At MKM Extrusions, we produce a wide range of plastic profiles, extrusions, and trims that are used in various industries and applications. If you’re new to the world of plastic products, you might wonder what these terms mean and how they differ. In this blog, we’ll break down the definitions and common uses of plastic profiles, plastic extrusions, and plastic trims to help you better understand which might be suited for your project.
1. What is a plastic profile?
A plastic profile is any shaped plastic product with a uniform cross-section along its entire length. All products on our online shop are plastic profiles. These profiles are shaped in many different ways, from T sections to flat bar strips, angle trims, channels and more. Profiles are widely used for various purposes such as edge protection, joining boards, and covering gaps. Plastic profiles may offer a solution for a wide range of applications across many sectors.
At MKM Extrusions, we offer a comprehensive selection of plastic profiles, including:
- Plastic flat bar strips: often used for edge protection or covering joints in panels.
- Plastic angle trims: often used for corner protection or edge finishing applications.
- Plastic T sections: often used for joining or dividing materials in various settings.
- Plastic H sections: often used for joining materials such as boards and panels.
- Plastic channels: often used for capping edges or as a sliding track.
2. What is plastic extrusion?
As well as the end product, plastic extrusion could also mean the manufacturing process whereby plastic is extruded. This can take several forms, including sheet extrusion and profile extrusion. At MKM Extrusions we manufacture profiles, not sheets.
During our manufacturing process, molten plastic is pushed through a shaped die or tool to form continuous lengths of plastic with a consistent cross-sectional shape. This method allows for the production of a wide variety of differently shaped plastic profiles.
At MKM Extrusions, we are both the manufacturer and seller of plastic extrusions which are available for purchase through our online shop. These are mainly rigid PVC profiles but we also have a smaller range of flexible PVC profiles.
Additionally, for customers with specific requirements who require larger quantities, we offer custom plastic extrusions, allowing businesses to create bespoke profiles tailored to their exact needs.
3. What is plastic trim?
A plastic trim is a type of plastic profile designed to finish, protect, or cover edges and surfaces. Plastic trims are often used in sectors such as construction, interior design, signage, exhibitions, fitout and many other industries to provide a clean, professional look to their projects. Some popular types of plastic trim include:
- Plastic angle trims: often used for finishing corners or protecting edges from damage.
- Plastic flat bar trims: often used to cover gaps between two surfaces, or for providing a neat finish to edges.
- Plastic channel trim: often used to trim edges to hide rough edges and provide a smoother finish.
Plastic trims are not only functional but may also improve the appearance of your project in some situations as well as contributing to protection of surfaces and edges.
4. Custom vs. stock plastic profiles
At MKM Extrusions, we manufacture two main types of products: stock plastic profiles and custom extrusions.
Stock plastic profiles:
These standard products can be ordered in 75 metre packs directly from our online shop with many plastic profiles. They are available in various shapes, sizes, in the colours black and white. For rigid profiles each pack contains 25 x 3 metre lengths.
Custom plastic extrusions:
For projects requiring specific dimensions, shapes, or materials, our custom plastic extrusion service may offer the flexibility to manufacture bespoke profiles which meet your own specifications. Factors we consider include the profile shape and size as well as required material and quantities. You are welcome to get in touch with a drawing or specification and we will provide a quote if we can help.
Conclusion
Whether you need a standard plastic profile from our wide selection of stock products or require a custom made extrusion to suit a unique project, MKM Extrusions provides high quality PVC profiles which may offer a solution. Established in 1983, we have many years of expertise in both standard and custom production, we are here to help you find the right plastic profile for your needs.
We provide a free sample service where we can post you a short pre-cut piece of any profile which is listed on our online shop so you can try before you buy.