Experienced, full service plastic injection molders like SEA-LECT Plastics are changing the way our military builds components and parts for everything from the personal items issued to service men and woman, to the equipment they operate such as tanks, jeeps, ships and airplanes.
Here are 10 ways that plastics are perfect for military applications:
Low Cost of Manufacturing
When identifying costs of tooling and raw materials, resins and injection molding dies can be one of the lowest cost options available to meet or beat component specifications.
Scalable Volume
With any project, you can expect a minimum target volume to be identified before production begins. Plastic injection molding has a volume that can be easily adjusted up or down to meet demands without requiring a long lead time on materials or logistics.
Structural Flexibility
Plastics are great for flexibility if you have the right material properties identified. Other materials may fatigue due to their rigidity, but a plastic can be strong and still flex under load without causing a structural failure.
Short Lead Times
Plastic resins normally don’t require a long lead time to have the materials available. Specialized metals may require a foundry to make something specific, then form it into the correct shape to start manufacturing. Resins require a small amount of blending and pelletizing, then can be molded quickly into components or the finished product ready to get out to the location needed.
Reliable Durability
When you have a product in the field, you have to guarantee its reliability. It needs to be on-time and functioning when a life may be on the line. Under any situation, the same product needs to stay durable too. Plastics can offer that reliable guarantee to be ready to go at any time. It’s durability you can count on.
Measurable Precision
Many application require precision to function in varying temperatures and environmental conditions. Optical components and small hand-held devices need reliable precision, and plastics offer that precision over and over throughout manufacturing runs. You don’t need to adjust tooling or secondary components because plastics won’t vary beyond their designed tolerances.
Anti-Corrosive Properties
Plastics can be just as durable as another material while still being lightweight and anti-corrosive. UV stabilizers and other corrosive resistant materials can be added into plastic resin prior to molding and give great resistance in the field.
Lightweight
You may have heard the discussion about a strength to weight ratio, and plastics can be as strong as metals with a reduction in weight. Small tactical gear that a soldier needs to carry must be lightweight while still being durable in all situations. Plastics offer that advantage where other materials may not.
Modular Replacement
One benefit of plastics that you may not find with other finished products is the ability to change components easily. In military applications, quickly changing small items out with a direct replacement may make the difference in uptime reliability to keep pushing forward.
Material Abrasion Strength
One advantage plastic can have over other materials is the ability to withstand abrasions without a structural failure. Plastics also won’t cause a potential spark when making contact with a metal, which can be an added bonus.
Conclusion
Plastics can be a phenomenal choice compared to other materials when selecting the perfect combination for strength, reliability, weight, and cost. They offer advantages for quick turn-around, secondary processes such as labeling or advanced fastening, and structural stability not offered with other materials.
SEA-LECT Plastics has been a military partner and vendor since 2003, and we know how to handle military designs, development, tooling, injection molding and rapid prototyping. When you’re ready to work with our elite team that produces world-class products, call (425) 339-0288 or email us at mattp@sealectplastics.mystagingwebsite.com.