What are the Characteristics of Plastic Extrusion Process

As one of the core technologies of plastic processing, the plastic extrusion process continuously melts, extrudes and shapes thermoplastics into products with constant cross-sections through the rotation of the screw. Its characteristics cover multiple dimensions such as production efficiency, cost, quality, flexibility and environmental protection. The following is a systematic analysis from technical principles to application scenarios:

1. Efficient and continuous production, outstanding production capacity advantages

24-hour uninterrupted operation

The rotation of the screw realizes the continuous transportation, melting and extrusion of raw materials, and the equipment utilization rate can reach more than 90%, far exceeding intermittent processes such as injection molding.

Low unit cost

High raw material utilization rate: no gate, runner waste, and raw material loss rate is less than 5%.

Energy consumption optimization: The segmented heating design of the screw allows heat to be transferred gradually, and the unit product energy consumption is 20%-30% lower than that of injection molding.

Low labor cost: high degree of automation, only 1-2 operators are required for a single production line, and the labor cost accounts for less than 5%.

2. The product has strong adaptability and wide application scenarios

Wide material compatibility

Applicable to all thermoplastics (such as PVC, PE, PP, ABS, nylon, etc.), and can process highly filled materials and recycled materials.

Special material processing: Through screw design optimization, plastics with extremely high melt viscosity can be processed.

Various product shapes

Constant cross-section profiles: Pipes, plates, films, profiles, etc. can be produced by replacing the die.

Composite structure: Multi-layer co-extrusion technology can produce composite products with different functional layers.

Hollow products: Hollow containers can be produced in combination with the inflation process.

3. High process stability and strong quality controllability

Excellent dimensional accuracy

The stable conveying of the screw and the precise design of the die make the cross-sectional size fluctuation of the product less than ±0.1mm, meeting the high-precision requirements.

Synchronous control of the traction device: The variable frequency speed regulation technology is used to achieve accurate matching of the extrusion speed and the traction speed, ensuring that the CV value of the product wall thickness uniformity is ≤3%.

Controllable surface quality

The shearing action of the screw can eliminate bubbles and impurities in the raw materials, and combined with the vacuum shaping device, products with a surface finish of Ra≤0.8μm can be obtained.

Melt temperature uniformity: The barrel segmented heating and screw homogenization section design make the melt temperature fluctuation less than ±5℃, avoiding stress cracking of the product.

IV. Strong equipment flexibility and scalability

Modular design

Extruders, heads, dies and other components can be quickly replaced to meet the production needs of different products. For example, the same extruder can switch from producing PVC pipes to producing PP sheets within 2 hours by replacing the die.

Auxiliary machine compatibility: It can be linked with post-processing equipment such as printing, cutting, and packaging to build an automated production line.

Convenient capacity expansion

The output can be linearly increased by increasing the screw diameter or increasing the speed. For example, upgrading the screw diameter from 65mm to 90mm can increase the output by about 2 times.

Multi-extruder collaboration: Large composite products can be co-extruded by multiple extruders to achieve a gradient distribution of material properties.

5. Environmental protection and sustainability advantages

Low waste generation

The extrusion process has no waste such as gates and runners. The scraps can be directly crushed and reused, and the proportion of recycled materials can reach more than 50%.

Lightweight design: Thin-walled products can be produced by optimizing the die structure to reduce material consumption.

Application of energy-saving technology

Electromagnetic induction heating: 30%-50% energy saving and faster heating speed than traditional resistance heating.

Waste heat recovery: Use the waste heat of the extruder barrel to preheat the raw materials to further reduce energy consumption.

Low-carbon material adaptation: The biodegradable plastic extrusion process is mature and can produce environmentally friendly packaging materials.

Plastic extrusion process has become a basic technology in the plastic processing industry with its advantages of high efficiency, flexibility, stability and sustainability. With the integration of intelligence, environmental protection and nanotechnology, the process is upgrading from traditional manufacturing to high-end manufacturing, providing key support for new energy vehicles, green packaging, biomedicine and other fields.

Qingdao Xueyu Molding Products Co., Ltd. is mainly engaged in the design and manufacturing of injection molds, injection molding and secondary processing (spraying, pad printing, ultrasonic welding, stamping), etc. For more information about plastic extrusion process, please contact us.

Website: www.xyzmould.com

Address: No.18 Henan Head Road, Henan Head Community, Jihongtan Street, Qingdao Industrial Park, Shandong Province, China

Email: wangmiaotian8@163.com