What are Common Secondary Operations in Manufacturing? Find Out How You Can Improve Your Plastic Products

After production, your products may need a little extra love to ensure they are functional and attractive for the final customer. This is where secondary operations in manufacturing plastic products come into play. Here, we will explain what secondary operations in manufacturing are and how they can improve your products.

What are Secondary Operations in Manufacturing Plastics?

Secondary operations are processes that take place after the initial manufacturing process, such as injection molding or structural foam molding. These operations are typically used to improve the function or look of a product, adding value for end users.

Some common secondary operations include:

• Ultrasonic welding: Using high frequencies to weld joints together. This is commonly chosen when glue, screws, or other fasteners are not desired or cannot be used.
• Drilling: When punching is not practical for the application, this process creates holes with no distortion around the hole or slot.
• Fastening: This process joins two or more parts together using various types of fasteners, including screws, nuts, bolts, and more.
• Heat staking: Utilizes pulsed heat to join two or more parts together. The plastic part is heated to just above the glass transition temperature while simultaneously applying force so that it is deformed and then cooled.
• Assembly: At Port Erie, we have various assembly and kitting services to ensure your products are exactly as you imagined and easily packed. This includes fab assembly, kits, and bag pack-outs.
• Decorating: This process ensures that your products are aesthetically pleasing. We offer pad printing, heat transfer, hot stamping, and in-mold decorating.

Benefits of Secondary Operations in Manufacturing Plastics

Improved Function of the Product

Secondary operations can add functional features to products that would not be possible in the structural foam molding or injection molding processes. These operations create more versatile and useful products for end users, improving overall product satisfaction.

Improved Aesthetics

Surface finishing and decorating are two common secondary operations that can improve the appearance and feel of a product, setting you apart from competitors.

Greater Customization

While our team will work to create molds that are as customized to your needs as possible, our secondary operations allow for even more customization. These services allow your products to meet more specific design or functional requirements.

Port Erie’s Secondary Operations

At Port Erie, we strive to ensure that your products meet your exact design specifications. Our team offers various secondary operations to bring your vision to life.

Our team of experts has the capabilities to perform secondary operations including ultrasonic welding, drilling, decorating, assembly, and packaging. We utilize automated 6-axis robots, vision system inspection stations, CNC trimming, and screw guns to complete our processes, ensuring accuracy and a high-quality product.

In addition to our secondary operations, our team also has the capabilities to assist with your warehousing and distribution needs. We operate two separate 100,000-square-foot warehouses and one 75,000-square-foot storage facility to meet the warehousing and storage needs of all our customers. Additionally, we handle fulfillment for all big-box retailers so customers can simplify their supply chain and keep costs down. Our team can also handle just-in-time delivery of molded parts to your manufacturing locations.

Contact Port Erie to Get Started on Your Plastic Project Today

As an ISO 9000-compliant company, Port Erie is dedicated to the quality of your products and work closely with our customers on every last detail.

Contact our team today to get started.