Extrusion calibrator with modular calibrating cassette

An extrusion calibrator to calibrate an exterior profile of a thermoplastic extruded product exiting from an extrusion die, comprising:

• a pair of covers, each cover having a vacuum manifold and a coolant manifold formed on a surface thereof, the manifolds having a vacuum channel and a coolant channel, respectively, providing communication between the vacuum manifold and a vacuum source, and between the coolant manifold and a coolant source;
• a pair of sidewalls, each side wall having a vacuum channel and a coolant channel, respectively, in communication with the vacuum manifold and the coolant manifold, respectively;
• and
• calibrating plates, each plate having a calibrating aperture dimensioned to an extruded product cross-section exterior, the plates oriented to each other, so that the apertures together define an extrusion passageway through the calibrator, the plates spaced to each other and to the respective manifold channel, so that a first inter-plate spacing communicates solely between the vacuum manifold, vacuum channels and the passageway, while a second inter-plate spacing communicates solely between the coolant manifold, coolant channels and the passageway, the covers and sidewalls assembled to the plates, so that the covers and sidewalls together form an open-ended shell with open ends oriented longitudinally with the passageway.