One of our most-watched resources is our tubing manufacturing video. Viewed thousands of times by customers and engineers, our video offers a behind-the-scenes view of our tubing extrusion process―and for good reason! From medical devices to industrial manufacturing and more, our tubing is used by all types of industries.

We believe in full transparency and trust. Our informational video provides a thorough visual exploration of our manufacturing process. In this blog, we walk through our tubing manufacturing process step-by-step, creating a helpful written explanation.

The Plastic Tubing Manufacturing Process

1. Resin: Where It All Begins

The base material for tubing is resin, which begins in the form of pellets such as polyurethane, nylon, PVC, PE, or any of our other 30+ grades of thermoplastics. Colorants (also in the form of pellets) are added to a color hopper at this time.

2. The Extruder: Precision Mixing & Melting

The dried pellets are moved into an extruder, where an auger-like screw mixes, heats, and moves the resin. Several heaters along the length of the extruder help melt the resin to precise temperatures without overheating. This is critical to ensure consistent quality in every batch.

3. Tube Sizing

The tubing passes through a water trough with cooled and filtered water. This is essential for setting the hot plastic into its final shape. A series of rollers along the length of the water trough holds the tubing under the water and moves it through the trough.

Before being wound on a reel, a dual-axis laser measures the outside diameter of the tubing at a rate of nearly three times per second. A computer continuously analyzes this data to ensure the tubing remains within spec.
Creating on-size tubing is a careful balance of art and science, involving precise control of melt temperature, screw speed, air pressure, cooling, and pulling speed. It’s a process that takes years to master, and it’s one that Freelin-Wade has been perfecting since 1980.

4. Reels & Hands-On Quality Control

Tubing that meets spec according to the computer’s analysis is then manually measured by an operator, double-checked by additional team members, and triple-checked by our Quality Assurance staff, to verify dimensions and color match specifications. Once confirmed, the tubing is wound onto reels for shipping, storage, or secondary processing.

5. Beyond Extrusion: Secondary Production

While extrusion is the primary operation in tubing production, it isn’t necessarily the only one. Secondary production operations are additional processes that can create tubing variations.

Freelin-Wade is Your Top Source of Polyurethane Tubing

At Freelin-Wade, we make sure your tubing is always an exact fit. Our extrusion process emphasizes reliable technology and careful monitoring by on-site experts, ensuring consistent quality and results every time. With an on-time delivery rate of over 98.5%, we get you the tubing order you need when you need it.

Watch our production video here. Contact us to request a quote or place an order for custom tubing today!

How Freelin-Wade Plastic Tubing is Made (Step by Step)