Vacuum Thermoforming is a manufacturing process where a plastic sheet is heated to a pliable forming temperature, formed to a specific shape in a mold, and trimmed to create a usable product. The sheet or film is heated in an oven to a high enough temperature that permits it to be stretched into or onto a mold and cooled to a finished shape. Plastic products are widely used on its mainly used in the electronics, electrical appliances industry, food industry, hardware tools, cosmetics industry, toy industry, commodity industry, medicine, health care products, automotive, stationery, sports goods, and other types of industries.
Thermoforming Process
Thermoforming process diagram
General process: plastic sheet – cut – sheet fixed – Heating – Forming – stripping – to feed side – Finished
Plastic thermoforming advantage
Vacuum thermoforming can produce the smallest pieces of tablet packaging materials or watches with the battery. You can also produce very large products, such as a 3 ~ 5m long garden pool. The thickness of the molding material can be from 0.05
to 15mm, for foam materials. The thickness can reach 60mm. Any kind of thermoplastics or materials with similar properties can be vacuum-formed.
The materials used in the vacuum thermoforming molding are sheets having a thickness of 0.05 to 15 mm. And these sheets are semi-finished products made of pellets or powder. Therefore, compared to injection molding, vacuum thermoforming the raw materials will increase the additional cost.
The main advantages of the plastic thermoforming packaging industrial that saves raw materials, lightweight, is easy to transport, good sealing performance. Comply with environmental green packaging requirements; Able to package any special products, packing without additional cushioning material; Are visible transparent packaging products, appearance, easy to sell. And are suitable for mechanization and automation of packaging, ease of modern management, saving manpower, improve efficiency.
Plastic molding material requirements:
1 . Plastic molding can only produce a more uniform wall thickness of the product. Usual chamfer at slightly thinner), can not obtain significant differences between the wall thickness of plastic products Wall thickness.
2 . Plastic molding is generally in the range of 1 to 2mm or thinner (small package with the most commonly used plastic thermoforming packaging sheet thickness of 0.15 to 0.25mm)
3 . Stretch plastic molding products, subject to certain restrictions. Injection-molded plastic container diameter greater depth than is generally not more than one, in extreme cases will not exceed 1.5
4 . Plastic molding dimension accuracy, the relative error is generally one percent or more.
Application Industry
Vacuum thermoforming products with low cost, high efficiency, shape and color matching freedom, corrosion resistance, lightweight and electrical insulation properties, etc., in stationery, toys, daily necessities, electronic products, food, cosmetics, and other products, packaging, has been developed to billboards, automotive, industrial accessories, building materials, helmets, washing machines and freezers lined with turnover boxes and agricultural products and other products