“There are challenges in every industry,” says Kyra Stawson, a technical sales engineer at Xometry.
When automotive sales took a hit during COVID-19, it impacted the demand for injection molding. After all, injection molding is a trusted manufacturing process for vehicle parts because of its consistent quality and durability and because plastic parts are lightweight, allowing for fuel efficiency. It’s used to manufacture everything from bumpers to dashboards, and from radio controls to cup holders.
After a dip during COVID-19, injection molding has not only rebounded but is predicted to grow its market size. In particular, the acceleration of the packaging market is connected to injection molding because it offers microwavable and reusable solutions for food packaging, which help to reduce companies’ carbon footprint.
There are numerous advantages of injection molding. These include that the manufacturing process can provide highly complex part design; fast production and short lead times — Xometry’s injection molding lead time starts at only 10 business days — flexibility in material, color, and finishes; and low labor costs.
Still, the supply chain challenges related to COVID-19 keep coming. So, we turned to Stawson to find out how the world’s largest digital manufacturing marketplace is overcoming current hurdles in the injection molding industry.
Read more: How to Overcome Injection Molding Supply Chain Hurdles
