Davies Molding Blog — Insights on Custom Plastic Molding, Knobs & Handles

Having the right color part is very important for many applications that require knobs, either because it is functional, industry or product specific, or for appearance. The standard color for phenolic material is black. Other colors are available, but usually cost more. Red is the second most popular phenolic knob color, typically used for ball or lever knobs.  

Unlike thermoset phenolic, thermoplastic materials have a very wide range of available colors. In many cases you can match your color target exactly to a PMS number.

There are a variety of plastic knobs that are particularly suited for manual valve controls.  Bart/T knobs are the most popular plastic knobs used for manual valve control applications. Here are examples of different shapes of bar knobs available.  

Davies Molding specializes in insert molding which means loading inserts (threaded fasteners) directly into components as plastic solidifies around the mounting. This process maximizes torque strength for demanding requirements. We stock thousands of inserts to minimize lead times, including both screw-machined parts and cold-headed studs. For food service equipment manufacturers, we stock stainless steel inserts that are FDA approved.  Here is a list of the 6 most popular inserts:

We have a long history of manufacturing plastic knobs, especially phenolic plastic knobs.  But we also mold phenolic custom plastic parts, such as the plastic butterfly valve for the oil & gas industry. We started manufacturing butterfly valves a few years ago because the company that needed them got fed up with their overseas vendor. 

Quality needs to continue even after your plastic knob or plastic handle has been made.  Improperly packaged parts can cause defective goods, resulting in lost manufacturing time and lost revenue. Davies Molding provides a variety of packaging requirements such as bagging, layer packaging, clamshell or blister packaging, and bar code labeling to make sure your plastic knobs and handles arrive securely packed the way you need it.  Here is a list of some specialized packaging for plastic knobs and handles:

In 1933, the Harry Davies Molding Company began with only seven molding presses and three punch presses, located in downtown Chicago. This 1960's picture, in front of the molding facility at 1428 N. Wells St., lists the phenolic material molded at that time:

Phenolic Material

• Bakelite
• Beetle
• Durez
• Durite
• Makalot
• Plaskon
• Resinox.

On October 4, Davies Molding will join other US manufacturers in celebrating National Manufacturers’ Day  It's our chance to highlight the importance of manufacturing to the American economy and draw attention to the many rewarding high-skill jobs to be found in manufacturing.  Davies Molding is hosting a Facility Tour on Friday, October 4 as part of the National Manufacturing Day celebration. We are inviting students from local schools to participate and learn about real career opportunities in working for a thermoset molding company. Facility tours will be scheduled 9:30 -10:30 a.m. and 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. on October 4, and will consist of 5-10 students per group.  Participants will tour the facility, meet with members of our management team to answer questions, and enjoy refreshments.

Insert Molding is a plastic-metal parts production process that combines metal components, such as contacts, cast metal, metal stampings, nuts, screw machine parts, screws, shafts, etc., with a thermoplastic or thermoset material (or multiple materials) into one single unit.