The injection molded wood-plastic composites (WPC) market is embryonic in its stage of development. Only in the past few years has the market started to develop, primarily as an outgrowth of the success found in the wood-plastic composites extrusion market.

This emerging business provides an outstanding opportunity for over 10,000+ injection molders in North America. Projected demand for injection molded wood-plastic composites will experience 70% average annual growth to reach a market size of over $350 million in 2008. Building products will be a critical market to fuel growth although packaging, lawn & garden, and houseware applications will also contribute significantly to the overall market demand.

Jim Morton, Senior Partner, says, "There are two main replacement opportunity platforms for molders to pursue: natural materials and unfilled/filled plastics in traditional plastics markets. The exciting news is that molders can find new sources of revenue growth that do not cannibalize existing sales of molded plastics. In fact, nearly two-thirds of the potential addressable market is based on targeting the replacement of natural materials like wood, stone, and slate, among others."

It is relatively easy for injection molders to move from traditional plastic injection molding to WPC injection molding. Limited capital investment is needed due to minor equipment and tooling modifications required. However, some key processing hurdles that molders must closely monitor include thermal sensitivity, moisture sensitivity, and shear sensitivity of WPC formulations compared to traditional filled plastics. In addition, tool design, product design limitations, and consistency in fabricated parts are also concerns in adopting these materials.

Principia's newly completed study entitled INJECTION MOLDING: OPPORTUNITIES IN NATURAL & WOOD PLASTIC COMPOSITES 2004 provides a detailed market assessment for building products, automotive, infrastructure, industrial, and consumer markets in North America. It also includes estimates of current and future demand for dozens of applications as well as technology developments, competitive materials and profiles of leading molders, equipment producers, and merchant compounders.

This new report is prepared by consultants from Principia's professional staff who have monitored the business development activities in the dynamic and growing wood-plastic composites industry since the early 1990s. Principia Partners is an international business consulting firm serving the building products, plastics, packaging, metals, and specialty chemicals industries.

The news come from www.bossgoo.com

Plastic Injection Molding

Plastic Injection Molding