Ural Scientists Mastered New Technology for Manufacturing Plastic Products

12:45, April 25, 2022

The region launched production of products for the IT sphere, microelectronics, and retail [photo report]

Specialists of the UrFU Experimental Production Plant started mass production of plastic products for the IT sphere and electronic industry. The plant has mastered new technologies for manufacturing molds with subsequent molding of plastic products and has begun molding enclosures for computers, Wi-Fi routers, servers, processors, and medical devices. In February, the company received a certificate of the Ural Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ST-1 form), and in March - the conclusion of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation. Thus, UrFU Experimental Production Plant is a certified Russian producer of molds for polymer casting.

"We provide a full production cycle: making a mold, testing it, and casting the finished product. The product passes through the blanking, roughing and finishing, electrophysical metal processing, fitter's and polymer's sections. At each stage of production the quality control department monitors the process. In fact, we have a modern mold-making plant. We make products from all kinds of polymers: plastic, high pressure polyethylene, ABS, textolite, polyamide. The main direction, of course, is "smart" production, although we can make a wide range of products: from caps for plastic pens to casings for ventilators. Finished products are limited only by dimensions: from a fraction of a gram to 3.5 kg and sizes up to 800 mm (each side)," explains Aleksandr Volkov, head of projects at the UrFU Experimental Production Plant.

UrFU Experimental Production Plant started producing molds back in 2005. At that time the plant produced 30 molds per year. Today the plant annually manufactures about 400 molds, of which about 250 are for polymers. New technology of molds production helps to fulfill not only state orders and orders of big industrial enterprises but also requests of big retailers (plant received the order for production of plafonds, children's toys, key holders, photo frames), furniture producers (fittings, end pieces). According to Aleksandr Volkov, the last month the number of orders has increased: about 15 new requests are received per day. New requests come from companies that used to buy products abroad, but have recently been changing their ways of doing things.

"In general, the situation on the market is as follows. The main producers are in Europe, Russia, Turkey and China. The cost of Chinese products is different, it depends on logistics, timing and other aspects. If we talk about the mass market, China won in terms of time and cost. But there is one issue with China: the average life cycle of their molds is 300,000 items. Then the mold is discarded and a new one is launched. We focus on higher-quality products, such as those in Europe and Turkey. We guarantee at least 500 thousand items at customer's facility and 750 thousand items when the mold is serviced at our facilities. But in fact our molds are designed to mold a million pieces. At the same time we guarantee uniqueness and observance of copyrights. And we perform turnkey work: from design to commissioning at the customer's premises," explains Aleksandr Volkov.

There are about seven such producers in Russia: in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Cheboksary, Stavropol, and Novosibirsk. However, they do not cover the needs of the market, since 75% of the products are imported.

Reference

A mold is the tooling by which the finished product is cast. It takes from two weeks to four months to make, depending on its complexity. Each product requires its own mold. The Ural Federal University makes molds not only for polymer products, but also for metal, rubber products and investment models.

UrFU Experimental Production Plant was established in 1956 and is a structural subdivision of the university. The plant provides more than 30 thousand residents of Ekaterinburg city with electricity and heat and fulfills the orders of industrial enterprises. The plant includes a boiler and turbine shop, electrical shop, experimental production (one of the most equipped manufacturing facilities in the region with a full cycle of metal processing). The number of employees of the UrFU Experimental Production Plant is more than 200 people.

The news article was translated by UrFU International Marketing Office
info.international@urfu.ru, +7 (343) 375-45-19