Each method is intended to create a different kind of plastic shape. Molding, for example, is the process best suited for the creation of complex, discrete products. Read More…
Leading Manufacturers
Preferred Plastics, Inc.
Plainwell, MI | 269-783-4068Preferred Plastics is an ISO 9001:2000-certified custom plastic extruder, specializing in rigid, flexible & co-extruded products, including extruded tubing.
SFR Industries Inc.
Cadott, WI | 800-369-9410Since 1978, SFR has been a leader in custom plastic profile extrusions, specializing in vinyl polymers for a variety of industries ranging from commercial furniture and store fixtures to industrial applications.
Absolute Custom Extrusions, Inc.
Milwaukee, WI | 414-332-8133We have a long history of providing plastic extrusions. We will proudly serve you and we are committed to quality customer service. Our plastic extrusions are used in industries ranging from automotive to medical.
Petro Extrusion Technologies, Inc.
Middlesex, NJ | 800-229-3338Petro specializes in plastic extrusions, offering our customers many capabilities, such as customized shapes & extruded tubing, along with tape application, coiling & angle cutting.
Pexco
Johns Creek, GA | 770-777-8540As our name suggests, we are a leading custom extruder of plastic shrink tubing, flexible and rigid tubing, and profiles in standard or custom colors in a multitude of material options. We use state-of-the-art machinery for our extrusions and perform secondary operations on site, such as drilling, slotting, notching, etc. Pexco is ISO 9001 certified.
Northland Plastics, Inc.
Sheboygan, WI | 800-776-7163At Northland Plastics, we are the experts in unique custom plastic extrusions. We specialize in single and dual durometer profile extrusions, vacuum calibration, automated inline fabrication, custom fabrication, and more. Custom colors and various additives are also available. As an ISO 9001:2015 company, we value product quality, timely delivery, competitive pricing, and excellent customer...
GSH Industries, Inc.
Cleveland, OH | 440-238-3009A plastic extrusion manufacturer of extruded plastic products, GSH Industries manufactures custom plastic extrusion profiles. We have continually expanded & attained our position as a preferred supplier of quality products & engineering ingenuity.
Polytec Plastics, Inc.
St. Charles, IL | 630-584-8282We develop the most affordable and long lasting plastic extrusions. These extruded materials come in a variety of options and are Polytec Q-1 certified. We offer fast delivery and our customer service team is willing to design a perfect solution for your industry.
Plastic Shapes List
Plastic Shapes - Lincoln Plastics Examples of discrete products include fasteners, pallets and cases for small electronics. Extrusion, on the other hand, allows for the creation of complex, continuous products. Examples of continuous products are trim, hoses and tubes.
Industry and commerce require broad access to discrete plastic shapes as well as plastic shapes produced by continuous manufacturing processes like extrusion. Extruded plastic products like PVC pipes, plastic hoses, plastic tubes, trim, channels and coextrusions are used extensively in all kinds of applications.
Plumbing, gardening, chemical processing, building construction and furnishing depend heavily on extruded plastics. A wide variety of plastic materials can be extruded including high and low density polyethylene, butyrate, vinyl, polypropylene, polystyrene and acrylic materials. The extrusion process involves heating and pressurizing these raw materials and then shaping them with a die into usable products.
The plastic extrusion process takes place in a few steps. First, the raw thermoplastic material, in flake or pellet form, is poured into a hopper. From there it is fed down into a conveyance channel where it is heated by the turning of a large shearing screw.
The friction caused by the turning of the screw combined with heat from electric heating elements causes the plastic to become molten by the time it reaches the end of the channel.
At the end of the channel is a die, which is a tool used to shape raw materials into useful products. In the case of plastic extrusion, the die is a specially-cut shape in a metal plate through which the molten plastic passes.
Once the plastic has become molten, it is forced through the die and emerges on the other side as a newly extruded plastic shape. Once extruded, the shape is allowed to cool and harden. It can then be cut to the appropriate length and either sent for shipment or prepared for additional processing like painting or labeling.
