Today we're taking a quick look at some additional facts on the plastic injection molding industry and exploring the top ten plastic injection companies in the United States.

Editor's Note: A version of this post was originally published in June 3, 2020. It has been updated to include current trends and statistics.

Located in Saline, Michigan, MMI Engineered Solutions employs 192 people. This manufacturer has an in-house design team and uses injection and blow mold techniques to produce powertrain, exterior and interior parts for the automotive industry.

This emphasis on the domestic market and local suppliers could indicate a potential for expansion on new markets for plastic mold manufacturers.

Overmolding: In overmolding, multi-component pieces are constructed through an “add-on” type of process, where one component is constructed and allowed to fully cool and harden, and then used as a base or core as another portion of the piece is molded around (or “over”) it. Overmolding allows for extensive flexibility with materials and construction, since the core piece does not even necessarily have to be injection molded (or plastic). For instance, a rubber grip can be overmolded around a metal piece.

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Hi-Tech Mold & Engineering, Inc. is located in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Its 200 employees work on components for vehicles, appliances, medical devices, and solutions for the aerospace and defense industries.

Mixed materials: In what might be considered the simplest form of two-component injection molding, two materials can be fed into the injection molding machine simultaneously and mixed as they are heated. This method could be used for aesthetic purposes. Mixing, for example, a dye with the resin to achieve a different color or a more attractive finished appearance. It could also be used to achieve a different physical property than just one resin would offer. For example, mixing a harder resin in to strengthen a piece made primarily from a softer plastic.

Multi-shot molding: In multi-shot molding, a “layering” effect is achieved by injecting partial shots of material in sequence into the mold cavity. The materials neither mix nor harden around one another. Instead, they are “stacked” into the finished piece. Multi-shot molding is also known as sequential molding.

Located in North Vernon, Indiana, Decatur Mold, Tool & Engineering, Inc. employs 150 people to produce military aircraft parts, car seats and automotive components.

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As with most any manufacturing process, two-component injection molding isn’t the right answer for every application. In scenarios where certain material properties are required — for example, medical or food applications — two-component molding may compromise the critical safety qualities of the core material. Two-component molding also shouldn’t be used when only one component will suffice. For example, with purely functional products such as mechanical components and other commodities. In other words, two-component molding shouldn’t be sought just because it’s a possibility. Unnecessary addition of components and thus, resource expenditure, results in wasted production efficiency.

Bi-injection molding: In this process, different materials are fed into a mold cavity at different points, through different gates. They begin to harden before their meeting point within the cavity, resulting in a layered effect. In co-injection molding, the materials are not intended to physically mix together. The meeting point of the two materials and, thus, the appearance and function of the finished piece, can be adjusted by fine-tuning the injection speed of each material.

Alwin offers design and product development services to create customized solutions. This Clintonville, Wisconsin, manufacturer has 150 employees and also produces commercial towel and napkin dispensers.

The industrial marketplace IndustryNet continues to see heightened domestic sourcing activity, including greater demand for plastic injection molding services, which reported thousands of searches from industrial buyers interested in plastic injection molding in 2020. Year-over-year category searches on the industrial marketplace IndustryNet were up 27% in 2020, while requests-for-quotes rose 102.1% and catalog downloads increased 21%. This trend reflects the growing number of manufacturers looking for domestic supplies, including plastic injection molding companies.

• 8% of plastic mold manufacturers import raw materials, which is slightly lower than the 11% average across all manufacturers.• 76% of plastic mold makers focus on domestic distribution. This is slightly higher than the 70% of all manufacturers that sell their products on the domestic market.

Seaway Plastics Engineering, LLC has 151 employees and is located in Port Richey, Florida. This company specializes in engineering and low-volume runs. It creates products for the packaging, defense, medical, transportation and electronics sectors among others.

CompanyCityState Number of EmployeesPlastek Industries, Inc.EriePA850LexaMar Corp.Boyne CityMI400Jones Plastic & Engineering Co., LLCLouisvilleKY300Hi-Tech Mold & Engineering, Inc.Rochester HillsMI200MMI Engineered SolutionsSalineMI192American Tool & Mold, Inc.ClearwaterFL180Ironwood Plastics, Inc.IronwoodMI155Seaway Plastics Engineering, LLCPort RicheyFL151AlwinClintonvilleWI150Decatur Mold, Tool & Engineering, Inc.North VernonIN150

Meanwhile, the global market for injection molded plastics is expected to reach a value of $473.4 billion by the year 2027. Currently, the industry is valued at $339.3 billion.

With extensive knowledge and experience with materials and various methods of injection molding and other manufacturing, we offer our expertise in the service of creating the best possible product for you.

Two-component injection molding can be the right choice in a number of scenarios, depending on the requirements and design of the piece or product.

As U.S. manufacturers continue to contend with disruptions to the global supply chain, manufacturers are looking to source more supplies at home. One study found that 62% of manufacturers plan to source more supplies domestically in 2021.

Located in Boyne City, Michigan, LexaMar Corp. employs 400 people. This manufacturer uses rubber and plastic to produce exterior parts for the automotive industry.

This Ironwood, Michigan, manufacturer creates molds for products with precise requirements. Ironwood Plastics, Inc. and its 155 employees use advanced techniques like pressure monitoring, laser scanning and mold flow analysis to create specialized molds.

At RevPart, we specialize in helping our customers find the best solution for their product, with innovation, quality and efficiency as our core goals for you. Our extensive prototyping capabilities and services — including injection molded prototypes — mean that we can work with you in a cost-efficient manner to fine-tune the best design for your product, including two-component molding methods. The advantages of injection molding prototypes allow us to work together to zero in on how the full production process eventually can and should work — a benefit that isn’t available through other methods of prototyping.

Injection molding offers an extremely versatile range of manufacturing options, as the nature of the process means that it’s suitable for a host of part and product designs and types. Beyond the standard injection molding process, even more versatility and efficiency can be achieved via two-component injection molding. As the name suggests, two-component injection molding involves using more than one material in the molding of one part. This differs from the more typical single-component injection molding process, where only one base resin is injected into a mold.

Two-component injection molding can be achieved in several ways, with each method yielding different results and effects. Below, we’ll take a look at each:

This Louisville, Kentucky, manufacturer has 300 employees. Jones Plastic & Engineering Co., LLC uses injection molding techniques to produce automotive parts, packaging, electronic components and products for the medical industry.

According to MNI, the century-old data compiler that powers IndustrySelect's industrial database subscription, the plastic injection mold industry is a fairly small and specialized sector with 555 US-based companies. Half of these manufacturers are located in the Midwest.

Co-injection molding: In co-injection molding, two full material shots are injected into the cavity, one right after the other, resulting in the materials hardening around each other while becoming fully bonded. This process is useful for creating, say, a soft rubber exterior around a hard plastic core.

American Tool & Mold, Inc. produces plastic molds used by other manufacturers. This Clearwater, Florida, company has 180 employees and can create customized molds for a wide range of applications, including multi-cavity molds and precision molds.

Plastek Industries, Inc. has locations in four countries. Its Erie, Pennsylvania, headquarters is the largest plastic mold manufacturing facility in the US with 850 employees. They manufacture products like packaging for the beauty and cosmetics industry, food and beverage products, stock packaging options, and pharmaceutical packaging.