Plastics play a considerable role in manufacturing products and assemblies, but few sectors have as many mission-critical plastic components as the defense industry. From the aerospace companies manufacturing fighter jet seats to the suppliers equipping soldiers for daily tasks, plastics are everywhere in military applications.
Achieving quality in this field is about more than pleasing consumers or attaining profit targets; it’s about supporting real-world missions with serious stakes. Therefore, the right partner for defense companies and military end-users is essential to meeting this high-quality bar. At Reliant Worldwide Plastics, we’re proud to play our part in supporting the armed forces of the United States and those who supply them. Our goal is clear: Meet the industry’s demand with the best-quality, most reliable injection molding.
Not everyone shares our commitment. Too often, suppliers cut corners in pursuit of lucrative government contracts, delivering substandard products at cut rates and putting more work into aesthetics than quality. Such suppliers create risks for end users with their subpar efforts and misuse taxpayer dollars that ultimately pay for defense contracts and acquisitions.
At Reliant, we don’t take shortcuts. We do business the right way. With a clear understanding of purpose and solid commitment to quality throughout the plastic injection molding process, we support our partners with robust designs and manufacturing services, while always keeping our end goal top of mind.
Why Injection Molding? A Valuable Manufacturing Technology for Military Applications
The average person might think of weapons systems, military vehicle parts, and other heavy-duty hardware as majority-metal constructions. In reality, the need for lighter-weight materials and enhanced durability often means that plastics find many applications in military settings. Injection molding is well suited to this industry because of its high repeatability, wide variety of available thermoplastics, and domestic production capabilities. Ahead, more reasons military injection molding is today’s preferred method.
High Levels of Precision
From military vehicle parts to small components inside mission-critical handheld hardware, injection molding paves the way to achieving the tight tolerances demanded by many offensive and defensive applications. Military specifications require exacting adherence to guidelines stipulated in contracts; failure could mean the rejection of an entire batch. The right molding partner, experienced in design, contributes to military component tooling that delivers precision in every part. At Reliant, our mold testing processes ensure tooling retains its ability to achieve target tolerances.
Durable, Rugged Material Selection
Imagine the harsh conditions military products face in the field. Army truck parts must withstand impacts, shocks, and frequent heavy vibrations. Other components must withstand extreme temperatures, from high heat to freezing cold. Some may need chemical resistance due to exposure to harsh conditions. These are all attributes you can achieve with the correct thermoplastic selection.
Easy to Incorporate Into Complex Multi-material Designs
Plastics can be a smaller part of larger assemblies that may include other plastic or metal components. Techniques such as over-molding provide innovative options for achieving more complex designs. Combining metal and plastic lets you leverage the advantages of both materials.
Mass Production Processes That Work at Scale
Military orders can be massive. It is important to keep critical military truck parts in inventory to carry out effective repairs. Defense suppliers must achieve volume and scale to satisfy their contracts. Injection molding offers a fast way to produce large quantities in a shorter time.
What Are Some Applications for Military Injection Molding Services?
With the appropriate material qualities and a robust manufacturing method suited to the demands of the military hardware space, plastics find many uses. Some of the most common solutions involving molded plastics include:
- Interior components relying on low-friction plastics including bushing and bearings, gears, and more.
- Helmet shells and armor components.
- Light covers, reflectors, equipment panels, and housings.
- Night-vision goggle components, rifle grips, and gas mask seals.
- Interior hardware components such as fuel pump parts, switches, valves, and filters.
US-Based Manufacturing for Control and Compliance
With extensive experience supporting the aerospace industry, the Reliant team understands the challenging procurement environment facing defense contractors and their military clients. While some components are simple and uncontrolled, others are subject to heavy regulation and restrictions set by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations, or ITAR. Choosing a partner that understands your compliance concerns and knows how to navigate them is essential.
Meanwhile, defense and aerospace companies must be able to fulfill contracts on time and within budget. As supply chains are continually strained globally, domestic manufacturing capabilities are more critical than ever. Reliant brings an in-depth understanding of this controlled industry and a robust U.S.-based capacity to help you fulfill your contracts quickly and capably.
With this foundation, we deliver access to an injection molding process that is fine-tuned for the demanding use cases found in national defense.
An End-to-End Service for Plastics With Defense Applications
When products enter life-or-death scenarios, manufacturers must do everything possible to achieve the highest levels of quality and reliability. At Reliant, we’ve created a process specific to defense and aerospace manufacturing that supports our military partners. It begins with detailed knowledge and strict adherence to the procurement procedures and requirements set by the Department of Defense.
This foundation enables us to support our partners with the service you require — whether that means designing new parts and products from the ground up, or moving toward mold testing and production with a proven design. Our experienced engineers use the latest modeling technologies and advanced molding machines to design and develop components that can withstand everything from aerospace applications to on-the-ground battlefield conditions.
Before any mold goes into production, we conduct advanced computer analyses to ensure a mold’s reliability. During production, we implement rigorous quality-control procedures that guarantee your parts fall within the necessary tolerances for every production run. Further full-service support includes mold maintenance, storage, and additional services such as kitting and assembly.
Contact Reliant Worldwide Plastics
Every step of the way, we keep quality, safety, and speed at the forefront of our work so that our defense partners can capably deliver products of exceptional quality to their military customers. When the DOD trusts you, you can place your trust in us. Together, we can equip our troops and keep them safe, while preserving our principles.
