What Plastics Extrusion Machinery does

Plastics Extrusion Machinery (PEM), founded in 1980 and headquartered in McPherson, Kansas, is a privately held LLC that designs, engineers, manufactures, and factory-tests downstream equipment for PVC pipe extrusion lines. Its product portfolio spans the full downstream workflow: pullers (Belt Track, Cleated Chain Track, Belt, and Tire variants), saws (Servo Travel, Pneumatic Travel, Rotary, and Utility), bellers (Solvent Weld and Gasket/Solvent Weld from 1/2" to 60"), hydrotesters (Submersible and Non-Submersible, AWWA-certified for C900/C909), lift-and-rotators, stacking systems, unibundlers, and add-ons including accumulation racks, transfer carts, conveyors, and aftercoolers. Differentiated subsystems include the New Generation Bellers (612NG, 618NG, 624NG) with Pick and Place Transfer Systems and real-time heating monitoring, Servo Travel Saws with Allen Bradley Kinetix drives achieving cut-length repeatability of approximately +/-0.030", and full-bath submersible hydrotesters.

Name

Plastics Extrusion Machinery

Legal name

Plastics Extrusion Machinery LLC

Website

https://pemusa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Plastics Extrusion Machinery (PEM) designs, manufactures, and services downstream equipment — pullers, saws, bellers, hydrotesters, lift-and-rotators, stacking systems, and unibundlers — for PVC pipe manufacturers across North America, operating from a single McPherson, Kansas facility since 1980.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mcpherson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Equipment Sales: PEM engineers, manufactures, and sells downstream equipment for PVC pipe production including pullers, saws, bellers, hydrotesters, lift and rotators, stacking systems, and unibundlers. Equipment is designed, engineered, assembled, and factory tested in their Kansas-based facility.
2. Field Services and Commissioning: Equipment commissioning, troubleshooting, machine upgrades, and repairs for PEM, Belltech, or AEC equipment. Field services team provides ongoing support to ensure equipment functions as designed during service life.
3. Spare Parts: Replacement parts for PEM machines. Each machine has customized parts and customers can order through a form with identifiable characteristics of the part and machine.
4. Engineering Services: Custom engineering and design services for downstream equipment. Provides product design, engineering, programming, safety, commissioning, training, and ongoing product support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

PEM engineers, manufactures, and sells innovative downstream equipment for the PVC pipe extrusion industry, including pullers, saws, bellers, hydrotesters, lift and rotators, stacking systems, and unibundlers. All equipment is designed, engineered, assembled, and factory tested at the company's McPherson, Kansas facility, and is used by manufacturers to process PVC pipe after the extrusion stage.

Product overview

Plastics Extrusion Machinery (PEM) is a manufacturer of innovative downstream equipment for the plastics pipe extrusion industry. The company produces a comprehensive portfolio of equipment used after the extruder to produce and process finished PVC pipe: Pullers (Belt Track, Cleated Chain Track, Belt, and Tire variants) to pull pipe down the production line; Saws (Servo Travel, Pneumatic Travel, Rotary, and Utility) to cut pipe to desired lengths; Bellers (Solvent Weld and Gasket/Solvent Weld in various sizes from 1/2" to 60") to create bells for joining pipes; Hydrotesters (Submersible and Non-Submersible) to test pipe to AWWA standards; Lift and Rotators (Air-Powered and Hydraulic-Powered) to rotate pipe for packaging; Unibundlers to bundle small diameter pipe; and Stacking Systems (Medium and Large Diameter) to stack pipe on pallets or skids. Add-on equipment includes Accumulation Racks, Transfer Carts, Conveyors, and Aftercoolers to support the core production equipment. PEM also offers field services, commissioning, engineering support, and spare parts. The company is headquartered in McPherson, Kansas and is a proud member of the PPFA (Plastic Pipe and Fittings Association).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Belt Track Pullers Medium duty puller with 4 belts arranged in a 45-degree configuration for out-of-round control, designed for versatility and quick product changes on PVC products.
• Cleated Chain Track Pullers Heavy duty puller with cleated chains for superior grip, available in Three Track to 8 Track Chain configurations for product size ranges of 2" through 36" (Model 327 Series).
• Belt Pullers Heavy duty two-belt puller for small extrusions including pipe and profiles, available in 4" wide belts (321/4) and 6" wide belts (321/6) with adjustable clamping pressures.
• Tire Pullers Fully bidirectional four-tire puller with hardened planetary drive system and pneumatically controlled cylinders that float to adapt to extrusion line deformities (T3 model).
• Servo Travel Saws Bidirectional servo travel chop saw or upcut saw with Allen Bradley Kinetix Servo Drive and CompactLogix PLC providing cut-length repeatability of approximately +/-0.030" (SM21-Z4 model).
• Pneumatic Travel Saws Economical rugged saw with precision tolerance shaft and Thomson linear bearings for cutting pipe and profiles to consistent lengths (ZX-4 and ZX-6 models).
• Rotary Saws Air-operated saw with innovative power transmission system without electrical slip rings, hose reels, or cable reels; size changes take 1-3 minutes, chamfer adjustments in 15 seconds (730-8 model).
• Utility Saws Manual saw for cutting pipe samples, couplings, fabrication parts, or regrind; pipe placed manually and operator starts cycle (715 model).
• Solvent Weld Bellers 1/2"-4" Automated beller creating solvent weld bells in small pipe products using ConvectAir Air Heaters for heating pipe to build desired heat profile (CBM 256 model).
• Solvent Weld Bellers 6"-16" Medium diameter automated beller with multiple radiant heat stations and optional Spectrum Heaters upgrade for monitoring surface temperature during heating (SW 66 model).
• Gasket/Solvent Weld Bellers 2"-8" Smaller diameter gasketing beller with smart Pick-and-Place robot for consistent gasket loading; large gasket inventory (61-87 on K4, 55-73 on K62, 50-70 on K82s) (K82 Gen2 model shown).
• Gasket/Solvent Weld Bellers 12"-60" (New Generation Bellers 612NG, 618NG, 624NG) Industry-leading larger diameter gasketing beller with Pick and Place Transfer Systems and heating platforms with real-time monitoring; New Generation models include 612NG, 618NG, and 624NG.
• Submersible Hydrotesters Fully submerges pipe in water bath for testing; guarantees no air remains and removes residual heat from manufacturing; tests C900 and C909 PVC products to AWWA specifications (850LP model).
• Non-Submersible Hydrotesters Closed loop water system that fills and empties water out of pipe for testing; avoids spills and splashes; tests 20' and 22' pipe lengths to AWWA specifications (850NS model).
• Air-Powered Lift and Rotator Small diameter lift and rotator using air cylinder in cantilever motion; lifts pipe approximately 66 inches high and rotates 180 degrees to alternate bell direction for packaging (FlipperAir FP-8 model).
• Hydraulic-Powered Lift and Rotator Larger diameter lift using hydraulic cylinder with double scissor lift in straight upward motion; lifts pipe approximately 7 feet high and rotates 180 degrees for packaging.
• B2 Unibundler Bundling solution for 1/2" through 2 1/2" pipe sizes; reduces operator interaction through advanced automation; available in multiple configurations (ten 1/2"-1" pipes per bundle, or five 1 1/4"-2 1/2" pipes per bundle).
• Medium Diameter Stacking System Automatic stacking system for 4"-15" pipe sizes onto packaging table; alternates bell direction by raising every other joint and rotating; accommodates pipe lengths of 10', 14', 20', and 22'.
• Large Diameter Stacking System Automatic stacking system for 8"-24" pipe products onto bundling table; uses telescopic arms to transport completed rows; accommodates pipe lengths of 14', 20', and 22'.
• Field Services and Commissioning Equipment commissioning, troubleshooting, machine upgrades, and repairs for PEM, Belltech, or AEC equipment. Field services team provides ongoing support to ensure equipment functions as designed during service life.
• Engineering and Custom Design Services Custom engineering and design services for downstream equipment. Provides product design, engineering, programming, safety, commissioning, training, and ongoing product support.
• Spare Parts Replacement parts for PEM machines. Each machine has customized parts and customers can order through a form with identifiable characteristics of the part and machine.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cut-length repeatability of approximately +/-0.030" with Servo Travel Saws
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Plastics Pipe Fitting Association (PPFA)minorOthersPEM is a Proud Member Of the Plastics Pipe Fitting Association (PPFA). PPFA is a trade association representing the plastics piping industry. PPFA members include manufacturers of plastic pipe, fittings, valves, and related products, as well as suppliers of raw materials and equipment to the industry.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Reifenhäuser: German family-owned extrusion machinery group offering complete lines for pipe, film, and nonwovens. Overlaps with PEM in PVC pipe downstream equipment while operating at significantly larger scale internationally.
• Davis-Standard: One of the largest global suppliers of extrusion and converting technology, including downstream equipment for pipe, profile, and sheet. Directly competes with PEM in the PVC pipe downstream equipment market while also offering upstream extruders.
• KraussMaffei: German plastics and rubber machinery manufacturer offering complete extrusion lines including downstream equipment for pipe production. Competes with PEM in pipe downstream systems while serving a much broader global customer base.
• Battenfeld-Cincinnati: Specialist in extrusion technology for pipe, profile, and sheet, with a strong downstream equipment portfolio. Directly comparable to PEM in PVC pipe downstream tooling and competing for similar mid-market extrusion customers.
• Conair Group: US-based supplier of auxiliary equipment for plastics processing, including downstream solutions for pipe extrusion. Comparable to PEM in serving North American plastics processors with complementary and overlapping downstream product lines.
• Wittmann Group: Global supplier of auxiliary equipment for plastics processing, encompassing the former AEC brand — which PEM explicitly services in the field. Competes directly with PEM's downstream and ancillary equipment categories.

Broad incumbents

• Milacron (Hillenbrand): Large diversified plastics processing equipment manufacturer offering injection, extrusion, and auxiliaries. Serves the same PVC pipe producers as PEM but as part of a much broader portfolio rather than a downstream-only specialist.
• Maag (Dover): Manufacturer of pumps, filtration, and pelletizing equipment used in plastics extrusion lines. Comparable to PEM as an adjacent equipment supplier to the same PVC pipe manufacturers, with overlap in fluid-handling and processing subsystems.

Others

• Advanced Drainage Systems: Largest US manufacturer of plastic pipe and drainage products — a key customer type for PEM's downstream equipment. Included as a downstream demand signal rather than a direct competitor; ADS's capex cycle directly influences PEM's order book.
• IPEX (Aliaxis): Major North American PVC pipe and fittings producer and PPFA peer to PEM's customers. Included as a representative downstream demand indicator — IPEX's extrusion line investments are a typical PEM sale opportunity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxbvt08kCDNZbqrZhuJzhBA?view_as=subscriber
• Facebookfacebook.com/PEMInnovation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pemusa
• TikToktiktok.com/@plastic.extrusion8

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Plastics Extrusion Machinery