Plastic is a material that is used almost everywhere by everyone but the actual plastic manufacturing process is not one that is common knowledge. Unlike steel manufacturing, for example, which has had its fair share of exposure in movies, documentaries and news reports, plastic manufacturing is still something Industry Competition Meaning of a mystery to the average person. There is literally a whole world now built around the making of plastic, without even including the actual end products which could number in the millions. The process requires a whole range of support industries around it, which most people are completely unaware of.
PVC plastic, for example, is just one of the different types of plastics under manufacture. Different types of plastics require different manufacturing methods, and most companies do not involve themselves in the entire spectrum. Rather, they specialize in one or two processes, using a network of suppliers and operational resources that support their core business.
Within the plastic manufacturing process, there are a number of support services that are essential to achieving the end result.
For example, the raw material used to make plastic is usually colourless, so there are suppliers who provide the colourants. It often needs other chemicals added to it to change the characteristics for a particular Business Inventories reason, and these chemicals are purchased in from a supplier. There are a wide range of mixers that are used in the process, and many are pre-mixed off-site and again, purchased in from a supplier.
Moving away from the raw materials, there is also a whole industry around building, servicing and maintaining the actual machines that make the plastic. Depending on the type of plastic being made, some of these machines are very large and quite complex, and need specialist technicians to keep them operating. Other auxiliary equipment such as hopper dryers and mixers are also part of the industry, and similarly, require experts to service and repair them.
Technical expertise in the area of quality control and compliance with specifications is also a core part of the methods used to produce all types of plastic. Quality control is almost a science on its own, and requires trained operators who know how to read the documentation and apply it to the required standards and specifications.
Naturally, plastic manufacturers are the focus for any information about the industry. However the network of suppliers and other support industries that surround the plastic manufacturing process are vital to its efficiency.
Any serious attempt to examine the plastic manufacturing industry should always take these other suppliers and industries into account. Without them, the whole industry would be forced to look to itself for these services, greatly increasing the cost of plastic components to every consumer.
