When you hear the words “plastic extrusions,” your world will not stop and you might just go on with your life. The words sounds very technical that you think only engineers and astronauts are the only ones who use and benefit from them. You’ll be surprised to know that since childhood, you have used a number of plastic extrusions in your life. From the most mundane items to the ones designed for a specific technical purpose, plastic extrusions are ubiquitous. You don’t even have to look for them just to find them. The wire insulations that protect you from getting electrocuted are plastic extrusions. The adhesive tapes in your drawer are plastic extrusions. Others include your window frames, the pipes and tubings in your bathroom, the slide-in folder strips in your study room, and the cable ducts on your walls. If you’re holding a pen right now, it’s housing might have also been produced through plastic extrusion.
Plastic extrusion can refer to the final product or the manufacturing process of producing a long object by pushing a billet and drawing it through a die. Molten plastic material is pushed through a calibration system. The die shapes the plastic into the desired design.
Various types of plastics can be used in this process. Each has its own strengths and advantages. One of the plastics that can be used in extrusion is high impact styrene (HIS), which has a uniform matte finish. It is also cost effective and can be easily colored. It also has good resistance to impact. Extrusions made of HIS plastics are perfect for indoor applications.
Another example of plastic that can be used in extrusion is rigid vinyl (R/PVC). It is moderately priced and very versatile. It is available in transparent to opaque colors with a lustrous finish. It is a tough plastic and is often used in both indoor and outdoor applications.
Other examples include butyrate (CAB) plastic extrusions, which provide clear, high gloss finish; polyethylene (PE) extrusions, which are very flexible, and can be coiled and spooled; flexible vinyl (F/PVC); acrylic or plexiglass, polypropylene (PP), and K-Resin plastic extrusions.