Product manufacturing question - textured sheet plastic

[enjar]

Hello everyone,

I have some very broad questions about getting some items mass produced using plastic, and I really don't know where to start. I do not know anything about the various kinds of plastics out there, or their properties, let alone which manufacturing technique might be used to produce these items.

I hope that this doesn't sound too broad or vague, but I am looking to have the following manufactured, hopefully these descriptions will enable someone to help me determine what kind of company might be able to help me out...

Item is to be a sheet of plastic, approximately 1/16th of an inch thick, with a texture on one side to like that of 40 grit sandpaper with parralel ridges running the length approximately 1/8th inch apart (picture a combination of corduroy (like the fabric) covered with sand). The other side is to be completely flat. The piece should not warp - it should lie perfectly flat. These should have the overall measurements of anywhere from 8.5"x11" up to 24"x24", assuming the sheets could be rolled (and not warp). Not sure if color is a consideration, but a dark brown would be best.

As I said, I don't know anything about the properties or manufacturing processes, so I am not sure if this is something that would need to be molded, stamped, extruded?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I live in Western Mass., and there seem to be lots of plastic mfg companies out here, but I don't even know where to start....

Kind Regards,
Rick

[enjar]

I am wondering if styrene might work for this... I am wondering if it would be possible to run a sheet of styrene through some type of roll press which could stamp the texture onto the sheets... any thoughts? Styrene is relatively soft if I am not mistaken...

Any help would be much appreciated.

Rick

[oldtool]

Rick,

The ideal way to produce the product you described is the same way newellRubbermaid makes it's chair mats. It is extruded and a roller with the desired texture/shape transfers that shape to a PVC mat. There are other materials you could use but I would need to know any chemical resistance, heat, ext. to suggest the proper material. Does it need to be stiff or flexable?

Good luck

[enjar]

Thank you for the reply. In regards to additional info, it does not need to be heat or chemical resistant. In terms of flexibility, it would be great if a plastic type existed that could be rolled up into a tube and then unroll perfectly flat - no warping.

A soft plastic would work, item doesn't need to be rock hard (not hard like plexiglass)...

Again, thank you so much!

Rick

[Len]

Rick,

The ideal way to produce the product you described is the same way newellRubbermaid makes it's chair mats. It is extruded and a roller with the desired texture/shape transfers that shape to a PVC mat. There are other materials you could use but I would need to know any chemical resistance, heat, ext. to suggest the proper material. Does it need to be stiff or flexable?

Good luck

OT,
You are correct, in suggesting that and extrusion/calendering (3-roll stand) operation is a good way to make the product in question. You can emboss your design at the roll stand, control gauge, and sheet off or roll the product. Most plastic sheet will take a set when rolled and will not lay flat unless treated w/ heat to remove memory/stress. We shipped chair mats rolled, but we recommended that the customer warm the mat before installation to remove the curl.

FYI - Newell/Rubbermaid is out of that business. Quite frankly, they lost their PVC and extrusion expertice when they lost me! I humbly submit... After I left Rubbermaid the process and product went dramatically down hill.

Len

[Louis]

[Len]

Thx, Louis.

I appreciate your sense of humor!

Len

[Louis]

Life is too short not to smile

[enjar]

Any advice on what type of company here in the US could manufacture such a product? There are a lot of comapnies out there, and I am not sure what type of manufacturer I am looking for...

Thanks again for all the help thus far!

Rick

[Louis]

You might start by contacting sheet extruders as well as companies that supply the sheet dies. The latter would be able to guide you to a manufacturer that is using their tooling to produce such items.