Flexibility of CPVC in Manufacturing
CPVC is suitable for a variety of parts manufacturing processes, including extrusion, injection molding, thermoforming, and compression molding. CPVC parts can be fabricated into assemblies by a variety of options including solvent welding, hot plate welding, rod welding, and extrusion welding. CPVC provides a number of benefits over other materials in parts manufacturing.
✔ Mold shrinkage/appearance - Because it is a rigid amorphous thermoplastic, CPVC generally has much less mold shrinkage than many other materials and produces parts with a smoother glossier surface.
✔ Thermoforming - CPVC gives manufacturers the ability to extrude sheets and re-mold them into other shapes.
✔ Vacuum forming - CPVC can be extruded into sheets and vacuumed down into different molds, offering a fast and flexible solution to many applications, such as signage, trays and shells.
✔ Foaming for lightweight applications - Amorphous materials such as CPVC can be extruded as foamed material, for a variety of lightweight applications. Polystyrene-like packaging can be manufactured and used with the inherent fire repellent properties of CPVC.
✔ Weldability - CPVC can be welded with solvents or with a variety of common welding techniques including hot-plate welding, rod welding, and extrusion welding.
✔ Recycling - CPVC can be reheated and remoulded after initial processing, minimising wastage in the manufacturing process.
Finding flexibility in material engineering not only saves valuable time and energy for manufacturers, it boosts the potential of any product portfolio, adding another layer of strength, stability or safety to a product that most polymers simply cannot achieve.
