Plastic Extrusion Molding

Plastics extrusion is a high volume manufacturing process in which raw plastic material is melted and formed into a continuous profile. Extrusion produces items such as pipe/tubing, weather stripping, window frames, plastic sheeting, adhesive tape and wire insulation. Thermoplastic materials are fed from a hopper into the heated barrel of an extruder. A rotating helical screw inside the barrel pushes the plastic through the barrel toward the die located at the end of the machine. Molten plastic is then forced through the die opening.  Thus, the process of forming a continuous piece of plastic by forcing it through a shaping orifice with or without the presence of heat is called plastic extrusion molding.

Extrusion molded plastics can be given many shapes. Due to the flexibility it offers, extrusion molded plastic can be used to produce various items. When looking to design a plastic extrusion, you can consider the following design tips.
4.    Plate with the shape of the part cut through the die with no transition guiding the material. This is a low cost design for low volume production.
5.    At the back of the die the edges and corners have radii to help the material transition into the die.
6.    The die aggressively channels the material evenly throughout the die. This design is most expensive and ideal for high volume jobs.

Consistent wall thickness is the most important aspect in the design of your part. It allows for an even flow of material through the die that produces more controlled parts with a lower tooling cost. It is advisable to avoid designing profiles with hollow sections as they add significantly to the cost of both the part and the tooling. While designing, it is always better to keep the thickness of the material uniform, avoid sharp internal corners and use open sections instead of closed ones. Advantages of plastic extrusion molding include low cost and the ability to produce intricate profiles.

At eMachineShop, our aim is to provide easy, convenient and low-cost fabrication of custom parts via the web. A whole new novel concept of making a part of your choice without having to undergo any hassles, we achieve our mission by fully leveraging the web, software, and state-of-the-art machining technologies. Be it parts that you need for cars, bikes, aircraft, musical instruments, watercraft, optical devices, sensors, models, nameplates, electronic devices, enclosures, clocks or machinery - we promise to deliver it all. At eMachineShop, we provide free design software along with instant expert. Our products are also very affordably priced.