Boston Matthews Extruders and Caterpillar Haul-Offs

Boston Matthews is a British maker of single-screw extruders, caterpillar haul-offs, cutters, cooling baths and complete extrusion lines, with its plant in Worcester.

Single-screw extruders: 30–90 mm screws

Boston Matthews main extruders come with 30–90 mm screws and AC direct drive with no belts or pulleys. The ACCUTROL system holds barrel temperatures, and control is hard-wired or the SMART touch-screen PLC. Heaters and thermocouples are replaced plug-and-play by the operator.

Screws: 30–90 mm
Motor: 4–90 kW
Direct drive: screws to 120 mm
Barrel heat zones: 4–5

Co-extruders: 12–45 mm screws

Boston Matthews co-extruders sit next to the main extruder in horizontal, vertical or universal configuration and are easy to position for die alignment. Drive is direct, ACCUTROL holds temperatures and the SMART PLC is an option. They are used extensively in clean rooms.

Screws: 12–45 mm
Motor: 2.2–11 kW
Hopper: 20–59 litres
Clean room use

Fluoropolymer and PEEK extruders

For fluoropolymers and high temperature polymers including PEEK, Boston Matthews builds extruders with 30–80 mm screws. Special materials are used for extreme temperatures and abrasive resins. Drive is AC direct, and heating and cooling hold set temperatures at all times.

Screws: 30–80 mm
Fluoropolymers and PEEK
AC direct drive
SMART PLC option

E, PP, C and CL haul-offs

Light and medium duty caterpillar haul-offs pull tubes, pipes, profiles and cable. Model E handles small and delicate products, PP has servo drives on both tracks, and C and CL carry 110, 150 or 200 mm belts on 700 or 1000 mm conveyors.

Model E belts: up to 90 mm
C and CL belts: up to 200 mm
Track opening: 114–120 mm
C motor: 1.1–2.2 kW

Heavy duty CW–ASL and MB300 haul-offs

CW and CWL models with 2.2–3 kW motors pull heavier tubing and larger profiles. A, AS and ASL models open to 450 mm and carry 110–450 mm belts, while Pro Cat pulls pipes, rods and plates. The multi-belt MB300 self-centres large pipe.

A–ASL opening: 450 mm
Belts: 110–450 mm
ASL conveyor: 1500 mm
MB300: 4 belts

Haul-off belts: 14 belt coverings

Boston Matthews replacement belts use poly-vee, flat or timing belt substrates and come profiled, slit, tangent contact or special. Coverings are matched to hardness, temperature, friction, and oil and abrasion resistance. Belts are also supplied for pullers of other makes.

14 covering codes
Silicone: up to 160 °C
Hardness: 35–70 Shore A
White FDA neoprene

SC, TC and AS cutters and saws

SC servo cutters cut tubes and profiles up to 100 mm at up to 50 cuts per second, and the clutchless drive needs virtually zero maintenance. TC planetary cutters take pipe up to 125 mm, the SFC600 fly-wheel cutter handles large pipe, and AS and SDS saws cut up to 200 mm with an up-stroke.

SC cutters: up to 100 mm
Up to 50 cuts per second
Saws: cuts up to 200 mm
Haul-off/cutter combo

Cooling and vacuum sizing baths

Cooling, vacuum, spray and universal All-Rounder baths are stainless steel and fully adjustable in 3 directions for product alignment. Vacuum baths set vacuum level, water volume and cooling mode in each chamber. The All-Rounder converts from an open bath to a profile calibration or vacuum bath.

3-direction adjustment
Stainless steel
Vacuum per chamber
Optional air wipers

Selecting Boston Matthews equipment for a line

For tube, pipe and profile extrusion Boston Matthews builds single-screw extruders with 30–90 mm screws, 12–45 mm co-extruders and 30–80 mm extruders for fluoropolymers and PEEK. Downstream come cooling and vacuum sizing baths, a caterpillar haul-off, a cutter or saw and a coiler.

The haul-off is chosen by product: Model E for small tubing and cable, C and CL with belts up to 200 mm, CW and CWL for heavier tubing and profiles, A to ASL opening to 450 mm, the multi-belt MB300 for large pipe and the servo PP for medical devices and automotive parts.

SC servo cutters reach 50 cuts per second, and AS and SDS saws cut pipe up to 200 mm.

Screws, barrels, belts and spare parts

Boston Matthews supplies replacement screws and barrels for all machine sizes and ages and haul-off belts with 14 covering types, including belts for pullers of other makes.

The parts list covers drive and free rollers, gearboxes, barrel heaters, thermocouples, pressure probes, breaker plates and cutter blades; spare parts departments work in the UK and USA.

Boston Matthews manufacturing

Boston Matthews Limited has worked for more than 65 years. Head offices and manufacturing are in Worcester, England, with facilities in Coral Springs, USA, and Shanghai, China. The company supports more than 30,000 machines in over 70 countries and invented the caterpillar haul-off.

Boston Matthews and model names are trademarks of their respective owners and are used only to identify the equipment for which we source parts. SpareX is not an official dealer, distributor or representative of Boston Matthews and is not affiliated with the trademark owner. Origin, documents and warranty are stated for each item in the quotation.