Extruded Plastic Profile Shapes

September 7, 2023
Plastic Extrusion

Extruded Plastic Profile Shapes

The choice of plastic profile shapes plays a significant role in various industries due to their versatility and functionality. The ability to create specific profile shapes offers several advantages including:

  • Versatility in Meeting Specific Design Requirements
    • Extruded plastic profiles can be customized to meet precise design specifications, allowing manufacturers to create components that fit unique applications. This versatility enables the production of products with complex geometries and tailored functionalities.
  • Enhancing Structural Integrity and Functionality
    • Different profile shapes provide varying degrees of structural support, load-bearing capacity, and functional features. By selecting the appropriate profile shape, manufacturers can optimize the end product’s strength, stability, and performance.
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Acrylic Tubes

June 29, 2023
Plastic Extrusion

Introduction

Acrylic tubing, or plexiglass tubing, is a type of tubing made from a transparent thermoplastic material called polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). It can be easily fabricated into various shapes and sizes, allowing for customization to meet specific requirements. Due to this versatility and other beneficial properties, it is widely used in various industries including manufacturing, construction, and transportation.

In this article, we will discuss the advantages of acrylic tubing, various types of acrylic tubing, the manufacturing process of acrylic tubing, applications of acrylic tubing, and how to care for your acrylic tubing products.

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Nylon Tubing

April 5, 2023
Plastic Extrusion

Introduction

Nylon tubing is a type of plastic tubing made from nylon polymers using extrusion. Nylon was first developed in the 1930s by the DuPont Company as a replacement for silk in stockings. However, its unique properties, such as high tensile strength and chemical resistance, made it a popular material for many other applications.

The development of nylon tubing followed shortly after the invention of nylon itself, and it was first used in the automotive industry for fuel lines and brake lines in the 1940s. Nylon tubing quickly gained popularity due to its excellent chemical resistance, pressure rating, and durability.

Over time, nylon tubing has been developed and improved to meet the changing needs of various industries. In addition, new formulations of nylon have been created to enhance its properties, such as increasing flexibility and reducing water absorption.

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Man on the phone looking at Petro Extrusion website custom ordering

Custom Ordering Process

June 25, 2015
Ordering

The custom order process for a custom extruded part, be it a profile or a tube, requires that the customer specify the general size requirements for the part, along with tolerance requirements, color specifications, material selection, etc. Once these requirements have been established, the customer is quoted according to the specs, along with any tooling requirements, and special exceptions, if any.

When the customer places an order, we first must determine if it is a profile or a tubing order. If it is a profile order, it must be determined if it is an existing tool, or a new tool job. If it is an existing tool job, then we would process the order specifying the material selection, the color, length, part size, and packaging requirements.

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Clear plastic profiles resting on blue background

Common Uses for Plastic Channels

June 25, 2015
Channels

Types of Plastic Channels

Plastic channels are used in a variety of applications ranging from industrial use machine rail guides or protectors (Nylon, PVC, PC, PE, PP, ABS), to pool liner clips (PE), price tag moldings (Acrylic, PC), and decorative edge trims (Acrylic, PVC, Nylon).

Polycarbonate(PC)

Used for applications requiring high impact resistance, smooth surface quality, and colorability. Polycarbonate has excellent surface smoothness, with a glossy finish. Typical profiles include pricing channels, corner protectors, and edge trims.

PVC

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2 plastic extrusion molds behind green, red, blue, black, and white polymeric compounds

How Plastic Is Extruded

March 31, 2015
Plastic Extrusion

Plastic is extruded by melting polymeric compounds, forced through a die opening, at the front end of the extruder, by way of a melt and transfer screw conveyance system.

The process begins by adding a specific raw material compound, as dictated by the job specifications, into a hopper located above the screw opening at the rear of the extruder. The screw, and barrel that contains the screw, are heated, and melt the polymer in a gradual staging process, as the screw moves the material forward toward the front of the extruder.

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