What is Custom Thermoforming?

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What is Custom Thermoforming?
By Jim Boley VP of Business Development
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Custom Thermoforming

• Custom thermoforming refers to the
  manufacturing process of heating and molding
  plastic materials into packaging solutions.
• Sample end products include containers,
  lids, trays, clamshells and blister packaging.
• These packages are used in a wide range of
  industries, including medical, food, electronics
  and consumer products.
• Thermoformed plastics have replaced many
  parts previously manufactured from wood, paper,
  glass and metal.

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Process Advantages

• Efficient and cost-effective, custom
  thermoforming offers substantial benefits over
  other processes
•  
• Initial project costs, like tooling and
  engineering, are typically lower.
• Lead times to tooling and production are
  generally shorter when compared to other
  processes like injection molding.
• Better physical properties exist in the finished
  part. Because the sheet stretches against the
  mold before cooling, minimum internal stress is
  found in the finished part.
• Relative to other processing methods, part sizes
  up to 5 ft. x 8 ft. 1.524 x 2.44 m can be
  produced easily and economically.

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How It Works

• Custom thermoforming may also be called vacuum
  forming, pressure forming and plastics
  thermoforming. Whatever industry terminology is
  used, the basic process remains the same.
• Heat, vacuum and pressure represent the
  main functions of custom thermoforming. Basic
  steps in the process are as follows
• 1. A flat sheet of plastic is heated to
  make it pliable. The plastic is extruded in
  different thicknesses, depending on the intended
  purpose.
• 2. Using a vacuum and pressure, the heated
  plastic is stretched and shaped over a custom
  designed mold to make a three-dimensional shape.
  Molds can be made of machined or cast aluminum.
  Molds for prototypes or short runs can be made
  from composite materials.

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How It Works

• 3. After the plastic cools and retains the
  desired shape, the parts are cut, trimmed and
  assembled into the end packaging product.
• 4. The leftover plastic is usually recycled
  and converted back to a flat sheet. 
• Plastic materials used in custom thermoforming
  include 
• High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE)
• Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET/PETG/PETE/RPET)
• Polypropylene (PP)
• Polystyrene (PS/HIPS)
• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

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Manufacturing Facilities

• Tooling specific to each part is integral to the
  custom thermoforming process. Manufacturing a
  quality end product depends on fabricating
  quality tooling. Sophisticated thermoforming
  machines cannot compensate for any shortcomings
  in tooling. To fabricate the best tooling
  possible, larger packaging manufacturers operate
  in-house design and tooling facilities rather
  than outsource these functions.  
• In high-volume applications, computer
  controlled, high speed machinery called
  thermoformers heat, form and trim in a continuous
  process. These machines operate in humidity and
  temperature controlled environments and can
  produce thousands of finished parts per hour.
  Ideally, a package design company will
  standardize equipment by using the same
  manufacturers thermoformers. Standardization
  helps lower costs, reduce spare parts inventory,
  improve operator skills and facilitate quick
  tooling changeovers.

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Manufacturing Facilities

• As demands for increased production and
  profitability continue, consistent performance
  during the custom thermoforming process becomes
  more and more critical.
• Operating a fully integrated and registered
  ISO 90012008 manufacturing facility provides the
  best assurance of a successful process with
  quality end products.  
• Contact your local packaging company to
  learn more about custom thermoforming.

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About the Author

• Jim Boley is VP of Business Development at
  Flexpak Corporation, a world-class supplier of
  custom thermoforming and packaging solutions
  since 1974. For more information about custom
  thermoforming, please visit http//www.flexpakcorp
  .com/custom-thermoforming.php today.