Extrusion Thermoforming Drive Plastic Manufacturing Innovation

From everyday pipes to complex industrial profiles, plastic products have become ubiquitous in modern life. Two key manufacturing processes - extrusion molding and thermoforming - make these versatile products possible through efficient, precise production methods.

Extrusion molding represents a continuous manufacturing process ideal for mass-producing plastic profiles, pipes, and similar products. Unlike injection molding which relies on cyclical mold filling and part extraction, extrusion uses a continuously rotating compression screw to produce an unbroken stream of product, enabling remarkable efficiency and high output volumes.

At the heart of the operation lies the extruder machine, which follows these critical steps:

• Material Preparation: Selecting appropriate plastic resins and performing necessary pre-processing like drying or mixing.
• Melting: Feeding plastic raw materials into the extruder where heating and screw shear forces liquefy the polymer.
• Extrusion: Forcing molten plastic through a shaped die that determines the product's cross-section.
• Cooling: Solidifying the extruded profile using water or air cooling systems.
• Pulling: Maintaining dimensional consistency through constant-speed traction.
• Cutting: Segmenting continuous lengths into finished products.

This versatile process manufactures numerous plastic items including:

• Fluid/gas transport pipes (PVC, PE, etc.)
• Specialty profiles for construction and decoration
• Industrial plastic sheets (ABS, polycarbonate, etc.)
• Packaging and agricultural films (PE, PP, etc.)

• Uninterrupted continuous production
• High-volume manufacturing capabilities
• Ability to create complex profile shapes
• Compatibility with multiple plastic materials

Thermoforming differs fundamentally from extrusion by starting with plastic sheets rather than raw resin. The process heats these sheets to a pliable state before forming them over molds, with the material never reaching full liquefaction.

• Sheet Heating: Clamping and warming plastic sheets to softening temperatures using radiant, convective, or contact methods.
• Forming: Shaping the flexible sheet over molds via:
  • Vacuum forming (using suction)
  • Pressure forming (compressed air)
  • Mechanical forming (physical pressing)
• Cooling: Solidifying the formed product
• Trimming: Removing excess material for final product

This method produces diverse plastic components including:

• Food packaging containers and trays
• Automotive interior components
• Consumer appliance housings
• Medical equipment parts

• Lower tooling costs ideal for prototyping
• Rapid production cycles
• Design flexibility for complex shapes
• Broad material compatibility

While traditionally used for prototypes and small batches, advanced continuous thermoforming systems now enable high-volume production using automated sheet feeding, forming, and cutting processes.