An extruder machine can be used to produce a wide variety of products from an equally large range of raw materials. It is also an attractive alternative to other manufacturing processes as it allows for a larger selection of profiles and is suitable for use with brittle materials. In industrial applications, plastics are extruded to produce food packaging film, cladding sheets, insulation, automotive parts, and tubing products such as electrical conduit and plumbing pipes. Steel and alloys are extruded to form rods, pipes, and wires as well as steel conduits and construction members for light engineering. The food and pharmaceutical industries also make extensive use of extrusions in the production of products such as pasta, cereals, cookies, and several drug carriers.
In several extrusion applications, particularly those using plastics, the material to be extruded needs to be heated to melting point prior to being used. These applications typically use a screw feeder mechanism similar to those used in the injection molding process to heat and feed the material. Cold extrusion is also a common extrusion process and is normally limited to metals such as tin, lead, steel, aluminum, and copper. Cold extrusion has several benefits over the hot process such as a lack of oxidization, better surface finishes, and quicker extrusion times. A cold extrusion machine is used to produce items such as automotive pistons, steel cylinders, tubing, and gear blanks.
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