Using Adhesives to Bond Plastics in the Appliance Industry
There are several reasons plastic materials are considered for integration into new designs.
For decades, appliance designers have used plastic materials to solve engineering challenges in design capabilities, labor and material costs. Polymeric materials can be used in a number of different applications, including refrigerator/freezer interiors, the outer drum in washing machines, and dishwasher racks and baskets. This trend is continuing to expand across the industry as more types of plastic materials and plastic components are incorporated into the designs of new appliance models.
There are several reasons plastic materials are considered for integration into new designs. For applications that have exposure to water, replacing steel parts with plastic components can reduce corrosion. This is particularly important in washers and dishwashers, where the use of soap or detergents increases the corrosive potential of water. The negative effects of corrosion can be addressed by coating steel or using stainless steel, but plastics are an effective material solution that can often reduce component cost.