From Cutting and Punching to Printing, Adhesive Application and Packaging
When someone thinks about plastic extrusion, they usually picture a continuous plastic profile coming off an extrusion line.
But producing the profile may only be the first step.
For many customers, the real objective isn’t simply purchasing a plastic extrusion. It’s receiving a finished or semi-finished component that’s ready to move into their assembly, installation, or packaging process.
That’s where secondary operations become important.
At Maximus Plastics, we work with customers to understand what needs to happen after the profile is extruded and determine which secondary operations can be incorporated into the manufacturing program.
The result can be fewer operations for the customer, less handling, simplified purchasing, and a component that arrives closer to its final form.
What Are Secondary Operations in Plastic Extrusion?
Secondary operations are manufacturing processes performed after—or in conjunction with—the extrusion of the profile.
Depending on the project, these operations can transform a continuous plastic profile into a finished component manufactured to the customer’s specifications.
Secondary operations can include:
Cut-to-length services
Punching
Drilling
Notching
Adhesive tape application
Printing
Fabrication
Special packaging
Not every extrusion requires secondary processing.
But when it does, incorporating those operations into the extrusion program can simplify the customer’s supply chain.
Cut-to-Length Plastic Extrusions
One of the most common secondary operations is cutting an extrusion to a specified finished length.
Plastic profiles can be supplied in long straight lengths, shorter pieces, or other configurations depending on the material and profile design.
Providing the extrusion at the customer’s required finished length can eliminate an additional cutting operation after delivery.
Length tolerances are also important.
If a finished component requires a specific cut-length tolerance, that information should be included on the drawing or RFQ so the requirement can be evaluated before production.
Punching Plastic Extrusions
Certain plastic profiles require holes, slots, openings, or other features after extrusion.
Punching may be used to create these features efficiently depending on the profile geometry, material, location of the feature, tolerance, and production quantity.
Applications might include mounting holes, drainage openings, locating features, or attachment points.
Providing the location, size, spacing, and tolerances of punched features on the design drawing helps determine the best approach for the project.
Drilling
Drilling can be another option when a plastic extrusion requires holes or other machined features.
Whether drilling or another method makes the most sense depends on the profile design, material, hole requirements, tolerances, and production volume.
This is another reason it’s helpful to involve your plastic extrusion supplier early in the design process.
There may be more than one way to produce a feature, and understanding the finished application can help determine the most practical manufacturing approach.
Notching
Some profiles require material to be removed from specific locations to allow the extrusion to fit around another component or become part of a larger assembly.
Notching can create these features after the profile has been extruded.
As with punching and drilling, the dimensions and location of the notch should be clearly identified on the drawing.
If the profile interacts with another component, providing a sample or drawing of that mating part can also be extremely helpful.
Adhesive Tape Application
Pressure-sensitive adhesive tape can be applied directly to many custom plastic extrusions as a secondary operation.
Depending on the application, options may include:
Double-sided foam tape
3M™ VHB™ Tape
tesa® adhesive tape
Duraco® adhesive tape
Other pressure-sensitive adhesive systems
Applying adhesive tape as part of the extrusion program can allow a profile to arrive ready for installation or assembly.
However, adhesive selection should consider the plastic material, mating surface, environment, temperature requirements, and intended use of the finished component.
If a particular adhesive has already been tested and approved, include the manufacturer and product number with your RFQ.
Printing on Plastic Extrusions
Some plastic profiles require printed information, identification, branding, measurements, instructions, or other markings.
Depending on the profile and application, printing can potentially be incorporated as a secondary operation.
Important considerations include the plastic material, print location, required information, color, durability requirements, and finished appearance.
Providing these requirements early helps determine whether printing should be incorporated into the extrusion program.
Fabrication and Assembly
Some extrusion projects involve more than one operation.
A profile might need to be extruded, cut to length, punched, notched, taped, or combined with another component before it is ready for the customer.
In these situations, it can be helpful to look at the project as a finished component rather than simply an extrusion.
That’s an important distinction.
The question becomes less:
“How much does this extrusion cost per foot?”
And more:
“What is the most efficient way to deliver the component my operation actually needs?”
That conversation can uncover opportunities to eliminate unnecessary handling or processing elsewhere in the supply chain.
Special Packaging
Packaging is sometimes overlooked during the design and quoting stages of an extrusion project.
But it can be extremely important.
Long profiles may need protection against bending or damage. Cosmetic profiles may require additional protection against scratching. Finished pieces may need specific quantities per box or particular packaging arrangements to work efficiently with the customer’s inventory or assembly process.
Understanding packaging requirements at the beginning of the project helps avoid surprises later.
Why Combine Secondary Operations With Plastic Extrusion?
Every time a part moves from one supplier or manufacturing operation to another, there can be additional:
Labor
Freight
Handling
Scheduling
Inventory
Quality inspections
Administrative work
Potential for damage
Combining appropriate secondary operations with the extrusion program can potentially reduce some of those steps.
Instead of receiving a 10-foot extrusion that must then be cut, punched, taped, and repackaged, imagine receiving the component already manufactured to the required configuration.
That’s where value-added manufacturing becomes much more than a convenience.
It can become part of the customer’s overall cost-reduction strategy.
Design With the Finished Component in Mind
One of the best times to discuss secondary operations is before extrusion tooling is finalized.
Understanding how the finished component will be cut, punched, drilled, notched, taped, printed, assembled, or packaged can influence decisions made during the extrusion design process.
Tell your extrusion supplier what you’re ultimately trying to produce.
Don’t just show us the profile.
Show us what the profile needs to become.
Sometimes a small design consideration at the beginning of a project can simplify a secondary operation later.
What Information Should You Include With Your RFQ?
If your plastic extrusion requires secondary operations, provide as much information as possible with your request for quote.
Helpful information includes:
Profile drawing
Plastic material
Critical dimensions and tolerances
Finished cut length
Hole, slot, or notch dimensions and locations
Adhesive specifications
Printing requirements
Mating components
Packaging requirements
Estimated annual volume
Description of the finished application
And if you don’t have all of those answers yet, that’s okay.
A drawing, sample, sketch, or conversation about the application is often enough to get the process started.
More Than Just Plastic Extrusion
At Maximus Plastics, our goal isn’t simply to manufacture a plastic profile.
We want to understand what happens to that profile next.
If secondary operations such as cutting, punching, drilling, notching, adhesive application, printing, fabrication, or special packaging can simplify your manufacturing or assembly process, they should be part of the conversation from the beginning.
Because sometimes the best way to reduce the cost of a plastic extrusion isn’t simply making the extrusion cheaper.
It’s eliminating work that has to be done after the extrusion is made.
Have a Custom Plastic Extrusion Project?
Send Maximus Plastics your drawing, sample, sketch, or concept and tell us what you’re trying to accomplish.
We’ll review the profile, material requirements, tolerances, quantities, secondary operations, and finished application to help determine a practical manufacturing solution.
Don’t just send us the extrusion you need. Tell us about the finished component you’re trying to build.
Contact Maximus Plastics today to discuss your project or request a quote.