What is vacuum forming? Why would you want to use a vacuum former to make parts for your business or product line? You probably don’t know the answer to these questions, especially if you stumbled upon this article by accident. In just 5 minutes you’ll have learned what a vacuum former does, and why it is useful?
Vacuum Forming Machine:
A vacuum forming machine is a very handy device that can be used for a huge variety of applications. It is used for molding plastic sheets into shapes that are not easily achievable by other methods. The plastic sheets are heated to the required temperature and then sucked over a mold using vacuum pressure.
The machine has two main sections: the first is the oven that heats up the plastic sheet and the other section houses the vacuum system that shapes it into place. In between these two sections is a mold, which is where the magic happens.
The vacuum forming process starts with placing a piece of the plastic sheet onto a mold. The mold is placed in a sealed box called the “platen.” A vacuum is applied to the platen, which causes the plastic sheet to be sucked down over the mold. The material tightens and stretches as it conforms to the shape of the mold.
Once it has cooled, the vacuum is released and the part is removed from the mold.
One of the main advantages of this process is that it can be done quickly and at a low cost, making it ideal for prototyping and one-off parts.
Conclusion:
Vacuum forming is one of the oldest and most cost-effective methods to form plastic sheets. It is a process that uses heat and vacuum to create parts out of plastic sheets. All in all, vacuum forming is more cost-effective and provides a rapid prototyping process compared to its counterparts.
