Custom Plastic Co-Extrusions

Custom Manufactured Plastic Profiles

Intek Plastics is your go-to custom extruder for plastic co-extrusion. We are your source for high-quality materials, expert engineers, and future-forward technology for custom manufactured plastic profiles. Our dedication to the craft of processing highly engineered polymers has given us an unparalleled understanding of the characteristics and applications that will take your parts to the next level.

Plastic Co-Extrusion Materials

Co-extrusion is a specialized manufacturing process by which two or more thermoplastic materials are extruded through a single die with two or more openings.

Plastic co-extrusion materials include:

• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)
• Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)
• Thermoplastic elastomers or (TPE)
• High-density polyethylene or (HDPE)

We can combine two or three different raw materials into one extruded plastic profile. Custom plastic co-extrusion allows your creative freedom to roam wild with boundless upside. We even have the capability to supply custom tri-extrusions and quad-extrusions that further open the door to new possibilities.

Custom Plastic Co-Extrusion Applications

Lighting
Intek can combine multiple materials with differing durometers into a lighting profile. Combine a diffuser and reflector in a chemically bonded profile. Weatherproofing can also be achieved by adding a flexible polymer for sealing the profile. The options for co-extrusion are endless.

We have created custom plastic co-extrusions for various markets and industries, including construction, refrigeration, and more. A specific example for the lighting industry is a polycarbonate lens manufactured simultaneously with a TPV leg that acts as a retaining feature and gasket. It could also be a double acrylic plastic extrusion where the lens is frosted, and the two legs mimic the appearance of high-end aluminum. We are able to co-extrude a vapor-tight all-in-one part with a reflective material lens, and a LED board slot that simplifies assembly.

Other plastic co-extrusion applications include:

• Window and door frames
• Packaging

Advantages of Plastic Co-Extrusions From Intek Plastics

• Cost-Efficiency: Co-extrusion technologies can provide a sleek, technically advanced part at a lower total cost
• Color & Aesthetics: Rigid and flexible plastics offer distinct functionality and aesthetic properties. Even without painting, colors are vibrant, scratch-resistant, and provide protection against even the harshest elements
• Material Optimization: Co-extrusions give you the option to eliminate a component in your part assembly process
• Advanced Tooling Capabilities: Design-For-Manufacturing is incorporated for even the most progressive parts

Plastic Extrusion Services

Maybe you want to change your aluminum extruded part into a plastic replacement part, or maybe you just want to understand how a plastic co-extruded profile can help fill your design needs. Either way, you should understand what you can and should expect from your extrusion supplier.

At Intek Plastics, we have helped hundreds of customers who were unfamiliar with the development of a co-extruded plastic profile reach a successful conclusion. From our initial consultations with our sales team and project engineers, through cutting dies and providing finished samples, we help you until you are satisfied with the results. Let us help you understand what to expect working with Intek, and know how everyone else should be supporting you:

1. Initial Sales Consultations – We begin by discussing your application, performance needs, and design aesthetics to better understand the requirements you need to meet.
2. Project Engineering Reviews – Our skilled engineers will review the design and suggest improvements and cost reductions, including tweaks that can make your part more manufacturable.
3. Raw Material Support – Our technical staff can suggest a variety of raw materials to choose from, providing the pros and cons of each.
4. Fabrication Recommendations – If needed, we can help determine the best path to fabricate additional work into your part, including printing, hole cutting, and assembly.
5. Die Building – We can provide options for simple, low-volume / prototype dies up to complex multi-material co-extrusion tooling, made in-house.
6. Finished Part Analysis – Measurement and testing results, along with 200’ of samples sent to you to confirm parts we manufacture meet your tolerances, and we’ll not charge a penny more if something needs reworking.
7. Production Planning – Operational experts can work with your forecasts to implement a process that works best for you.
8. Shipping – From basic packaging to extra-strength crating or coiling, we can provide finished parts to seamlessly fit your production requirements.
9. Customer Support – Our team of customer service experts will assist with purchase orders, shipping notifications, and invoicing whenever necessary.

If you aren’t getting this level of service from your current custom plastic extruder, you should give Intek Plastics a call today!