FAQ

Thermoforming, also referred to as vacuum forming, is a method of manufacturing plastic parts by preheating a flat sheet of plastic, then bringing it into contact with a mold whose shape it takes. The process offers close tolerances, tight specifications and sharp detail.

Thermoforming is one of the most versatile and economic processes available for fabricating plastic parts. Initial project costs are usually much lower, and lead times to tooling and production are generally much shorter than other processes.

Thermoforming can be done on the following: acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), high-impact polystyrene (HIPS), high density polyethylene (HDPE), high molecular weight polyethylene (HMWPE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polymethyl methacrylate (or "acrylic") (PMMA), and polyethylene terephthalate modified with CHDM (PETG).

Many industries are serviced with Thermoformed parts. Industry examples include: automotive, food, electrical, appliances, displays, toys, packaging, consumer and office products. Product lines vary from trays to vehicle dashboards and body panels.

We typically deal with materials ranging in thickness from.010’’ to .5’’. The average customer has a project(s) somewhere within .060’’ and .250’’.

We are able to vacuum form or pressure form sheets that measure 72’’ x 120’’ and up to .5’’ thick. With our twin table, 5-axis CNC routers, we are able to trim parts up to 60’’ x 120’’.

Pressure forming produces the most detail of the Thermoforming processes. The process is used to form plastics into predetermined shapes. With press forming, a hot plastic sheet is forced against a mold. Usually this mold is concave. Compressed air is then added to the back of the heated sheet in order to form the plastic with the mold.

Pressure molding can be used to create a wide variety of plastic products. Pressure forming is a sensible choice when products need to have various textures on the same surface or must have an absolute crisp edge.