Manufacturing

This week I have commit my time to cover off many of the questions we receive on manufacturing materials and methods. I could write a book on this as it is a huge subject matter but I will try and provide a top level overview of some of the most common materials and methods and a bit of a glossary of terms so you can be informed when dealing with your Chinese manufacturers.

Plastics:

Plastics are one of the most popular manufacturing materials on the planet. There are obvious and less obvious products that are made from plastics and are probably the most versatile manufacturing materials available.

Plastics can be made into almost limitless shapes, textures and finishes and can fool many people into thinking they are made from another material.

The type of plastic used to manufacture your goods will vary depending upon a number of factors. These could include but are not limited to; Texture, Size, Food contact, Precision, Strength

Different plastics have varying properties and applications. Here is a list of the most commonly used plastics and examples of where they are used in every day products:

Name
Short Name

Application
Polyester
PES

Textiles and clothing
Polyethylene terephthalate
PET

Carbonated drinks bottles, peanut butter jars, plastic film, microwavable packaging.
Polyethylene
PE

Wide range of inexpensive uses including supermarket bags, plastic bottles, food safe barrier lining of cups and bags
High-density polyethylene
HDPE

Detergent bottles, milk jugs, and moulded plastic cases.
Polyvinyl chloride
PVC

 Plumbing pipes and guttering, shower curtains, window frames, flooring.
Polyvinylidene chloride
PVDC

Foods packaging
Low-density polyethylene
LDPE

Outdoor furniture, siding, floor tiles, shower curtains, clamshell packaging
Polypropylene
PP

Bottle caps, drinking straws, yogurt containers, sports bottles/shakers. appliances, car bumpers, plastic pressure pipes systems
Polystyrene
PS

Packaging foam/”peanuts”, food containers, plastic tableware, disposable cups, plates, cutlery, CD and cassette boxes.
High impact polystyrene
HIPS

Refrigerator liners, food packaging, vending cups.
Polyamides  (Nylons)
PA

Fibers, toothbrush bristles, tubing, fishing line, low strength machine parts: under-the-hood car engine parts or gun frames.
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
ABS

Electronic equipment cases (e.g., computer monitors, printers, keyboards), drainage pipe.
Polycarbonate
PC

CD’s, eye glasses, riot shields, security windows, traffic lights, lenses
Polyurethanes
PU

Cushioning foams, thermal insulation foams, surface coatings, printing rollers (Currently 6th or 7th most commonly used plastic material, for instance the most commonly used plastic in cars).
As I am sure you can appreciate, people tend to use the short name when referring to plastics and the Chinese will be no different. The actual names are quite a mouthful.

Your Chinese manufacturing factory should be able to make suggestions about the materials you will need to use. Quite often, if you have found a factory that already made a similar product, they will have experience with and, more importantly, in-house capabilities with that type of plastic.

If you are an innovator looking to develop a brand new product, I would strongly recommend working with your design agency to make suggestions on materials at the CAD development stage. Tiger Global also has a vast amount of experience in manufacturing across a broad range of plastics and are always on hand to offer advice.