Vacuum Thermoforming Services
VACUUM THERMOFORMING (VACUUM FORMING) - is a simplified version of thermoforming, and is the process by which sheets of plastic are heated to a soft state, stretched onto or into a single-surface mold, and then held against the mold by applying a vacuum force between the mold and the warm, malleable plastic. Once released from the vacuum, the plastic is an exact representation of the mold's shape.
The vacuum forming process can be used to make product packaging, speaker casings and even car dashboards.
Vacuum forming is usually – but not always – restricted to forming plastic parts that are rather shallow in depth. A thin sheet is formed into rigid cavities for unit doses of pharmaceuticals and for loose objects that are carded or presented as point-of-purchase items. Thick sheet is formed into permanent objects such as turnpike signs and protective covers.
Relatively deep parts can be formed if the form-able sheet is mechanically or pneumatically stretched prior to bringing it in contact with the mold surface and before vacuum is applied.
Suitable materials for use in vacuum forming are conventionally thermoplastics, the most common and easiest being High Impact Polystyrene Sheeting (HIPS). This is molded around a wood, structural foam or cast/machined aluminum mold and can form to almost any shape. Vacuum forming is also appropriate for transparent materials such as acrylic which are widely used in applications for aerospace such as passenger cabin windows, canopies for military fixed wing aircraft and "bubbles" for rotary wing aircraft.
Drape Forming | Pressure Forming | Custom Services | CNC Machining