With over 65 years of extrusion manufacturing experience, Tubeway Extrusions has extensive expertise in designing, producing and modifying tooling for plastic extrusions. Whether you’re developing a completely new profile or adapting an existing design, we can help create a practical, cost-effective solution that meets your exact requirements.
Alongside our in-house tooling capability, we maintain a large library of existing extrusion tooling developed over decades of manufacturing. In many cases, an existing tool can be used or adapted to achieve the desired result, helping to reduce both tooling costs and lead times.
Competitive Tooling Solutions
We pride ourselves on providing high-quality tooling at competitive prices. Simple rigid PVC extrusion tooling typically starts from around £600 + VAT, although costs will vary depending on profile size, complexity and material requirements.
Tooling for materials other than rigid PVC and uPVC can be more complex and may require additional development time. Our team will always provide clear guidance on costs, lead times and technical considerations as part of the quotation process.
From Design to Production
Once a drawing has been approved and an order placed, many tooling projects can be completed in-house. Typical lead times for standard tooling are between 5 and 10 working days, depending on the size and complexity of the profile.
For more specialised requirements, we work with long-established tooling partners who understand our production methods and quality standards. These projects can take longer, typically around 4 to 6 weeks, but expected lead times will always be confirmed in advance.
Before full production begins, tooling is tested through sample runs to ensure the profile performs as intended. Prototype quantities can also be produced at a cost of £120 plus UK carriage + VAT charge, allowing designs to be assessed and refined before committing to larger production runs. Should modifications be required following testing, these can often be completed quickly by our experienced team.
Designing for Successful Extrusion
Good profile design can improve production efficiency, reduce tooling costs and deliver a better end result. When developing a new extrusion, there are several important considerations:
- Profile scaling: In some cases, profile dimensions can be reduced proportionally during production, allowing existing tooling designs to be adapted without the need for completely new tooling.
- Wall thickness: Consistent wall thicknesses generally produce the best results, helping material flow evenly through the tooling and reducing the risk of distortion or bowing as the profile cools.
- Detailing: Excessively fine or unnecessary detail can increase tooling complexity, slow production and add unnecessary cost.
- Mating components: Where a profile needs to fit or interface with existing products, providing sample parts can help ensure accurate design, tooling manufacture and production testing.
- Profile size: Our extrusion equipment is typically suited to profiles up to approximately 70mm across their largest dimension.
- Cut length tolerances: Plastic extrusions naturally expand and contract with temperature changes. Typical tolerances for a 1 metre cut length are approximately ±1mm, with maximum production lengths generally around 4 metres.
Making the Most of Existing Tooling
One of the biggest advantages of working with Tubeway Extrusions is access to our extensive tooling catalogue. In some cases, an existing profile can be modified or adapted to suit a new application, eliminating or significantly reducing tooling costs.
If you’re still developing your design, we may be able to suggest an existing profile or alternative solution that delivers the functionality you need while reducing development costs and accelerating production.