A custom plastic extrusion project can start with a drawing, a sample part, or a list of performance requirements. That’s all we need to get the gears turning.
At Vidon Plastics, we regularly manufacture profiles, tubing, and fabricated components precisely to strict customer specifications. While some of our customers already have their specifications and final part designs, we also collaborate with many customers who are in the midst of developing their products, or others who need product development assistance from the ground up.
Vidon Plastics prides itself on being much more than just any old high-volume profile shop. We strive to be a true manufacturing partner within the American industries, working with our customers to develop and deliver the best custom extrusion products possible.
- Sometimes that means high-level engineering assistance, like confirming functional performance or regulatory specification.
- In other cases, we assist in design for manufacturability (DFM), optimizing custom profile designs for the extrusion process.
- Sometimes we’re trying to increase strength, improve quality or precision…in other cases, we’re trying to minimize costs or material usage.
- For projects in the prototyping and testing phase, Vidon offers a seamless transition from engineering into full-scale production.
In other words, our engineering and design assistance for custom extrusion profiles can take many forms. Regardless of your complex production challenges, or what stage your program is in, our team works hard to add the most value we can as soon as we come on board.
We Provide Engineering Support That Adds Value Early
To us, a successful end product depends on more than matching a cross-section to a print. The profile needs to perform in its end-use environment, run consistently in production, meet dimensional and cosmetic requirements, and arrive on schedule at a cost that supports the finished product.
To that end, our team can review the intended application, profile geometry, tolerances, materials, assembly requirements, and functional expectations to help confirm that the proposed solution is appropriate for the job.
Plenty of times, we’ve seen a small adjustment made before tooling and production prevent a much larger issue later. For example, a change to wall thickness, corner geometry, tolerance strategy, or material selection may improve extrusion stability, reduce scrap, simplify downstream fabrication, or increase finished-part durability.
We may also identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary complexity. A part does not always need tighter tolerances, thicker walls, or a more expensive resin to achieve the desired result. By aligning the design and material with actual performance requirements, it may be possible to improve product quality while reducing production cost.
Of course every project is different, so there is no one-size-fits-all recommendation. Our role is to bring practical extrusion experience to the conversation so customers can make informed decisions based on performance, manufacturability, and long-term value.
We Apply Design for Manufacturability
A profile can look good on a CAD drawing and still present challenges during extrusion. Complex shapes, thin sections, uneven wall thicknesses, sharp transitions, demanding tolerances, and multi-material requirements can all affect how reliably a product runs.
Vidon can assist with design for manufacturability by evaluating how a profile will behave in the extrusion process. Our goal is to help optimize the design so it can be produced more consistently and cost-effectively without compromising the product’s intended function.
Depending on the application, you might find our team recommending changes such as:
- Balancing wall thicknesses to support more stable processing
- Refining corners, radii, or transitions for improved material flow and to reduce sharp stress points
- Reviewing tolerances to distinguish critical dimensions from those that can be opened up
- Simplifying profile geometry where possible
- Considering co-extrusion or dual-durometer construction to combine functions in one part
- Planning for downstream operations such as punching, notching, milling, adhesive application, or assembly
We focus on real-world engineering improvements and finding the most practical path to producing each product reliably. Wherever possible, we help minimize the price per part by reducing avoidable material usage, processing complexity, scrap exposure, secondary operations, or production variability.
A manufacturable extrusion design supports more than cost control. It can also lead to more consistent quality, smoother production runs, along with a more dependable supply schedule.
We Offer Material Expertise for Real-World Performance
Material selection is one of the most important decisions in any plastic extrusion project. The right resin must do more than extrude well. It must also deliver the performance the finished product needs in the field.
Customers may know the exact material they want. In that case, Vidon can manufacture to specification using a wide range of common thermoplastics. But customers who need guidance can bring us their performance requirements instead.
Tell us what the part needs to do:
- Does it need to resist impact, chemicals, UV exposure, moisture, heat, cold, abrasion, or repeated flexing?
- Does it require a specific finish, color, rigidity, softness, electrical property, or level of transparency?
- Will it be used indoors, outdoors, in an automotive environment, on heavy equipment, in construction, or in an industrial assembly?
Just to name a few of the questions you might ask. Our experts can help recommend an appropriate extrusion material based on those functional demands.
Vidon works with all common extrusion materials including PVC, polyethylene, polypropylene, polycarbonate, acrylic, nylon, TPO, styrenics, butyrate, and other thermoplastic options. In some cases, a co-extruded or dual-durometer solution can combine different material properties in one profile.
The objective is straightforward: select a material that supports required performance without adding unnecessary cost or complexity.
Vidon Is a Manufacturing Partner, Not Just a Profile Shop
Whether your custom plastic extrusion products are fully engineered or still taking shape, Vidon Plastics brings the same collaborative mindset to the work. We listen closely, ask practical questions, review the details, and apply decades of manufacturing experience to help customers move forward with confidence.
We can deliver an extrusion solution tailored to your specific, complex requirements, bringing your design and application requirements to life. For more information, reach out to us today.