News

  • Solving Structural Challenges with Molded Plastic Enclosures

    Molded plastic enclosures often do more than cover internal components. In many industrial applications, they need to protect and support hardware, resist impact, hold their shape, and maintain a clean appearance. Once those requirements start stacking up, enclosure design becomes a structural challenge rather than a simple housing decision. Part size tends to bring more […]

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  • Why American-Made Manufacturing Still Matters for OEMs

    American-made manufacturing still matters for OEMs because it puts control back where it belongs: closer to the teams responsible for performance, timelines, and product launches. Long-distance supply chains can work for certain programs, but many OEMs have learned that distance often adds friction: lead times stretch; communication slows down; changes take longer to implement. For […]

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  • How Structural Foam Enhances Strength Without Excess Weight

    Industrial components are under constant pressure to perform. Large housings, bases, and enclosures must carry load, resist impact, and hold dimensional tolerances over years of use. At the same time, added mass can create downstream challenges in handling, shipping, and assembly. Structural foam molding offers a practical way to increase stiffness and durability without adding […]

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  • From CAD to Production: How DeKALB Supports Design Optimization

    A CAD file may look complete on screen, but production readiness is another story. Geometry, material behavior, tooling strategy, and long-term performance all influence whether a part performs the way it was intended. In structural foam and gas assist molding, those considerations matter even more. As a company, DeKALB is focused on accountability, collaboration, and […]

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  • Choosing the Right Material for Structural Foam & Gas Assist Molding

    Material choice influences nearly every aspect of a molded part, from structural strength to cosmetic finish. For structural foam and gas assist molding, selecting the right thermoplastic is essential to getting the most from the process. Each resin behaves differently under pressure, heat, and flow conditions, which means material decisions must be grounded in performance, […]

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  • Reducing Tooling Costs with Low-Pressure Structural Foam Molding

    Tooling decisions carry serious weight in the early stages of product development. For large plastic parts, traditional high-pressure injection molds are expensive, slow to produce, and difficult to revise once they’re in place. That level of investment doesn’t always align with the project’s scale, especially when volumes are moderate or designs may evolve over time. […]

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  • Preparing for 2026: Innovations in Structural Foam Molding

    Low-pressure structural foam molding continues to evolve as OEM expectations shift toward stronger, lighter, and more cost-effective large parts. Advances in materials, smarter tooling strategies, and enhanced process controls are shaping the way teams plan programs for 2026. Structural foam and gas assist are both seeing steady, practical advancements, especially in areas tied to efficiency […]

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  • Choosing Between Gas Assist and Structural Foam Molding

    Choosing the best molding process for a plastic part comes down to more than material specs or equipment availability. It’s about aligning performance goals with the right approach to molding. At DeKALB Molded Plastics, two proven methods – gas assist molding and structural foam molding – offer distinct advantages depending on your project’s design, cost, […]

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