The end user of any type of product wants something that does its job AND looks good. When it comes to plastic wall protection products, whether we’re discussing corner guard, wall guard, or handrail, there are typically two visible components:

1. The length of product itself (handrail, wall or corner guard) that extends vertically or horizontally over a corner, wall, or corridor.

2. The end cap used to finish off the ends of that length of product. (see photo)

If you look at the photo, you can easily notice a common problem in our industry. The green end caps don’t even come close to matching the green wall guard under the wood handrail in this photo…why not? The answer is multi-faceted, but here are the basics:

The wall guard product has been produced by being extruded. Plastic extrusion is the process by which plastic pellets are melted down and basically squeezed through a mold (just like Play-Doh) to create the shape of, in this case, a wall guard. Wall Guard and other extruded plastic products are typically made with Vinyl or Polycarbonate plastic.

The end caps, on the other hand, were produced using a method called injection-molding. Injection molding is a process where molten plastic is actually injected into a shaped mold. These products are often made out of ABS plastic (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene).

The color changing at different rates is observable with older plastic products, see this picture of an old super nintendo.

Even when the same color raw material is used and the same texture is applied to the products, the two different types of plastic will fade at different rates. Whether they are under fluorescent, incandescent, LED, or sunlight, the extruded components and end caps/returns will be different colors over time. This makes everyone look bad: The designer, the manufacturer, and the building owner.

So, what is the solution? It’s actually quite simple: produce the extruded and injection-molded components with the same exact plastic.

Why doesn’t everyone already do this? Many manufacturers simply do not have the capability to do so. Make sure that the company making and supplying the wall protection products on your next project can offer matching plastics on all components.

At Wallprotex, as manufacturers of plastic wall protection products, we work hard every day to produce quality materials that are durable and long-lasting in function AND form.

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