Processing Thermoplastics

 
Blown Film

Overview:
The process involves extrusion of a plastic through a circular die, followed by "bubble-like" expansion.

Typical Materials Used:
Mainly Polyethylenes (HDPE, LDPE and LLDPE) but a wide variety of other materials can be used as blends with these resins or as single layers in a multi-layer film structure. these include PP, PA and EVOH

Typical Products Produced:
Industry packaging (e.g. shrink film, stretch film, bag film or container liners), Consumer packaging (e.g. packaging film for frozen products, shrink film for transport packaging, food wrap film, packaging bags, or form, fill and seal packaging film), Laminating film (e.g. laminating of aluminium or paper used for packaging for example milk or coffee), Barrier film, films for the packaging of medical products, Agricultural film (e.g. greenhouse film, crop forcing film, silage film, silage stretch film).


Extrusion Blow Moulding

Overview
The blow moulding machine is based on a standard extruder barrel and screw assembly to plasticise the polymer. The molten polymer is led through a right angle and through a die to emerge as a hollow (usually circular) pipe section called a parison.

Typical Materials Used:
Polypropylene (PP), Polyethylene (PE), Polyethylene - Terephthalate (PET) and Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

Typical Products Produced:
Bottles and containers, Automotive fuel tanks, Venting ducts, Watering cans and Boat fenders etc

 Extrusion Profiles & Sheet

Overview
Along with Injection moulding, Pro-file Extrusion of plastics materials is a widely used method of forming plastics materials. The Plastic raw material is both melted and trav-ersed along by the action of heated rotary screws. It is a continuous process and is thus able to manu-facture long lengths of a product. This is ideal for such applications as pipes and gaskets.  However very often the continuous extrusion is cut into application lengths

Typical Materials Used:
HDPE, PVC and and PTFE filled PVC

Typical Products Produced:
Land Drainage Tubing, Animal Feeding Troughs, Cable Harness, Door Seals, Light Diffusers, Electrical Conduit and Cable Protector, Rainwater Pipes and Guttering, Facia & Soffit Sections, Curtain Track, Fridge Seals, Edge Trim, Caravan Window Surrounds, Garden Fence Posts & Decking, Blood Drip Tubes & Catheter Tubes, Dip Tubes, Gas Pipes, Water Pipes, Soil Pipes and Window, Door and Conservatory Sections