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What is Plastic Fabrication

Plastic materials like acrylic, polycarbonate, HDPE, and ABS provide benefits to companies in a huge array of industries. However, these materials aren’t always ready to use in their stock sizes and basic sheet, rod, and tube forms. Many businesses, organizations, and industries require specialized components made to very precise dimensions and specifications.

photo of fabricated plastic

Luckily, there are an array of plastic fabrication services that can make these materials ready for use in your specific applications. Plastic fabrication companies use an array of techniques that can benefit various companies that use high-performance plastics. Some of the most popular options include CNC fabrication, milling, routing, and cutting. Here’s a guide to some of these capabilities and what to look for in a plastic fabrication provider. 

Capabilities of Plastic Fabrication 

Plastic fabrication is an overarching category of services that may include everything from CNC milling, routing, and cutting components to certain sizing and shape specifications. Some examples of parts that can be custom fabricated from plastic materials include wear parts, bushings, bearings, dunnage, conveyor line parts, chain belts, guides, machine guards, sheets, and shield components. 

More specifically, CNC routing is one of the most powerful plastic fabrication services available today. These machines take digital designs and automate the process of cutting specific shapes and sizes into a variety of materials. There are also more basic cutting processes available, including guillotining and film slitting. These are generally more relevant for simple plastic sheets or rolls of thin material, while CNC routing can work for more precise components. 

Many plastics may also benefit from machining processes like milling and turning. Milling involves using rotary cutters to shape a three-dimensional component. And turning is often used to cut and shape cylindrical parts. These services can be especially relevant to those in industrial sectors that need custom parts to fit their existing machinery. 

Those that need plastics in specific shapes may also benefit from thermoforming services. Materials like ABS and polycarbonate can bend and fit molds when enough heat is applied. So plastic fabricators may use targeted heat and specialized tools like vacuums and molds to form specific shapes. 

Plastic Fabrication Services Near You 

Companies within the B2B market must receive quality materials in a timely manner in order to provide a competitive advantage to their clients. For example, contractors, engineering firms, and industrial facilities often require plastic components to install new materials or repair existing ones. And these businesses need components that are already made to their precise requirements in order to install them in a timely manner. So quality fabrication services can ensure that these B2B businesses receive the exact components needed to complete projects with accuracy, efficiency, and speed. 

In order to deliver this high level of value, plastic fabrication companies must have access to state-of-the-art equipment and team members with industry knowledge and experience. Access to a knowledgeable team in your local community can help you choose the right materials for your company’s goals and understand all the customization options available to you. And cutting edge conversion equipment allows you to get the products you need quickly and ensure that they’re made to your exact specifications. 

Some providers may offer plastic fabrication services but send materials off-site to be cut or shaped. This takes valuable time that many B2B companies cannot afford to lose, especially with all the material shortages and supply chain issues that firms are already dealing with. When the materials you need are custom cut to your sizing specifications and shaped to the exact demands of your project, you can deliver the specific products or equipment needed to serve your clients right away, instead of waiting for extra service providers or off-site fabrication capabilities. 

It’s also beneficial to work with a local plastic supplier because of the ability to ship materials quickly. When materials have a shorter distance to travel, you don’t have to worry about all the shipping delays and supply chain issues that businesses in a wide array of industries are dealing with today. In fact, your ability to get the plastics you need in a timely manner may very well set your organization apart from competitors in your industry. 

Overall, a local plastic fabrication company can deliver the most relevant materials to your operations and do so in a timely and cost-efficient manner. If you’re looking to achieve all of these goals for your local B2B business, Polymershapes is your ideal local plastics fabricator. 

In addition to our vast inventory of high-performance plastics, all of our local facilities have state-of-the-art conversion and fabrication equipment on site. We can handle an array of processes like milling and routing without sending materials to separate facilities or dealing with supply chain delays. We even have tools available to help engineers and technical product specialists calculate the most accurate technical estimates for specific projects, allowing you to easily stay on budget while providing the best possible quality and service to your B2B clients. We can handle a huge array of plastic fabrication processes, from cutting plastics to specific sizes to adding specific finishes and grades like chemical resistance, heat protection, and UV protection. 

Our distribution centers are spread throughout the country to better serve each local market with personalized attention and timely quotes and delivery options. Visit our website to reach out to your local Polymershapes branch today and discover the difference a quality plastic fabrication provider can offer your business.