Crosshead Extrusion "Over Jacketing" | Multiple Head Extrusion
Crosshead extrusion is a common term in the wire and cable manufacturing industry.
However, for specialty and other custom plastic applications, Pexco also makes use of the technology, which effectively draws a wire or other type of metal shape through a melt extrusion which in turn coats and envelops the wire.
What is Crosshead Extrusion?
Crosshead extrusion refers to operating some sort of material or substance, often metal or wire, through a "crosshead" and extruding over a substrate. The metal material, for examples, crosses with the melt flow at the head of the extrusion process, hence the name. In this scenario, a smaller machine runs to the side of the primary extruder, whereby the flow of plastic is manipulated to allow a solid material, say a copper wire or some fibrous material, to feed into the plastic melt and become part of the extrusion.
Crosshead extrusion is used when such other materials cannot pass through the machine's screw and barrel, unlike a chopped fiber set in the masterbatch for reinforcement properties. There may be single layer extrusion crossheads, co-extrusion crossheads, or multi-layer extrusion crossheads.
Contact our team of experts today to get started.