Rigid pipe & profile

Rigid pipe & profile

Smaller rigid plastic profiles & pipes can be successfully cut with the Servo-Torq® flying knife rotary cutter method. The most suitable polymers are HDPE, PB, PP & high-impact rigid PVC.

The clear advantage of using the rotary cutter method is a clean, swarf-free cut end. The burr-free finish removes the need for secondary cleaning processes.

For best results the plastic needs to be warm to the touch at the point of cut. Excessive cooling should be avoided. This might mean that the in-line cooling needs to be limited. If necessary a pre-warming system can be located in-front of the cutter. Typical means of heating are a hot air blower or an infra-red heater. Gillard can supply both systems.

Many customers are concerned that pre-warming will lead to distortion in the extrusion. The answer is that the amount of added heat involved is minimal. The ideal is where the plastic is hand hot. This will be approx. 35 - 40° C. If too much heat is used, the cut quality will be poor.

The precise amount of warmth will depend upon the size of the profile, the wall thickness, the polymer type & the extrusion linespeed. Gillard can give advice based on many years of experience in cutting rigid plastics with fly-knife cutters.

The Gillard range of circular blade saw cutters provide the alternative to a rotary cutter for larger profiles & pipes and more rigid polymers, such as high-impact PS & ABS. These machines can be configured with intricate clamp systems for intricate profiles, such as PS lighting diffuser profile.

Angled cut ends can also be produced with our swivel-head auto saw.

Rigid pipe & profile