When Alexander Parkes invented the first thermoplastic in 1856, he probably had no idea how pervasive his invention would become in the centuries that followed. Today, thanks to the invention of injection molding, plastic is used in almost any industry you can imagine, including manufacturing, packaging, construction, education, transportation, and healthcare.
The use of plastic in manufacturing has been expanding exponentially since it was introduced over one and a half centuries ago. For example, by 2018, the production of plastics on a global scale reached almost 360 metric tons. It is expected that over a billion metric tons of plastics will be produced by 2050.
From the numbers above, it’s clear that plastic will continue to be an important part of the manufacturing process. Consequently, processes like injection molding will continue to play a significant role for those who want to manufacture thousands, if not millions, of products with plastic components.
In this article, we follow the history of plastic and injection molding. We start by focusing on the events that led to the invention of plastic as we know it today. The article will then focus on the invention of the first plastic molding machine and how the technology has progressed since then.
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Two individuals come to mind at the mention of the Confederate States of America, General Robert E. Lee and Former-President of the Confederate States, Jefferson Davis. Both General Lee and Davis were men of principle and conviction as they stood up for what they believed; however, for a variety of historically complicated reasons, General Lee became a far bigger symbol of the Confederacy after its demise than Davis. Although Davis remains a sort of avatar for the end of states’ rights, some have come to view him as a Southern patriot.
