Are Plastic Extrusions Right for You?
Leave a CommentPlastic extrusions involve a process used to create parts with a fixed cross-sectional profile. Specifically, the process involves forcing molten plastic material through a die, which forms the polymer into a continuous shape that is cooled and cut to the desired length.
At Applied Plastics, we provide plastic extruded rods, profiles, and tubing to meet the needs of various industries and applications. In this blog post, we will outline some of the key industries that benefit from plastic extrusions and why.
Industries that Rely on Plastic Extrusions
Many industries benefit from the use of plastic extruded tubes, profiles, and rods. These industries include:
Agriculture
Plastic extrusions are becoming increasingly popular for various farming and agriculture operations. Extruded plastic siding and trim products offer a clean and attractive look for barns, storage facilities, and other agricultural facilities. These products do not require the same level of maintenance as wood and can be easily cleaned to ensure compliance with strict agricultural standards.
Automotive
The strong and durable nature of plastic extrusions makes them a great choice for the automotive industry. Plastic extrusions are also resistant to harsh environments and chemicals, lightweight, corrosion and heat resistant, electrically and thermally insulating, and available in various shapes and sizes to suit different automotive applications. Common uses for plastic extrusions in the automotive industry include interior and exterior trim profiles, window seals, wire insulation, and more.
Construction
Plastic extruded profiles, tubes, and rods are long-lasting, flexible, strong, and corrosion-resistant, making them ideal for various construction applications. For example, plastic extrusions are becoming increasingly popular for roofing applications since they don’t corrode and are easy to replace compared to traditional metal materials. Other construction applications for extruded plastic parts include electric pipe casings, wall trim, window panes, and more.
Medical
The medical industry relies on plastic extrusion to create medical tubing from materials such as PVC, TPU, and TPE. Extruded plastic tubing is especially beneficial for the medical industry as it provides flexible, easy to clean, and heat resistant products that can withstand the rigors of various healthcare applications. Examples of extruded medical tubing include feeding tubes, catheters, cannulas, IVs, and ventilators.
Additionally, plastic extrusions can be relied upon to assist in the manufacturing of toys, furniture, sporting goods, lawn & garden products, and housewares!
Extruded Plastic Tubes, Profiles, and Rods
At Applied Plastics, we have 22 extrusion lines, granting us the ability the create extruded products for various applications and industries. Our product offerings include:
- Tubing. Plastic tubing can be either solid or flexible and can be produced in a variety of thicknesses, diameters, lengths, and colors to suit specific applications. We can produce tubing up to 8’’ in diameter, with wall thicknesses from under .010″ to over .750″ and lengths ranging from .25’’ to over 30’. Our tubing capabilities also include special packaging options.
- Profiles. We offer profile shapes with wall sections up to 3/4’’ in thickness, widths up to 12’’, and lengths up to 35’. We can create extruded profiles in transparent or custom colors from a range of commodity and engineering materials.
- Solid Rods. We can extrude plastic rods up to 1/2’’ in diameter, with materials such as polyethylene, polyester, and polypropylene. Our solid rods are available with custom colors and special additives to meet the needs of various industries.
Contact Applied Plastics
Plastic extruded tubing, profiles, and rods offer a range of beneficial properties that make them suitable for use across various industries. At Applied Plastics, we have the necessary experience and skills to develop custom solutions to meet your exact extrusion needs, no matter how difficult or challenging they may be. To learn more about our custom extrusion capabilities, contact us today or check out our blog for more information.