Plastic is an ever-present product in your daily life. You store old trinkets in plastic bins, take food to work in Tupperware, and drink from plastic cups. Even prescription medication comes in little orange bottles made of, you guessed it, plastic. But where does that plastic come from? How is it made? What ensures quality in a plastic product?
Plastic manufacturing is a multi billion dollar industry. In 2012, plastics manufacturers shipped nearly $4 billion in goods. Not only is it one of the largest industries out there, it’s also one of the most important. Plastic is present in many ways, and its quality, as well as how it’s made, are two important factors in its importance.
Most, if not all, plastic containers, are made using a plastic injection molding process. While that may sound a little bit strange, it’s all done in the safety of a manufacturing plant and by machinery. Plastic injection molding involves melting raw plastic product in a sealed compartment of the machine, and then injecting that liquid into a mold where it will cool and solidify to become the final product that you see on a shelf.
However, the plastic injection molding process is used for more than just food storage containers and drinkware products. Plastic medical components, as well as plastic pharmaceutical containers and other medical storage containers are all made with this same process. The possibilities are endless, and they benefit people like you every day.
Injection molding facilities are more common than you might think, too. There are facilities all over the united States, bringing the total number of plastic molding injection suppliers just above 16,000. With so many plastic products, would you expect the number to be any less? No matter the kind of product you’re using, knowing more about its origins and the production process can never hurt. If anything, it can alert you to the pros and cons of purchasing a certain brand. The more you know the better!
