Plastic Injection Molding & Manufacturing Terms

Assembly is the process of putting parts or components together to create a finished product or sub-component. Assembly may be done by hand, with automated equipment, or through a custom production process.

Automated assembly uses machines or equipment to complete assembly steps with speed and consistency. It is often used for higher-volume production or products that require repeatable placement, fastening, or testing.

CAD/CAM combines computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing. It allows teams to design a part digitally and use that data to guide machining, tooling, or production equipment.

CAD stands for computer-aided design. CAD software is used to create detailed digital drawings and 3D models for product design, engineering, tooling, and manufacturing.

Clean room assembly is a product assembly process completed in a controlled environment. It is used for products that require extra care during production, helping reduce their exposure to dust, dirt, and other contaminants. 

CNC machining is a computer-controlled process that cuts, shapes, drills, or finishes material with high accuracy. In plastics manufacturing, CNC machining can be used to create precise plastic components, prototypes, tools, or finished parts.

Comprehensive Product Responsibility, or CPR, is Bankier’s end-to-end approach to product manufacturing. It means one partner can help manage the process from concept development through production, assembly, packaging, warehousing, and distribution.

Concept development is the early stage of turning an idea into a clear product plan. It may include defining the product’s purpose, function, materials, design needs, manufacturing process, and cost goals.

Contract assembly is when a manufacturing partner assembles products or components for another company. This may include manual assembly, automated assembly, kitting, testing, packaging, or custom fixture work.

Contract manufacturing is when a company hires an outside manufacturing partner to produce parts, components, or finished products. This can help reduce internal workload, increase production capacity, and support specialized manufacturing needs.

Contract packaging is a service where a partner assembles, packs, labels, seals, or prepares products for shipment or retail display. It can help companies save time, reduce equipment costs, and scale packaging needs.

Co-packing, also called contract packaging, is when a manufacturing partner handles product packaging for another company. This may include assembly, labeling, wrapping, sealing, coding, fulfillment, and distribution.

Custom plastic injection molding is the process of making plastic parts that are designed for a specific product, use, or customer requirement. It is often used when a part needs precise size, shape, material performance, and repeatable quality.

Decorating is the process of adding a finish, design, label, color, logo, or surface detail to a plastic part. Common decorating methods may include pad printing, hot stamping, painting, silk screening, vacuum metallization, electroplating, or coating.

Design for assembly, or DFA, means designing a product so it can be assembled efficiently and consistently. This may include reducing part count, improving fit, simplifying fastening, and planning the order of assembly steps.

Design for manufacturability, or DFM, means designing a product so it can be made efficiently, consistently, and cost-effectively. In plastic injection molding, this may include reviewing wall thickness, material flow, mold design, part strength, surface finish, and assembly needs.

Distribution is the process of moving finished goods from storage or production to their final destination. This may include order fulfillment, shipping, inventory management, and delivery planning.

Electroplating on plastics is a finishing process that applies a thin metal coating to a plastic part. It can improve appearance, durability, conductivity, or surface performance.

End-to-end manufacturing means one partner can help coordinate the services needed to turn a product idea into a finished product. This may include design, engineering, tooling, molding, assembly, packaging, warehousing, and distribution.

FDA-registered means a facility or company has completed a registration process with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for certain regulated activities. For manufacturing projects, FDA-related registration may support specific food, cosmetic, medical, or packaging needs.

A fixture is a custom tool or support used to hold a part in place during assembly, testing, sealing, machining, or inspection. Fixtures help improve consistency, accuracy, and production speed.

Fulfillment is the process of preparing and shipping customer orders. It may include picking, packing, labeling, inventory tracking, and distribution.

Heat sealing is a process that uses heat and pressure to join materials together. It is often used for packaging, plastic films, pouches, and products that need a secure seal.

Hot stamping is a decorating method that uses heat, pressure, and foil to apply a design, logo, or finish to a surface. It is often used to create metallic or high-contrast details on plastic parts.

Injection molding is a manufacturing process that uses melted plastic resin and a mold to create plastic parts. It is often used for high-volume production, close-tolerance parts, and products that require consistent quality.

An injection mold is a precision tool used to shape melted plastic into a finished part. The quality of the mold affects part accuracy, appearance, repeatability, and production efficiency.

Insert molding is a plastic injection molding process that places another component, such as a metal piece or preformed part, into the mold before plastic is injected around it. This can reduce assembly steps and improve product strength.

Integrated manufacturing means several production services are connected under one process or partner. This can include product development, tooling, molding, decorating, assembly, packaging, warehousing, and distribution.

ISO 9001:2015 is an international quality management standard. It helps ensure a company follows defined processes to meet customer requirements and support consistent quality.

Kitting is the process of grouping parts, components, or materials into a ready-to-use set. Kitting can make assembly, packaging, fulfillment, or installation more efficient.

Laser engraving uses a laser to mark, label, or decorate a surface. It can be used to add logos, part numbers, text, or permanent identification to a tool or component.

Lean production is a manufacturing approach focused on reducing waste, improving efficiency, and using resources wisely. It can help lower costs and improve production flow.

Lot coding is the process of marking products or packages with a batch or production code. This helps with traceability, inventory control, and quality management.

Manual assembly is product assembly completed by trained workers rather than automated equipment. It is often used for detailed work, low-volume production, complex parts, or products that require careful handling.

Material flow describes how plastic resin moves through a mold during injection molding. Proper material flow helps prevent defects and supports consistent part quality.

Material selection is the process of choosing the best plastic, resin, film, or other material for a product. The right material depends on strength, flexibility, heat resistance, chemical resistance, appearance, cost, and intended use.

Mold design is the process of engineering the mold used to make a plastic part. Good mold design supports proper material flow, cooling, part strength, surface finish, and repeatable production.

Mold-flow analysis uses software to study how plastic will move through a mold. It helps identify possible issues before tooling is built, such as poor filling, trapped air, weak areas, or uneven cooling.

Mold texturing adds a controlled finish to the mold, helping each plastic part come out with a consistent texture, appearance, or feel. Textures may improve grip, reduce glare, hide marks, or support product design goals.

Overmolding is a molding process where one material is molded over another material or part. It is often used to add grip, comfort, protection, color, or surface performance.

Packaging assembly is the process of preparing products for retail, shipping, storage, or display. It may include placing products into cartons, bags, clamshells, blister packs, displays, or gift sets.

Pad printing is a decorating process that transfers ink onto a part using a soft pad. It works well for printing logos, text, or details on curved, textured, or irregular plastic surfaces.

Plastic fabrication is the process of cutting, forming, machining, drilling, bending, gluing, or finishing plastic materials. It can be used to make prototypes, custom parts, enclosures, housings, or industrial components.

A plastic injection molding company produces plastic parts by injecting heated plastic resin into a mold. Many companies also provide related services, such as product design, tooling, assembly, packaging, and distribution.

Plastic molding is a broad term for manufacturing processes that shape plastic into parts or products. Injection molding and thermoforming are two common plastic molding methods.

Polymer rheology is the study of how plastic materials flow when heated or processed. Understanding polymer rheology helps improve mold design, resin selection, and part quality.

Precision tooling refers to the custom molds, dies, jigs, and fixtures used to produce accurate, consistent, and repeatable parts.  In injection molding, precision tooling is critical for part quality and production efficiency.

Product development is the process of turning an idea into a manufacturable product. It may include research, concept development, design, engineering, prototyping, testing, tooling, and production planning.

Product engineering turns a product concept into a functional, manufacturable design. It focuses on performance, materials, dimensions, strength, assembly, and production requirements.

Product lifecycle management is the process of managing a product from early concept through design, production, use, and future updates. It helps keep product decisions organized and aligned with business goals.

Prototyping is the process of creating an early model or sample of a product. A prototype helps teams test design, fit, function, materials, and user experience before full production.

Quality control is the process of checking products, parts, and production steps to make sure they meet requirements. It may include inspection, measurement, testing, visual review, and documentation.

Rapid prototyping uses fast production methods, such as 3D printing, to create early product samples. This helps teams test ideas, find design issues, and improve products before tooling or full production.

Resin performance describes how a plastic material behaves in a finished product and during manufacturing. It may include durability, strength, flexibility, heat resistance, UV resistance, chemical resistance, and appearance.

Resin is the raw plastic material used to make molded or formed plastic parts. Resin selection affects strength, flexibility, heat resistance, chemical resistance, appearance, and cost.

RF sealing, also called radio frequency welding, uses electromagnetic energy to create a strong bond between certain compatible materials. It is often used for plastic films, flexible materials, and sealed packaging or product components.

Sealing is the process of joining materials to create a closed, secure, or protective bond. Common sealing methods include RF sealing, heat sealing, and steam sealing.

Sheet fabrication is the process of cutting, forming, drilling, bending, or finishing plastic sheet materials. It can be used for enclosures, housings, panels, covers, and other plastic components.

Six Sigma is a quality improvement method focused on reducing defects and improving consistency. In manufacturing, it supports better process control and more reliable results.

Steam sealing uses pressurized steam to activate an adhesive layer and create a bond. It is often used when a clean or hermetic seal is needed.

Supply chain management is the planning and coordination of materials, suppliers, production, inventory, warehousing, fulfillment, and distribution. Strong supply chain management helps reduce delays and control costs.

Thermoforming is a plastic manufacturing process that heats a plastic sheet until it is flexible, then forms it over a mold. It is often used for trays, covers, enclosures, packaging, prototypes, and low- to medium-volume production.

Thermoplastics are plastic materials that soften when heated and harden when cooled. They are commonly used in injection molding, thermoforming, fabrication, and other plastic manufacturing processes.

Tool design is the process of engineering the mold, fixture, jig, or tool used to manufacture a part. Good tool design improves accuracy, repeatability, production speed, and product quality.

Tooling refers to the molds, fixtures, dies, jigs, and other tools used to manufacture parts. In plastic injection molding, tooling is one of the most important steps in creating consistent, high-quality parts.

Turnkey manufacturing means a partner manages many or all stages of production, from planning through final delivery. This can simplify project management and reduce the need for multiple vendors.

UV resistance is a material’s ability to withstand sunlight or ultraviolet exposure without breaking down quickly. It is important for outdoor products and parts exposed to sunlight.

Vacuum forming is a type of thermoforming. A heated plastic sheet is pulled tightly over a mold using vacuum pressure, then cooled and trimmed into the final part.

Value engineering is the process of improving a product’s performance, cost, quality, or manufacturability. It may involve design changes, material changes, process improvements, or assembly simplification.

Vertical integration means one company manages several stages of the supply chain or manufacturing process. This can include design, material sourcing, tooling, production, assembly, packaging, warehousing, and distribution.

Warehousing is the storage and management of materials, components, or finished products. Manufacturing warehousing may include inventory tracking, order fulfillment, overflow storage, and distribution support.

White room assembly is assembly completed in a cleaner, more controlled space than a standard production area. It is often used for products that require added cleanliness or careful handling.

3D modeling is the process of creating a digital version of a part, product, or component. In manufacturing, 3D models help teams review shape, size, function, and fit before production begins.