Indeed, no household, office space, or any living space for that matter can exist without chairs. Since time immemorial and up until this very day, chairs are a representation of human civilization, ingenuity, skill, and craftsmanship. It is man’s response to a basic need.
Whenever you see a chair inside a home, a porch, or a room in a building, you are reminded that it is a living space. A chair is an invitation for people to relax, to talk, to commune with nature, and to also commune with one another. It is also a symbol of family, friendship, and affectionate relationships. It can also represent agreements, reflective moments, and times of deep introspection. Truly, a chair serves all purposes. It is truly a part of life, which is why people take the time and the resources to choose chairs carefully and wisely. A person buys chairs that fit his personality, interest, and liking. He also considers a chair’s functionality and cost. For some, they also consider a chair’s creativity, artistic craftsmanship, and ergonomic considerations.
Because of these demands, chair manufacturers need to be very thorough, organized, and scientific when it comes to how they manufacture their chairs. Since they face a very discriminating group of consumers out there, it is extremely important for these manufacturers to always be on top of their game as competition is stiff and fierce. Chair manufacturers must really up the ante all the time and in every aspect of their product.
But How Are Chairs Manufactured?
However, have you ever really wondered how these chairs are manufactured in the first place? Just how much ingenuity, accuracy, and creativity is involved in the making of these chairs? How complex is the process then and now?
This article will give you intimate details on how plastic chairs are manufactured and why the Maka Furniture chairs are in a class of their own.
Plastic Molding: Where it All Starts:
Molding is the scientific process of manufacturing something by means of shaping liquid or any flexible or pliable material using a sturdy frame which in turn is called a mold or a matrix.
In the molding of plastics, a liquid or powdery substance called polymer, or polyethylene or polypropylene to be exact, is put into a hollow mold such that the polymer can take its shape. Depending on the process used, and there are many, various ranges of heat and pressure are used to come up with the product. For this instance, the end product is the actual chair.
The History of Plastic Molding: A Brief Trip Down Memory Lane
Plastic molding was first done in the late 1800s. The reason for its use was that during that time, there was a need for plastic billiard balls as against the then ubiquitous ivory billiard balls that were wasteful and harmful to the environment. It was John Henry Wyatt in 1868 who invented a procedure to “manufacture” billiard balls by simply injecting celluloid into a mold.
Four years later, Hyatt, together with his brother, came up with a new invention and had it patented. This invention was the machine to make the process automated. This became the first plastic injection molding machine ever to have existed. This used an efficient plunger to inject plastic into a mold by way of a heated cylinder.
1946 saw the invention of the screw injection molding machine by James Hendry, an innovative American inventor. This supplanted the technique that utilized the plunger injection technique. The injection molding technique remains the most efficient and most commonly used method of plastic molding.
On the other hand, the United Kingdom also has a prolific history when it comes to the technology of rotational molding. Rotational molding refers to the use of rotation and heat to produce a by-product. In the case of the UK, they first came up with metal artillery shells.
These technologies gave plastic that much-needed shot in the arm for popular use and ubiquity. This happened in the 1950s and went on to continue in the 1960s. Many modernized processes using the same baseline technology allowed manufacturers to create more by-products such as creating large hallow containers with low-density polyethylene. Going into the roaring ’70s, plastic was able to create more by-products using process improvements, superior equipment, and plastic powder developments. These new technologies enabled plastic to create products of every conceivable kind – which included furniture, such as tables, cabinets, and chairs. Indeed, this has made plastic all the more popular and prolific now more than ever.
Despite all these, injection molding remains to be the most popular way to manufacture and make better use of plastic. This is especially true in furniture which, with how it is used, must stand the test of time and must outlast the natural elements such as excessive sunshine, heat, rain, or floods.
What is Injection Molding and How is it Done?
Injection molding is the process by which plastic products are made by injecting molten plastic material onto a metal mold under very high pressure. Very similar to other forms of plastic molding, once the molten plastic is injected into the mold, the mold undergoes the natural process of cooling. After the mold has been cooled, it is then opened and voila! The mold now reveals a solid plastic product.
For those who need a little more imagination or a simpler comparison, think of a Jello mold. This mold is then filled to create the final product. The final product could be anything – from home or office furniture to kitchenware, and many others.
Injection molding is most commonly used in manufacturing very high volume custom plastic products big and small. Very big injection mold machines can thoroughly mold car parts. On the other hand, smaller molding machines can manufacture very accurate and exact plastic products for the purposes of surgical applications. Moreover, there exist various kinds of additives and plastic resins that may be used in the process of injection molding, thus increasing its flexibility. This makes it even more possible for plastic to be used as a material by artists, designers, and engineers to make the best, most innovative, and excellently crafted products that showcase their talent and giftedness.
Injection molds are normally made from aluminum or steel. These materials usually cost more than other materials. That being said, it is also very important to note that the usual high cost offers great value for money because a manufacturer can produce several thousand parts or products in any given calendar year. Hence, the material itself makes up for its cost with the magnitude and sheer number of by-products that it can come up with.
Furthermore, in the process of education molding, tooling normally takes 12-16 weeks and will take an additional month or so for full production.
In this manner, it is also important to highlight why Injection Molding is the preferred method in manufacturing plastic – especially plastic chairs.
Below, you will find 6 convincing reasons as to why Injection Molding is the best process when it comes to manufacturing plastic furniture.
6 Reasons:
To begin with, plastic injection molding is a very versatile method used to manufacture plastic parts. It also boasts of a number of advantages over other methods of molding plastic. The process is seen by many experts as extremely efficient. Moreover, the process is also much simpler and far more reliable than any other methods presently utilized by makers and manufacturers.
Speed is an important aspect in manufacturing. This fact gives the upper hand to injection molding because it is extremely fast compared to other methods. Moreover, the high production output rate makes it also an extremely cost-effective process that does not overcharge the manufacturer, thus allowing him to focus on quality and efficiency. As far as the production process is concerned, for the most part, the process only takes 15-20 seconds between each cycle time.
In this regard, a greater quantity of molds may be done in such a short time. This directly increases revenue and profit margins on the part of the creator or manufacturer. If the profit margins are higher, this means that the manufacturer could sell the product to the customer without charging an exorbitant rate.
Unlike other processes, injection molding can very well handle complex product designs. What’s more is that it is able to manufacture millions of virtually identical parts. To enhance the effectiveness of high-volume injection molding and to further increase the accuracy, precision, and overall quality of the plastic parts, major design elements should be taken to careful consideration. The design must be well thought out, must be consistent, and should also have good quality. This is because careless design may prove to be unnecessarily costly because mistakes may be committed during the actual production phase. Hence, careful consideration and craftsmanship must be applied when one thinks about design. These considerations include wall thickness, rib design, boss design, corner transitions, welding lines, gate placements, as well as the proper placement of vents. All things considered, injection molding still offers the best method to accommodate all the complexities of a product’s design – with excellent results.
Product strength occupies one of the topmost echelons when it comes to any product – and most especially furniture, like chairs. In plastic injection molding, the designer and the manufacturer both need to have full knowledge on where the chair needs to be flexible or hard/rigid, for them to be able to adjust the strength and ergonomic considerations of the product. In addition to that, it is also important to know the target clientele. The question as to who will eventually use the product will give the manufacturer a deep understanding on how sturdy or durable their product should be. This calls for a balance between the considerations of artistry and creativity – the design process, and considerations on craftsmanship – which involves strength and stability. After all, word of mouth is very powerful and it can spell the success or failure of any manufacturer.
Choosing the right material and color are also front and center when it comes to the creation of plastic products such as chairs. Thankfully, plastic provides the manufacturer infinite possibilities. Polymers. the material where plastic is derived, possess a large selection of resins to choose from. In this regard, the injection molder can accommodate a variety of resins as well as applications that are compliant with the FDA and other compliance regulating bodies. The considerations also include impact strength, tencile strength, elasticity, heat deflection, as well as water absorption.
On the other hand, the more creative manufacturers would be very happy because injection molding can also accommodate many color systems. Liquid coloring, together with pre-colored resins, are just some of the most commonly used colors in the manufacturing process of plastic furniture.
The injection molder, especially when it is high-volume, can potentially cause problems with the environment especially in the areas of pollution, proper waste disposal, and environmental degradation. That being said, green manufacturing initiatives are some of the latest innovations in the manufacture of plastic products that are also made possible in the injection molding process. This is excellent news because it only means that the manufacturer has a commitment to champion quality, safety, and most of all – environmental sustainability.
During the molding process, excess plastic is unavoidably produced as well. Gladly, there are now many manufacturers with effective recycling systems in place. Some even have innovative and state-of-the art machinery that enables them to minimize waste, make the transportation process more efficient, and the packaging more sustainable and friendly to the environment.
Compared to other methods, plastic injection molding keeps labor costs at a minimum. This is due to the method’s high efficiency and impressive output rate. The equipment itself is easy to maintain, as it is mostly automatic and requires minimal supervision. The manufacturing process is therefore truly streamlined. The result? A happy manufacturer that then translates to a happy and satisfied customer!
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