Custom plastic extrusion is a cost-effective way to create products that are built to last, while still tailored to your specific requirements.
Learn more about custom plastic extrusion from Custom Profile as we detail the process, discuss the benefits, and cover key applications.
Custom Plastic Extrusion: The Process
Profile extrusion is a specific type of plastic extrusion that focuses on creating continuous shaped profiles with a constant cross-section, like tubes, window trims, and decorative moldings. Profile extrusion generally does not refer to the production of flat sheets or films.
Profile extrusion processes include six critical steps, starting with design and ending with finishing.
Design and Material Selection
The design stage is one of the most important parts of the profile extrusion process. Getting the design right reduces the likelihood of required reworks and optimizes the project.
There are numerous materials to choose from for profile extrusion services — Custom Profile offers many different types and grades of polymers to suit your applications.
Feeding and Melting
Materials start off as pellets or granules that are fed into a hopper, which takes the pellets into an extruder barrel. The extrusion process happens when a rotating screw pushes the material forward for heating. The built-in heating devices begin to melt the pellets into a semi-solid state as they flow to the next stage of the manufacturing cycle.
Filtering
While not every manufacturer may do this, filtering is a key way to ensure quality before the final component is produced. A screen and barrier plate remove any contaminants and allow for clean material to pass through.
By removing potentially harmful or contaminated materials, it helps ensure your product remains internally clean and protected from agents that could cause deterioration even before use.
Shaping
This is where the melted plastic transforms into the designed shape. As the melted pellets move throughout the extrusion machine, they flow through a die and downline tooling that’s custom-made to match your exact specifications.
Cooling and Sizing
While there are multiple ways to cool products, the profile extrusion process often utilizes cooling tanks. Products have to be cooled down in order to solidify, and this also helps with internal stress relief and stabilizes dimensions.
Cutting and Finishing
Following the cooling and sizing process, optional in-line finishing operations such as taping, film application, punching, and inkjet printing can be performed.
The final step of every profile extrusion process is to cut the continuous piece into an appropriate, pre-determined length.
Depending on the design, volume and material selection, additional secondary services may include assembly, CNC routing, punching, bending, chamfering, ultrasonic welding, sawing, or kitting.
Custom Plastic Extrusion: The Benefits
While it’s a custom service, the continuous nature of the process results in less waste, which lowers costs.
Custom plastic extrusion services offer immense design flexibility and can handle more complex shapes once the melted polymers have cooled. It’s important to have the design pinned down before production, however, to limit potential defects and misshaping.
Custom plastic extrusion offers expansive material selection, but it’s important to know your product’s intended application to select the proper material.
Lastly, custom products undergo thorough and rigorous quality control checks to ensure the product is created to design specifications and doesn’t have any defects.
Custom Plastic Extrusion: Common Applications
The construction industry uses custom options to create solutions like window & door frames, seals & gaskets, conduits, wall & ceiling trims, and cable management systems. Extruded plastics are even used as spacers, thermal breaks, and insulation supports to enhance the energy efficiency of buildings.
The furniture industry uses custom plastic extrusion for decorative profiles & moldings, drawer slides & glides, T-molding, cable management, office wall systems, and modular furniture.
Medical professionals use custom plastic extrusion products every day in devices such as catheters and IV lines, as well as cleanroom components.
Some consumer goods include sporting goods, shower seals, weatherstrips, decking accessories, and appliance components like handles, hoses, and display & shelving trims.
Contact Custom Profile Today for Our Trusted Profile Extrusion Process
Custom Profile is one of North America’s leading custom plastic extrusion manufacturers. With multiple industries served since 1992, we have plants located in Grand Rapids, MI; Camden, SC; and Juarez, Mexico, to meet your company’s needs.
Backed by decades of extrusion expertise, we design and build our tooling in-house and specialize in high-volume, custom production. Our knowledgeable staff partners with you to choose the best materials and optimize your part design for smoother runs and superior results.
Connect with us and discover what custom really means by partnering with Custom Profile.