What is Thermoforming? | 2 Types of Thermoforming | TranPak (2024)

FAQs

What is Thermoforming? | 2 Types of Thermoforming | TranPak? ›

There are two main types of thermoforming: vacuum forming and pressure forming. Vacuum forming uses heat and pressure to draw plastic sheets into its final configuration. Once a sheet is heated and placed over a mold, a vacuum is used to manipulate it into its desired shape.

There are multiple types of thermoforming processes but the two most popular, include vacuum forming and pressure forming (we also provide drape forming services and more). Both types are very similar in process, but they each have advantages and disadvantages.

Thermoforming is a plastic manufacturing process that involves heating a plastic sheet and forming it using a mold to specific shapes. The shaped plastic then gets cooled down and trimmed to result in the finished part.

Transportation – Most thermoformed components are used for interior finishing. Bus and train seats, aircraft seat backing and arm rests and fold-down tray tables are made by thermoforming. More and more automobile industries have been implementing thermoforming processes to manufacture automotive components.

Polyester, nylon, polypropylene and acrylic are all thermoforming polymers. Thermoforming polymers can be reheated and reshaped making recycling possible. Polyester and nylon work well in the process of pleating as they are pliable above a certain temperature but will not melt.

Forming methods may be vacuum forming, pressure forming, mechanical mold forming, and twin sheet forming. Afterwards, formed parts are trimmed from the sheet web. Thermoplastics in the form of sheets are the starting material of the thermoforming process.

Thermoforming is a manufacturing process for forming plastic sheets into usable shapes by preheating the plastic and bringing it into contact with a mold. At Plastic Components, Inc., we specialize in providing large and heavy-duty thermoformed plastic parts for a wide range of industries.

In its simplest form the thermoforming process involves heating a sheet (which can be mono material, a coextrusion or a laminate) of even thickness and drawing it over, or into a mould to form a rigid or semi-rigid shape. The excess material is trimmed off usually, leaving a rim around the finished article.

PET Plastic

One of the most common thermoformed plastics, PET, or polyethylene terephthalate, is commonly used for thermoformed packaging, and synthetic fibers and bottle production.

Why is thermoforming cheap? ›

The majority of the cost involved in thermoforming is the creation of the mold, which is constructed relatively inexpensively. This is because the thermoforming process requires a relatively low level of forming pressure, so tooling can be constructed with less cost than tooling used in other processes.

Understanding Thermoforming Tooling

Tooling is simply another term for a mold, and in this case, one that is single-sided. The sheet of plastic is heated to where it is flexible, then clamped down to the tooling.

High impact polystyrene, or HIPS, is the most common plastics used in thermoforming for several reasons. HIPS is a low cost material that has a high melting point and, because rubber additives are mixed in, it is very pliable, meaning it's easy to shape and form.

Thermoforming is a low-equipment-cost method for producing 3D profiles from flat, thermoplastic materials. It allows the production of surprisingly complex net shapes with remarkable functionality. Consider the example of the folding egg tray that is still widely employed in the retail packaging of eggs.

In a thermoforming process, a plastic sheet is warmed and formed into a cavity (or over a tool) using vacuum, air pressure or mechanical means.

Thermoforming is used for smaller production quantities as well as larger-sized parts runs. Plastic injection molding is typically used for smaller, more intricately designed parts with high-volume production runs.