go. Injection molding gear rack. Specific strength is a material’s tensile or compression force per unit area at the point of failure, divided by its density. In composite fiber laminate applications, tenacity is the usual measure of specific strength. Recycling processes can change the comparison at times. Improved strength: Metal grades tend to be stronger, harder, … Polymer parts do not require post-treatment finishing efforts, unlike metal. Manufacturing process is very difficult to control. If a part is too expensive for the market, it will never sell, regardless of how amazing a new part design is or how much it will change the industry it is suited for. Plastic parts are manufactured by flowing molten plastic in injection mold. Faster manufacturing times. Log in. Plastics are cheaper as compared to metals. Therefore plastic parts have a disadvantage of higher lead time compared to metal parts. This method is used for the separation of non volatile compounds. Your email address will not be published. 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