Sheet Extrusion

Sheet direct extrusion is what USEON is known for in sheet and film: polymer, filler and additives are fed, mixed and devolatilized in one twin screw extruder and leave the die as finished sheet, without pelletizing or pre-drying in between. Single screw sheet and board lines complete the range.

Packaging sheet
Technical sheet & board
Film

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Melt leaving a sheet die onto the polished roller of a calender — Sheet

ABS / HIPS / PMMA board production line — Board

Winder of a PVB film extrusion line — Film

Find your line by what you make

Nine lines in three groups. Each card names the polymers, the size of the sheet and the extruder that drives the line.

Packaging sheet

Wound into rolls, for thermoforming

PET SheetAPETRPETCPETPETGThickness0.15–3 mmOutput500–2,000 kg/hTwin screw · no pre-drying

PP / PS / PLA / PBAT / PHA SheetPPPSHIPSPLA · PBAT · PHAThickness0.15–3 mmOutput350–1,500 kg/hTwin screw or single screw

Barrier SheetPPPEPSEVAEVOHThickness0.15–2 mmOutput200–600 kg/hSingle screw · multi-layer

Technical sheet & board

Appliances, sanitaryware, building

ABS SheetABS1 · 2 · 3 · 5 layersThickness1–6 mmWidth600–1,200 mmSingle screw

ABS / HIPS / PMMA BoardABSHIPSPSPMMAThickness1–8 mmOutput550–750 kg/hThree single screws · cut and stacked

WPC SheetPP+ 40% wood fiberThickness0.8–1.5 mmOutputup to 600 kg/hTwin screw · compounded in line

Film

Glass interlayer, solar, packaging

PVB / SGP FilmPVBSGPThickness0.3–1.5 mmWidthup to 4,000 mmTwin screw · co-extrusion

POE / EVA Solar FilmEVAPOENew EnergyThickness0.3–0.9 mmOutput300–500 kg/hTwin screw · liquid additives

SAT175 twin screw extruder of a BOPET film line

BOPET FilmPETA/B/CThickness12–125 μmOutput5,000 kg/hTwin screw · the extruder of the film line

Twin screw: direct extrusion, the formula is compounded in the lineSingle screw: resin or a premix, extruded as it isBoth series available

The lines side by side

Thickness tells the lines apart: from 12 μm stretched film to 8 mm board.

Packaging sheetTechnical sheet & boardFilm

BOPET film12–125 μm

POE / EVA solar film0.3–0.9 mm

PVB / SGP film0.3–1.5 mm

Barrier sheet0.15–2 mm

PET sheet0.15–3 mm

PP / PS / PLA sheet0.15–3 mm

WPC sheet0.8–1.5 mm

ABS sheet1–6 mm

ABS / HIPS / PMMA board1–8 mm

Logarithmic scale. Ranges as stated on each line page.

Line	Polymers	Sheet width	Output	Extruder	Leaves the line as
Packaging sheet
PET sheet	PET, APET, RPET, CPET, PETG	600–3,000 mm	500–2,000 kg/h	SAT twin screw	Rolls
PP / PS / PLA / PBAT / PHA sheet	PP, PS, HIPS, PLA, PBAT, PHA	600–3,000 mm	350–1,500 kg/h	SAT twin or TDD single screw	Rolls
Barrier sheet	PP, PE, PS, EVA, EVOH	600–900 mm	200–600 kg/h	Single screw	Rolls
Technical sheet & board
ABS sheet	ABS	600–1,200 mm	—	Single screw	Rolls
ABS / HIPS / PMMA board	ABS, PS, HIPS, PMMA	1,200–2,100 mm	550–750 kg/h	Three single screws	Boards cut to length, stacked
WPC sheet	PP with 40% wood fiber	1,400–1,600 mm	up to 600 kg/h	SAT twin screw	Sheets, stacked
Film
PVB / SGP film	PVB, SGP	up to 4,000 mm	300–600 kg/h	SAT twin screw	Rolls
POE / EVA solar filmNew Energy	EVA, POE	1,250 / 2,500 mm	300–500 kg/h	Twin screw	Rolls
BOPET film	PET	7,500 mm	5,000 kg/h	SAT twin screw	Melt for the stretching line

Why direct extrusion

The traditional way to make sheet or film depends on the formula. For two of the three kinds of formula it takes a step before the sheet extruder.

Formula	Traditional process	Direct extrusion
Simple formulationSuch as PE with a small added quantity of masterbatch or additives	Premix all componentsSingle screw extruderSheet or filmOne step	Gravimetric feedingTwin screw extruderSheet or filmOne step. Less energy, better dispersion and less waste at a colour change than the single screw.
Complex formulationSuch as PP with 40% filler or wood fiber	Compounding in a twin screw extruderPelletizingPremixSingle screw extruderSheet or filmTwo steps	Split feedingTwin screw extruderSheet or filmOne step. The polymer is melted once; the recipe is changed at the feeders.
Water-sensitive materialSuch as PET or PA	Pre-drying, 3–5 hoursSingle screw extruderSheet or filmTwo steps	Undried materialTwin screw extruder with vacuumSheet or filmOne step. No crystallizer and no dryer.

What the traditional process costs

More energy

For pre-drying, for the two-stage process, or for the single screw extruder itself.

More manpower

And more factory space and investment.

Poorer dispersion

For additives and for polymers of different MFI.

Overheating and shearing

Of natural wood fiber.

Over-shearing of glass fiber

In the D-LFT process.

Polymer degradation

In the two-step process.

Twin screw against single screw, in numbers

Up to 30%

Energy saved. Stated for the HDPE sheet line and the BOPP film line, against single screw extrusion.

5,500 kg/h

From the same 1,200 kW motor. BOPP film: a single screw extruder reaches 4,200 kg/h at most.

One instead of two

One twin screw extruder replaces two single screw extruders, which the traditional BOPP line connects in series.

3–5 hours

Of pre-drying no longer needed. PET and PA are extruded undried.

Lower additive percentage

Better dispersion performance leads to a lower percentage of additives.

Less colour-change waste

Due to the self-cleaning effect of the twin screw.

Less polymer degradation

Less residence time in the extruder.

MachinesSAT Co-rotating Twin Screw ExtruderThe extruder of every direct extrusion line on this page.

MachinesSingle Screw ExtruderTDD series, for the single screw sheet and board lines.

CompoundingPolyolefin CompoundingWhen the compound is sold as pellets, not as sheet.

Six formulas we have run

Each one is a delivered direct extrusion line: the formula, the sheet it makes, and what the line had to solve.

01 · Packaging sheet

PP with talc

Sheet for thermoformed food packaging. COPP compounded with 40% talc and 2% colour masterbatch.

Vacuum loading and split feeding keep dust off the finished sheet. PP and masterbatch enter the first barrel; talc is fed separately through two side force feeders.
No lubricant, because the sheet packs hot food. Above 600 kg/h friction raises the melt temperature, so a special cooler and screw design bring it down before the T-die.
The sheet can run straight into the thermoforming line, bypassing the winder: no preheating before forming.

SolutionPP / PS / PLA / PBAT / PHA sheet line Project900 kg/hUSA

Width: 850 mm
Thickness: 0.6–1.0 mm
Line speed: 10–17 m/min
Max. output: 900 kg/h

02 · Technical sheet

PP with wood fiber

Protection layer of wall and ceiling panels. PP compounded with 40% wood fiber, colour masterbatch and additives.

PP melts above 190 °C, so the wood fiber, premixed with the additives, enters through a side force feeder after the PP has melted.
The screw design mixes without over-shearing, so the fiber keeps its length.
Wood fiber flows poorly: a special gear pump and an inner lubricant carry the melt to the die. Both sides are coated with non-woven fabric.

SolutionWPC production line Project600 kg/hLatvia

Width: 1,400–1,600 mm
Thickness: 0.8–1.5 mm
Line speed: 4–10 m/min
Max. output: 600 kg/h

03 · Technical sheet

HDPE waterproof sheet

Floor moisture barrier and roofing underlayment. HDPE compounded with colour masterbatch and additives.

Vacuum loading, gravimetric feeding, then the twin screw extruder for sheet extrusion.
Against a single screw extruder: energy saving up to 30%, better dispersion, less waste when the colour changes.

Project800 kg/h HDPE sheet line

Width: 1,200 ± 2 mm
Thickness: 0.65–1.40 ± 0.05 mm
Line speed: 8–17 m/min
Max. output: 800 kg/h

04 · Film

BOPP / BOPA film

Packaging film, structure A/B/A. PP compounded with additives: anti-slip, anti-static, anti-oxidant.

The traditional line connects two single screw extruders in series to reach the output. One twin screw extruder replaces both.
Better degassing, and better dispersion with a lower percentage of additives.

Project5,500 kg/h BOPP film line

SAT-X150 · 1,200 kW: 5,000–6,000 kg/h
SAT-X175 · 2,000 kW: 7,000–10,000 kg/h

05 · Film

EVA film

Solar cell encapsulation. EVA with a VA content ≤ 33, additives in liquid or powder form.

EVA and the premixed additives enter the first barrel by loss-in-weight feeder; liquid additives are fed into the 4th barrel.
The screw design mixes well and avoids over-shearing.
A hot calibration system keeps the shrinking rate below 3%. The automatic winder controls tension from 10 to 100 N.

SolutionPOE / EVA solar film line Project500 kg/h EVA film line

Width: 2,300 mm
Thickness: 0.2–0.9 ± 0.02 mm
Line speed: > 6 m/min
Max. output: 500 kg/h

06 · Film

PVB / SGP film

Laminated glass for automotive and building. PVB or SGP, additives, and the on-line waste material of the line.

A cooling jacket on the feeding system keeps the sticky raw material from choking the inlet.
Co-extrusion for a second colour on the edge of the film.
Automatic T-die, interlocked with the thickness tester.

SolutionPVB / SGP film line Project500 kg/h PVB film line