Plastics technology
Plastic products can be manufactured in various ways. We have the most affection with enclosures for electronics.
An electronics enclosure can be made in basically three ways:
Standard enclosure
Chose a standard enclosure and let it be machined so various cavities are made for displays, switches and connectors.
Advantages:
- No mould costs.
- A prototype can be made quickly.
- Cost effective in volumes upto 500 – 1000.
Disadvantages:
- Relative high cost per product.
- Limited freedom of choice when it comes to size or design.
More information:
www.boss-enclosures.co.uk (BIM box)
Cutting and folding
With this technology a plain plastic sheet is cut into the desired pattern. Next the sheet is carved on the folding lines and the sheet is folded. The edges are glued where necessary.
Advantages:
- No mould costs.
- Lowest productprice at low quantities.
- Reasonable freedom of choice of the type of plastic to be used.
Disadvantages:
- Relative high productprice at larger quantities.
- Limited forming freedom, the product must be cut out of a plain sheet.
More information: www.formit.nl
Vacuum moulding
When vacuum moulding a plastic sheet is heated until it becomes weak. Then the sheet is pulled agains a mould while the air is extracted between the mould and the sheet. The sheet forms itself against the mould. This allows for more freedom of choice when it comes to size and design.
Advantages:
- Relative low mould costs.
- Relative low production costs.
- More freedom of choice compared to a standard enclosure.
Disadvantages:
- The product needs machining after forming.
- It is impossible to make ribs, pins or studs.
- Wall thickness varies, depending on the shape.
- The outside of the enclosure is always even. Sharp details are nearly impossible.
- Limited choice of base materials.
More information: www.depla.nl
Injection moulding
Injection moulding means filling a mould with liquid plastic under a high pressure. After that the mould is cooled and split tot take out the product. The product can take nearly any shape, however some shapes require a complex mould.
Advantages:
- Lowest production price.
- Highest freedom of choice: ribs, pins, studs, sharp details on the inside or outside are no problem at all.
- High freedom of choice of the plastic used.
Disadvantages:
- High mould costs.
- Only useable for volumes greater than 1,000 pieces per series.
- First delivery depends on the manufacturing time of the mould.
More information: www.depla.nl
Regularly we consult manufacturers who master these technologies. We like to consult them to make the best fit enclosure for your product. You already have your own plastics manufacturer ? That’s ok for us.
Our core business is electronics and software.