How To Thermoforming Plastic Sheets

Make sure the sheet is just big enough for the form.

How to thermoforming plastic sheets.

Measure the size of the of the overall piece you need. Here s how the process works. The truth is that before you even begin the actual thermoforming process you have to. The thermoplastic sheet is clamped and heated by an oven using either convection or heat until it is melted.

It is then stretched over a mould and held in place while it cools and solidifies into the desired shape. Essentially drape forming bottom is clamping a piece of sheet plastic in some type of clamping mechanism putting this material into a heating oven heating the plastic sheet up to a desired temperature retracting it from the oven draping it over a mold trapping the sheet just inside the clamping mechanism over the edge of the mold flange and applying a vacuum to the mold chamber. The sheet edges are then sealed against the rim of a female mold and vacuum is applied from the mold side. Amorphous plastics like abs and polycarbonate generally have wide processing windows and good melt strength making them easy to thermoform.

Thermoforming polycarbonate process step 1. The sheet is drawn against the mold surface. Many plastic sheet materials can be shaped by thermoforming. In the thermoforming process a thermoplastic sheet is heated to a temperature where it is pliable.

In vacuum forming heated clamps are used to clamp the hot rubbery sheet. Now this is also another crucial step that you must look into keenly. Use a plastic cutting knife to cut the sheet down to the general overall size.