Custom Plastic Part

Plastics have taken over our world like an extraterrestrial animal. We find the ubiquitous presence of a custom plastic part everywhere around us. Ninety percent of all products are made of plastics. One just can’t imagine that there was a time without plastics. In those days, wood, steel, copper and gold was used to make products.

Take a car for example. It was entirely made of steel, except for the tire which was made of natural rubber. But now many body parts have been replaced by a custom plastic part. This has not only brought about cosmetic changes, but also made cars mechanically robust and safer. The weight has also been reduced which has led to fuel efficiency. When the price of gasoline skyrocketed, most of us realized the importance of plastics.   A Custom plastic part is not only light but durable. Their mechanical strength can be compared to steel and in many characteristics it is far ahead of it. Moreover the life of plastics is much more since it does not corrode like steel. In fact a custom plastic part is indestructible unless exposed to high impact accidents. Many lives have been saved due to the use of plastics in making car parts.  

Most white goods are made with a custom plastic part, of one kind or another. The body of the refrigerator is entirely made of plastics. The idiot box has become less of an idiot and looks much prettier within plastic enclosure. Wooden furniture is fast getting replaced with plastics. Every house is now filled with a custom plastic part of one kind or another. Chinese toys have now replaced Japanese ones. Simultaneously, they are manufactured using plastics rather than metals. Child safety has also improved with the use of plastics. Nut, bolts and other paraphernalia which used to be made with iron have now been replaced by plastics. Infections due to rust and corrosion have now completely stopped. 

A Custom plastic part is made with injection molding machines. These are versatile equipment which can make a variety of parts in various shapes using different molds. The process is much simpler than making steel parts because there is no need for high temperature furnace and associated equipment. The savings in electricity are also substantial. These are the reasons why manufacturers prefer using a custom plastic part instead of using other material.  

Does this mean the death of other materials like steel? Though a custom plastic part is replacing traditional materials, there are places where we still have to use the old. Old is gold and cannot be completely erased from our society. For example, automotive engines, these have to withstand very high temperature which requires steel. Though some composite materials are coming to the markets which have high temperature tolerance, they still cannot match steel. But we are not talking about a custom plastic part taking over steel parts entirely. Information technology products like, computers, laptop, modems and routers are all made out of custom plastic parts. They are sturdy as well as light, which makes them ideal for this application.  

The nature of our world has changed. We tend to use and dispose products instead of preserving them for posterity. This has led to a huge problem of waste disposal. Japan for instance has giant mountains made up of junk computers. There is an extensive debate on how to get rid of the waste? Dumping in third world countries like India and Africa seems to be a soft option. But custom plastic parts are being produced at a faster pace than ever and a time will come when we will be choked by them.  

We must realize that a custom plastic part can make our lives better. At the same time they are a hazard if not disposed properly. We must therefore formulate a plastics disposal policy which would ensure that our future generations do not suffer from our profligacy. A Custom plastic part is indispensible. Even if we want to abolish it totally, it will not be possible to do so. The alternative is to use plastics prudently. 

Biodegradable plastics have now become a reality. This means that we need not worry about any waste material comprising of plastics. The green movement has been extremely vocal in their protests against the use of any custom plastic part. They point out the problems which have been created by them. But they do not realize that unless there is a better alternative, manufacturers will keep producing custom plastic parts and customers will keep using them. Prudence is in accepting the fact that plastics are here to rule. We must learn to live with them.