Aside from magnesium injection molding, Proto Labs also provides more than 100 thermoplastic, liquid silicone rubber, steel, and stainless steel materials in its injection molding services.

Ann R. Thryft has written about manufacturing- and electronics-related technologies for Design News, EE Times, Test & Measurement World, EDN, RTC Magazine, COTS Journal, Nikkei Electronics Asia, Computer Design, and Electronic Buyers' News (EBN). She's introduced readers to several emerging trends: industrial cybersecurity for operational technology, industrial-strength metals 3D printing, RFID, software-defined radio, early mobile phone architectures, open network server and switch/router architectures, and set-top box system design. At EBN Ann won two independently judged Editorial Excellence awards for Best Technology Feature. She holds a BA in Cultural Anthropology from Stanford University and a Certified Business Communicator certificate from the Business Marketing Association (formerly B/PAA).

Injection Molded Plastics Market size garnered over USD 300 billion in 2022. With the consistent expansion of the construction sector globally, the industry is set to witness 3.5% CAGR from 2023 to 2032.

The construction sector has witnessed an upward trend over recent years owing to the escalating rollouts of infrastructure development projects and the advent of several technological breakthroughs. Besides, the improving economic landscape and the significant rise in investments focused on building an energy-efficient infrastructure across numerous economies.

Ann R. Thryft is senior technology editor, materials & assembly, for Design News. She's been writing about manufacturing- and electronics-related technologies for 27 years, covering manufacturing materials & processes, alternative energy, and robotics. In the past, she's also written about machine vision and all kinds of communications.

With respect to raw material, the injection molded plastics market is segregated into Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), polypropylene (PP), High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE), Polystyrene (PS), and others. The Polypropylene segment is expected to expand at over 4% CAGR and exceed USD 160 billion by 2032. Because of the growing consumption of PP in automotive components, packaging applications, and household goods, the polypropylene (PP) segment held the biggest revenue share of more than 34% in 2021. Increasing PP-based product penetration in protective caps for electrical contacts and battery housings, as well as food packaging, is expected to fuel demand over the projection period.

Regarding the application landscape, the packaging applications are expected to amass more than USD 135 billion by 2032, exhibiting a 3.5% growth rate throughout the projection period. To meet regulatory guidelines and end-user criteria, finished goods used in packaging go through several development stages. Plastics must satisfy several requirements for packaging applications, including improving food product shelf life, improved wear and tear resistance, and high durability. Plastic injection molding has enormous promise. Particularly in the medicinal and automotive fields. The medical devices and components sector is anticipated to grow the most in the industry. Product demand in the medical industry is anticipated to be driven by biocompatibility, optical clarity, and cost-effective manufacturing methods.

Because of their corrosion resistance and electrical insulation qualities, polypropylene components are widely used in food packaging and electrical contacts. Due to the aforementioned factors, the segment is anticipated to grow at the fastest rate during the forecast period.  However, a reduction or cessation of manufacturing activities to fight the spread of the coronavirus has resulted in a decline in PP consumption and a negative impact on its demand in a variety of applications. Manufacturers are having difficulty operating their production units due to logistical constraints and limits on people's movement, which has impacted product demand.

In Proto Labs' process, magnesium AZ-91D feedstock is heat-chipped in the barrel of the injection molding press. A reciprocating screw transforms the material into a thixotropic, or gel-like, state. Under high pressure and at high speed, the material is forced into a steel mold to create the part. This process lets design engineers prototype with the same materials and processes that will then be used for producing the final part. Besides making prototypes, Proto Labs also offers production quantities of up to 5,000, with a typical turnaround time of 15 days.

The Injection molded plastics market research report includes in-depth coverage of the industry with estimates & forecasts in terms of volume in kilo tons & in terms of revenue in USD billion from 2018 to 2032 for the following segments: Click here to Buy Section of this Report

Players in the market have been widely integrating advanced technologies to develop state-of-the-art products to gain a competitive edge over their counterparts and expand their existing consumer base. For instance, in July 2022, Sabic introduced a specially personalized portfolio of new mineral-reinforced Sabic PP compounds, PPc F9015, PPc F9005, and PPc F9005 grades for foam injection molding (FIM). The newly introduced product range help provide stunning aesthetics for visible automotive interior parts with complicated geometries, such as seat and trunk cladding, door panels and trim, center consoles, and A/B/C/D pillar covers.

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Injection molding speedster Proto Labs is now offering magnesium injection molding as part of its rapid manufacturing services. Called thixomolding, the new service is aimed at both prototypes and low-volume production runs of anywhere from 25 to 5,000 parts.

The injection molded plastics industry depicted a decent growth potential during the COVID-19 pandemic, owing to a remarkable rise in demand for gloves, masks, personal protective equipment, and associated packaging materials. Based on investigations by Frontline, plastic resin production in the U.S. increased by 0.9% compared to COVID-19 restrictions and industry closures. Besides, the strict movement restrictions and social distancing norms resulted in a transformer buyer behavior and caused a massive boom across the e-commerce industry, further pushing the demand for packaging boxes and containers.

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Magnesium thixomolding, along with thixocasting, rheocasting, and others, is one type of semi-solid metal casting. It can produce complex net-shape parts with thin walls and minimal porosity, and is considered safer and more environmentally friendly than magnesium casting. Although its design rules are generally less stringent than those for plastic parts, there's a greater need for smooth material flow. Design guidelines for Proto Labs' process can be found here.

These trends, in covalence with the adoption of distinctive growth initiatives by premier product manufacturers and rising investments across the construction sector, will boost the industry revenue trajectory over the next ten years.

Magnesium injection molding isn't new; in fact, it's a mature manufacturing process. It can be used as an alternative method for engineers whose projects would otherwise depend on machining or die-casting processes. It produces fully dense, net-shape metal parts that resemble those made with die-casting. Strong and lightweight, magnesium is one-third lighter than aluminum and has an extremely high strength-to-weight ratio. It is increasingly being used for lightweighting in aerospace and automotive.

Plastic injection molding is widely utilized across several industrial verticals ranging from electronics, automobiles, and construction to kitchen utensils and toys. The stringent government regulation pertaining to minimizing plastic pollution and the increased adoption of effective waste management techniques may restrict industry growth during the forecast period. On the other hand, the consolidated competitive landscape and the increasing strategic exchanges among leading product manufacturers will accelerate business growth through the ensuing years.

A stringent regulatory environment for medical-grade polymer use in healthcare industries is expected to fuel the injection molded plastics market growth. Over the forecast period, a growing preference for biodegradable polymers among medical device makers is expected to generate profitable opportunities in the medical industry. A significant shift in the automotive industry's trend towards replacing steel with plastics is anticipated to fuel product demand over the forecast period. In recent years, government rules have compelled automakers to use plastics instead of other materials such as iron and steel. Automobile makers have been concentrating on reducing vehicle weight in order to increase fuel efficiency.

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Asia Pacific injection molded plastics market is projected to be worth over USD 140 billion by 2032. The regional growth can be credited to the flourishing automotive and construction sectors owing to the increasing demand and uptake of autonomous high-end luxury vehicles and the rising infrastructural investments. In addition, the robust economic outlook across countries such as China and India, coupled with the rapid industrial growth, will create positive growth prospects for the injection molded plastics industry in the Asia Pacific.

"In recent years, lightweighting has become a significant factor in automotive product development, for example, as engineers are being tasked with drastically reducing vehicle weight in order to improve vehicle gas mileage," said Becky Cater, Proto Labs' engineer and product manager in a news release. "We see magnesium injection molding as an important tool for achieving this."