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PultrusionsPultrusions are reinforced shapes made with constant cross sections of reinforced fiber ropes and continuous filament mats that are pushed through a heated steel die. The resulting products are made of rubber, metal and plastic sheets, rods, channels and tubes that are reinforced and stronger than normal. These products are used in the water, healthcare, electronics, chemical and waste management industries. They are used to produce strong piping and tubing, curb angles, stair tread, grating ladders, handrails and grating post bases. The pultrusion process can be hot or cold, and in the case of plastic pultrusions, the plastic resin pellets are thermoplastic and therefore heat is used to melt and shape them. The plastic pultrusion process starts with continuous fiber ropes and filament fabric reinforcement mats that are fed from storage to a performing system. These provide the finished shape with longitudinal tensile strength along the length of the pultrusion profile. The mat and rope are saturated with liquid resin at a wet-out station, and then fed through heated dies that shape and cure the resin mixture. The resulting product is strong, durable and used for reinforcement applications. The composite is cooled and pulled through a saw, which cuts the shape into designated lengths. PVC, CPVC, polypropylene, polyethylene, PVDF and acrylic are generally the types of plastic resins used in the pultrusion manufacturing process.
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