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How Fictiv’s Injection Molding Services Can Help Power the Energy Sector
From fossil fuels like coal, oil and gas to renewable sources like solar, wind and hydro, many facets of our daily lives are powered by consumable energy. And as industry advances and populations grow, the demand for energy increases. This places a tremendous amount of pressure on energy companies to scale up their operations, which increases the need for equipment parts.
However, producing parts for the energy sector comes with its own set of challenges. Extreme environmental conditions, stringent industry standards, keeping operational costs low and powering society without pause are all factors that need to be heavily considered when manufacturing parts for energy industry applications. It’s in these areas where injection molding can provide the most benefits.
The process of injection molding involves the heating and injecting of plastic material under pressure into a closed metal mold. The molten plastic is then cooled until it hardens into the desired shape — which can vary in size, volume and complexity. But to achieve repeatable, high-performing parts that meet all your specifications, that requires putting your trust in the right injection molding manufacturer. That’s why many companies rely on Fictiv for the parts they need.
Achieving Part Performance Through Engineering-Grade Materials and Processes
Depending on the type of energy source, environment or equipment, plastic parts may be required to deliver a range of performance capabilities. In the oil and gas industry, equipment parts like fittings, clamps and pump components often need to endure harsh environmental conditions and maintain their integrity despite contact with corrosive chemicals and materials.
To help create parts that can withstand extreme operational demands, Fictiv provides a large range of high-performance injection molding materials, including engineering-grade plastics, thermoplastics and specialty plastics. This allows you to achieve a wide variety of performance properties like greater mechanical and tensile strength, corrosion and chemical resistance, UV resistance and more — all in one part.
Fictiv also offers overmolding services. Overmolding expands on the benefits of injection molding by allowing you to manufacture intricate parts and assemblies from two or more materials in a short amount of time. This means you can achieve quick-turn parts with superior strength and performance properties — such as thermal and impact resistance — that are better suited for more demanding energy industry applications.
With overmolding, rigid plastic materials can also be encompassed in a soft elastomeric rubber material to create parts with enhanced electrical resistance or sealing properties. And in some cases, it can help lower cost per part by eliminating the need for connectors, O-rings and other rubberized pieces and associated part assembly labor.
Enabling Innovation Through Rapid Prototyping
With growing environmental concerns driving demand for faster advancements in the renewable energy sector, rapid prototyping and speedy part production has become crucial. Providing the resources and technical expertise needed to speed up the design, development and production of equipment components for solar, wind, hydro or geothermal operations, Fictiv can help renewable energy companies go from prototype to finished part in as little as 10 days. This is done by analyzing part design plans and providing Design for Manufacturability (DFM) feedback. DFM allows you to remedy part manufacturability issues early in the prototyping process to avoid costly roadblocks and pick up efficiencies along the way — which is key for keeping innovation timelines on track.
Additionally, Fictiv offers the option to use low-cost, quick-cooling aluminum tooling for short runs of prototype parts. And once you’re past the prototyping stage and ready to scale up production, Fictiv offers steel molds for longer production runs or as a bridge tooling solution.
Altogether, Fictiv’s injection molding services can help expedite technology and equipment advancements while helping you improve manufacturing processes and cut innovation costs.
Delivering Robust and Repeatable Parts Every Time
In the energy industry, there’s no room for downtime. When an equipment part fails, energy sourcing operations can be slowed or halted until a repair can be made. This delay can be costly to the company. That’s why it’s important to develop consistent, high-strength equipment parts that can withstand years of use.
Combining computer-aided design with quality injection mold tools, Fictiv’s injection molding services make it possible to develop robust equipment parts with complex geometries in a very repeatable fashion. To further ensure repeatability and the delivery of high-quality parts that meet energy industry regulations, Fictiv offers a wide range of injection mold manufacturing options with rigorous quality management systems and inspection protocols in place. Additionally, one of Fictiv’s quality engineers will conduct quality assessments of your parts and deliver transparent inspection documentation to ensure all standards and specifications are being met.
Supplying a Network of Part Manufacturing Options
Thanks to a diverse and carefully selected network of domestic and offshore manufacturing partners, Fictiv is fully equipped to offer numerous types of injection molding services for a wide range of energy industry applications. Manufacturing partners are thoroughly vetted by Fictiv and are required to complete rigorous testing. In addition, Fictiv continuously manages them and monitors their performance.
Powering the Injection Molding Production Process
From prototype to final part production, Fictiv takes the guesswork out of the injection molding manufacturing process. And regardless of the application — or if you’re working with renewable or non-renewable energy sources — the Fictiv team will work closely with your company to help design and fabricate high-quality equipment parts with fast and repeatable results while meeting stringent energy industry requirements.
Request Your Free Quote
If you’re ready to join the 2,500+ companies who use Fictiv for high-quality parts, visit fictiv.com/signup to request a free quote today.
