The Wonderful World of Plastics

Check the shelves of your local mega-store and you’ll be hard-pressed to find a product that doesn’t have a plastic component. Since the introduction of Bakelite in 1907, plastics have become essential materials for manufacturers of all product types. Synthetic plastics are found in home exteriors, car interiors, clothing, product packaging, toys, tools, medical components and electronics. Lightweight, durable and formable into an infinite variety of shapes, plastics will continue to inspire new product development for years to come.

What Makes Plastics So Versatile?

Most modern synthetic plastics are carbon-based polymers, chemical compounds with high molecular weights and repeatable sub-units that can form long chains or complex structures. The compounds are created when carbon atoms are combined with other elements like hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulfur or chlorine. There are thousands of these combinations, each with unique properties.

Today, the vast majority of plastic products are made from thermoplastic compounds, polymers comprised of long chains of repeatable molecular units and distinguished by their melting capability. Manufacturing processes like injection molding, extrusion, and calendaring form these thermoplastics into the array of contrasting products we find on store shelves today.

Widely Used Thermoplastics & the Products They Form

Polyethylenes (HDPE) (MDPE) (LDPE) (PET)—This group of compounds makes up the most widely used type of plastics. Polyethylenes are found in shopping bags, freezer containers, detergent bottles, agricultural pipes, squeeze bottles, trash bags and bins, water bottles, food containers, medicine bottles, beauty products and rope.
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)—A thermoplastic that is highly resistant to weather and other environmental factors, PVC can be rigid or flexible and is used for plumbing pipe, hoses, shoe soles, home siding, medical bags and tubing.
Polypropylene (PP)—Strong, flexible and resistant to moisture and corrosion, this thermoplastic is made into products as diverse as food bags and containers, straws, packing tape, medicine bottles, thermal clothing, garden furniture and electrical insulation.

Preferred Plastics is an industry-leading custom plastics extruder offering turnkey extrusion and finishing services. Over the past 40 years, we have earned a global reputation for extruding high quality plastic parts to the most exacting specifications. Our innovative extruding processes are supported by superior customer service and a commitment to producing parts that meet the highest quality standards and are delivered on time and on budget.

Custom Plastic Extrusion Capabilities

We offer:

Profile extrusions – custom shapes and sizes to meet the requirements for a wide range of industries and applications
Tube extrusions – custom tube profiles for a wide range of industrial and consumer applications
Co-extrusions – using two or more resins to manufacture parts that meet exacting performance requirements
Crosshead extrusions – providing reinforcement for the part or encapsulation of metal pieces within the extrusion

Contact Preferred Plastics for Your Plastics Project

Today it is difficult to imagine life without plastics. We have grown used to the convenience, protection and sanitary reassurance of plastics and the packaging and products made from them. Preferred Plastics has the advanced extrusion and secondary processes to make new plastic products a profitable reality. Call our knowledgeable staff at 269.685.5873 to discuss our plastics manufacturing services and custom extrusion solutions.