Automation is becoming increasingly prevalent and necessary for plastic manufacturing businesses that wish to stay competitive. More and more, companies are utilizing efficient and affordable manufacturing automation to increase profitability. Indeed the global Plastic Recycling market size is projected to reach USD 40090 million by 2026.
What is Plastics Automation?
Plastics automation is the process of implementing robots or AI technology to speed up production and reduce manual labor in the manufacturing of plastic products. Automating your plastics manufacturing process not only saves time and money but also reduces excess scrap materials, improves product quality, and creates a safer environment for employees.
Your automation system will vary depending on the needs of your specific plastics manufacturing business. However, there are certain processes in particular that automation greatly assists with, including plastic extrusion, plastic processing, and plastic injection molding.
See, for example, this lower body valve assembly machine crafted by Summit Engineered Automation. It provides automated machinery that assists with auto feeding, pick & place, assembly, sonic welding, leak testing, and auto disposition. Utilizing robots and automation allowed this company to increase the efficiency with which they produce plastic balancing valves for the faucet industry.
Can Plastics Automation Run Sustainably?
It is a common misconception that any process involving plastic cannot be sustainable. That’s simply no longer the case; automation in the plastics industry actually has the potential to improve sustainability further.
Using environmentally-friendly packaging and bioplastics is one option when considering sustainability in plastics manufacturing. But industrial automation itself can also significantly reduce plastic waste. In injection molding, for instance, less plastic is thrown away than in traditional production methods. Improving efficiency further ensures that you will waste less energy in your manufacturing process.
Ethics matter to customers, and ensuring that your business is sustainable will simultaneously reduce waste and earn you consumer goodwill. This, in turn, will lead to loyalty in your customer base, repeat customers, good online reviews, and personal product recommendations.
What are the Benefits of Plastics Automation?
There are many benefits to automating your plastics manufacturing process. In general:
- Lower per-part costs
- Faster production times
- Improved safety and efficiency
- Less plastic waste
- Consistent and high-quality products
These are all compelling reasons why so much of plastics manufacturing has become automated in recent years. Automation inherently leads to long-term benefits for your company.
The most important thing to remember when automating your processes is that your product is unique, and your automation systems benefit you most when they’re tailored to your business.
Partnering with experienced automation companies, such as Summit Engineered Automation, is an easy way to ensure that you’ll get the specific machinery your business needs to thrive. Summit offers creative and customized solutions to plastics industry automation challenges.
Learn more about Summit’s plastics automation solutions, or get in touch with us today to discover how automation can give your plastics manufacturing operation a leg up on the competition.