Custom Plastic Extrusion Services
Our process covers design optimization, tooling, extrusion, finishing, and assembly — delivering consistent quality and dimensional accuracy at scale.
- Custom profiles and tubing in a wide range of thermoplastics.
- Design support for profile geometry, tooling, and flow optimization.
- Cutting, co-extrusion, secondary finishing, and assembly.
What Is Custom Plastic Extrusion?
Custom plastic extrusion is a continuous process that pushes molten thermoplastic through a custom-cut steel die, then cools and sizes it so the profile holds one constant cross-section. You pay once for the die, then run that shape by the metre and cut it to any length you need.
Extrusion is one of five plastic processes we run in house, alongside injection molding, blow molding, thermoforming, and 3D printing. Because we are not an extrusion-only shop, we will tell you when a different process makes your part cheaper. We also cut dies with CNC machining and wire EDM, then add surface finishing and assembly. New to outsourcing? See how contract manufacturing lowers your landed cost.
End-to-End Custom Plastic Extrusion Services
Meco delivers end-to-end plastic extrusion solutions, transforming complex designs into precision profiles. Leveraging over 30 years of manufacturing expertise and facilities in Thailand and China, we integrate design, tooling, production, and finishing into one seamless, cost-efficient supply chain.
Collaborative Design Optimization
Our engineering team refines profile geometry and assists with material selection before production begins. We ensure manufacturability and structural stability to reduce costs and improve performance from start to scale.
In-House Tooling Expertise
Meco designs and manufactures precision dies internally. This control allows us to support tight-tolerance extrusion for complex shapes, tubes, and custom profiles while minimizing lead times for tooling development.
Post-Processing & Finishing
We deliver ready-to-assemble components, not just raw profiles. Our capabilities include precision cutting, drilling, machining, printing, and surface finishing to meet your exact product specifications.
Material Consistency
Strict quality control ensures dimensional accuracy and material integrity across every batch. Whether rigid or flexible, our integrated approach guarantees consistent part quality throughout high-volume production.
Integrated Supply Chain
By managing design, tooling, extrusion, and finishing in-house across our global network, Meco shortens lead times and reduces waste. We offer a true turnkey solution from prototype to global distribution.
Not Sure Extrusion Is Right?
Send the cross-section. Our engineers confirm the process, resin, and die strategy against your volume and geometry, then price it.
Ask Our EngineersSwipe to explore all five capabilities
Plastic Extrusion vs Injection Molding and Other Processes
If your part has one constant cross-section, extrusion wins on tooling cost. If it has ribs, bosses, or varying wall thickness, you need custom injection molding. This table shows where each of our five plastic processes fits.
| Process | Part Shape | Tooling Cost | Volume | Tolerance | Typical Parts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plastic Extrusion | Constant cross-section | Low (die) | Medium to high | ±0.25 to 0.50 mm | Tubing, seals, channels, rails |
| Injection Molding | Solid, complex 3D | High (mold) | High | 0.05 mm | Housings, gears, connectors |
| Blow Molding | Hollow, closed | Medium | Medium to high | 0.5 mm | Bottles, tanks, ducts |
| Thermoforming | Shallow, tray-like | Low | Low to high | 0.3 mm | Trays, blisters, clamshells |
| 3D Printing | Any | None | 1 to 50 | 0.13 mm | Prototypes, fixtures |
Scroll inside the table to see every column
What We Extrude, and Why OEMs Pick Meco
One supplier for die design, extrusion, co-extrusion, secondary operations, and assembly. One purchase order, one engineer on your program.
Custom Profiles & Tubing
Solid and hollow profiles, single and multi-lumen tubing, U-channels, T-slots, edge trim, and mounting rails in PVC, PP, PE, PC, and PA.
Co-Extrusion & Dual Durometer
Two resins in one profile: a rigid PVC base for mounting, extruded with a flexible TPE fin for sealing, with no downstream assembly step.
Dies Cut In House
Die plates cut by wire EDM and matched with vacuum calibration sizers, using our own CNC machining. Extrusion tooling typically costs 80 to 90% less than an injection mold.
Profile to Finished Product
Cut-to-length, punching, drilling, printing, PSA tape, then product assembly and global warehousing. See whole product manufacturing.
Swipe for all four
What We Check in Your Profile Design
Most extrusion problems come from the drawing, not the line. These are the first things our engineers review when your cross-section arrives, and the changes that save the most money before the die is cut.
| What We Check | What Good Looks Like |
|---|---|
| Wall Uniformity | Even walls across the whole cross-section. Thick sections cool slower, pull the profile out of shape, and cause sink and bow. |
| Corner Radii | Radii on inside and outside corners rather than knife edges. Sharp corners stall the melt, burn, and wear the die. |
| Hollow Chambers | Symmetric chambers with supported webs, so vacuum calibration can hold the shape without collapse. |
| Material Shrinkage | Die opening sized for the resin: rigid PVC shrinks far less than PE or PP, so the same drawing needs a different die. |
| Tolerance Callouts | ±0.25 to 0.50 mm commercial per GB/T 23614, with tight callouts only on the one or two features that mate. |
| Secondary Operations | Cut length, punching, drilling, and PSA tape planned up front, so they run inline instead of as a separate handling step. |
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General design guidance. Your profile gets specific numbers back with your quote.
Industries We Extrude Plastic Profiles For
Meco provides high-precision, custom plastic extrusion solutions for a wide range of industries. From consumer products to aerospace and medical applications, our end-to-end extrusion capabilities deliver durable, reliable, and cost-efficient plastic profiles and tubing.
Industrial Manufacturing
High-performance extrusions for protective housings, cable guides, rails, and profiles that resist abrasion, impact, and chemical exposure in demanding operational environments. Read our guide to industrial manufacturing, or see the full list of Meco capabilities.
Light Manufacturing
Cost-efficient extruded polymer components for enclosures, fixtures, and structural parts, enabling efficient production, reduced weight, and excellent repeatability for small-scale manufacturers. Optical-grade PC and PMMA profiles are also available for lens covers and diffuser channels.
Home Appliances
Door gaskets, drawer runners, edge trim, and drain tubing. Dual durometer co-extrusion puts a rigid PVC mounting leg and a soft TPE sealing fin in one profile, so the appliance line clips a single part instead of assembling two.
Medical Equipment
Precision tubing, fluid lines, and equipment trim where wall concentricity matters. High-precision medical tubing can be held to tighter standards than commercial profiles using specialized inline laser gauging, with full lot traceability on every run.
Consumer Electronics
Light guides, bezel trim, cable raceway, and gasket profiles in flame-retardant grades. Profiles ship with adhesive backing tape applied, ready to drop onto the line beside PCB assembly and box build.
Automotive Parts
Weatherstripping, edge protectors, wire conduit, and interior trim profiles. UV-stabilised compounds keep exterior parts from chalking, and our IATF 16949:2016 system covers documentation from PPAP through to shipment. See our automotive parts manufacturing.
Telecom
Fibre microduct, innerduct, cable management channels, and enclosure gasket profiles in HDPE and flame-retardant PVC. Long continuous coils reduce joints in the field. See our telecom manufacturing.
Commercial Furniture
Edge banding, T-mould, desk grommet rings, panel connectors, and screen trim, colour matched to laminate. Supplied in coil for automated banding lines or cut to length with holes punched.
Plastic Extrusion Materials & Capabilities
Supported plastic materials for extrusion are PVC, PP, PE, PC, and PA, in rigid and flexible grades, plus TPE and TPV for the soft leg of a dual durometer profile. Need a different process? See our full plastic materials list.
| Material | Why It Is Chosen | Typical Extruded Parts |
|---|---|---|
| PVC | Rigid or flexible from the same family, low shrinkage, holds sharp detail, flame retardant grades available | Window and door profiles, edge trim, weatherstrip, conduit |
| PP | Light, chemical resistant, good living-hinge behaviour, low cost | Channels, hinged profiles, chemical-duty tubing |
| PE (HDPE / LDPE) | Tough, low friction, excellent moisture and impact resistance | Microduct, irrigation and drain tubing, wear strips |
| PC | High impact strength, optical clarity, heat resistance | Light diffuser channels, clear guards, sight tubes |
| PA (Nylon) | Abrasion resistance, stiffness, high service temperature | Air brake tubing, cable guides, bearing strips |
| TPE / TPV | Soft, elastic sealing leg that bonds to a rigid substrate in co-extrusion | Dual durometer seals, gaskets, sealing fins |
Scroll inside the table to see every column
Process: Plastic Extrusion. Standards: GB/T 23614 Plastic Extrusion Dimensional Tolerances.
Ready to Price Your Extruded Profile?
Send a 2D DXF or 3D STEP file of the cross-section. You get die cost, part cost, and design feedback back fast. NDAs signed as standard.
Plastic Extrusion FAQ
What is plastic extrusion best suited for?
Plastic extrusion is the ideal manufacturing process for parts with a continuous, constant cross-section. Unlike injection molding, which creates discrete 3D shapes, extrusion pushes molten thermoplastic through a die to create linear profiles like tubing, weatherstripping, window frames, and channels.
Extrusion vs. Injection Molding: Which do I need?
If your part has complex 3D geometry (ribs, bosses, or varying thickness), you need injection molding. If your part is a linear rail, tube, or seal that can be cut to any length, extrusion is the answer. Extrusion tooling (dies) generally costs 80-90% less than injection molds. See our custom injection molding services if your part is not a constant profile.
What is Co-Extrusion (Dual Durometer)?
Co-extrusion allows us to combine two different materials into a single profile. A common application is Dual Durometer, where a rigid PVC base (for structural mounting) is extruded simultaneously with a flexible TPE fin (for sealing), creating a single, integrated part without assembly.
What are standard extrusion tolerances?
Because plastic shrinks as it cools, tolerances are looser than CNC machining. Standard commercial tolerances are typically ±0.010" to ±0.020" (0.25mm - 0.50mm) depending on the profile size, in line with GB/T 23614. High-precision medical tubing can be held to tighter standards with specialized laser gauging.
Can you cut profiles to custom lengths?
Yes. We offer inline cutting for high-volume standard lengths, or offline secondary cutting for precision requirements. We can also perform secondary operations like drilling, punching, or applying adhesive backing tape (PSA) directly to the profile.
How much does an extrusion die cost?
A simple profile or tubing die is usually a low four-figure investment, and a complex hollow or co-extrusion die with vacuum calibration sizers costs more. As a rule, extrusion tooling runs 80 to 90% below the cost of an injection mold for a comparable part, which is why extrusion suits programs that cannot justify a mold.
What materials can Meco extrude?
PVC, PP, PE, PC, and PA are our core extrusion resins, in rigid and flexible grades, with TPE and TPV used for the soft leg of dual durometer profiles. Flame-retardant, UV-stabilised, and colour-matched compounds are available. We will recommend a resin against your load, temperature, chemical, and outdoor exposure requirements.
How long does extrusion tooling and production take?
Die engineering and wire EDM cutting typically take a few weeks, followed by T1 sampling to verify dimensions and material flow. Once the profile is signed off, production is continuous, so repeat orders ship far faster than the first run. Exact dates come with your quote.
Where does Meco manufacture, and what quality system do you run?
Extrusion is produced in our Thailand and China facilities and managed from Canada, backed by over 30 years of manufacturing experience. Our quality system is IATF 16949:2016 certified, which is built on all ISO 9001:2015 requirements, and profiles are checked against GB/T 23614 dimensional tolerances. More about Meco.
How to Get Started
Upload your 2D DXF or 3D STEP file of the cross-section. Specify resin type (e.g., PVC, HDPE, TPE).
We design the custom steel die and calibration vacuum sizers required to hold your profile's shape.
The die is cut via Wire EDM. We run T1 samples to verify dimensions and material flow.
Continuous production runs with inline laser monitoring, cooling, and cut-to-length packaging.
Learn More About Plastic Manufacturing
Guides written by our engineering team on process choice, tooling, and cost.
What Is Plastic Injection Molding?
The alternative to extrusion for complex 3D parts: how it works, resin choice, design rules, and cost.
Read the guide →
What Is Blow Molding?
How extrusion blow molding turns a parison into bottles, tanks, and ducts, and when it beats a profile.
Read the guide →What Is Contract Manufacturing?
How an integrated supply chain from tooling to assembly lowers your landed cost per part.
Read the guide →Swipe for all three guides
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