Precision Injection Molding: Our Standards Behind Every Part

Precision injection molding is not just a manufacturing method. It is a promise that every part leaving the plant will match its specification, run after run. At Metro Plastics, that promise is backed by real standards, not just marketing language. Our high standards hold us accountable in three specific areas: environmental awareness, our tooling standard, and on-time deliveries. Here is what precision injection molding actually looks like inside our Noblesville, Indiana facility.

Quality Control That Makes Precision Injection Molding Possible

Precision injection molding depends on knowing exactly what you are producing, not assuming it. Metro’s on-site Metrology Lab is equipped to support full-service quality standards across every phase of a product’s life cycle, from PPAP and first article inspection through production control.

Using programmable vision systems, our Metrology team can build an automated inspection plan for a part before a tool even arrives at our facility. That means accuracy and repeatability are established early, and real-time dimensional feedback continues throughout production rather than being checked only at the end.

This process is backed by our ISO 9001:2015 certification. Maintaining that certification means Metro goes through annual audits of our quality management system, using internationally documented processes to confirm we remain in compliance. Combined with our real-time production testing, this is how we hold ourselves accountable to a business standard, not just a parts standard.

Metro’s Tooling Standard: The Foundation of Precision

You cannot achieve precision injection molding with an inconsistent tool. That is why Metro created our own internal tooling standard, a 20-page document that defines the parameters our tools must meet before they are considered production-ready.

The standard covers more than 30 considerations for how a part will be ejected from the mold alone, from minimum ejector-pin diameter to slide interface surface differentials. This level of detail is also why customers transfer existing tools to Metro when they are experiencing quality or capacity issues elsewhere. Through our proven transfer tooling process, sample parts can be delivered within a week of a tool’s arrival at our facility, with a sampling submission typically completed in one to two days once the automated inspection plan is in place.

Our in-house tool room and maintenance department support this standard long after a tool is running. Routine preventative maintenance and in-house repair capability mean a tool’s performance is protected instead of left to chance.

Environmentally Aware Manufacturing, Without Cutting Corners

Precision injection molding also means being accountable for what happens to material that does not end up in the finished part. Metro identified two specific areas where plastic could leave the plant and end up in waterways: pellets tracked outside on employees’ shoes, and improperly contained scrap.

In response, Metro implemented designated disposal barrels throughout the plant and stricter clean-up procedures on every shift, with all press operators responsible for removing plastic from the production floor. Metro also invested in an in-house plastic extruder and pelletizer. Runners and defective parts are reground, melted, cooled, and repelletized in-house, and that repelletized material is used in non-critical parts where virgin material is not required. This same equipment helped Metro maintain material supply for its customers during the 2021 resin shortage, when many other manufacturers were forced to scramble.

On-Time Deliveries Built on Process, Not Promises

Precision injection molding only matters to a customer if the parts arrive when they are needed. Metro’s production scheduling connects directly to our equipment for real-time tracking, and an experienced scheduler manages daily production meetings to keep orders moving and visible.

Because Metro maintains an in-house tool room, preventative maintenance and emergency repairs can happen quickly rather than waiting on a third party. That keeps unplanned downtime, and the delivery delays that come with it, to a minimum. Our customers require quality parts on time, every time, and Metro’s real-time quality evaluations are built to accommodate exactly that.

See What Precision Injection Molding Looks Like at Metro

Metro Plastics Technologies has been a growing plastic injection molding company since 1975. Our engineering team brings more than 100 years of combined experience to every project, and that experience shows up in the standards outlined above: a Metrology Lab built for accuracy, a tooling standard that leaves little to chance, environmentally aware production practices, and a scheduling process built for on-time delivery.

Our high standards hold us accountable, and we intend to keep it that way. Contact us to see how Metro’s approach to precision injection molding can support your next project.