If you changed your vehicle to a brand new model over the last 5 years, you probably noticed that your new ride of choice has a lot more plastic parts than the car you previously had. While many people instantly assume that plastic injection molding is being embraced only to lower costs at the expense of quality, the reason is quite different.

This trend is not exclusive to the car industry. It has also been adopted by many manufacturers all over the planet, from home appliances to the military. But why is this happening? What has been found on the technical side that's making numerous companies convert the metal to plastic in multiple devices? Let's take a moment to read the reasons behind this change:

Weight

Think for a moment about bulletproof vests. When these standard protection tools (used by policemen) were introduced a long time ago, they were lined with durable metals that took a toll on the maneuverability of the officer and made them more burdensome. It was the same thing with riot control operations equipment and most firearms.

These days armed forces use Kevlar, which is a near-impenetrable polymer that can take a direct hit from a bullet while giving the officer a full range of motion and adds no weight on him. The same principle applies to their equipment, also as motor vehicles, TV sets, and residential appliances: all of them become lighter and easier to handle.

Durability

Let's illustrate this with another easy example: take a minute to think about your home's pipes. Most houses have at least 5 sets of pipes lined on their walls: three for running water, one for electric wiring, and one for phone lines. In the past, the canals lined in most households were made of metal. The installation was protected, but the pipes were exposed to rust and corrosion.

The eventual degradation created problems in the property, such as humidity, leaking, and many more issues. Modern houses are lined with plastic pipes since the PVC used on them won't degrade or be damaged by a few years. This same principle applies to most mechanical parts found in today's technology: it's supposed to extend your devices.

Enhanced Features

It has been an extended road for several industries to know this, but most of the metal conversions to plastic parts need to do with the improved features of many devices once they begin to use plastics.

Many polymers out there leave increased dimensional stability. They reduce noise. The proper mixture of compounds makes anything through with polymers way more durable and less dense.

There is no risk of electrical shocks, the parts or devices can withstand high temperatures, and they are protected from chemicals and environmental factors. Last but not least is the fact that plastics are indeed much cheaper than any metal out there, making them some of the most desirable raw materials to work with.