UHMW Ram Extrusion Process
UHMW powder is gravity fed into a chamber and a hydraulic ram pushes the powder from this chamber into the die. The die is the shape of the desired plastic, a certain diameter rod, a certain OD and ID tube, or a profile shape.
Heaters are employed on the outside of the die to heat the plastic and make it form into the shape of the die. The hydraulic ram moves back and forth continuously feeding the powder into the die.
As the material comes out of the die, it travels the length of the conveyor after which it is cut to length. Ram extrusion does not shear the material that is being manufactured as does single screw extrusion which employs a rotating screw to move the material.
It moves the material by hydraulically pushing it through the die which is the desired shape of the end product. UHMW-PE, which becomes gelatinous when it melts instead of molten, can only be extruded with this type or similar type process.
