Plastic Extrusion Equipment
Diamond America designs and makes equipment to produce a wide range of plastic products and applications.
Properties of PLASTICS
Plastics are polymers, made of repeated molecules of hydrogen and carbon that link together in long chains. They exhibit a wide range of properties, according to their chemical composition, but all are flexible, strong, lightweight, water resistant and relatively inexpensive.
Plastics can be made transparent, if required, and also chemical resistant for specific purposes. Additives are often utilized to enhance properties for processing.
Plastics often chosen for extrusion include rigid PVC, PTFE, Polyethylene, Polystyrene and Polycarbonate.
Application Notes
Plastic is an ideal material for extrusion since it is easily able to be shaped by flow. Thermoset plastics can be repeatedly reheated and remolded while other types of plastic can only be processed once.
Often the raw material requires chemical additives to facilitate the plastic extrusion process or produce specific end product characteristics, e.g. lubricants to improve flow properties, stabilizers to improve heat resistance or pigments for color.
The range of properties means that items made by plastic extrusion can vary widely, from large plastic piping and fencing to narrow gauge sheeting and blown film.
Thorough testing of material behavior under extrusion conditions should be carried out to ensure correct extruder design, temperature, pressure and die design to meet final product requirements.
Rubber Products
The wide range of extruded plastic products that can be made by Diamond America extruders includes:
- Films
- Conduit
- Fencing
- Gutters
- Sealing Strips
- Toys
- Tubing
- Window Frames