What Is Thermoforming?

Thermoforming is a special plastic processing method that processes thermoplastic sheets into various products.

Chinese name: Thermoforming

Foreign name: Thermal forming
Function: Plastic processing method

A more special plastic processing method for processing thermoplastic sheets into various products. The sheet is clamped on the frame and heated to a softened state, and it is brought into close contact with the mold surface under the action of an external force to obtain a shape similar to the mold surface. After cooling and shaping, the product is finished after trimming. This process is also used in rubber processing. In recent years, new progress has been made in thermoforming, such as continuous production technology from extruded sheet to thermoforming.

In the market, there are more and more thermoformed products, such as cups, saucers, food plates, toys, helmets, as well as automotive parts, building decoration parts, chemical equipment, and so on. Compared with injection molding, thermoforming has the advantages of high production efficiency, less equipment investment, and the ability to manufacture products with large surface areas. The plastics used for thermoforming are mainly polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyolefins (such as polyethylene and polypropylene), polyacrylates (such as polymethyl methacrylate), and cellulose (such as nitrocellulose, Cellulose acetate, etc.) plastics, also used in engineering plastics (such as ABS resin, polycarbonate). There are many thermoforming methods, but basically they are combined or improved based on three methods: vacuum, air pressure or mechanical pressure.

Thermoforming Thermoforming Type

ThermoformingVacuum forming

There are dozens of thermoforming methods, and vacuum molding is one of them.

The vacuum-softened sheet is formed in close contact with the surface of the mold. This method is the simplest, but the pressure difference caused by vacuuming is not large, and it is only used for products with simple shapes.

ThermoformingPneumatic thermoforming

Compressed air or steam pressure is used to force the heated and softened sheet to form a close contact with the mold surface. Because the pressure difference is larger than vacuum forming, products with more complicated shapes can be manufactured.

Thermoforming

The heat-softened sheet is placed between the matched male and female molds and formed by mechanical pressure. The molding pressure of this method is greater, and it can be used to manufacture products with complex shapes, but the mold cost is higher.

Thermoforming plunger assisted molding

Partial pre-stretching of the heated sheet with a plunger or a male mold, followed by molding with vacuum or air pressure, can produce a product with a large depth and uniform wall thickness distribution.

ThermoformingSolid -phase molding

The sheet is heated to a temperature not exceeding the melting point of the resin, so that the material is kept in a solid state and molded. For ABS resin, polypropylene, high molecular weight and high density polyethylene. The rigidity and strength of the parts are higher than that of general thermoformed products.

Thermoforming Double sheet thermoforming

The two sheets are stacked together and blown in the middle to make large hollow parts.

A special processing method for processing thermoplastic plastic sheet materials into various products. The sheet is clamped on the frame and heated to a softened state. Under the action of external force, it is brought into close contact with the mold surface. This method is also used in rubber processing. Compared with injection molding, it has the advantages of high production efficiency, less equipment investment, and the ability to manufacture products with large surface areas. The plastics used are mainly polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, polyolefins, There are many molding methods, all of which are combined or improved based on the three methods of vacuum, air pressure or mechanical pressure. It can be used to produce eating utensils, toys, helmets, as well as automotive parts, building accessories, chemical equipment, etc.

A processing method for manufacturing plastic products using thermoplastic plastic sheet as a raw material. The sheet cut to a certain size and shape is clamped on the frame of the mold, heated and softened, and then pressure is applied to make it close to the molding surface of the mold to obtain a shape similar to that. After cooling, setting and trimming, the product is obtained. The thickness of the sheet used for molding is generally 1 to 2 mm, and the thickness of the product is always less than this value.