Plastic engineering is the process of designing, developing, and manufacturing plastic products. These processes are crucial to ensuring plastic products are as efficient to manufacture as possible while maintaining their functionality. Plastic engineers develop and test new plastics and work closely with clients to help them find the right polymer for their products.
So, what do plastics engineers do for their clients and how do they help them create the best product possible? Let’s explore this further.
What Do Plastic Engineers Do For Their Customers?
These engineers work closely with their clients from the design stage to the manufacturing stage to the final product. Their primary goal is to design and develop a product that is easy to manufacture while keeping costs low and maintaining the product’s necessary properties.
There are quite a few ways in which these engineers work to ensure the product is as efficient and functional as possible.
Material Selection
The engineers consider the application of the product. This includes what the product will be used for, what environment the product will be in frequently, what the product will come into contact with, and many other factors. They will then decide which polymers fit the needs of the application the best while staying within budget or potentially reducing cost.
Some of the properties they look for in polymers include:
- Chemical resistance
- Heat resistance
- Corrosion resistance
- Durability
- Weight
Design for Manufacturability
Designing for manufacturability is the process of designing products to make manufacturing easier and more efficient so products can be made at a lower cost. Some things engineers consider when designing for manufacturability include:
- Manufacturing process
- Quantity of materials
- Materials used
- Complexity of the product
- Secondary processes
Engineers may compare the advantages of CNC machining and injection molding to determine which process is best for creating the product. They may also consider any secondary processes like packaging and component assembly to determine which are necessary and beneficial to the product.
Program Management
At Ensinger PolyTech, Inc., our plastic engineers use the New Product Introduction (NPI) method. This method helps project managers and plastic engineers develop schedules, track progress, and ensure products get to market on time with the proper functionality and quality. They are able to easily share where they are in the design or manufacturing process with this tool, making for easier communication and transparency.
Benefits of Working with an In-House Plastics Engineer
Lower Cost
When working with a plastic engineer, they will assess your product and choose the right material for your application, getting it for the lowest price possible. They also design for manufacturability, making the production process more efficient.
Higher-Quality Products
Engineers make sure the right materials are used in the production of your product. They also help design the product to be as efficient as possible. Both of these considerations ensure your product is of the highest quality and performs as it is expected to.
Ensinger Precision Components Experienced Plastics Engineers Are Here to Help
At Ensinger PolyTech, we strive to provide our clients with high-quality polymers and help them manufacture products that meet all of their requirements. With our massive selection of polymers that come in any shape and size, we can make sure you are receiving exactly what you need to create the perfect product.
Our engineering team has extensive training and experience in the plastics industry, and they are eager to help you design and manufacture your product. When you work with our engineers, they will help you with application material selection, part design and function, CADs and manufacturing drawings, finite element analysis, optimizing designs, and prototyping and testing.
After you are happy with your newly engineered design, manufacturing can begin. With CNC machining and various secondary services, we make sure your product is created to fit all of its applications.
Contact our team at Ensinger today to see what our engineering team can do for your design.