2024-09-11
Getting the Perfect Plastic – A Closer Look at Fillers and Additives
Manufacturing custom plastics isn't just about molding it into a specific shape, though that's a big part of it, of course. It's also about making sure the plastic has the properties necessary to meet the needs of the design, and often this requires additives, coatings, and other customizations to the plastic itself. For example, you want casing for wires made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) because it's durable and resistant to impact and moisture, but PVC is a hard, brittle polymer so a casing wouldn't be able to curve with the wire. That's where adding a plasticizer to the PVC makes it softer and more flexible, making it ideal for a wire casing. Our thermoforming company is sharing a closer look at fillers and additives in plastics to help you get a look at how we achieve the necessary qualities in our customers' custom plastics.