China Array Plastics/Post Molding Operations
30 Years in China
Since 1980, China Array has been manufacturing stainless steel industrial components in China for export to the US and Europe.
It has decades of experience in the machining, fabrication and polishing required for top quality post molding operations.
Post Molding:
- Machining
- Ultrasonic Welding
- Heat Staking
- Curing
- Annealing
- Assembly
- Testing
- Laser & Pad Printing
Near Net Shapes
Machining a finished part from a block of plastic can be costly and wastes material. Injection molding a slightly oversized part (i.e. near net shape) that can be machined to tolerance saves time and money. Often only one or two dimensions will need a final touch up.
Machining to Tolerances
Depending on the geometry of the part, high performance polymers can be machined to tolerances of 0.001" (0.025 mm). Most plastics cannot be machined to these tight tolerances due to their inherent elasticity.
Heat Staking
As mentioned elsewhere on this web site, China Array is expert at insert molding. However, in some cases inserts cannot be molded in, but need to be heat staked as a secondary operation.
China Array has extensive experience as heat staking: controlling temperature and insertion rates to insure proper placement and seating of inserts into plastic components.
Product Markings
China Array can provide marking on parts that are molded in, laser etched or pad printed.
Ultrasonic Welding
Ultrasonic welding fuses polymers with an air tight seal structurally as strong as the plastic itself.
Accessories
Complimenting its in-house production capabilities, China Array has developed an extensive network of trusted suppliers allowing it to make or out-source every conceivable accessory component a customer might need.
Assembly and Testing
The dental dispenser shown above, which won a Five Star Award from Reality Dental Aesthetics, illustrates China Array's assembly prowess. The dispenser has 16 moving parts. The stroke of its trigger has been tested to 28,000 repetitions and remained smooth.
Controlling the Front End
The key to successful post molding operations is molding a good part to begin with. The front-end of the molding process (materials selection, mold design and construction and processing) significantly influences a thermoplastic part's response to post molding operations. China Array, by controlling the front end, can assure precision post molding operations with tight tolerances, a minimum of stress to the part, and consistently high quality.
Machining, heat staking, ultrasonic welding and other post molding operations can introduce stress and micro cracking into a thermoplastic component. Knowledge of a material's properties is essential to minimizing these tendencies.