Applied Plastics is an industry-leader for custom plastic extrusions. Equipped with 22 extrusion lines, we can manufacture extruded plastic components in a variety of diameters, thicknesses, and lengths to suit virtually any application. Whether you need tubes, rods, or specialty profiles, we’ve got you covered!
Extruded Plastic Tubing & Profiles
The Applied Plastics experts can provide custom plastic extrusion solutions to customers in a wide range of industries.
What Is the Plastic Extrusion Process?
Plastic extrusion is a manufacturing process that utilizes heat and pressure to form the desired components. The plastic material is first heated and melted within a long heated chamber (i.e., the extruder). A revolving screw within the extruder pushes the material forward as it melts, eventually forcing molten material through a small opening (i.e., the die). The opening is shaped like the cross-section of the desired component. As the material flows through the opening, it takes on this shape. The shaped material then feeds onto a conveyor belt, where it goes through a cooling process, typically from a sizer, until it needs to undergo further processing, such as being cut to size.
Applications of Plastic Extrusions
Plastic extrusion can be shaped into many forms. Some of the most common are tubes, rods, and specialty profiles. Extruded plastic tubing finds use in many industrial and commercial applications, including as components of medical devices, fencing, deck railings, houses, furniture, automobiles, and more. Rods are often machined into equipment components, such as bearings, gaskets, and seals. Specialty profiles can be formed into various shapes and sizes to suit different product assemblies or application requirements, such as bumpers, covers, dividers, lenses, and trims.
We also offer design, tooling, and inventory management services. These value-added services allow customers to rely on us as a one-stop source for all custom plastic extrusion needs.
Advantages of the Plastic Extrusion Process
Compared to other plastic manufacturing processes, extrusion offers a number of advantages that make it better suited for certain projects. For example:
- It is fast. The extrusion process is highly efficient at producing components with continuous shapes. They can be made to various lengths and in small or large quantities.
- It is versatile. The process can be used to form many shapes in different materials, colors, textures, thicknesses, and lengths. This quality provides designers and engineers with greater freedom with creating a component design.
- It can be improved. The materials used in extrusion operations can have various additives included that improve the properties of the extruded components. For example, the additives can affect durability, surface friction, or fire resistance.
- It is cost-efficient. The tooling utilized for extrusion operations is often much cheaper than the tooling used during other plastic manufacturing operations.
- It can accommodate multiple materials. Co-extrusion utilizes two or more extrusion units to feed different materials through a single die head. This extrusion method is ideal for products that require layers of different materials. For example, some companies may use a cheaper material at the core and a higher quality material on the outer surface of a product to lower production costs.
Applied Plastics: Your Partner and Expert for Custom Plastic Extrusions
Looking for a manufacturing partner for your custom plastic extrusion needs? Turn to the experts at Applied Plastics! We can create tubing of all sizes in diameters up to nearly 8 inches, solid rods in diameters up to ½ inch, and specialty profiles up to 12 inches wide and .750 inches in wall thickness. To learn more about our capabilities and how we can serve you, contact us today.