Structural Foam Injection Molding

Universal Plastics specializes in injection molding, including structural foam molding and gas assist molding to customers in the medical, laboratory & diagnostic, manufacturing, retail and registers/dispensing machines. Structural Foam Injection Molding is a process used to produce large plastic covers, handles, bezels and plastic structural components. We have a long history of supplying high quality large plastic parts with complex designs and high cosmetic requirements at competitive prices. With small, medium, and large tonnage presses ranging from 85-1,500T in our 150,000 sq. ft. facility, along with engineering expertise, global tool sourcing, in-house painting and full secondary operations and assembly, we are well equipped to act as a one stop shop for large projects requiring a wide variety of plastic part sizes and finishing specifications.

To discuss how Universal Plastics can meet your structural foam molding needs, please contact us.

Structural Foam Injection Molding Capabilities:

Universal Plastics is has expertise in medium to larger sized complexly designed plastics parts, but we have the capability to produce almost any size part. Universal Plastics is more than your single source for structural foam molding. For many years, we have been providing high quality parts. Our injection molded parts include plastic covers, handles, bezels, plastic panels and plastic housing for the medical, business, financial and laboratory markets. Universal Plastics offers many injection molding services to meet your criteria to mold large plastic parts. No matter your requirements, we can offer the proper injection molding process and equipment to distinguish your products from the competition. With services extending from engineering and design to final assembly, cosmetic finishing and shipping, Universal Plastics is a single source for your entire project and complex assemblies. Our portfolio of in-house services can help streamline your supply chain, reduce costs, and shorten lead times. Contact us today to discuss your injection molding needs.

Structural foam molding is a low pressure injection molding process that is capable of producing very large structural parts. The molten plastic is injected into a mold after being mixed with a blowing agent, causing the plastic to “foam.” The structural foam injection molding process is well suited for large plastic parts because the foaming gas bubbles in the resin matrix pack out the resin and reduce the incidence of sink on the show side of the plastic part. Structural foam molding parts are usually very thick, nearly 0.250” wall thickness, and are ideal for plastic structural elements that will not be in view. Parts which are in view require sanding, painting, and finishing.

Structural Foam is produced by mixing raw resin with a chemical blowing agent which “foams” after the mixture is introduced in an injection mold. This foaming produces very small gas bubbles which are evenly distributed throughout the resin matrix (see structural foam cross section below-left). These gas bubbles impart a marbled or swirled surface finish on the part. One way to combat the marbled appearance and swirls in the surface finish, shown above, is by employing gas counter pressure with structural foam. In this process, the mold is pressurized with gas at a pressure higher than that of the foaming gas prior to the resin’s introduction in the mold (see structural foam w/gas counter pressure diagram below). When performed correctly, a smoother, glossier, and more consistent surface finish is produced.

Secondary & Finishing Services:

With services extending from engineering and design to final assembly, cosmetic finishing and shipping, Universal Plastics is a single source for your entire project and complex assemblies. Our portfolio of in-house services can help streamline your supply chain, reduce costs, and shorten lead times and includes: painting, woodshop, tooling, sonic welding, pad printing, complex assemblies, packaging and shipping, etc.

Universal Plastics Overview:

Universal Plastics is a custom plastic products manufacturer with expertise in a range of processes, including custom blow molding, thermoforming, and injection molding (gas assist and structural foam) for the medical, aerospace, transportation and general industrial markets. We have expertise in large, complex and highly aesthetic parts with manufacturing volumes of 50-50,000 parts per year. All the manufacturing sites within the Universal Plastics family share a long history of providing their customers with high quality, large, complex molded parts and are known for outstanding customer service and engineering support. Each has dedicated staff, operating facilities and processes.

Universal Plastics can meet your end-to-end plastics manufacturing needs – we offer in-house tooling, design & engineering services and a full complement of secondary/finishing services including complex assemblies, high gloss painting (Class A automotive finish), RFI/EMI shielding, drape forming, warehousing, etc. Universal Plastics is ISO9001: 2015 registered. Universal Plastics prides itself on working collaboratively with our customers to improve our business processes, skills and technology to continue to deliver innovative custom plastic product solutions that work at globally competitive pricing. We work with a long-standing and diverse set of customers, from fortune 500 companies, to smaller OEMs to start-ups, in a wide range of industries. Our customers have placed their trust in us to deliver the right product at the right price, the first time. For more information and to discuss how Universal Plastics can put our expertise to work for you, please contact us today.

Structural Foam Molding Capabilities: