The sports equipment sector is a multibillion-dollar industry that supports practically every athletic pursuit imaginable. From facing off on the gridiron to squaring up at the tee, the equipment essential to sports must meet rigorous standards. Equipment makers know that durability is a vital attribute for successful sports products. However, attributes such as rigidity or flexibility, physical appearance, and functionality also matter. That’s where plastic injection molding comes in.
For makers of sports accessories and equipment, achieving the right blend of physical properties while maintaining cost-effectiveness is a significant challenge. However, today’s plastic manufacturing equipment makes the task of producing items for the sports market less of a hassle and more of a profitable proposition. Plastic injection molding is ideal for this industry — it’s a well-established solution. Keep reading to learn how it is being used today.
Common Injection Molding Applications for Sports Products
You might be surprised to find plastics in certain places. The baseball diamond, the football field, the tennis court — at any location that welcomes sports, you can probably find products created with plastic injection molding. Take a trip to your local sports equipment store and browse the shelves; it won’t take long to see dozens of sporting goods and equipment that require injection molding to manufacture.
Some of the most common sports gear types manufactured using injection molding techniques include:
- Football helmets
- Baseball helmets
- Protective equipment and padding
- Golf tees
- Golf balls
- Camping gear
- Hunting tools (e.g., animal calls)
- Recreational vehicle components
- Archery and other outdoor sports supplies
As diverse as this list is, the design and production process of these products is often similar. This is true for everything from a small golf tee mold to equipment for large football pads. Professionals first design the part in computer software. Next, engineers use that model to create and test a digital mold design that ultimately becomes a real, physical object. After fabricating the molds, production begins, but not without a wide degree of flexibility throughout the process.
The Advantages of Manufacturing Sports Equipment with Plastic Injection Molding
Whether it is in the shell of a baseball player’s helmet or the molds of thousands of golf tees, there are many reasons why so many companies use injection molding for sporting goods. Four key benefits include:
- Durability. Molded plastic components made from appropriate raw materials can withstand heavy impacts and frequent use without immediately breaking or wearing out.
- Versatility. With computer-aided design, it is possible to create molds for a staggeringly large number of plastic products. One business can produce dozens of molded products to appeal to players across many sports.
- Materials selection. There is an impressively broad range of plastics available that are suitable for use in sporting goods production, providing designers and businesses with immense flexibility.
- Cost-effectiveness. Following the design and creation, one mold can last for hundreds of thousands of cycles in a well-maintained plastic injection molding machine. As a result, long-term production costs primarily involve covering materials.
Making Reliant Plastics Your Trusted Supplier for Sports Equipment Components
Are you looking for sporting equipment manufacturers capable of assisting your team with developing a new product? Whether you want to bring a new prototype to market or improve on an existing product by reducing weight and increasing functionality, finding the right team to help you makes a difference in the outcome.
Your partner should be able to provide you with the following:
- Modern equipment that covers a wide range of needs.
- Broad access to different basic thermoplastics and materials for better product design.
- Worldwide reach and the capability of meeting high levels of production demand.
- Clear and transparent communication from professional experts who can deliver design assistance.
Contact Reliant Plastics
With decades of experience as plastic injection mold makers and a detailed understanding of the process related to sports equipment and more, we are ideally positioned to aid your business. In this industry, consumer feelings about product quality (or a lack thereof) spread quickly by word of mouth. By working with proven plastic manufacturers such as Reliant, you can create products that excel in their applications. Invest in quality and enhance your brand’s reputation over the short and long term.
We leverage the latest technology and engineering to produce reliable results while delivering advanced, value-added services to support businesses pursuing new product launches in fitness equipment stores. Learn more about adding our injection molded plastic manufacturer’s capabilities to your next project today.
