Vacuum Forming plastic process with 3D Molds
Vacuum forming is a manufacturing process by which a sheet of plastic is heated and pressed over a form to create a part. This process is used to create many of the products in your home such as plastic containers, tubs, sink units, and electrical enclosures. While we used an industrial vacuum forming machine to achieve our application, you can also build one at home to achieve the same effect. This process took us about 1.30 hour from start to finish. SUPPLIES Heat resistant gloves Eye protection Cutting tool Sheets of vacuum forming plastic Vacuum forming machine 3d printed mold Mold mounting fixture STEP 1. ATTAIN YOUR MOLD In order to vacuum form you will need a mold to vacuum form around. Your final parts will be nearly exact replicas of your mold. When designing a mold for vacuum forming consider drafting angles. Drafting angles allow your molded part to be removed from the mold. They should typically be anywhere from 3-5 degrees from 90 on any vertical surface. STEP 2. GET READY YOUR MODEL Print your model with 4 shells at 25% infill. Increase shells and infill settings to create a strong mold that will withstand the pressures of vacuum forming. STEP 3. GET READY MOUNTING FIXTURE An industrial vacuum forming machine we needed to secure the mold to an additional fixture. This holds the mold in place against the various forces that occur when operating the machine. STEP 4. FILL UP AND HEAT PLASTIC ( i ) Load your plastic. When choosing plastic sheets for vacuum forming, consider the thickness of the plastic and the size of the sheet as well. Thicker sheets will need to be heated to higher temperatures and will require a higher power vacuum. ( ii ) Heat plastic to desired temperature. An industrial vacuum forming machine, heated the plastic automatically to temperature based on the type of plastic, thickness, and density. Choose thinner sheets of plastic if your vacuum forming machine does not create large amounts of consistent heat or suction. Typically plastics will be heated somewhere around 400 degrees Fahrenheit. STEP 5. PUSH DOWN PLASTIC OVER FORM Once plastic is heated, it is pushed over the form. At this point you will notice that the vacuum suction will pull all of the air out from under the heated plastic sheet and it will be forced down over your mold. The plastic will begin to cool instantly. STEP 6. LET PLASTIC COOL Once all of the air has been removed from under the plastic and it has been formed over your mold, remove the formed part and set it aside to cool. The mold is not removed from the machine between shots STEP 7. DO IT AGAIN This process can be repeated to produce as many as you desired If you notice that over time your 3D printed mold becomes deformed due to heat or pressure, it might be time to print another. Because printing is such an inexpensive option for mold production, producing 2-3 spares up front is not cost or time prohibitive. STEP 8. AFTER PROCESS After you have produced the desired number of parts, cut away any spare plastic. You can cut away spare plastic using a manual cutting tool, or with a CNC. If you’re using a CNC, 3D printing is a good solution for creating custom fixtures. STEP 9. FINISHING Here, you can see what successfully vacuum formed plastic sheets look like.
Cut to size plastic and acrylic fabrication
Uses for Plastic Sheeting People have a huge range of uses for acrylic. Many household projects and home improvements can be finished off with colored or clear plastic sheets. Some people just want a sheet of plastic to replace a shed or greenhouse window, as it is cheaper and safer to use high impact, shatterproof acrylic than real glass. Other uses include kitchen splash-backs, and counter tops, table protectors, and picture framing. Additional projects that use larger sheets which have been coming into our workshop recently have been tanking for showers and wet-rooms. Incredibly fashionable, while also being unbelievably practical, sheet plastic can be cut to any size you need and is available in any color you want. Colors and Other Options As well as being able to supply clear acrylic (Acrylite® equivalent) cut to size, we also supply plastics in a fantastic range of colors, including silver and gold plastic mirror finishes, our sheets of plastic (Acrylic and Poly-carbonate) are made transparent or opaque, you just need to tell us your requirements concerning dimensions, color, thickness and whether you need opaque or transparent plastic when placing your custom acrylic sheets order. Cut to Size Once we have your order for bespoke plastic sheet, we will cut it, finish the cut edges and deliver to your door. When we ship we ensure that your order is fully wrapped and protected so it reaches you in the same high quality condition that it was the moment it left our workshop. Other advantages that acrylic sheeting has over other materials are that it is lightweight, safe to handle, easy to clean, maintain and form into just about any shape that you can think of. From Simple Shapes to Complex Designs We don’t simply cut acrylic sheets to size, we can cut any number of different shapes, from simple shapes to complex designs. We use state of the art industrial plastic cutting machines to fulfill your order. All you need do is submit your design, along with any special instructions and we will create exactly what you are looking for. Whether for the home, office, school or business, cut to order sheets of plastic can be used for a huge range of applications. Plastic sheets can be used to safely replace display cabinet glazing, interior glass panels, including walls and windows, and cupboard doors. Our acrylic mirror finished plastic sheets are a popular choice for gyms and home fitness studios as they are a cheap, lightweight alternative to glass mirrors. Outdoors, plastic sheets can be used as a safe and lightweight option when buying a garden mirror or replacing shed and greenhouse windows. While plastic sheet isn’t unbreakable, it does have a far higher impact resistance than glass and tends not to shatter into dangerous shards. If safety is a concern then sheet plastic is the obvious choice. Plastic sheet is also incredibly easy to clean, maintain and cheap to replace if it becomes damaged. And being able to buy online with delivery anywhere in the Canada makes it an easy and convenient material to use in all sorts of applications, no matter how large or small. A.L.Plastics | Marion Collection | Acrylic Depot
Machined Plastic Parts
About UHMW and HDPE UHMW (Ultra High Molecular Weight) polyethylene plastic has one of the highest impact strengths of any thermoplastic and has excellent abrasion resistance and tensile strength. UHMW has the highest impact strength of all the polyethylene’s and the material will outwear carbon steel 10 to 1 in some applications. UHMW also has excellent resistance to stress and cracking, and the material has a low coefficient of friction (UHMW is self-lubricating). This last property makes UHMW a preferred material for parts in sliding applications, those involving rough surfaces, or any situation where overcoming friction is important. HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) has a somewhat lower tensile strength than UHMW. It possesses excellent chemical resistance and low moisture absorption. HDPE is used in a variety of applications and industries where impact resistance, high tensile strength, low moisture absorption and chemical and corrosion resistance properties are required. In terms of machining, HDPE finishes a little better than UHMW, although both materials machine well. A wide range of UHMW and HDPE grades are now available to produce parts which support specific applications. For example, AS/UHMW is available as an anti-static grade for producing parts which protect against the build-up of electrical charges. A.L.Plastics | Marion Collection | Acrylic Depot