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Technology challenges are no less daunting. Consistently and accurately extruding a product?Cbasically, cramming a hot, doughy mixture of plastic and wood through a specially shaped opening?Cis hard enough. Co-extrusion?Cpouring a syrupy plastic shell over the inner core in such a way that it bonds exactly where you want at exactly the right thickness?Cis an added challenge that manufacturers didn't feel comfortable producing commercially until a few years ago.
"It's not a highly repeatable process," says Tom Gramlich, chief operating officer of TimberTech, which makes composite and PVC decks, porches, railing, and trim. "Every night, our operator is fighting a different set of circumstances than the night before."
