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VACUUM FORMING

Description

Thermoforming is one of the oldest and most common methods of processing plastic materials. Vacuum formed products are all around us and play a major part in our daily lives.
Santiago Garcia Santos
Mind Map by Santiago Garcia Santos, updated more than 1 year ago
Santiago Garcia Santos
Created by Santiago Garcia Santos about 7 years ago
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Resource summary

VACUUM FORMING
  1. Materials used
    1. Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)
      1. Polyester Copolymer (PETG)
        1. Polystyrene (PS)
          1. Polycarbonate (PC)
            1. Polypropylene (PP)
              1. Polyethylene (sheet and foamed sheet) PE
                1. Polyvinyl Chloride PVC
                  1. Acrylic PMMA
                  2. Products produced
                    1. Baths
                      1. Yoghurt Pots
                        1. Boat Hulls
                          1. Machinery Guards
                            1. Vehicle door liners
                              1. Refrigerator liners
                                1. Sandwich Boxes
                                  1. Parts of vehicle cabs
                                    1. Exterior shop signs
                                    2. Nature of Use and Limitation
                                      1. Use and Advantages
                                        1. Low Cost: Low forming pressures
                                          1. Inexpensive moulds/less time manufacturing
                                            1. Prototypes, low quantity of large parts, medium size runs are therefore economical
                                              1. For more continuous production of high volume: more sophisticated moulds+machines used
                                                1. Yoghurt Pots
                                                  1. Disposable cups
                                                2. Limitations
                                                  1. Requires a mould and extruded plastic sheets
                                                    1. Secondary process may be needed to trim formed sheet
                                                      1. trimmed waste can be re-ground + recycled
                                                  2. Process
                                                    1. Clamping
                                                      1. clamp frame to be powerful enough to hold plastic sheet during forming
                                                        1. Hold from 6mm to 10mm
                                                          1. Guarded + interlocked for automation
                                                          2. Heating
                                                            1. Uniformly located infra-red elements w/ aluminium reflective plate
                                                              1. Twin heaters and precise temperature readout are available for precision and speed
                                                                1. For higher temperatures use quarts heaters
                                                                2. Sheet Level
                                                                  1. To stop sagging of plastic a photo electric beam scans just below and pumps air if it's broken
                                                                  2. Pre stretch
                                                                    1. Pre stretch after forming temp. reached
                                                                      1. Done by making a 'bubble' of the plastic
                                                                      2. Helps with minimum draft angles and high detail + even thickness
                                                                      3. Vacuum
                                                                        1. Vacuum sucks air from 'bubble'
                                                                        2. Plug assist
                                                                          1. A male plug tool that forces material into holes
                                                                            1. Good for deep-draw moulds + no webbing
                                                                              1. Made from resign (smooth and not conductor)
                                                                              2. Cooling and release
                                                                                1. Fans to speed up cooling (+spray)
                                                                                  1. Speed up by 30%
                                                                                  2. Temp controls
                                                                                    1. Release by reverse pressure form vacuum system
                                                                                    2. Trimming and finishing
                                                                                      1. Excess removed
                                                                                        1. Holes, slots and cut-outs drilled into part
                                                                                          1. Can also be painted/decorated and strengthened

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