Dec. 23, 2024
Hardware
Our experience manufacturing plastic extrusions has taught us that taking the time to consider the intricacies of extrusion design in the early stages of a project always achieves the best results.
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A well-designed plastic extrusion will ensure cost-effective tooling, avoid production issues and reduce lead times from inception to delivery &#; so, a little forethought can go a long way.
To help customers achieve good quality rigid profiles we advise them to consider the following 10 points before embarking on a new extrusion design.
Always try to achieve an even wall thickness in your extrusion design. Variations in thickness can make the flow of plastic material through the tool difficult to regulate, causing cooling at different rates and distorting the finished profile. Irregular extrusion wall thicknesses can also lead to difficulties in manufacturing and increased production costs.
As thermoplastic extrusion is a continuous process, internal definition in hollow sections is difficult to achieve as there is no way of getting inside the hollow to hold detail in place during the calibration (forming) process. Complex detail can only be achieved by opening up the profile.
A hollow within another hollow cannot be held in position so will inevitably force the intended design out of shape before the thermoplastic solidifies.
If the extrusion design has an opening, legs, grooves, snap-in features and other details can be incorporated internally.
Where possible design a little tolerance into your required extrusion length. Thermoplastics contract and expand with temperature and cutting plastic profiles to a very critical length may add unnecessarily to cost. Typically on a profile of 1,000mm length a tolerance of +/- 3mm is achievable. Naturally the tolerances achievable will be smaller for shorter lengths and vice versa for longer ones. Extrusions requiring very tight tolerances are generally cut out of line, incurring higher processing and handling costs.
Custom plastic profiles often need to fit another component. Providing a sample of the mating part will facilitate the tool design stage and ensure an accurate fit when trialling the plastic profile.
A clear finish can be achieved with several materials to varying degrees of clarity. Clear rigid PVC is generally the cheapest material, but will not produce a glass clear finish. To obtain optimum clarity, choose PETG or Polycarbonate, depending on your profile design criteria.
Generally the same rules apply as rigid plastic profile design except that the process of extruding flexible plastic profiles allows for variable wall thicknesses.
To achieve a dual hardness co-extrusion with both rigid and flexible properties, two machines are used to feed the separate materials through the same die. Co-extrusion allows for rigid profiles to have flexible lips or flaps or for two rigid profiles to be joined by a flexible hinge.
It is possible to combine two different colours in the same extrusion, or produce a two colour extrusion with a dominant colour and a stripe in a second colour.
Plastic extrusions can be manufactured in a diverse range of materials, shapes and sizes to suit a wide range of applications from plastic tubes for medical devices to plastic diffusers for LED lighting.
For further tips on plastic extrusion design call us on +44 (0) or complete our enquiry form for a free quote.
Definitions vary and may differ at different organizations, but the definitions below may be used as a starting point.
Concept Model: a physical model made to demonstrate an idea. Concept models allow people from different functional areas to see the idea, stimulate thought and discussion, and drive acceptance or rejection.
Prototyping Attributes
Speed: turnaround time to convert a computer file into a physical prototype
Appearance: any visual attribute: color, texture, size, shape, etc.
Assembly/Fit Testing: making some or all of the parts of an assembly, putting them together, and seeing if they fit properly. At the gross level, this checks for design errors, such as placing two tabs at 2 in. spacing and the mating slots at 1 in. spacing. At the fine level, this is a matter of minor dimensional differences and tolerances. Obviously, any test involving tolerances needs to use the actual manufacturing process or one which has similar tolerances.
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Prototyping Attributes
Form: the shape of the part: features and size
Fit: how the part mates with other parts
Functional Testing: seeing how a part or assembly will function when subjected to stresses representing what it will see in its actual application.
Prototyping Attributes
Chemical Resistance: resistance to chemicals including acids, bases, hydrocarbons, fuels, etc.
Mechanical Properties: strength of the part measured by tensile strength, compressive strength, flexural strength, impact strength, tear resistance, etc.
Electrical Properties: interaction of electrical fields and the part. This may include dielectric constant, dielectric strength, dissipation factor, surface and volume resistance, static decay, etc.
Thermal Properties: changes in mechanical properties that occur with changes in temperature. These may include thermal expansion coefficient, heat deflection temperature, vicat softening point, etc.
Optical Properties: ability to transmit light. May include refractive index, transmittance, and haze.
Life Testing: testing properties that may change with time and that are important for a product to remain functional throughout its expected life. Life testing often involves subjecting the product to extreme conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity, voltage, UV, etc.) to estimate in a shorter period of time, how the product will react over its expected life.
Prototyping Attributes
Mechanical Properties (fatigue strength): ability to withstand large numbers of load cycles at various stress levels.
Aging Properties (UV, creep): ability to withstand exposure to ultraviolet light with an acceptable amount of degradation; ability to withstand extended applications of forces to the part with acceptable levels of permanent deflection.
Regulatory Testing: testing specified by a regulatory or standards organization or agency to assure parts are suitable for a particular use such as medical, food service or consumer application. Examples include Underwriters Laboratory (UL), the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), the U.S. Food and Drug Agency (FDA), the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the International Standard Organization (ISO) and the European Commission (EC).
Prototyping Attributes
Flammability Properties: the resistance of a resin or part to ignition in the presence of a flame.
EMI/RFI Properties: the ability of a resin, part or assembly to shield or block Electromagnetic Interference or Radio Frequency Interference.
Food Rating: approval of a resin or part to be used in applications where it will come in contact with food while it is being prepared, served or consumed.
Biocompatibility: the ability of the resin or part to be in contact with human or animal bodies, outside or inside the body, without causing undue adverse effects (e.g., irritations, blood interactions, toxicity, etc). Biocompatibility is important for surgical instruments and many medical devices.
Prototype models help design teams make more informed decisions by obtaining invaluable data from the performance of, and the reaction to, those prototypes. The more data that is gathered at this stage of the product development cycle, the better the chances of preventing potential product or manufacturing issues down the road. If a well thought out prototyping strategy is followed, there is a far greater chance that the product will be introduced to the market on time, be accepted, perform reliably, and be profitable.
What is the best way to get a prototype made? The answer depends on where you are in your process and what you are trying to accomplish. Early in the design process, when the ideas are flowing freely, concept models are helpful. As the design progresses, a prototype that has the size, finish, color, shape, strength, durability, and material characteristics of the intended final product becomes increasingly important. Therefore, using the right prototyping process is critical. In order to most effectively validate your design, pay close attention to these three key elements of your design: functionality, manufacturability, and viability.&#;
If your prototype can faithfully represent the attributes of the end-product, it is by definition functional.&#;These requirements often include such things as material properties (e.g., flame resistance), dimensional accuracy for fit-up with mating parts, and cosmetic surface finishes for appearance.
If your prototype design can be repeatedly and economically produced in a manner that supports the requirements of the end product, it is by definition manufacturable.&#;These requirements include the ability to maintain the functionality of the design as described above, keep the piece-part cost below the required level, and support the production schedule. No matter how great a design is, it will go nowhere if it can&#;t be manufactured. Make sure your prototyping process takes this into consideration.
Finally, even if your prototype design is functional and manufacturable, it doesn&#;t mean anyone will want to use it.&#;Prototypes are the only true way to verify the viability of the design in this sense.&#;If your design can also pass the challenges associated with market trials (e.g., trade show displays, usability testing) and regulatory testing (e.g., FDA testing of medical devices), you&#;re well on your way to a successful product launch.
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