Design Aids

How to design plastic extrusion for optimum quality and cost effectiveness

Application          Any continuous profile such as a tube or channel can be extruded.
                              Cutting can be done inline during the extrusion process. This
                              depends on length and thickness.

Part Design            Avoid multiple enclosures in the profile as they are expensive  to tool
                                 and produce. Be generous with radii in the outside corners (minimum
                                 inside radius is .011) Eliminate mass where possible which adds to 
                                 material cost and contributes to uneven walls. Uniform walls are key.

Thickness               The ideal wall thickness for ease of production and cost efficiency is
                                 .030 – .080 Walls as thick as .375 can be extruded but the process is
                                 slowed down resulting in increased labor and material cost.

Tolerance                The more generous the tolerance the faster the extrusion can run 
                                  resulting in cost savings to the customer. Typically a total of .030
                                  is a reasonable tolerance for efficient line speed. Tighter tolerances
                                  can be held see tolerance guide. Avoid over engineering your
                                  extrusion with close tolerances that may not be necessary.

Materials                  Some materials process easier than others and some run faster than
                                  others. Some materials require more sophisticated dies and after 
                                  forming equipment. For a brief description of some common materials
                                  please refer to our material selection