If you ask most people on the street what plastic extrusion is, they will probably give you a funny look. Trying to explain it to a layman can often result in headaches but can most simply be explained by providing real-world examples of the extruded plastics they use and see every day. They’ll soon realise that extruded plastics are part and parcel of everyday life.
You might be eating your lunch from them!
Extruded plastics form the packaging of many ready-to-eat foods at supermarkets and cafes nowadays, including salad bowls, fruit salads, yoghurts and sandwiches. They are well-suited to the job as they are difficult to pierce, hard wearing, recyclable and cheap compared to other storage methods. The most common extruded plastic in food packaging is PET, followed closely by High Impact Polystyrene Sheet, or ‘HIPS’. HIPS is used for its hardness, rigidity, high impact strength and resistance to common chemicals found in foods.
You might use extruded plastics to protect your medication!
Blister packs are the most common method of medication preservation in the UK, and for good reason. Blister packs keep pills separate, keep out moisture and provide a level of protection to the pills. They also provide a good method of keeping track of pill ingestion, making sure patients do not accidentally take more than the prescribed amount of medication in a certain timeframe. Extruded plastics are also used for protecting contact lenses, whether they be dailies, in which case contact lenses are individually packaged in disposable extruded plastics, or long-term contacts, which are usually stored overnight in hard extruded plastic carry cases. They are made from sheet extruded HIPs which is then vacuum or thermoformed to make the blister pack shapes.
Contact the plastic extrusion experts
Contact us on 01254 886662 to arrange a meeting with our friendly sales staff or to discuss all your plastic extrusion related enquiries.
Contact UsExtruded plastics make driving safe!
Along with a multitude of extruded pipes under the bonnet, extruded plastics also come into play in your windscreen wipers, window seals and your interior and exterior trims. And once you get home, extruded plastics keep you safe, dry and warm in the form of your PVC window housings and plastic seals.
Extruded plastics, both sheet and profile (pipes), are everywhere, so if anyone ever asks you what they are, just point out the multitude of applications extruded plastics have in the 21st century!
Euro Extrusions Ltd is a market leader in the plastic sheet extrusion industry and supplies customers across the UK with plastic products, including thermoplastic sheet and film. Euro Extrusions is a specialist in High Impact Polystyrene Sheet, HIPS Roll and HIPS Film, and has years of experience working with a range of industries. Quality plastics are assured with the backing of ISO 9001 certification.
Ever aware of its environmental impact, Euro Extrusions Ltd delivers both virgin and recycled plastic film and sheet and offers its customers a plastic waste recycling service. Euro Extrusion’s manufacturing processes are adaptable to suit its customers’ needs, whatever they are.
To find out more about Euro Extrusion’s products and services, speak to a member of the team on 01254 886662 or contact us here.
