The Customer’s Challenge:


The client was seeking to produce a strong, appealing part with a seamless design and little to no finishing required. Cost saving was important, but not at the expense of high quality design. Critical requirements were:

  • Seamless communication with design consultants
  • More reliable provision of production parts
  • Cost reduction of structural foam parts

Universal Plastics’ Solution:

Universal Plastics was able to work directly with the design team to employ the best aspects of gas assist technology, creating desired thickness, strength and cost containment, all within a single part.

  • Reduction of part thickness and weight
  • Addition of thick molded-in ribs and gas channels to impart stiffness
  • Replacement of expensive paint texturing with molded in texturing
  • Elimination of part fabrication and cosmetic repair of structural foam gating area
  • Elimination of sanding, priming, and texture painting
  • Consistency of part quality and on time delivery

Why Injection Molding?

As a leader in gas assist injection molding for large parts. Universal Plastics provided:

  • Design freedom; excellent cost reduction versus structural foam
  • Severe reduction of post molding fabrication and finishing operations, allowing higher production rates and more consistent supply
  • Lower weight, higher stiffness parts
  • Material reduction
  • Highly detailed textures molded in; consistent and excellent surface appearance