A method of producing a snow guard using an apparatus comprising: a reservoir for storing granulate material, said reservoir having a first inlet and a first outlet, a heating and pressurising unit including a chamber having a second inlet and a second outlet, said second inlet in communication with said first outlet, a path of travel defined from said second inlet to said second outlet, said heating unit comprising heating and pressurising elements distributed along said path of travel, an extruder unit mounted downstream relative to said heating and pressurising unit at said second outlet, said extruder unit further including an extruder heating unit, said extruder defining an extruder outlet, said extruder unit generating a mesh-type tubular structure, the method comprising the steps of: supplying said granulate material to said heating and pressurising unit from said reservoir via said first outlet to said second inlet, conveying said granulate material along said path of travel, heating said granulate material to an elevated temperature and pressurising said granulate material to an elevated pressure while conveying said granulate material along said path in said heating and pressurising unit, said heating and pressurising performed according to a specific heating and pressurising profile, transferring said heated and pressurised granulate material to said extruder unit, heating said granulate material within said extruder heating unit to an elevated temperature, extruding said mesh-type tubular structure from said granulate material, said mesh-type tubular structure defining a length-wise direction said mesh-type tubular structure comprising a first plurality of threads going in a first direction substantially parallel to said length-wise direction and a second plurality of threads going in a second direction different from the first direction, integrally extruding a flange extending from said mesh-type tubular structure, said flange extending parallel to said length-wise direction, and cooling said extruded mesh-type tubular structure by said cooling unit according to a specific cooling profile. a reservoir for storing granulate material, said reservoir having a first inlet and a first outlet, a heating and pressurising unit including a chamber having a second inlet and a second outlet, said second inlet in communication with said first outlet, a path of travel defined from said second inlet to said second outlet, said heating unit comprising heating and pressurising elements distributed along said path of travel, an extruder unit mounted downstream relative to said heating and pressurising unit at said second outlet, said extruder unit further including an extruder heating unit, said extruder defining an extruder outlet, said extruder unit generating a mesh-type tubular structure, the method comprising the steps of: supplying said granulate material to said heating and pressurising unit from said reservoir via said first outlet to said second inlet, conveying said granulate material along said path of travel, heating said granulate material to an elevated temperature and pressurising said granulate material to an elevated pressure while conveying said granulate material along said path in said heating and pressurising unit, said heating and pressurising performed according to a specific heating and pressurising profile, transferring said heated and pressurised granulate material to said extruder unit, heating said granulate material within said extruder heating unit to an elevated temperature, extruding said mesh-type tubular structure from said granulate material, said mesh-type tubular structure defining a length-wise direction said mesh-type tubular structure comprising a first plurality of threads going in a first direction substantially parallel to said length-wise direction and a second plurality of threads going in a second direction different from the first direction, integrally extruding a flange extending from said mesh-type tubular structure, said flange extending parallel to said length-wise direction, and cooling said extruded mesh-type tubular structure by said cooling unit according to a specific cooling profile. supplying said granulate material to said heating and pressurising unit from said reservoir via said first outlet to said second inlet, conveying said granulate material along said path of travel, heating said granulate material to an elevated temperature and pressurising said granulate material to an elevated pressure while conveying said granulate material along said path in said heating and pressurising unit, said heating and pressurising performed according to a specific heating and pressurising profile, transferring said heated and pressurised granulate material to said extruder unit, heating said granulate material within said extruder heating unit to an elevated temperature, extruding said mesh-type tubular structure from said granulate material, said mesh-type tubular structure defining a length-wise direction said mesh-type tubular structure comprising a first plurality of threads going in a first direction substantially parallel to said length-wise direction and a second plurality of threads going in a second direction different from the first direction, integrally extruding a flange extending from said mesh-type tubular structure, said flange extending parallel to said length-wise direction, and cooling said extruded mesh-type tubular structure by said cooling unit according to a specific cooling profile.