Wednesday, September 20, 2017

An Overview & Future Development Trend of the Chinese Plastic Injection Molding Industry

The production of plastic products starts with the design and development of plastic molds, which are a basic tool for manufacturing of plastic products. As a result, the mold precision has a direct influence on the structural integrity and dimensional accuracy of the end plastic products. The production of all plastic products has to go through the several steps that include design & making of plastic molds, injection molding and surface finishing, among which the precision mold features a complex structure and therefore imposes high requirements for surface quality and technical standards. Since it is a technology-intensive as well as capital-intensive product, many technologies need to be involved in its production process, including high-speed machining, super-finishing, rapid prototyping, automatic control, processing and applications of polymeric materials, etc., covering the areas of machinery, metal materials, polymeric materials, electronics & electrics and automatic control, imposing high comprehensive requirements on technologies.

1. Overview of the Plastic Industry

Plastics are malleable (seldom non-malleable) materials that are consisting of synthetic or natural high molecular compounds. They are produced under certain temperature and pressure conditions, assisted with additives of plasticizer, filler, lubricant, injection agent and more. Plastics are widely used in modern society thanks to its light weight, high plasticity, low production cost and diversified functions. Currently, as one of the four basic materials that support the development of modern society (the other three are steel, wood and cement), the high molecular compound material has become a new material that is indispensable to human life. Its application covers the many areas of information, energy, industry, agriculture and transportation, etc. In recent years, the plastic manufacturing industry of China has witnessed a rapid development with an ever-increasing scale – it is now one of the essential parts of the Chinese economy.
In 2013, production of chinese plastic products totaled 61.886,6 million tons, representing a year-on-year increase of 8.02%; as of December 2014, the number of above-scale plastic manufacturing enterprises reached 14,062; prime operating revenue hit 2,039.239 billion CNY, representing a year-on-year increase of 8.92%; total profit reached 118.286 billion CNY, a year-on-year increase of 4.24%; export delivery value reached 226.066 billion CNY, a year-on-year increase of 2.82%. Therefore, it is obvious that the production scale of the Chinese plastic manufacturing industry is being continuously expanded and production is increasing year by year, though year-on-year increase rate slows down a little bit over the past two years.
If viewed from the different segments of the plastic manufacturing industry, the most widely used plastic products are plastic pipes & fittings, plastic wires and plastic weaving products, followed by plastic films and plastic packaging containers, while household plastic products and plastic parts rank third. Among them, the prime operating revenue and export delivery value of plastic parts have reflected a rising trend over the past five years. The increase rate was particularly high during the 2010-2011 period, with prime operating revenue increasing from 237.282 billion CNY to 709.559 billion CNY, representing an increase of nearly 200%, while export delivery value increased from 63.579 billion CNY to 191.426 billion CNY; from 2012 to 2014, though increase rate slowed down slightly, the prime operating revenue was still on the rise, which hit 939.413 billion CNY as of 2014.

2. Overview of Mold Manufacturing Industry

As an intermediate product used for the production of end product, molds are basic processing equipment that are machined by using a wide range of materials, such as plastic, rubber, metal, powder, glass and FRP, etc. Mold processing is one of the most important ways of material molding. Compared with machining, its benefits include less process steps, higher material utilization ratio, less energy consumption, ease of production, higher profitability and more. Thus, it is widely used in the manufacturing of automobile, energy, machinery, electronics, information, aviation, as well as household commodities. According to statistics, 75% parts of the rough processing industry and 50% parts of the precision processing industry are molded, while 80% parts of the home appliance industry and over 70% parts of the ME industry are also mold-processed. As the mold industry is helpful for driving the development of other related industries, it is often dubbed the profit amplifier.

Though the mold industry of China had an early start, it was kept as an affiliate of downstream production-oriented enterprises, which restricted the development of molding enterprises, and molds were not listed in the ME product catalogue until the year of 1987. At that time, there were approx. 6,000 mold factories in China, which yielded a total production value of 3 billion CNY. After more than two decades of development, the Chinese mold industry has made a remarkable progress. As of 2013, the number of mold companies had reached 30,000, with a total output value of approx. 220 billion CNY and an annual export value of nearly 5 billion CNY. Currently, the largest markets of Chinese molding lie in the following industries of automobile, IT, home appliance & office equipment, machinery and building materials. Along with the rapid growth of national economy and improvement of people’s income level, there is a growing demand for automobiles, consumer electronics and home appliances, allowing these industries to embrace a speedy development phase in recent years. This constitutes one of the most important reasons for the rapid development of China’s mold industry. The following diagram shows the 2007 - 2013 mold production value of China. We can see that the production value of China’s mold industry has witnessed a rapid growth in recent years, increasing from 87 billion CNY in 2007 to 210.6 billion CNY in 2013, with an increase rate much higher than the overall level of the world mold industry.

3. Development Trend of the Mold & Plastic Industry

Along with the gradual industrial transformation and upgrade, as well as the increasing proportion of high-end products and continuous improvement of basic supporting services, there’s still much value in plastic production. Though it is witnessing a slower increase rate of production, the output value is still increasing at a relatively fast pace. We can tell that the plastic processing industry still shows a sign of rise. As one of the indicators to measure the development level of a country’s plastic industry, the ratio between plastic and metal is only 30:70 in China, falling far behind the world average (50:50) and the developed countries like Germany (63:37) and America (70:30). Hence, with technological advancement and consumption upgrade, the plastic industry of China will maintain a steady development pace.

The mold industry which forms a basic industry in national economy, is specifically involved in machinery, automobile, optical industry, electronics, chemistry, metallurgy, building materials and more industries, representing a very wide and comprehensive scope of application. China’s industry is developing rapidly, among which, the development of automotive mould manufacturing, IT and medical device offers a great development opportunity for the entire mold industry.

Currently, China is experiencing an industrial restructuring, with national objectives for emerging industries planned as: by the year of 2020, the increased value of strategic emerging industries is aimed to account for about 15% of GDP. To achieve this 15% target, among all the seven strategic emerging industries, as the pillar of national economy, the high-end equipment manufacturing industry will be vigorously developed, so the mold industry which is dubbed “the mother of modern industry”, will definitely benefit from the development of high-end equipment manufacturing.

Thursday, May 4, 2017

Five Things You Must Get Right When Looking For Die Casting Manufacturer

Selecting the right zinc die casting manufacturer in a market full of companies advertising their products to be the best is a monumental task. Picking the right zinc die casting firm is crucial for proper planning, projection, cost minimization, and winning a competitive advantage in the market.

If you fail to be extra careful and pick the wrong manufacturer, this could mean the beginning of a rapid fall in sales, profits, and even entire collapse of the enterprise. Therefore, you have to put the best foot forward. Here are the five most important aspects when selecting a zinc die casting manufacturer;

  • Co-design service
  • Mould design
  • Product quality
  • Delivery time
  • Cost effectiveness

Why zinc die casting? Die casting is used in making metallic products ranging from toys, car parts, statutes, office items, kitchen products, and even computer parts. The molten metal is laid under pressure on mold cavities of the product being designed and allowed to take shape and cool. Once the mold has been designed, it can repeatedly be used to make similar products and keep the cost as low as possible. In most of the cases, the process is automated to reduce errors, reduce wastage, and enhance efficiency.

Things to consider when selecting zinc die casting manufacturer




(i) Co-design service
If you fail to factor the whole production process, there is a risk of weakening one of the component’s performances. A good zinc die casting manufacturer needs to have an elaborate engineering department that can guarantee support to clients during the design phase.

Check for the manufacturer who is ready to do a rapid prototyping using pilot tools. Such a test assessment should be easy to commission without requiring subcontractors. Rapid prototyping builds a direct connection from the design state to the next step. At this point, you can define standards of quality and hasten the production process.


(ii) Mould design
The best die casting manufacturer is the one who has ample experience of the entire process and is capable of making various products. The manufacturer should have been on the market long enough to understand the underlying process.

The manufacturer should be able to select the right material for the mold to guarantee clients of strength and durability. The manufacturer should demonstrate the capability to select the right thickness, tolerance rates, and have an appropriate cooling system. If the manufacturer has the right mold design, it will be easy to optimize the production process and remove most of the risks.



(iii) Product quality
The best zinc die casting manufacturer should be able to identify and minimize all involved risks. The manufacturer should have a well-established plan to foresee every issue and peril associated with the entire process. In most of the cases, this entails using top software and robots for automation to meet client’s expectation.



(iv) Delivery time
In zinc die casting, the ability to meet deadlines is very critical. In many instances, clients order their products within strict timeframes to hit the market for launch or correspond with specific marketing considerations. Now, the ability to meet these deadlines is dependent on two key things; having all the machinery and ability to make the decisions as fast as possible. It is important to reach the company for guarantees and read through past clients’ feedbacks.



(v) Cost effectiveness
When many people set out looking for a die casting manufacturer, one of the driving forces is cost effectiveness. The selected manufacturer should be affordable to help keep the cost of respective products as low as possible. The best manufacturer has to be flexible and ready to shore some risk-related costs that may emerge from the manufacturing process.

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Plastic Injection Mold Manufacturer in China

Plastic Injection molding produces many parts of computers, automobiles, home appliances, electronics and OEM applications. Well, think of any component, and the plastic parts were undoubtedly made by plastic injection molding. As you work hard in your industry, whether electronic or home appliances among others, it is important to have the right plastic injection mold manufacturer.

Eco Molding Co., Limited is a plastic injection mold manufacturer in China that has stood out because of its focus on quality, modern management systems, and zero default policy. What exactly should you look for when seeking a perfect plastic injection mold manufacturer?

Plastic prototype engineering and mold flow analysis 

What exactly is your product? Using 3D printing, CNC, and SLA machining, the selected manufacturer must be able to create the right prototype before setting out to produce the final product. The best manufacturer should have sets of milling machines CNC sets, lathe, and wire cutting machines among others for prototype and actual production.

At this stage, you need to get a complete mold flow analysis. This is critical in checking the injection gates, valves, and overflow imbalance that can alter cost with a great margin. The best manufacturer must work with the client to create a complete replica of the final product at this stage.

The professional mold design

Top plastic injection mold manufacturers ensure that their mold designs are crafted professionally. Guided by the specific plastic parts, the manufacturer requires the right design and machines. For instance, if you are targeting PVC injection molding and the plastic parts are relatively small a submarine or valve gate system should be used. However, fan-shaped gate types should be used when the plastic parts are large. This is where a good manufacturer has to go an extra mile.

Eco Molding Co., Limited appreciates that some clients might be new to their departments or companies may be figuring the best outlook for products. Therefore, they demonstrate using advanced 3D models to create the impression of the final product. Look for such a company that does not simply target making you another client, but that wants to make the product better, more valuable, and catapult the company to the next level.

The staff experience and commitment to innovativeness

Every stage, particularly the initial prototyping, demands special knowledge of the strength of materials and the entire process. While the machines come in handy, the best manufacturer should have highly knowledgeable staff. They should have ample background in engineering and many years of experience to ensure that clients can get the best. With such a knowledge base, even new clients do not have to worry when figuring new product’s design because the expert staff will be there for them.

For a moment, every client who comes to Eco Molding Co., Limited gets the sense of unique connection. Here, the engineers focus on three things;
  • Demonstrating how the entire plastic injection mold works 
  • Using the best technology for better products 
  • Becoming part of your product design 
The third point is particularly essential because it binds the two parties together. As the plastic injection manufacturer understands your products, he becomes part of the design. This is one of the surest ways of staying ahead of your competitors. Well, you thought that the medical equipment, computer parts, or car dashboard designed back at home are good enough? Get the engineers involved and you will appreciate their input or improvement.

Conclusion

The best plastic injection manufacturer in China should demonstrate mastery of the process, appreciate the uniqueness of every product, and work with the clients to make their products better. The customer service should be perfect while the service should be offered at more affordable rates. You cannot get it wrong on the plastic injection manufacturer if your business is to grow! Do not hesitate to reach Eco Molding Co., Limited for all the above benefits and much more.