Every customer comes to a manufacturing company expecting a consistent process throughout the given production program. The extrusion process and by default, extrusion customers, are no different – nor should they be.
Consistency in the extrusion process isn’t just expected. It’s the backbone to a successful manufacturing program that’s largely free of costly rework from defects or delayed product launches.
Petro Packaging Co. Inc. highlights how consistency in the extrusion process leads to high-quality components and what to expect from your manufacturer.
Why Consistency in the Extrusion Process Matters
This may seem like a simple point, having consistency in the extrusion process. Of course it matters. But understanding the why is essential. Extrusion creates parts by feeding material through a die and any sways in feed quality or process settings appears directly into the component shape and properties.
Raw polymers are predictable materials and they should melt as expected, this helps support uniform cross-sections and consistent mechanical performance.
When process stability is consistent, it leads to parts being created and manufactured as they were designed and engineered to be. Especially since extrusion itself is a continuous process.
What Causes Inconsistency
When inconsistency appears in the extrusion process, there are normally a few different suspects for causation. The first and often most common is inconsistent resin properties. This could be a supplier issue or a problem with your manufacturer’s ability to store materials properly, either way, when materials face challenges, the whole program could face severe consequences. Other material considerations that can cause inconsistencies include moisture filler content, pellet size, or additive dispersion.
From a mechanical side, that’s where manufacturers face challenges and why having complete understanding of soon-to-be manufactured product is critical. Too many times have customers come to Petro Packaging Co. Inc. saying that inconsistencies in extruded products have been from temperature swings during the extrusion process, pressure fluctuations, screw-speed variation, or improper die imbalance and lack of maintenance.
Even the smallest offset in one of these aspects can create defects in a production run and create expensive reworks.
The Improvement in Quality
When a manufacturer has a proven, consistent extrusion process, that’s where true quality is achieved. A strong extrusion program features residence time, shear history, and melt viscosity, all of which are uniform and lead to better repeatability. Consistency in these aspects leads to reduced rework and in high-volume applications, it means less waste, fewer manufacturing interruptions, and a more predictable outcome.
Achieve Consistency with your Extrusion Process and Contact Petro Packaging Co. Inc. Today
Petro Packaging Co. Inc. serves as an industry-leading custom plastic extrusion manufacturing company located in New Jersey, proudly serving the United States and major parts of North America.
We’ve been at work homing in on creating a consistent extrusion process since we opened our doors over 60 years ago. Petro Packaging Co. Inc. pioneered the usage of different materials into the extrusion process such as CAB, CAP, and PETG, and we continue to use these materials on a daily basis to create the products our customers and theirs need.
Contact us today if your team needs the extrusion process to be consistent with experts leading the program.
