Extrusion is the process of pushing hot material through a form or die creating a continuous profile such as a tube. The hollow section of a tube is usually extruded by placing a pin or mandrel inside of the die and in most cases positive pressure is applied to the internal cavities through the pin. The new product requires cooling and this is achieved using a water bath. The water bath is in a vacuumed controlled environment to keep the tube from collapsing. Common tube shapes are round, square and triangular, but can be almost any shape as long as it is continuous. Various materials can be extruded. Raw material used to produce our clear tubes are typically PETG, PET, or propionate.
Engineering and Prototypes
When we receive your specifications, our engineering staff utilizes their expertise to explore all possibilities in determining the best material and the best process for the project. Our goal is to design your part in the most cost effective manner and to design it to deliver the highest level of performance required.
Design
Not only do we have over 50 years of design experience, but we utilize some of the most sophisticated design and manufacturing software. We've grown in CAD CAM technology beginning in the early years of AutoCAD, then Pro-Engineer software.
Tooling
Collaborating with all our locations, we work seamlessly using PTC Creo and Siemens NX programs to seamlessly integrate the tooling fabrication process.
Prototypes
In addition, we produce many prototypes using our 3D printers, which can save time getting your product to market. Prototypes can be prepared for engineering and marketing tests.
The Equipment
An extruder consists of a hopper for feeding in the raw materials, the heating section where the material is melted into the desired consistency, a section for transferring the material through the die and finally a cooling section for the end product. Although this is very general and each section employs many fine details for producing quality products it is the die that is responsible for creating the different sizes and shapes. One machine can easily be used for several products simply by swapping out the die.
Our Specialty
Clear plastic tubing has been the central focus of our plastic extrusion process and as the largest extruder of PETG tubing in the USA our selection of sizes and wall thickness options are unmatched in the industry. This is especially so with our unique PermaSeal™ tube, which has one permanently closed end and is among the highest quality packaging tube containers on the market.
Benefits of Extrusion
Extrusion is typically a very economical manufacturing option due to its efficiency and small amount of material waste. This process is used for all types of tubing as well as seals and fiber optic cable.
Most Economical Choice
Highly Efficient Process
