I've definitely seen something similar happen with outdoor furniture. A while back, I worked on a small cafe patio project where the owners initially went for these budget-friendly molded resin chairs. They looked great at first, but after just a few months exposed to sun and rain, they started cracking and losing flexibility. We ended up replacing them with slightly pricier chairs that the supplier said had UV stabilizers and weather-resistant additives. Honestly, the difference was night and day—the new chairs held up beautifully through multiple seasons.
From what I've gathered talking to suppliers, manufacturers tend to choose additives based on intended use and target market. Budget products often skip or minimize these additives to keep costs down, while higher-end items will include UV stabilizers or impact modifiers to extend lifespan and maintain appearance. So yeah, I'd agree it's probably less about molding technique itself and more about the resin formulation and additives chosen...
Good points about additives making a bigger difference than the molding method itself. I've noticed something similar with outdoor lighting fixtures—cheaper resin housings fade and crack pretty quickly, while pricier ones with UV protection hold up way better. Makes me wonder though, does casting or injection molding affect how evenly these additives distribute through the material? Could that maybe influence durability over time...?
"Makes me wonder though, does casting or injection molding affect how evenly these additives distribute through the material?"
That's a really interesting question. From what I've seen, injection molding tends to mix additives pretty evenly because of the high pressure and heat involved—it forces everything to blend thoroughly. Casting, on the other hand, might sometimes lead to uneven distribution if the mixture isn't stirred consistently or if it cools unevenly. I wonder if that's part of why some cheaper cast resin products seem to degrade faster outdoors...?
"I wonder if that's part of why some cheaper cast resin products seem to degrade faster outdoors...?"
Interesting point about outdoor degradation—I hadn't considered uneven mixing as a factor there, but it makes sense. I've noticed some cast outdoor furniture pieces start to discolor unevenly after a season or two. Could uneven additive distribution contribute to that patchy fading effect, or is UV exposure alone enough to cause those inconsistencies? Seems like it could be a combination of both factors...
