Plastic is an incredibly versatile and relatively inexpensive substance. The term ‘plastic’ applied to any of 7 different basic types of compounds among which there are literally hundreds of different variations. The list of plastic products is almost unending. If a tool design can be created to form it from plastic, there is a good chance it can be mass-produced.

Several different methods are employed to manufacture plastic parts. The process of plastic injection molding is one of the most common. Fabrication companies that produce parts using this method typically receive basic feedstock in pelletized form. The manufacturing process can be divided into three basic steps.

Material Handling

Large quantities of plastic pellets are often positioned above the injection molding machine in a hopper that provides a gravity feed. When the machine is producing parts the bottom of the hopper supplies pellets to a horizontal screw-typed conveyor system. A turning auger moves a …