Thursday 16 July 2015

Most Popular DIY Projects Using Plastic Products

People associate plastic with cheap disposal house wares or industrial use, but it doesn’t deserve this reputation. Plastic is a colorful, pliable, easy to craft material that you can employ for countless DIY projects. What’s even better, it is inexpensive and easily manufactured. Some of the most popular ideas are listed below.

Acrylic is an excellent medium for any project as is it easily heated to become flexible. This allows it to be bent and molded. It also comes in an array of colors and finishes. Acrylic sheets can be custom made for any shape and size and are perfect for shelving and display cases. All you need to do is drill holes for the screws or other fasteners. You can add wood or other materials to create a unique look. It is also a great material for housing. Your favorite electronics, such as speakers and clocks, become interesting conversation pieces when placed in a transparent acrylic case. Acrylic works well with more creative projects also, like custom jewelry making, or LED signs and displays. It can be worked into ribbon shapes in vivid colors.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is easy to find at your local hardware store in any length and in many diameter sizes. This plastic piping is perfect for anything requiring a round and strong material, like curtain rods or patio furniture. You can paint PVC to give it any look or style. It’s great material for the yard too, and you can use it for garden trellises, plant stakes, planters, vases, and fencing.

For bigger projects, fiberglass is a great choice, and is used for making the hulls on boats, and other parts on cars and airplanes. Fiberglass is a durable material and is easy to patch and repair. The process requires a concave mold to which the fiberglass is applied and allowed to cure for several days. You will either need a plug to fit the mold or a part you want to duplicate if you are designing the mold yourself, but it’s just as easy to find a specialty shop to do this part for you.

Plastic can be used in nearly any project where traditional materials are used, but plastic is generally less expensive and more durable. It is often surprising to see how visually appealing plastic can be. To find your inspiration, speak with a custom plastic company in Vista http://www.mgmplastics.com

Wednesday 15 July 2015

Custom Designs in Plastic Have Amazing Uses



Plastic is inexpensive and durable. It is a great material for use in artwork and design, although most people only think of it for practical and industrial applications. This unique clock was easily made from acrylic.

Which Is Better, Machined Plastic or Mold Injection Plastic?






Before embarking on any project involving plastics, you need to ask yourself which method will work best: machined or molded.Injection molding creates a solid piece by putting hot melted plastic into a metal mold, and having it drop out after it cools. Fabricated plastic is made from flat sheets in a similar way to machined metal. The plastic parts are cut out of the sheets and then finished through a multi-stage labor process that can involve drilling, bending, additional cutting and gluing. The main differences in these two methods are as follows:


1.       Plastic Machining

  • Provides precise measurements. This is the preferred method for technical uses in medicine, aerospace, and scientific instruments as parts can be tooled with a high degree of dimensional accuracy.

  • Flexibility in design. You can make a design change in machined plastic at any time, but molds need to be made anew for the injection method, which is costly and takes time.

 2.       Plastic Mold Injection

  • Fast and requires little labor. The mold, once made, can be used hundreds of thousands of times for the same exact result. It finishes well and so does not usually require any additional shaping after it comes out of the mold.

  • Efficient. No waste created from extra material that must be cut away.

Ultimately machined plastic is far cheaper and is the preferred method if you only need a few hundred parts. Injection molding is expensive and only makes sense if you need a high quantity of parts, typically in the thousands, to justify the overhead cost of having molds made. Visit this website to learn more about the plastic fabrication in San Marcos.

Women in plastics: Sorting fact from fiction

It seems that whenever I read something in the media about women in manufacturing, it’s always an article about how they’re getting the short shrift....read more

Wednesday 8 July 2015

3 Reasons an Aluminum Staircase Makes a Nice Addition to Your Home


 


A staircase is not just a functional part of your home, but adds an eye-catching artistic element. You can choose a number of different styles, from spiral or straight to circular. Aluminum is one of the most durable, lightweight, and cost-effective materials to use in building a staircase. Here are three reasons why an aluminum staircase is a great choice.

1.       Aluminum Is Non-Corrosive and Durable

Lightweight but strong as steel, aluminum can be used indoors or outdoors. It is weather-resistant and doesn’t require a lot of maintenance. As a popular choice for outside decks and pool areas, aluminum doesn’t get too hot or too cold.

2.       You Can Be Creative With Design

Diamond plate traction tread helps prevent slipperiness, but also add design flair. Aluminum is so easy to manufacture that you have many custom-made options. It can be made in any shape or style, and you can even choose any color you wish as aluminum holds color well.

3.       Aluminum Is Easy to Install

You can order all the parts and assemble a staircase yourself; the shipping is even inexpensive. Or you can have a professional come out and do it for you. Either way, it’s an easy, fast, and cost-effective project.

If you are looking to add to the safety and beauty of your home, an aluminum staircase could be the perfect solution. To learn more about aluminum fabrication in El Cajon, visit this website.

R&D Update: Forming aluminum alloys at elevated temperatures, Part II

Elevated-temperature (ET) forming of aluminum can be accomplished isothermally or nonisothermally. In isothermal warm forming, the die, blank holder, and punch.....read more

Aluminum Is an All-Season Material

An aluminum staircase has a durable elegance. The railings will never need re-coating, and seasonal changes in temperature or humidity do not affect it. The only thing you will ever need to do to keep it in tip-top shape is dust it off.