The Process of Vacuum Forming and Its Pros and Cons
Vacuum forming in its simplest form involves the insertion of a thermoplastic sheet (always in a cold state) into the area where the forming takes place, once placed there the sheet is heated to the necessary temperature using either a surface heater or twin heaters. Once the sheet reaches the temperature, a mould is shaped.
A vacuum system is used to evacuate the trapped air and a reverse air supply is activated, once this happens the plastic part from the mould is released. These sizes and shapes can vary but the process remains fundamentally the same. Whenever a company is looking to produce heavy duty and high end volume applications, there are two systems that can be used, pneumatic and hydraulic, both of which allow high speed and accurate vacuum forming.
Over the years, the thermoforming industry has had to cope with two fundamental limitations; the first is that the, unlike other processes that utilise a resin base in powder or pellet form, vacuum forming starts further along the process that means additional processes are needed and in turn pushes up the costs of production, something that companies all over the world are looking to avoid. The second and one of the biggest problems is that there is usually an area of the material that has to be cut away which, unless recycled and reground, has to unfortunately be considered as waste, adding unavoidable extra costs.
The way a vacuum folding company counters these problems is by controlling the quality of the sheets that are used, they can do this by the clever designing of the moulds which helps to minimise waste. Maximising the potential of the process is something that comes from years of experience so choosing a vacuum forming company with the necessary experience is going to be vital. With costs being the most important factor for any process, any chance a company has to save money should be taken.
The advantages of vacuum forming often outweigh the disadvantages with the main advantage being that only fairly low forming pressures are required. Due to the moulds utilising relatively low forces, the moulds can be finished using moderately inexpensive materials this helps companies keep costs down as lower cost tooling can be used. Even when it comes to large mouldings, these can be economically fabricated. All this means that vacuum folding offers relatively short lead times and provides the ideal process when looking to create prototypes and low quantity orders.
Whether a company uses vacuum forming or injection moulding, they should ensure that they complete the job to the highest standards with the upmost efficiency.
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