John Wesley Hyatt succeeded in creating celluloid in 1870 and only two years later also invented injection molding, though it was very limited. It wasn’t until WWII came with unique challenges that James R W Hendry stepped up to deliver the world’s first screw injection machine. With this invention, metal components and plastic ones finally melded as one. But it’s not easy to combine molded plastics with metal inserts. Not just any metal insert will do. How can you choose the right one for your project? Keep reading to find out. When to Use Metal Inserts Metal inserts are used on a variety of molded plastics and other soft materials. Other applications for metal inserts are thin-wall products and brittle products. Whenever you have a base material that permanently deforms if overtightened, metal inserts are a good way around the problem. Threaded inserts are the most common form of metal insert used.  Threaded Metal Inserts for Molded Plastics Common materials used in metal inserts for molded plastic are brass, aluminum, and stainless steel. They also are ultrasonic, thermal, molded-in, and press-in types. What is remarkable about threaded inserts, aside from their versatility, is the range of sizes, textures, and shapes they can come in to suit almost any need. E-Z LOK threaded inserts for plastic are some of the best quality, size range, type, shape, and material inserts around. What Type of Insert Should I Use? Every project is different, so you should weigh the pros and cons of using particular insert types. They’re made for specific purposes, applications, and plastic materials. Press-in inserts are installed in pre-drilled or cored holes. They’re designed for both thermoplastics and thermoset. This versatility makes them ideal in situations like 3D printing. Aside from molded-in inserts, press-in inserts tend to be a good choice with thermoset. Ultrasonic inserts are installed using a high-frequency vibration tool that causes the plastic to soften. Once it cools, the insert is permanently fixed. Similar to this is “heat staking.” The insert goes into the material using a mounting hole with a thermal press. Like with ultrasonic inserts, when the plastic cools it’s permanently in place. There are pros and cons between the two, despite their similarity in reforming plastic using heat. The Difference Between Thermoset and Thermoplastic Thermoset plastics include polyurethane, melamine, polyester, fiberglass, and other resin-injected materials. Common thermoplastics include acrylic, polypropylene, polyethylene, PVC (polyvinyl chloride), and nylon. For thermoset plastics, press-in, self-tapping, and mold-in metal inserts are best. Heat staking and ultrasonic aren’t suitable for thermoset plastics. On the other hand, they may be the best option for thermoplastic. Thermoset plastic burns rather than melts, which is the main problem between thermal insertion and thermoset plastic. Metal Inserts for Molded Plastics: The Right Choice The world of molded plastics needs metal inserts. Plastic may be one of the most useful inventions of the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, but it can’t do everything. Now that you know how to choose the right metal insert for your plastic injection molding project, you may have other questions. Don’t worry, we have you covered with more manufacturing tips. Keep browsing to find more articles to get you through whatever you’re facing in your project.

Over the past few decades, businesses and individuals have been subjected to increased scrutiny by government and regulatory agencies. Over a seemingly typical course of operations, issues may arise that could potentially lead to fraud and abuse allegations. When auditors begin to arrive and investigate, it is best to have a white-collar defense team right by your side. Even if a company has not committed any wrongdoing, news of the investigation can lead to outside scrutiny, potentially causing tremendous obstacles. With an experienced white-collar defense team, a company or individual may be able to mitigate these issues, avoid additional problems, and ensure that any investigation runs as smoothly as possible. What Are Common White Collar Crimes? White-collar crime is an umbrella term used to describe a wide variety of nonviolent crimes generally committed in commercial settings for financial gains. A few examples of white-collar crimes are: Antitrust violations. Antitrust rules and regulations are set in place to protect competition within the marketplace. Examples of antitrust violations include price-fixing and bid-rigging. Bribery. Bribery occurs when there is corrupt solicitation, acceptance, or transfer of any item of value in exchange for a means of influencing the actions of an individual who holds a public or legal duty.  Credit card fraud. The United States has the highest rate of credit card fraud out of any other country in the world. Credit card fraud takes place when there is unauthorized utilization of another’s credit card information. Insider trading. Insider trading happens when an individual uses nonpublic or confidential information to trade a company’s stocks or other securities. Insurance fraud. Insurance fraud occurs when a duplicitous act is performed to obtain improper payment from an insurer. Money laundering. Money laundering is a financial transaction scheme that aims to hide the identity, source, and destination of unlawfully obtained funds. One of the most common types of money laundering is tax evasion. Securities fraud. Securities fraud involves theft through market manipulation, theft from securities accounts, and wire fraud. Tax evasion. Tax evasion schemes are used as a means of avoiding tax payments. This typically takes place when an individual or company misrepresents their income to the Internal Revenue Service. Are White Collar Crimes Criminal Or Civil? The potential punishment for committing a white-collar crime is particularly harsh, as it can potentially involve both civil and criminal penalties. Although, the majority of white-collar crimes lead to civil lawsuits. These lawsuits can be brought by the federal government, state government, or the victims of the offense. In addition to civil cases, defendants may find themselves facing criminal charges. After the FBI, SEC, NASD, and other applicable authorities investigate, charges are brought by federal prosecutors against the business or individual. With the stakes high, having a white-collar criminal defense team may help a company or individual avoid hefty fines and extensive prison sentences. In fact, in many cases, regulatory bodies may choose to settle a white-collar case prematurely in an effort to avoid draining financial resources in prosecuting futile actions. This most commonly takes place in non-criminal white-collar proceedings. Bottom line: While white-collar crimes can be both criminal and civil, the majority are civil, and many cases are settled outside of court. 

Business is coming out of a fallow season, as is society, and it’s bringing with it huge demands for infrastructure upgrades across energy, transport and housing. The Guardian has highlighted a sizable 6% surge in March 2021, with infrastructure pushing forward the industry alongside housing. What these figures fail to highlight is the increasing rate of accidents on construction sites stemming from huge demand. ConstructionNews.co.uk has found that construction site deaths have risen by a third over the past five years. Whether proportional to the worker population or not, that’s an unacceptable increase in risk and, indeed, rate. Welding comes central to some of these figures, and even when the construction site is safe, poorly completed welding can have a disastrous impact on the eventual users of the new infrastructure. Setting principles The need for high-quality welders has been shown in the long-awaited construction of nuclear plant Hinkley C. As the BBC highlights, aggressive recruitment has been undertaken to provide workers for the construction of the cutting-edge facility, with welders in high demand. Elsewhere, in East Anglia, the approval of other nuclear projects is being met with promises of further welding professional schemes to meet demand. For welders moving into the lucrative business of high-end welding, it’s important to first establish basic safety principles. Much of this will, of course, be covered in the course of learning the necessary skills to work on professional construction sites. What they can’t necessarily provide, however, is proper equipment, and in high-pressure environments, employers often overlook the need for the best quality safety kit. A welding table is a good example, with stable, bespoke items doing a better job for the safety of the employee and their colleagues than the kit often provided on site. Of course, equipment only forms one part of the safety equation, and in high-pressure work environments, workers must be aware of their rights. Overtime and flexibility In May 2020, Yorkshire Live reported on the tragic case of Zac Payne and Michael Morris. Both welders, they had died in a fatal car crash after their parent company failed to follow internal fatigue regulations. A £750,000 fine was ordered as a result. Companies must be aware of the rules and regulations they need to follow under HSE guidelines, and workers should be aware of what they can reasonably expect to work on and how much rest they need between jobs. Fatigue is often the key factor in mistakes – when it comes to infrastructure, this can have a disastrous impact not only on the employee, but the public, too, who use the infrastructure welders contribute to. Infrastructure damage The impact of hastily constructed projects was put into tragic view in Mexico City in May 2021. As Yahoo News UK outlines, poor quality welding, among other issues, led to the collapse of an overhead rail passage. As new infrastructure to supply the UK flies up across the country, lessons like this one are vitally important for project managers and contractors to bear in mind. It’s an exciting time for new builds, and getting the country back on the road to being fully functioning will be something to stake reputations on. However, this cannot be at the cost of human safety. This is what the welding issues boils down to – human safety. There are so many risks associated with welding, from the simple danger of the tools required to the danger of the related environments; welding is often required in electrical environments, for instance. Protecting the safety of workers is protecting their ability to do good work and, ultimately, deliver high quality construction projects.