We offer a complete range of resin systems. We mold polyester, vinyl ester, phenolic and epoxy. With our knowledge of chemistry, we can tailor the formula to meet or exceed your requirements. We have resin formulations that comply with the stringent requirements of Public Transit, ASTM E162/E662 ( Flammability and smoke emission ). The SMC we use in compression molding has glass content high as 65%.

Pickens Plastics uses three different materials to make their compression molds: aluminum, nickel shell and steel. Part configuration can influence what material we use, but the availability of different materials allows us to tailor the costs of tooling to the budget of our customers.

Our tooling flexibility allows us to pass savings along to our clients as their demand grows. By starting out with open molds to help get them established in the marketplace, then shifting to compression tooling as the demand for their product increases, we become partners in their success as they grow and develop the business. In many cases, switching from open molds to compression molds can cut unit costs in half. Thus, the additional tooling costs associated with switching are often recouped within a year or less.

Molding reinforced plastic parts is only the first leg of the journey. We also can provide secondary operations that include CNC machining, finishing, assembly, painting and post- curing. For example, we were able to paint parts using over 100 different colors with a urethane base coat/clear coat system for one customer. We support these operations by employing the following equipment.

Two five-axis CNC machining centers

Pickens Plastics owns a water jet trimmer with a 19' diameter working area and a vertical axis of 4', Our other equipment is a mechanical, two-head matching center with a 5' by 10' by 2' working envelope. Both machines are repeatable to .010. This results in parts with tolerances not obtainable if trimmed by hand, at a fraction of the cost of hand trimming.