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If you have a plastic injection moulding project that you would like to discuss with an Adreco Plastics expert, please get in touch by phone or contact the team via the website today.
Plastic injection moulding entails the melting of tiny thermoplastic polymers, often in the form of plastic pellets, to render them pliable for pouring into a mould. This molten polymer is then transformed into the precise shape necessary for creating an object, piece of equipment, or component.
What sets this process apart is its versatility, allowing for the attainment of exact specifications in quantities that align with the client’s specific project requirements. Its adaptability makes it particularly well-suited for crafting prototypes for updated products or for introducing entirely new items to the market. The plastic injection moulding process, while highly flexible, consists of several precise stages, starting with the initial design of custom moulds and culminating in rigorous quality controls. In the intermediate stages, complex technology is responsible for shaping the plastic injection-moulded components.
Initially, a computer directs plastic pellets into a cutting-edge moulding machine located in Bristol, guiding them from the hopper through the machine to heat and subsequently injecting the molten plastic via a nozzle into the mould. The mould maintains stability as the plastic cools and solidifies into the desired shape. As the plastic cools, it expands, causing the mould components to separate and release the finished product, which is then prepared for inspection.
Plastic injection moulding specialist, Adreco Plastics, was founded more than 45 years ago in Bletchley, Milton Keynes. The firm has been in business there ever since. Over these four decades, the injection moulding Bristol expert has built up a reputation for advanced plastic injection moulding techniques and top-quality products that are flexible, reliable and highly effective. Adreco Plastics can also provide post-production services, including,
The company offers exceptional value for money, outstanding customer service, and delivery on time and to a very high standard. All products are carefully checked and undergo strict quality control measures before they leave the premises for dispatch to the customer. Adreco Plastics can work on both simple and highly complex projects, always listening carefully to the client brief and remaining in close contact with the customer throughout the process to ensure a high-quality result.
Adreco was founded in 1977 in Bletchley, Milton Keynes and has been manufacturing for over 45 years. Winners of the 2021 Plastics Award, Adreco Plastics is a privately owned and dynamic business with main facilities in Milton Keynes, the UK’s most prosperous city, and extended facilities in Shenzhen, China.
Our automotive customers have come to rely on our ability to deliver high-quality, low volume plastic injection moulded parts, tools and components for vehicles across the UK and beyond. However, we don’t just work in this single sector; we work in various industries such as medical, agriculture, military and defence and much more.
Such is the versatility of the plastic injection moulding process that there are several different types, each offering benefits for various projects, components and pieces of kit. In fact, injection moulding itself is an entirely separate process to blow moulding, as it creates solid components. At the same time, the latter produces hollow plastic products, such as toy casings, automotive items and protective packaging.
Returning to injection moulding, however, there are several different types. Thermoplastic injection moulding changes plastic pellets into a liquid that is then passed through the machine into the mould to set and be reshaped into the desired form. Unlike thermoset plastics that cool into a permanent solid, however, thermoplastics can return to a liquid state if heat is reapplied.
Over-moulding, on the other hand, is a process by which a plastic injection moulded product is covered by another substance, such as metal or rubber, to improve its durability or performance. This can also be known as two-shot moulding. Similarly, insert moulding uses two different materials, but the plastic is inserted into a cavity within the mould that surrounds an inner section containing the different material. So, the plastic becomes the outer layer. Again, having a centre made from a different material can add durability and strength to a finished component and help reduce a larger product or piece of machinery’s overall weight.
Adreco Plastics serves a large number of sectors across the UK and beyond. These include the automotive sector, where products are used in mass-produced and bespoke vehicle engineering processes, including steering wheels, trim, radio controls, fuel systems, and headlight surrounds. In the agricultural sector, Adreco Plastics manufactures components for crates, pallets and bulk containers, farm machinery and irrigation system parts, packaging and animal feed sacks – basically, anything requiring high levels of durability and hygiene.
Hygiene and the ability to sterilise are also key factors for customers in the medical sector, which rely on Adreco Plastics for such items as
Finally, Adreco Plastics also serves customers in the military and defence arenas, which require optimum reliability and precision when it comes to their equipment and kit. Other areas covered include construction, packaging, food and beverage, lighting, point of sale and retail. Each sector has its own individual requirements, industry regulations, product specifications and preferences, all of which can be easily accommodated using Adreco Plastics’ advanced injection moulding machines and technology.
Here is a list of areas that Adreco plastics caters to
We have a proven track record across many industries, including automotive, construction, medical and packaging
