Design & manufacture of tough, complex & cost-saving moulded plastics as metal replacement in precision pneumatic technologies
Our client
Our European-based engineering customer develops state-of-the-art technologies for use in manufacturing and warehousing, supporting the development of reliable system, process and industrial automation that drives business efficiencies and productivity worldwide.
Working across sectors ranging from food production and processing to automotive and pharmaceuticals, production lines are made safer, faster and more sustainable through innovation that leads from the front. OF Bell supports the research, development and manufacture of our client’s technologies through the delivery of complex, cost-effective metal replacement moulded plastic components that achieve excellent value for money and reduce lead times for ever-expanding production lines.
Cost-saving metal replacement components
Expertly-designed complex moulded plastics, produced onshore in the UK, make an effective alternative to metal components, offering durability, scalable production and impactful cost savings for our manufacturer client.
OF Bell worked closely with our client’s engineering team during our Product Design and Development phase, analysing the metal cover component and understanding how this is applied in situ before making recommendations as to hardwearing plastic compounds that will withstand the heavy-duty demands of our client’s technologies.
Complex, in-house tooling design
Forming part of a larger assembly, our moulded plastic component required precision design of both the prototype and the injection moulding tool in order to create a unit that would fit seamlessly into the client’s specified technologies.
Used in a pneumatic application and subjected to powerful bursts of air, the component demanded excellent strength and integrity. Our in-house tooling workshop, assisted by comprehensive 3D modelling technology, designed an intricate and complex moulding tool that’s a perfect fit for the client’s assembly, moulding a single component in tough plastic that makes for a strong, protective cover.
Specialist, complex injection moulding
Using our team’s bespoke tool, perfected following a period of thorough testing and adjustment in line with our confidential processes, 11,000 complex component units are manufactured annually in our Co. Durham workshop and quality-monitored throughout to ensure consistency and accuracy in every mould. Each component is manufactured using a 33g shot weight on our 50T injection moulding machine.
OF Bell is a complex miniature component and moulded plastics specialist, demonstrated by this component through precision channelling and fastening through-holes used by our client to ensure a tight fit that protects the internal assembly.
Excellent cost efficiencies through moulded plastics
Development of this component was driven by our client’s need to streamline its manufacturing costs without compromise on the durability and performance in the field of its assemblies and technologies.
Through precision design and engineering, backed by our team’s industry-leading understanding of plastic compounds, OF Bell achieved over 80% savings on production costs for our client, replacing metal components with reliable, consistent and hardwearing moulded plastic parts. In addition, by supplying a complete metal replacement plastic unit, our client has also made significant savings on secondary operations, such as painting. With no secondary ops phase required, components are efficiently supplied and put to work straight away in our client’s production lines.
Learn more about metal replacement for pneumatic technologies
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