Wood is everywhere, it’s a cheap renewable resource that humans have relied on for centuries. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best material for the job.
PVC is being used more often to replace wood because it’s water resistant, durable, and highly recyclable. The future of wood is plastic. Right now we are living in a wood replacement renaissance.
Water can be a serious problem, and often results in a tremendous amount of damage when it comes into contact with wood. PVC is an excellent alternative in wet or humid environments to prevent rot and water damage. Removing wood from an application can result in the overall product becoming more durable. Easily washed or replaced polymer parts outperform porous and fragile wood in a variety of applications.
PVC is a highly recyclable material. Advances in material reclamation and recycling practices mean that discarded vinyl siding, old windows, and furniture parts can have new life in energy or agriculture segments and vice versa. Recycled plastic can result in lower costs for your products but also last longer than original wood parts. Forward thinking suppliers calculate their cost savings over the extended lifespans afforded by PVC extrusions.
From increasing durability, to cost reduction, replacing wood components with PVC extrusions has real benefits for original equipment manufacturers. Suppliers are reaping the benefits from modernizing their components by using custom profile plastic extrusions. There’s nothing wrong with using wood instead of PVC, so long as you are not interested in keeping up with your competition. A well-engineered custom plastic profile is the perfect replacement for your wood components. Contact Engineered Profiles to meet with designers who can engineer the perfect replacement for your current wood parts.
