The film and sheet plastic extrusion process enables the production of a wide range of plastic materials with varying thicknesses, widths, and properties. While film extrusion involves the manufacturing of plastic film coverings for products, the sheet extrusion process usually precedes the operation of thermoforming, when the machine heats the plastic until it is flexible enough to be formed into various complex shapes. This resulting film and sheet plastic can be utilized in a wide variety of industries including food packaging, construction materials, agricultural films, and automotive interiors. Extrusion of film and sheet plastic minimizes waste and optimizes production efficiency, making it an environmentally and economically favorable plastics processing method.
The Marshall and Williams sheet line roll stands, casting machines, and biaxial orientation lines at Parkinson Technologies provide prime machinery for completing this film and sheet production process. The material is first processed through specialized extrusion equipment including our Key Filters KCH continuous belt melt filter (screen changer). It is then cast through a sheet die to a cast roll or sheet stack and oriented through our Parkinson specialized orientation machines, which include the MDO (machine direction orientation) and TDO (transverse direction orientation). The finished product can be wound onto mill rolls or cut into platens for further processing, depending on the manufacturer’s objectives for how the final film or sheet will be used.
Click here to learn about the Key Filters brand of continuous belt screen changers and the Marshall and Williams brand of MDO and TDO.
