Thermoforming

Thermoforming is a manufacturing process where plastic sheet is heated to a pliable forming temperature, formed to a specific part shape in a mold, and trimmed to create a usable product. In complex and high-volume applications, very large production machines are utilized to heat and form the plastic sheet and trim the formed parts from the sheet in a continuous high-speed process, and can produce many thousands of finished parts per hour depending on the machine and mold size and the size of the parts being formed.

plastic thermoforming machine

Thermoforming differs from injection molding, blow molding, rotational molding, and other forms of processing plastics. The sheet containing the formed parts then indexes into a trim station on the same machine, where a die cuts the parts from the remaining sheet web, or indexes into a separate trim press where the formed parts are trimmed. Frequently, scrap and waste plastic from the thermoforming process is converted back into extruded sheet for forming again.

Thin and thick gauge thermoforming

Sheet thickness less than 1.5 mm (0.060 inches) is usually delivered to the thermoforming machine from rolls or from a sheet extruder. Thin-gauge roll-fed or inline extruded thermoforming applications are dominated by rigid or semi-rigid disposable packaging.

Heavy, or thick-gauge, cut sheet thermoforming applications are primarily used as permanent structural components. There is a small but growing medium gauge market that forms sheet 1.5 mm to 3 mm in thickness.

Heavy-gauge forming utilizes the same basic process as continuous thin-gauge sheet forming, typically draping the heated plastic sheet over a mold. Many heavy-gauge forming applications use vacuum only in the form process, although some use two halves of mating form tooling and include air pressure to help form.

Aircraft windscreens and machine gun turret windows spurred the advance of heavy-gauge forming technology during WWII. Unlike most thin-gauge thermoformed parts, heavy-gauge parts are often hand-worked after forming for trimming to final shape or for additional drilling, cutting, or finishing, depending on the product.

Source: Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

Secrets of Thermoforming

Summary about thermoforming by James Monahan

Thermoforming is one of the procedures being done to manufacture plastic. The plastic sheet or film is heated between specialized heaters in order to form the product with its usual temperature range.

The plastic formed from the molder will be taken out of the sheet. Used or excess plastic sheets are being recycled in order to form new plastic products out of it.This special procedure is being processed to form plastic used for computers, machines, and other special equipments for medical, electronics, and industrial products.

In the history, it is stated that Thermoforming is one of the oldest plastic manufacturing procedure. Thin gauge is used for thin sheets of plastics and can be directly processed with regulated temperature.

Unlike the heavy or thick gauge, the plastic used there is thicker than the thin plastic sheets and it still need to cut into pieces before being processed. Instead of using the regulated temperature for thin plastics sheets in order to form a product, the temperature is higher than the regulated temperature in heavy or thick gauge.

Now a days, Heavy or thick gauge parts are used in permanent structures as additional parts in cars, trucks, refrigerating units, bathroom accessories such as showers, plastic faucets, plastic doors and toilet seats, electronic and electrical equipment.

It is a big benefit for companies who use these kind of procedure for their plastic products it’s lower costs, durability, usefulness, and productivity.

Also, You may want to read article about polypropylene bags and plastic bag packaging.

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