Plastic is one of the most versatile manufacturing materials available for industrial, commercial, and consumer goods. Plastic extrusion is an equally versatile manufacturing method used to create precisely shaped goods and parts. During this process, manufacturers melt plastic flakes, granules, pellets, or powders into a liquid. Then, a gravity feed system forces the plastics through a die, down the extrusion line where it is cooled and formed into intended shape.
Plastic extrusion facilitates high-volume production of plastic goods in continuous processes that require a consistent cross-section. These applications include profiles, rods, and tubing, which can be cut to size after the material is forced into the right shape. For example, plastic extrusion processes form poly siphon tubes for hydroponics, irrigation, and agriculture.
Benefits And Capabilities Of The Plastic Extrusion Process
Plastic extrusion can create long profiles or lengths of material with a consistent cross-section. That means the process can quickly create high-quality products requiring two-dimensional specifications.
The extrusion process works with a wide variety of thermoplastics and finishing processes can coil, cut, notch, or punch the material to meet specific design requirements. While the plastic extrusion process sounds simple, it is used to create complex products like medical tubing.
Inline Plastics serves a wide range of industries with our plastic extrusion capabilities. These include:
- Appliances
- Consumer goods
- Electrical applications
- Electronics
- Fitness
- Furniture
- HVAC
- Lawn and garden
- Lighting
- Marine
- Medical
- Transportation
- Signage
- Agriculture
- Sporting goods
- Hydroponics
- Aquatics/Pool supply
Applications Of Plastic Extrusion
At Inline Plastics, we use multiple different extrusion methods to create required product profiles. We use anti-static, co-extrusion, foamed profile, and single-screw processes. We can also create small or large profiles with different shapes and sizes ranging from 0.018″-6.00″ inches in diameter.
Our manufacturing capabilities include creating plastic extrusions with:
- Enclosed profiles
- Hollow profiles
- Open profiles
- U/H/C/T channels
Inline Plastics works with 20+ different types of thermoplastics. Some of the most common include:
- Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)
- Acrylic
- Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA)
- High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE)
- Polycarbonate
- Polypropylene
- Polystyrene
- Polyurethane
- PVC, Flexible and Rigid
We support all run types, such as prototypes, low- and high-volume runs, and large-scale ongoing production. Extrusions may also be created with custom properties such as flexibility, flame-retardant capabilities, high-temperature performance, and resistance to water and impact damage, food-grade standards, and foams. Other finishing services include varying levels of gloss, metallic finishes, and faux wood grain designs.
Some industries, such as the food and beverage or medical sectors, require special handling and regulations for all plastic products. Our selection of materials includes:
- FDA-certified materials (food and beverage, medical, and more)
- RoHS-approved materials (electrical and electronics)
- Class VI radiation sterilizable plastics (medical)
- NSF-approved and UL-compliant materials (water, spa, high humidity, and more)
Additionally, all projects have a quality control manager to ensure all applicable regulations and testing requirements are met. Our team uses CMM inspection and Go/No Go gauges to ensure products meet dimensional specifications within tight tolerances.
Inline Plastics also offers machining, finishing, and packaging services for all orders. These services include:
- Bonding
- Drilling
- Hot Stamping
- Milling
- Punching
- Staking
- Taping
- Tooling
- Assembly
- Design for Manufacturability (DFM)
- Packaging
Inline Plastics, Inc. And Plastic Extrusion
Inline Plastics has been an industry leader in high-quality plastic extrusion, die development, and quality control for more than 75 years. We put our knowledge and experience to work to create precise products that meet even the most complex specifications. We’ve created extrusions for a broad spectrum of applications ranging from beer bongs to medical tubing.
Contact our team today or request a quote to learn more about our plastic extrusion capabilities and our wide selection of thermoplastic materials.
