Bixby’s several PILOT PROCESS DEVELOPMENT LINES allow our Applications Development Engineering team to continually innovate, test and develop custom solutions. The versatility of our manufacturing at the pilot-line stage is unlike your standard thermoplastic extrusion companies. We have the ability to develop mono- and multi-layer laminate solutions via cast and tandem extrusion, coextrusion, hot-press and continuous belt lamination, gravure and full-coat roll coating and laminations. These can be evaluated in conjunction with flame, corona, plasma or priming surface treatments at the pilot-line scale. These extensive capabilities early in the development process are a key factor in our ability to provide fast and focused process technology solutions to our clients from the start of a concept all the way through scaled-up production.

PILOT-LINE CAPABILITIES

CAST & TANDEM EXTRUSION PROTOTYPING

  • Flat Die Cast Extrusion Line – Davis Standard 1.5” (3.81cm) single screw extruder
  • Three-Roll Casting/Nip Extrusion Station
  • Prototype Samples up to 18” (~45cm) wide
    • Available thickness: 3 mils to 65 mils
  • Prototype Samples up to 11” (~27cm) wide
    • Available thickness: 3 mils to 155 mils
  • Mono- or multi-layer extruded polymers can be laminated with any substrate unwound from rolls
  • Available Surface Textures: Gloss, Brushed, Light Matte, Heavy Matte, Prismatic or Custom Specifications

COMPOUNDING

  • Lab-Scale formulation development on TPEI continuous mixer for creating custom polymer compounds for our clients
  • Small-batch (5 – 50 lbs) pelletized compounds are validated and characterized for end-use application in our extrusion and lamination pilot processes. In this way, customized film, sheet and laminate prototype concepts can be quickly analyzed and tested in our development labs.

COEXTRUSION

Visit our COEXTRUSION section for more details.

BELT LAMINATION

Visit our BELT LAMINATION section for more details.

GRAVURE & FULL-COAT LAMINATION

Visit our GRAVURE LAMINATION or FULL-ROLL COAT LAMINATION sections for more details.

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MARKETS SERVED

DURABLE DECORATIVE
DURABLE
DECORATIVE
DENTAL
DENTAL
FOOTWEAR
FOOTWEAR
INDUSTRIAL
INDUSTRIAL
MEDICAL
MEDICAL
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OPTICAL
ORTHOPEDIC
ORTHOPEDIC
RECREATION
RECREATION
CUSTOM
CUSTOM

PDF Download

Download a PDF about our Pilot-Line capabilities

Contact Us

Have a question about our processes or capabilities? Do you need a plastic solution for your next project? Are you interested in learning more about Bixby’s custom manufacturing possibilities? Contact us and we will be happy to assist!