Thermoplastic extrusion process

Plasticizing, shaping and cooling for industry

Plastic extrusion as a continuous industrial process

Plastic extrusion is a continuous industrial process that transforms thermoplastic polymers into products with a constant cross-section, such as pipes, profiles, sheets, pellets and technical components. During the plastic extrusion process, the material is plasticized, pressurized and conveyed through a die designed to obtain the required geometry, ensuring production continuity, dimensional accuracy and consistent quality. At the heart of plastic extrusion is the plastic extruder, composed of a heated barrel and one or more screws that convey the material, compress it and transform it from a solid state into a molten mass through precise control of temperature, pressure and shear forces. Correct management of these parameters makes it possible to achieve high material homogeneity and stable performance throughout the production cycle. In Bausano plastic extrusion lines, every stage of the process is designed to ensure thermal uniformity, flow stability and production repeatability, even during continuous operations. The company develops different plastic extrusion technologies according to industrial applications:

The MD Series, with parallel counter-rotating twin screw, is designed for compounding, rigid PVC, complex formulations and materials with high filler content.
The E-GO Series, composed of single screw extruders, is suitable for the production of pipes, profiles, film and applications with standard polymers.
The E-ON Series, with conical twin screws, offers high mixing performance, compact dimensions and optimized energy consumption.
The E-GO R Series, developed for recycling, is dedicated to processing regenerated materials, post-consumer plastic and contaminated polymers.
Co-extruders allow the simultaneous processing of different materials, enabling the production of multilayer products and special applications.

The extrusion lines can be configured according to different production requirements and are fully compatible with automation systems, digital control, Industrial IoT and advanced monitoring tools. This approach increases productivity, energy efficiency and quality control throughout the entire plastic extrusion process.

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Plastic extruders for plastic processing

Each Bausano plastic extrusion line integrates components developed to ensure production continuity, process control and high reliability:

Feeding system (hopper and pushing screw)
Dosing system (gravimetric or volumetric)
Induction heating and cooling system
Screw or screws designed for each specific application
Barrel with independent heating zones
Extrusion head (die)
Electrical cabinet with PLC and operator interface (HMI)
Final calibration and cooling system
High-efficiency motor and gearbox unit

Each component plays a key role in the quality of plastic extrusion and helps ensure process stability, finished product accuracy and energy efficiency. The process begins with the feeding system, where the raw material is loaded into the hopper in the form of granules, powders or compounds. Materials can be premixed with pigments, stabilizers, lubricants, anti-UV additives or other components required to obtain the desired properties of the final product. The material then reaches the dosing system, responsible for the controlled introduction of the raw material into the plastic extruder. Bausano uses gravimetric dosing and volumetric dosing systems that keep material throughput constant, even when processing complex formulations or filled materials. The barrel and the screw, or screws, form the core of the extrusion process. During its path inside the barrel, the material is progressively compacted, heated, plasticized and homogenized. Heat is generated both by the heating systems and by the mechanical energy produced by screw rotation. The motor unit and the gearbox transmit the torque required for screw rotation. Accurate design makes it possible to process materials with different characteristics while maintaining process stability, even with high-viscosity polymers or formulations rich in mineral fillers. The molten material is then conveyed to the extrusion head, or die, which determines the final geometry of the product. The die design ensures uniform flow distribution, limits pressure drops and helps obtain high-quality surfaces. At the die outlet, the product passes through the cooling system, which may use air, water or cooled rollers depending on the application. This stage is essential to stabilize the product shape and comply with the required dimensional tolerances. The line is completed by calibration, haul-off and cutting units, which ensure production continuity, dimensional accuracy and final product quality. All line components are managed by a centralized digital control system that allows real-time monitoring of temperature, pressure, screw speed, energy consumption and process parameters, making it easier to optimize the entire production process.

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Control systems and artificial intelligence

To support the plastic extrusion industry in moving towards an increasingly connected, efficient and data-driven production model, Bausano has developed Sphera, the integrated digital ecosystem for advanced management of extrusion lines. It is a modular and scalable platform designed to digitalize the entire lifecycle of the plant, improve productivity, reduce downtime and simplify technical management. Sphera integrates Industrial IoT, artificial intelligence and digital services to enable continuous monitoring of extrusion lines, turning process data into useful information to optimize performance, energy consumption and final product quality.
Sphera is structured into three main modules, fully integrated with each other:

• Pharos: the industrial supervision module that enables real-time monitoring of key extrusion parameters, such as temperatures, pressures, screw speed, energy consumption and productivity. Through predictive analysis algorithms and artificial intelligence models, it identifies process drifts, anomalies and inefficiencies, suggesting corrective actions to keep production stable.
• Scout: the portal dedicated to intelligent management of genuine spare parts. Thanks to interactive exploded views linked to the machine serial number, it allows quick identification of each component, access to updated technical documentation and quotation requests directly from the platform.
• Ranger: the digital assistant developed to support operators and technicians in the daily management of the extrusion line. Through an AI-based conversational platform, it provides contextual assistance on alarms, production recipes, plant performance and operational suggestions based on real-time data analysis.

The integration between Industrial IoT and Artificial Intelligence makes plastic extrusion an intelligent and predictive process. Continuous monitoring helps anticipate anomalies, plan maintenance, reduce waste, improve energy efficiency and ensure consistent production quality. All modules operate on certified cloud infrastructure and use open industrial protocols such as OPC UA and MQTT, ensuring high standards of security, data traceability and operational continuity. With Sphera, Bausano transforms plastic extrusion into a digital, connected process focused on continuous improvement of production performance.

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Materials

Processable polymers and material compatibility The plastic materials typically used in plastic extrusion and in Bausano extrusion lines include:

PE – Polyethylene
PP – Polypropylene
PVC – Polyvinyl chloride
WPC – Wood Plastic Composite
PVOH – Polyvinyl alcohol
PC – Polycarbonate, PA - Polyamide
ABS – Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene

These are complemented by several other technical materials, including TPE, TPU, PMMA and thermoplastic elastomers, enabling the development of products for multiple industrial applications. During the plastic extrusion process, additives, masterbatch, pigments, stabilizers, mineral fillers and functional modifiers can be integrated through dedicated dosing systems. Correct formulation management improves the mechanical, chemical and aesthetic properties of the final product, ensuring high performance and consistent quality. Thanks to the customized design of screws, dies, feeding systems and line configurations, Bausano manufactures plants capable of processing both virgin polymers and recycled materials, meeting the production needs of the main sectors in plastic processing.

Performance and fields of application of Bausano lines

Plastic extrusion is an efficient process for producing continuous shapes for industrial and domestic applications. In the plastic extrusion process, thermoplastic material is plasticized, pushed through a die and transformed into products with constant geometry. Bausano develops customized plastic extrusion lines thanks to its consolidated experience in different application sectors.

Pellets, compounds and granules
Pipes for drinking water, sewage, gas transport and many others
Window profiles, door profiles and technical profiles
Medical tubing, bags and medical sheet
WPC pellets and profiles

Bausano plastic extrusion solutions are designed to adapt precisely to different application fields, ensuring operational continuity, process reliability and performance optimization. The high flexibility of the lines makes it possible to respond efficiently to varied production needs, from technical profiles to high-performance compounds, with configurations defined according to material, production capacity, dosing systems, digital control and required automation level. To request a customized Bausano plastic extrusion line, the customer can start a technical discussion with the company team: Bausano analyzes material, application, production objectives and plant layout to define a tailor-made solution complete with plastic extruder, dosing systems, digital control, IoT and assistance.

Pellets, compounds and granules Production capacity up to 2,500 kg/h, with excellent melt homogeneity. Mixing optimization and fine control of apparent density. Suitable for filled formulations, masterbatch and recycled material
Pipes for drinking water, sewage and gas transport High production efficiency, dimensional stability and possibility of mono- and multilayer configuration. Integration with in-line calibration, cooling and cutting systems. Compliance with industry standards.
Window profiles, door profiles and technical components Precise and repeatable production, with speeds up to 25 m/min and vacuum calibration capability. Suitable for rigid PVC and technical materials. Full support for geometric customization.
Medical tubing and sheet, bags and devices High-precision extrusion for medical PVC, TPU and certified materials. Strict tolerance control, even in controlled-contamination environments. Support for GMP and ISO 13485 standards.
WPC pellets and profiles (wood-plastic composite) Excellent mixing thanks to twin-screw extruders. Ability to process natural and regenerated materials. Complete lines with dosing, cooling, calibration and trimming for optimal finishing.
Recycling of post-consumer waste and production of regenerated granules Dedicated lines, such as the E-GO R series, ensure a stable process even with contaminated or irregular materials. High-efficiency degassing, melt quality control and productivity up to 2,000 kg/h, with reduced consumption thanks to induction heating.

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Complementary to Extrusion

Dosing System

Feeding system are an important part of the extrusion process. You have to choose the right system for your desired production.

Intelligent automation

Bausano's 4.0 Digital Extruder Control to monitor the extruders performance.

A starting point to define the right solution together

By filling in the form below, it is possible to describe specific technical or production requirements. The technical team will carefully evaluate the request in order to propose the most suitable extrusion line or extruder.