Custom Polymer Extrusion Types: Their Processes, Benefits, and More

At Custom Profile, we’ve specialized in a variety of custom polymer extrusion types for over 30 years. This guide is designed to give you an overview of the different types, benefits, and applications of polymer extrusions, such as profile extrusions, sheet extrusions, and more.

Polymer Extrusion Types 

Some of the main polymer extrusion types include:

• Profile extrusion: Used to create continuous plastic shapes like tubes, pipes, gaskets, hoses, and seals.
• Sheet extrusion: Forces plastic through a flat die to create a continuous flat sheet, which can be used for a variety of purposes.
• Film extrusion: Similar to sheet extrusion, plastic used for film extrusion also goes through a flat die but is pressed much thinner to create film, which is used for applications like packaging or bags.
• Tubing extrusion: Used to make continuous hollow plastic products like pipes, straws, and tubes.
• Co-extrusion: A highly versatile polymer extrusion type, co-extrusion is used to create multi-layered products by using two or more materials simultaneously through one die.
• Crosshead extrusion: Typically used for encasing metal or wires in polymer for coating.
• Tri-extrusion: Similar to co-extrusion, which can combine two or more polymers, tri-extrusion is used to combine three compatible polymers at a time.

Processes

While manufacturing protocols are slightly different for various polymer extrusion types, they still follow a similar four-step process.

Step 1: Material Preparation

Before any shaping can take place, the materials for each product must first be prepared. This starts with polymer granules, which are placed into a container called a hopper. The hopper will hold and store the unprocessed polymer and continuously feed it into the extruder, which will shape the polymer.

Step 2: Melting and Mixing

Once the polymer has been fed into the extruder, the extruder will begin to heat up to melt the plastic. Sometimes this stage of the process also includes additives, which will be mixed in with the polymer.

Step 3: Formation

Next, the melted polymer substance will be pushed through a die, which will shape it into the correct polymer extrusion type.

Step 4: Cooling and Finishing

Lastly, the finished polymer product will have to come down to temperature. This cooling process may utilize water, air, or contact with a cool work surface. After the plastic has cooled, any finishing steps or alterations will be completed before it’s ready to be shipped.

Benefits

The polymer extrusion process offers a variety of benefits, including:

• Reduced costs: Polymer extrusion is more efficient than other methods and cuts down on wasted material, saving money on production and lost time.
• Design flexibility: Compared to other methods, polymer extrusion can be used to create more complex custom shapes and designs.
• Material flexibility: Polymer extrusion can utilize a variety of plastics, as well as additives, making it an extremely versatile manufacturing method for plastic parts.
• High production rates: Polymer extrusion methods are very efficient because they are continuous, cutting down on wasted time and increasing overall production volumes.
• Post-extrusion alterations: For a while after production, the materials used in polymer extrusion remain flexible, allowing for adjustments and alterations.

Overall, polymer extrusion is highly efficient in terms of time, material use, and versatility, making it the preferred production method for a variety of industries.

Applications

These different polymer extrusion types are widely used across myriad industries. For example, most wire coatings are applied through crosshead extrusion, and everything from drink straws to medical tubing is created through tubing extrusion.

Here are just a few industries that utilize various extrusion types in their everyday applications.

Construction

Most plastic construction materials are made through polymer extrusion, like window frames, cladding, roofing materials, and more.

Automotive

Automobiles require a lot of plastic components and wiring, which means polymer extrusion services are in high demand in this industry. Everything from a car’s exterior trim to gaskets can be supplied through plastic extrusion.

Appliance

Polymer extrusion is used for a wide variety of applications in appliances, but especially for covering wires and supplying tubing.

Medical

All medical tubing is produced through polymer extrusion, as are many other plastic devices and their packaging.

Packaging

Everything from grocery bags to plastic containers can be produced through polymer extrusion.

For more than 30 years, Custom Profile has specialized in various plastic extrusion types, including profile extrusion, tubing extrusion, crosshead extrusion, tri-extrusion, and more. If you’re looking for a partner for your plastic extrusion project, we would love to hear more about your needs through our contact form here. To learn more about plastic extrusion, review our blog here.