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Tag: Plastics

In this Plastics Industry Pulse, we’ll dive deeper into the data in the 2019-2020 Annual Survey and look at overseas plastics manufacturing and quality. As we covered in our Plastics Industry Pulse: Offshore Manufacturing, overseas plastics manufacturing tends to be underutilized by most industries. As a review, the survey data showed that overseas plastics is utilized less than half the time and tends to be a bit unpopular. Further, of those industries who have utilized overseas plastics, a majority of respondents said they either have already reversed course and re-shored operations domestically or they planned to do so in the future.

Plastics Industry Pulse: Offshore Plastics Trends examines the data that might explain just why offshoring plastics manufacturing is trending so negatively. It picks up where Offshore Manufacturing left off in describing the vast array of industry data sources surveyed.

In short, as more specialized industries grow in their need for high-quality plastics with exceptional aesthetic value, the offshore plastics trend will likely continue to trend toward negative values.

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Tag: Plastics

As we mentioned in our previous post we have been researching, processing, and interpreting data from over 200 manufacturing professionals on the use of heavy-gauge plastics manufacturing.

Did you know: This is the sixth year that Ray Products has been conducting this important industry research.

In this Plastics Industry Pulse, we’ll uncover the data in the 2019–2020 annual survey that deals with overseas plastic manufacturing. As offshore manufacturing grows in a number of other industries, you may be wondering about its impact on plastics manufacturing.

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Tag: Plastics

The truth is, we get excited about every plastics manufacturing project that comes into our California-based facility. Still, there are plastic pressure forming projects that stand out for our whole team.

Let us tell you about one of those.

Recently, a leading biotechnology company came to us for help creating the housing of an advanced digital pathology slide scanner.

The project demanded impressive aesthetics, incredible levels of precision, and high-performance materials. In short, it was precisely the type of pressure forming project we love.

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Tag: Plastics

If you pay close attention to manufacturing trends, you may have already seen it happening: manufacturers are discovering the benefits of pressure forming, and realizing that they can’t help but switch.

Why are they switching, and is it the right choice for you?

At Ray Products, we’ve been pressure forming plastic parts for over 70 years, and have a keen sense of the types of projects that can greatly benefit from this process. Below are the most commonly noted reasons to opt for pressure forming for your next project.

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Tag: Plastics

On the last Saturday of March, family, friends, and current and past employees of Ontario-based plastics manufacturer Ray Products gathered at a microbrewery in Upland to celebrate the last 70 years.

Brian Ray, current company President and grandson of the company’s founder, was in attendance with his family, trading memories and jokes with employees and friends at the celebration.

“The average life span of a company is about 15 years,” said Ray. “So I think our 70th anniversary is definitely worth celebrating.”

The company was founded by Allen Ray on April 1, 1949, in a 1,000 sq. ft. shop. Today, Ray Products operates a 48,000 sq. ft. facility in Ontario, CA, equipped with the best available thermoforming technology. The high-quality customized plastic parts that Ray Products produces are used in a wide range of industries, including medical equipment, transportation, green energy, automotive, building and construction, and recreational equipment.

In honor of its 70th, the company commissioned a special bottling named “Loyalty Lager” from Upland microbrewery Last Name Brewing. It was a natural fit, then, to host the anniversary party at the brewery.

On Saturday, some guests swapped stories while enjoying signature sandwiches and burgers from the Big Easy Sandwich food truck. Others enjoyed funny-money gambling tables or took tours of the brewery, while the younger set quite literally bounced off the walls of a bouncy castle.

In between bites, Ray offered his theories on the family-owned manufacturer’s longevity.

“It’s a balance of two things,” said Ray. “On the one hand, we regularly invest millions in the latest advanced thermoforming technology so that we can offer our customers the absolute latest and best. On the other hand, we really value the traditional ways of doing business.”

“We want to do business ‘the right way.’ We respect our customers and partners and the skills of our employees. It’s why our employees stay with us for 10, 20, and sometimes even 50 years.”

In an op-ed he penned last summer, Ray defined three key points of doing business the right way: delivering a quality product, operating as a fair employer and being a reliable partner.

At Saturday’s celebration, the results of that philosophy were clearly visible: hundreds of guests with smiles on their faces, celebrating a company with a 70-year history and no signs of slowing down.

 

About Ray Products

Ray Products has been manufacturing high-quality 3D thermoformed plastic parts since 1949. Located in Ontario, California, Ray Products uses the most advanced machinery and materials in the business to create custom plastic pieces used in medical equipment, transportation, green energy, automotive, building and construction, recreational equipment, and more.

Tag: Plastics

MFR Tech has just published an article on finding thermoforming’s sweet spot, by our very own Jason Middleton.  The sweetened, condensed version is that if your plastic manufacturing project falls into the right mix of quantity, size and a couple other factors, it’s essentially impossible to find a better process than thermoforming.

How Can Ray Products Help You Today?