The vacuum forming process entails heating a sheet of extruded plastic until it reaches the proper forming temperature. Air is drawn away from the mold and the heated sheet, creating a vacuum to form or stretch the material over a male or into a female aluminum, wood or epoxy mold. The mold and its formed components are then cooled to the specific material’s set temperature, and the re-introduction of air separates the piece from the mold. A wide variety of materials may be formed using this process, including ABS, Polystyrene, Polypropylene, PVC, Polycarbonate, fire retardant resins, non-smoke resins and Polyethylene. Sheet gauges .010" - .500" are capable of being vacuum formed. The main advantages of the vacuum forming process include economical tooling costs and short lead times.

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