Different Types of Extruders

Extruders in the polymer industry come in many different designs. The main distinction between the various extruders is their mode of operation: continuous or discontinuous. The latter type extruder delivers polymer in an intermittent fashion and, therefore, is ideally suited for batch type processes, such as injection molding and blow molding. As mentioned earlier, continuous extruders have a rotating member, whereas batch extruders have a reciprocating member. A classification of the various extruders is shown in Table 2.1.