Understanding PVC Extrusion Profiles and Their Applications

At Petro Extrusion Technologies, Inc., we specialize in delivering high-quality, custom-engineered plastic solutions, including PVC extrusion profiles. These versatile components are integral to countless industries, offering durability, customization, and cost-effectiveness. In this blog, we’ll explore what PVC extrusion profiles are, their manufacturing process, applications, and how Petro Extrusion’s expertise ensures top-tier products for your extrusion needs.

What Are PVC Extrusion Profiles?

PVC extrusion profiles are custom-shaped plastic components created by forcing molten polyvinyl chloride (PVC) through a precision die to form continuous shapes like tubes, channels, or complex cross-sections. The extrusion process involves heating PVC resin, shaping it, and cooling it to produce rigid or flexible profiles tailored to specific requirements. Known for their durability, corrosion resistance, and versatility, PVC profiles are a cornerstone in industries ranging from construction to medical manufacturing. At Petro Extrusion, we leverage advanced technology to produce profiles that meet exact specifications, ensuring performance and reliability.

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What Industries Use Layflat Tubing?

Answer: Layflat tubing, a flexible, seamless, and ultra-thin-walled plastic tubing pressed flat and wound on rolls, is a versatile solution for numerous industries. Petro Extrusion Technologies, Inc., a leader in custom plastic extrusion, offers layflat tubing in materials like flexible PVC, polyurethane, TPR, and PVC/PUR alloys, available in custom-cut lengths or coiled forms – click to read more about Layflat tubing.

Its lightweight, durable, and customizable nature makes it ideal for applications requiring protection, packaging, or fluid transfer. Below, we explore the key industries leveraging Petro’s layflat tubing to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and meet specific operational needs.

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How Industries Use Petro Nyla-Glide GR Stock Profiles?

Petro Extrusion Technologies, Inc., a leader in custom plastic extrusion, offers Nyla-Glide GR™ stock profiles, a specialized line of MDS-filled Nylon 6 channels designed for exceptional wear resistance and lubricity. These profiles, detailed in Petro’s product catalog combine Molybdenum Disulphide (MDS) with Nylon 6 to enhance mechanical and thermal properties, making them ideal for demanding industrial applications.

Click here to read the PDF spec. sheet.

With over 15 stock C- and U-shaped channels, Nyla-Glide GR profiles serve industries like manufacturing, automotive, and food processing by reducing friction, improving durability, and minimizing maintenance. Below, we explore how these profiles are utilized across various sectors.

 

Manufacturing and Conveyor Systems

Nyla-Glide GR profiles are widely used in manufacturing for conveyor systems, protecting rails, beds, and products from sliding surface friction. Their self-lubricating properties, due to MDS infusion, eliminate the need for external lubrication, making them ideal for high-speed production lines where downtime is costly. These profiles, available in custom-cut lengths as short as 1 inch, outwear metal and unfilled nylon, resisting corrosion and maintaining performance at temperatures up to 225°F. For example, a 1-inch profile protects conveyor rails 1/16” to 3/16” thick, ensuring smooth material flow in factories producing electronics or consumer goods.

 

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What Industries Use PVC/Polyurethane Tubing?

Answer: At Petro Extrusion Technologies, Inc., we’ve been a trusted leader in custom plastic tubing extrusion for over 40 years. Among our standout offerings is PVC/Polyurethane tubing, a versatile, durable, and cost-effective solution that blends the clarity of PVC with the abrasion resistance of polyurethane. This unique alloy—our PETRO-BLEND PVC/Urethane tubing—delivers exceptional performance across a wide range of industries. Below, explore the key sectors that rely on PVC/Polyurethane tubing and discover why it’s the go-to choice for innovative applications.

What Makes PVC/Polyurethane Tubing Special?

Our PVC/Polyurethane tubing combines the best of both worlds:

  • Clarity and Flexibility: Inherits PVC’s transparency and pliability.
  • Toughness and Durability: Gains polyurethane’s resistance to wear and tear.
  • Cost-Effective: Offers premium performance at a fraction of the cost of pure polyurethane tubing.

Available in 80A durometer and six standard sizes from stock (with custom options available), this tubing is extruded in 100-foot coils, making it adaptable for both small-scale and large-volume needs. Whether you need chemical resistance, flexibility, or affordability, PVC/Polyurethane tubing from Petro Extrusion is engineered to deliver.

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What Industries Use Polycarbonate Tubing?

Answer: Polycarbonate tubing is a powerhouse material—tough, clear, and adaptable—making it a top choice across multiple industries. At Petro Extrusion Technologies we supply high-quality, FDA-grade polycarbonate tubing that meets diverse needs with clarity and strength. Here’s a look at the key sectors relying on this durable plastic.

Medical Industry

In healthcare, polycarbonate tubing is prized for its biocompatibility and impact resistance—30 times stronger than acrylic, 250 times tougher than glass. It’s used in IV lines, surgical tools, and sight glasses. Petro Extrusion’s FDA-grade options ensure safety and reliability for medical applications.

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What is the difference between Cast Acrylic and Extruded Acrylic?

Answer: Cast acrylic and extruded acrylic are two types of acrylic (polymethyl methacrylate, or PMMA) that differ in their manufacturing processes, properties, and applications.

Below is a breakdown of the main differences offered by Petro Extrusions.

Manufacturing Process

  • Cast Acrylic: Made by pouring liquid methyl methacrylate into a mold between two sheets of glass. The liquid is then polymerized into solid sheets with the help of heat or UV light. This method allows for larger and thicker sheets with more uniform color distribution.
  • Extruded Acrylic: Produced by extruding heated methyl methacrylate through a die to form a continuous sheet. This process is faster and more cost-effective, creating thinner and more uniform sheets in terms of thickness.
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Extruded Plastic Profile Shapes

Extruded Plastic Profile Shapes

The choice of plastic profile shapes plays a significant role in various industries due to their versatility and functionality. The ability to create specific profile shapes offers several advantages including:

  • Versatility in Meeting Specific Design Requirements
    • Extruded plastic profiles can be customized to meet precise design specifications, allowing manufacturers to create components that fit unique applications. This versatility enables the production of products with complex geometries and tailored functionalities.
  • Enhancing Structural Integrity and Functionality
    • Different profile shapes provide varying degrees of structural support, load-bearing capacity, and functional features. By selecting the appropriate profile shape, manufacturers can optimize the end product’s strength, stability, and performance.
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Acrylic Tubes

Introduction

Acrylic tubing, or plexiglass tubing, is a type of tubing made from a transparent thermoplastic material called polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). It can be easily fabricated into various shapes and sizes, allowing for customization to meet specific requirements. Due to this versatility and other beneficial properties, it is widely used in various industries including manufacturing, construction, and transportation.

In this article, we will discuss the advantages of acrylic tubing, various types of acrylic tubing, the manufacturing process of acrylic tubing, applications of acrylic tubing, and how to care for your acrylic tubing products.

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Nylon Tubing

Introduction

Nylon tubing is a type of plastic tubing made from nylon polymers using extrusion. Nylon was first developed in the 1930s by the DuPont Company as a replacement for silk in stockings. However, its unique properties, such as high tensile strength and chemical resistance, made it a popular material for many other applications.

The development of nylon tubing followed shortly after the invention of nylon itself, and it was first used in the automotive industry for fuel lines and brake lines in the 1940s. Nylon tubing quickly gained popularity due to its excellent chemical resistance, pressure rating, and durability.

Over time, nylon tubing has been developed and improved to meet the changing needs of various industries. In addition, new formulations of nylon have been created to enhance its properties, such as increasing flexibility and reducing water absorption.

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Man on the phone looking at Petro Extrusion website custom ordering

Custom Ordering Process

The custom order process for a custom extruded part, be it a profile or a tube, requires that the customer specify the general size requirements for the part, along with tolerance requirements, color specifications, material selection, etc. Once these requirements have been established, the customer is quoted according to the specs, along with any tooling requirements, and special exceptions, if any.

When the customer places an order, we first must determine if it is a profile or a tubing order. If it is a profile order, it must be determined if it is an existing tool, or a new tool job. If it is an existing tool job, then we would process the order specifying the material selection, the color, length, part size, and packaging requirements.

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