Requirements checklist
What to ask for when choosing software for plastic extrusion companies.
A checklist built from how plastic extrusion companies work, to print or save as a PDF and bring to any supplier meeting.
What the software should cover
Tick each one that matters to your business.
- Profile and pipe register
- Line run log
- Compound and additive stock
- Dimensional checks
- Die and tooling record
- Bundle tagging and dispatch
Roles that need their own access
Who logs in, and what each person may see or change.
- For owners and plant managers
- For planners
- For line operators
- For the tool room
- For quality staff
Reports to ask for
Ask to see each one with your own sample data.
- Line output in kilograms per hour against the quoted rate
- Scrap and purge by cause, line and colour
- Compound, masterbatch and regrind consumed per order
- Dies ranked by metres since polishing
- Dimensional check results by section and run
- Cut-length orders still open, in metres and bundles
- Bundles dispatched by buyer with run references
Systems it may need to connect to
Note which ones you already run.
- Tablet entry at the line
- Barcode label printer
- Accounting export
Questions for any vendor
Put these to every supplier you are comparing.
- Does it work for pipe and sheet as well as profile?
- How does it show the cost of a colour change?
- Can we trace a bundle back to a recipe?
- Can two buyers share one run?
- How is die wear handled?
- Can line speed come from the machine?
- Can the data be exported?
- What does the demo cover?
- What support exists after go-live?
Where the work usually breaks today
Circle the ones you recognise. They set the order of the project.
- Start-up scrap is never costed
- Dimensions are measured and then lost
- Compound lots blend unseen
- Dies are not tracked
- Cut-length orders mix up on the floor
Prefer to talk it through? See the plastic extrusion companies page.