General Plastics • Thermoforming

The Thermoforming Process
Thermoforming is a method of processing plastic resin into finished parts from sheet (0.010 inch thick and greater) or film (less than 0.010 inch thick). The raw material is heated to its particular thermoforming temperature and immediately shaped to the desired configuration. At processing temperatures, the material is very pliable, enabling it to be formed rapidly into exceptionally detailed components with a minimum of force. Pressure is maintained until the part has cooled. It is then trimmed of the selvage used to hold the sheet during processing.

Advantages Of Thermoforming
The thermoforming process offers multiple benefits over other common approaches to component manufacturing. These include:

Fast And Economical Tooling

•	Significant savings of up to 90% of tooling costs in comparison to injection molding
•	Production tooling available in as few as 2-3 weeks
•	Finished tool proof provided within one week after completion of tooling
•	Prototypes and short runs may utilize tooling made of wood, plaster, epoxy, aluminum or similar materials for ultimate cost-effectiveness
•	Tool and part modifications are quick and low cost, making thermoforming extremely adaptive to a broad spectrum of unique design requirements

Superior Aesthetics And Functionality

•	Able to maintain dimensional tolerances within +/- .060" for part sizes as expansive as 8 feet x 10 feet
•	Eliminates porosity, sink or gate marks and other negative surface conditions common to other processes
•	Compatible with a wide range of thermoplastics, including FR/ABS, ABS, Kydex, HIPS, HDPE, LDPE, PP, PETG and Polycarbonate
•	May be utilized to produce components from multiple layer sheet material and very high strength reinforcement composites as well as those featuring paintable, texturized, laminated and colored surfaces
•	Capable of yielding thin parts with very small thickness-to-area ratio
•	Eliminates the need for anticorrosion spray

Flexible Ordering Within Minimal Time Frame

•	Ideal for addressing small to medium sized part runs of 50 – 5000 pieces
•	Accommodates on-the-fly product enhancements with low additional costs
•	Allows shipments to be conveniently scheduled in daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly releases to reduce inventory
•	High-speed production enables Just-In-Time delivery
•	Weight savings for both the consumer and manufacturer

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