Plastic Co-Extrusion Services

Intek Plastics can help elevate your part design by combining multiple plastic materials together into one cohesive profile that saves time, labor, and cost. And when you can simultaneously improve your part’s performance, aesthetics, supply chain, and assembly, why wouldn’t you? Simply put, custom plastic co-extrusions can be manufactured in ways other materials can’t.

What is Co-Extrusion and Tri-Extrusion?

Co-Extrusion and Tri-Extrusion is a specialized manufacturing process by which two or more thermoplastic materials are extruded through a single die with two or more openings. These are arranged in such a way to allow the extruded materials to merge together into a single fused part but, each extruded layer can hold a different characteristic and or property on the finished product.

The process of co-extrusion and tri-extrusion allows us to combine 2 or 3 different raw materials into one extruded profile.

And if you're feeling limited by the same old materials, co-extruded plastics allow 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.

Uses of Co-Extruded & Tri-Extruded Parts

We’ve created custom co-extrusions for all our popular markets like construction and refrigeration, but an example that the lighting industry might use is a polycarbonate lens manufactured simultaneously with a TPV leg that acts as a retaining feature and gasket. Or perhaps it’s a double acrylic extrusion where the lens is frosted and the two legs mimic the appearance of high-end aluminum (saving cost and assembly time). Even better, we have the ability to co-extrude a vapor-tight all-in-one part with a reflective material, a custom lens, and a LED board slot that makes assembly a breeze. A custom plastic tri-extrusion can open up possibilities ever further: reflective materials as sidewalls, a PVC lens, and a rubber-like gasket on the inside of the leg to keep the elements out and help with retention of the LED board.

As a leader in the field, Intek holds several plastic co-extrusion patents and is capable of extruding up to 4 dissimilar materials into one multi-durometer profile. We invite you to leverage our significant experience and knowledge in designing your next part using a custom plastic co-extrusion.

Benefits of Co-Extrusions and Tri Extrusions

Co-extrusions and tri-extrusions advantages include a process that each extruded layer can hold a different characteristic and or property on the finished product. Properties can include rigidity, flexibility, heat resistance or stiffness. Other benefits include:

• Co-extrusion and tri-extrusion technologies can provide a sleek, technically advanced part at a lower total cost
• Use new rigid and flexible plastics that have unique performance and aesthetic properties
• Colors that POP without painting, won’t scratch off and provides protection against even the harshest elements
• Gives you the option to eliminate a component in your part assembly process
• Tooling capabilities that incorporate Design-for-Manufacturing (DFM) for even the most progressive of parts

When it comes to co-extruded plastic parts, Intek is your go-to source of high-quality materials, expert engineers, and future-forward technology. 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.