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What is Thermoforming Tray?

Thermoformed trays are also called plastic inner trays. Thermoformed trays are plastics that use thermoforming manufacturing process to make hard plastic sheets into specific grooves. The products are placed in the grooves to protect and beautify the products.

Thermoformed trays also have material handling trays. Thermoformed trays are mostly used for convenience.

Compared with other types of packaging on the market, thermoformed plastic trays are hygienic, environmentally friendly, low-cost, and easy to clean.

They are widely used in electronics, pharmaceuticals, food and other industries to play the role of anti-static, foil, shockproof, separation and fixation.

The types of thermoforming trays mainly include plastic drip trays, plastic shipping trays, disposable shipping trays, foam trays, automation trays recycling thermoformed trays, vacuum forming trays, etc. This article will take you to learn more about thermoforming plastic trays.

Thermoforming Trays Materials

The raw materials of thermoformed products are only plastic sheet, and the thickness of the film generally does not exceed 1.5mm. Commonly used sheets include: PVC, PET, PP, PS and based on this, flocking sheets, gold-plated sheets and anti-static sheets.

Environmental advantages of thermoformed trays

Reusable

Most thermoformed trays are made of environmentally friendly plastic materials, which greatly reduces environmental pollution and resource consumption, and meets the environmental protection requirements of modern society.

Reusable trays are used frequently in corporate logistics, so recycling within the company is a common method.

Enterprises can reuse used recyclable vacuum forming trays after cleaning, disinfecting and other procedures. In addition to recycling within the company, it is also a common method to send recyclable thermoformed trays to other factories for recycling.

Enterprises can classify and package used recyclable thermoformed trays and send them to other factories that have cooperative relationships with the enterprise for recycling.

Environmentally Friendly

Recyclable thermoformed trays are made of degradable materials, which will not cause pollution to the environment and comply with the environmental protection requirements of modern society.

Save Costs

Recyclable thermoformed trays adopt a reusable design, which can reduce logistics costs and save enterprises' operating costs.

High Reliability

Recyclable thermoformed trays have strong carrying capacity, light weight and good durability, which can meet the logistics needs of enterprises and bring greater value to enterprises.

Twin Sheet Thermoformed Trays

The twin sheet thermoformed tray consists of a top cover and bottom bracket with a lock and a foldable enclosure to form a complete set of combined plastic trays. The top cover and bottom bracket are made of HDPE.

It is formed using a one-time twin sheet thermoforming process. The middle hoarding can be made of PP (polypropylene resin) plastic hollow board or seven-layer corrugated cardboard to make a foldable hoarding.

The entire series is designed to be recycled, and the top cover and bottom bracket can be recycled for up to ten years.

Plastic hoardings and corrugated paper hoardings can also be recycled multiple times and replaced.

This design can greatly reduce customers' logistics operations and warehousing costs.

The middle panels of the tray are designed to be foldable, and the top cover and bottom bracket can be embedded or stacked, which can save 50% of storage space compared with traditional packaging.

The thermoformed top cover and bottom bracket are both thermoformed from two HDPE sheets at one time, which is strong and durable.

Is the assembly or disassembly of thermoformed trays extremely convenient?

One person can complete the disassembly or assembly in a few minutes without using any tools. The top cover and bottom bracket are each designed with four quick locks, which can lock the hoarding, so there is no need to bundle it, saving packing materials and labor costs.

Constraints on the Development of Thermoformed Trays

The Usage Method is Backward

The advantages of thermoforming trays cannot be fully utilized. The thermoformed tray itself is a unitized logistics device born to cooperate with efficient logistics.

It can be said that the tray is the connection point throughout all aspects of the modern logistics system.

However, in our actual use, due to the inconsistent specifications, trays cannot be circulated and used in the logistics operation chain, and are only limited to within the enterprise.

The Cost of the Circulation Process is Too High

From the survey, it can be found that the vast majority of companies' PVC pressure forming trays are recycled within the company, so that the company's products undergo manual handling and loading and unloading many times, which greatly reduces work efficiency and correspondingly increases the circulation cost of the products, thus Reducing the competitiveness of the product in the market.

Difficult to Conform to International Standards

Due to the inconsistent specifications and standards of PVC thermoformed trays, the use of trays in various countries cannot match international transportation equipment (such as international containers, etc.).

In order to adapt to relevant international transportation tools, companies have to order trays from tray manufacturers that are inconsistent with the company's turnover specifications, thereby increasing the company's export costs and reducing the international competitiveness of its products.

Application of Thermoformed Trays

There are many types of thermoformed trays. Trays are one of the types of thermoforming in the thermoforming industry. This type of tray has a strong bearing capacity.

According to the shape, structure and weight of the item, thermoforming tray is suitable for withstanding the force. There are also many thicknesses of materials used.

The choice depends on the packaging material needs of the packaged items. This type of thermoformed tray is commonly used in the electronics industry, toy industry, stationery industry, technology product industry, cosmetics industry, health care products industry, etc.

In terms of use, the commonly used materials for this type of trays include PVC and PS hard film. Generally, transparent thermoformed trays are more commonly used in thermoformed packaging. Other colors can be selected according to individual needs.

Thermoformed trays are widely used in food, medicine, electronics, chemicals, logistics and other industries. They have the advantages of light weight, beautiful appearance, moisture-proof, shock-proof, and anti-oxidation.

Compared with traditional wooden trays, thermoformed trays are more hygienic, durable, easy to clean and disinfect, and meet the environmental protection and hygiene requirements of modern enterprises.

How to Choose High-Quality Thermoformed Trays

When choosing a high-quality thermoformed tray, you need to comprehensively consider the actual needs and choose the tray that suits you.

At the same time, it is also very important to choose a regular thermoformed tray manufacturer.

Thermoforming Trays Material

Thermoformed trays are typically made from polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP), both of which are highly durable and recyclable. You can choose according to your specific needs when choosing.

Tray Size and Shape

The size and shape of thermoformed trays should be determined based on the cargo required to be loaded.

The size of the tray should be slightly larger than the size of the goods so that the goods can be placed stably on the tray.

Tray Load-Bearing Capacity

The load-bearing capacity of a thermoforming tray is determined by its material and construction. When selecting a tray, you should consider whether its load-bearing capacity can meet the requirements of the goods.

Tray Price

The price of thermoformed trays varies based on factors such as material, size, shape, and load-bearing capacity.

When choosing a tray, you should consider its cost performance and choose a tray that suits you.

Cases

Automobile Industry

Twin sheet thermoforming: dedicated thermoforming trays for the automotive industry

For Tier 1 automotive suppliers, in the process of transporting those large mechanical parts or bulk small parts from their factories to the OEM automotive assembly line, they usually need to use large customized trays in order to stack the goods in an orderly manner. Avoid collision damage.

For example, the custom-made tray below is very suitable for transporting those precision mechanical parts to the OEM's automobile assembly line. The forminging process includes the following processes:

First, two sheets are placed at designated positions on the orifice plate of the thermoforming machine, and then the clamp automatically lowers and a moving intermediate frame brings in the other two sheets.

Two sets of halogen lamp heaters will quickly heat the four sheets according to the heating path set by the computer. Precise temperature control is achieved through a fine-hole grid of photocells.

During this process, it is necessary to ensure that the sheet is flat when heated.

Then, the mold is closed. Under the action of a clamping force of hundreds of thousands of Newtons, the two sheets are combined into a strong structural panel.

By introducing a certain pressure of air between the two layers of sheets, the sheets and the mold can fit more closely, and it can also have a certain cooling effect.

After the mold has cooled, immediately open the moving middle frame and remove the two formed trays.

Finally, the robot takes the formed product out of the mold, and then puts the next set of four preheated sheets into the mold to start the next production cycle. One product can be produced every 5 minutes.

Chemical Industry

For the chemical industry, the issue of safe transportation of goods is very important. Thermoformed trays solve this problem with their natural advantages and improve the safety and stability of cargo transportation. The advantages of thermoformed trays include the following:

1. Durability

Thermoformed plastic trays are more sturdy and durable because they can not only bear a large weight but also avoid corrosion by chemical products, so they are widely used in the chemical industry.

2. Lightweight

The main materials of thermoformed trays are thermoplastics, so they are lighter. Whether in cargo transportation, stacking, or storage, labor intensity is greatly reduced. At the same time, it also brings great convenience to the logistics industry.

3. Environmentally friendly materials

Compared with traditional wood or paper materials, thermoformed trays are a more environmentally friendly material. Using thermoformed trays reduces logging and felling of trees and reduces the impact on the environment.

4. Recyclability

The thermoformed plastic tray is made of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene and can be recycled. Used thermoforming trays can be recycled into new trays, reducing the waste of resources and better protecting the environment.

5. Hygiene

Product transportation in the chemical industry often requires attention to the hygienic environment. The surface of the thermoformed tray has almost no pores and gaps, so it will not accumulate bacteria and viruses, and is highly safe. It is also easy to keep clean and has a long service life.

Conclusion

As an important logistics packaging tool, thermoformed trays play an important role in logistics, manufacturing and retail industries. Its lightweight, durable, easy to clean and environmentally friendly features make it an ideal alternative to traditional wooden and metal trays.

At the same time, with the development of science and technology and the increase in demand, the application prospects of thermoforming trays will be broader. We believe that in the future development, thermoformed trays will have more applications and innovations.

[zetarvac]

The Rise of Heavy Gauge Thermoforming in Medical Manufacturing

With the continuous emergence of new materials and new technologies, multi-layer heavy gauge thermoforming is used in the field of hospital medical equipment shell molding and manufacturing, opening a new chapter in structured products for hospital medical equipment shells.

To this end, it is necessary to explore the relevant elements of heavy gauge thermoforming products for hospital medical equipment casings, consider the optimization path of the thick gauge thermoforming process for medical equipment casings, and improve the quality of hospital medical equipment casing products.

As a plastic processing technology, the main principle of pressure forming is to heat a flat hard plastic sheet to soften it, then use vacuum to adsorb it to the surface of the mold, and then cool it into shape. It is widely used in plastic packaging industry, pharmaceutical packaging sectors, healthcare sector, medical device packaging trays, food packaging industries, pharmaceutical industry, advertising, automotive industry decoration and other industries.

After a whole product is produced, it must be separated into individual small products, and then there will be some leftover edges of the product. Commonly used materials in blister packaging factories include PP, PET, PVC, PE, etc. As a sterile barrier system, medical packaging blister boxes are accepted by more and more medical devices, and PETG material used in medical applications is favored due to its strong. The market growth is significantly.

Ⅰ. Analysis of Design Elements of Medical Equipment Shells

Geometry and Accuracy

The geometric dimensions of the thermoformed shell include: the dimensions from the cutting surface to the molding surface of the thermoformed product, and the dimensions from the cutting surface to the cutting surface, which are directly related to the plate thickness, material properties, and molding process.

Draft Angle

The thermoforming mold consists of a concave mold and a convex mold with different demoulding angles. Generally speaking, the demoulding angle of the concave mold is 0.5°-1°, and the demoulding angle of the convex mold is 2°-5°.

Shell Rounded Corners

The thermoformed shell should be designed with as large rounded corners as possible, and should not be designed with sharp corners and should be chamfered to ensure that the stress of the thermoformed shell product is appropriate.

Aspect Ratio

The width-to-depth ratio of thermoformed products for medical equipment shells is an important indicator to measure the ease of thermoforming. It represents the ratio of the minimum width to depth of the product. The larger the value, the easier it is to form the thin gauge thermoformed plastics product. The smaller the value, the easier it is to form the thermoformed product. It shows that the thermoformed products are more difficult to form.

Ⅱ. Defects

1. Partial Molding of the Product is Insufficient.

The main causes of defects that lead to insufficient local molding of thermoformed shell thick plate products are:

The plasticity of the board itself is poor. There is insufficient vacuum between the sheet and the mold. The sheet has stretched too much. The mold temperature is low, etc.

2. Product Surface Color Defects.

The main causes of product surface color defects include:

Insufficient heating. Overheating. The mold heating temperature is not high.

3. Product Flow Mark Defects.

The main causes of flow mark defects in products include:

The temperature of the mold and plate is not high. Poor mold temperature control. There is a deviation in the molding process.

4. Product Wrinkle Defects.

The main causes of wrinkle defects in products include: The board sags too much. The plate heating time is too long. The molding angle of the mold is too large.

5. Product Surface Flatness is Insufficient.

The main causes of uneven surface defects on products are as follows:

Insufficient cleanliness of the sheet or mold. The mold vacuum hole is too large. The mold does not have enough vacuum holes. There is a lamellar structure on the mold.

Ⅲ. How to Optimize the Production of Medical Device Shells

Optimization of Product Structure

The shell of hospital medical equipment has a large volume and surface area, so it can be designed in a curved shape to maintain the external beauty of the product structure and better avoid the defects of the thermoforming manufacturing process. The optimization of its structure mainly includes the following aspects:

1. Optimize the depth of the product.

Since there are many products with large barrel depths in hospital medical equipment, this brings great challenges to medical device manufacturers. In order to optimize the product molding effect, concave molding and punch-assisted pressing can be used to make the product sheet The material is heated between the upper and lower molds and a small amount of air is sucked out of the punch and the sheet, so that the sheet is adsorbed on the punch, and then the punch is gradually pressed down so that the sheet is completely adsorbed on the concave mold, and finally demoulded. Through this concave and convex mold-assisted molding method, the draft angle of the equipment shell product can be increased and the width-to-depth ratio of the shell product can be reduced.

2. Optimize the rounding of corners.

Based on the actual requirements of assembly, the corner rounding can be optimized at the junction of medical equipment shell products.

3. Adopt assembly bonding.

For thermoformed shells of hospital medical equipment, assembly bonding can be used instead of undercut designs. Double-layer thermoforming technology is used to replace the optimized process of single-layer thermoforming plate bonding to enhance the strength of the shell product.

Optimization of Process Parameters

Since the materials for hospital medical equipment shells are mainly ABS and ABS/PC, and assembly materials such as PC, HIPS, PET, and PP are used, it is necessary to analyze and optimize the process parameters of these different materials, including the following:

1. Sheet drying time.

This is the shrinkage characteristic parameter of the thermoformed sheet in the dry state, which is directly related to and affects the thermoforming of thick plates for medical equipment shells. When the drying times of different materials are: HDPE is 8 hours, PE is 6 hours, ABS is 8 hours, PC is 6 hours, and ABS/PC is 8 hours, it indicates that the performance of the medical equipment shell thick plate thermoforming product is relatively Stablize.

2. Thermoforming temperature. This is mainly analyzed and optimized from the two aspects of sheet heating temperature and pressure forming mold temperature. Among them: double-sided heating is usually used to heat the plastic sheet, and different molding temperatures are set according to different shapes of products. , making the product consistent with the design requirements. The temperature of the thermoforming mold should be kept appropriate and should not be too high or too low. If the mold temperature is too high, the product will adhere to the mold, causing the product to demould and deform. If the mold temperature is too low, the plate will be deformed. Improper molding may cause defects such as black spots, wrinkles, and cracks in the product. Generally speaking, when the medical equipment shell is thermoformed, the mold temperature is controlled at: HDPE is 50°C, PE is 50°C, PVC is 50°C, ABS is 70-80°C, PC is 120°C, and ABS/PC is 110°C. , indicating that the temperature of the thermoforming mold is appropriate.

Optimization of Mold Design

1. Optimize high-pressure thermoforming mold.

The high-pressure frame thermoforming mold structure can be used to fully form the thick plate thermoforming products of medical equipment shells.

2. Add upper mold to assist molding.

You can add an upper mold to assist in molding to produce cylindrical medical device packaging with large depth and complex shapes to avoid defects such as surface breakage or wrinkles on the surface of thermoformed products.

3. Add mold core-pulling structure.

By adding hinges, bonding blocks and cylinders to the design, the demoulding of thermoformed products can be better assisted.

Raw Material Selection

The selection of raw materials is the basis for ensuring quality. From particles to thermoformed finished products, its requirements are much higher than those of food grade and industrial grade. The material selection of medical-grade vacuum forming boxes must meet ROHS requirements, and meet the requirements of IS010993 "Biological Evaluation of Medical Devices" and ISO11607 "Packaging of Terminal Sterilized Medical Devices" to achieve a complete sterile barrier system and microbial barrier function.

At present, there are many categories of food packaging materials produced in our country, with varying degrees of good and bad, and there are many hidden safety hazards. In particular, industrial PVC replaces PETG (material characteristics, usually medical blue), RPET (a recycled PET material) replaces APET, etc. After high-temperature molding and sterilization, a large amount of harmful substances will be precipitated, including pain-causing substances. , causing the device that was originally used to save lives and heal the wounded to eventually become a "killing" weapon. Therefore, we must choose materials carefully. At present, the main medical PETG include American Eastman 6763 and Korean SKS2008.

Thermoformed Box Structural Design

Before design and development, comprehensive factors such as demand for thermoformed plastics, forecast period, raw material selection, packaged equipment, sterilization methods, and clean opening by medical staff should be fully considered. And ensure the ability of sterilized medical device packaging to maintain sterility levels during the validity period. Therefore, details such as the design of edge banding width, hand tearing position, buckling method, etc. all need to be considered in the design stage.

Thermoforming Mold Selection

Medical thermoforming boxes use aluminum alloy molds. There are many kinds of aluminum materials. However, in terms of overall mold processing accuracy and various performance, 6061 is a better aluminum material. The aluminum material is processed into a mold by CNC. Since the inner core is aluminum, it is easy to achieve thermal balance. Cold water flows around it, which allows the mold to cool down quickly and improves the production efficiency of the vacuum forming box. Because the inner core is aluminum, it is easy to achieve thermal balance and cold water flows around it. Let the mold cool down quickly, increase the speed of goods production, and increase the smoothness of the thermoformed box. Because the cost of aluminum molds is high and the general service life is long, Martin Medical Packaging promises customers that the aluminum molds can be used for 10 years and can be produced repeatedly. can maintain high accuracy. There are many master molds on the thermoformed plastics market made of gypsum powder with a layer of copper on the outer electroplating surface. Not to mention the accuracy and appearance of the finished product, the cleanliness cannot meet the requirements of medical device packaging. The quality of the mold making of the thermoformed box directly affects the details of the finished thermoformed box, so it is recommended to choose carefully.

Conclusion

To sum up, the production of hospital medical equipment shells and medical thermoforming boxes is inseparable from the efficient and advanced thick plate thermoforming process. Vacuum forming must be better adopted by optimizing product structure, molding process parameters, mold design, etc. technology to meet the needs of hospital medical equipment shell use.

[zetarvac]

Everything You Need to Know about Heavy Gauge Thermoforming

Thermoforming is a plastic processing technology. Different from other plastic processes, the main principle is to heat a hard plastic flat sheet to soften it, then use vacuum adsorption to adsorb the softened sheet to the surface of the mold, and then form it after cooling. Thermoforming is widely used in plastic packaging, lighting, advertising, decoration and other industries.

With the continuous development of science and technology, the manufacturing industry is also constantly innovating and progressing. Among them, thermoforming process, as an emerging manufacturing technology, is gradually becoming a new trend in future manufacturing industry.

There are several thermoforming methods used in actual production, and the most basic ones are six: differential pressure forming, overmolding, plunger-assisted molding, suction molding, countermolding, and twin sheet forming.

Thermoforming is divided into heavy gauge thermoforming and thin gauge thermoforming according to the thickness of the sheet. In this article, we will focus on heavy gauge thermoforming.

What is Heavy Gauge Thermoforming

Heavy gauge thermoforming, also known as thick sheet vacuum forming, refers to a technology where the thickness of the raw materials used exceeds 2mm and cannot be formed on a fully automatic machine. Semi-automatic machining and production technology dedicated to thick sheets must be used.

Heavy gauge thermoforming machine is a key process equipment for producing thermoformed plastic parts through vacuum forming manufacturing process using plastic sheets as raw materials. It uses thermoplastic material sheets as raw materials, is heated to the softening temperature in an oven, and then uses the vacuum negative pressure between the plastic sheet and the thermoforming mold to adsorb the plastic sheet in the thermoplastic state to the surface of the thermoforming mold and then cool it for molding.

Heavy Gauge Thermoforming Materials

The main materials for thick gauge thermoforming include: various colors of ABS, acrylic, PETG, PVC, PC, PP, PE, PS, etc. and various modified plastic plain sheets, textured sheets, and transparent sheets.

Application of Heavu Gauge Thermoforming

Heavy gauge thermoforming can be used for product design and manufacturing of rear projection TV back covers, displays, medical equipment, textile machinery, automotive accessories, and product design and manufacturing in precision electronics, medical equipment, and cosmetics industries.

Heavy gauge thermoforming products mainly include refrigerator liner thermoforming, PS thermoforming, ABS thermoforming, thick sheet thermoforming, thick sheet thermoforming, PMMA thermoforming, etc., which are widely used in medical equipment, food equipment, instrument casings, and electrical appliances. Shells, car body sheaths, pet trays, advertising light boxes, lighting, refrigerator industry, air conditioning industry and home appliance accessories, etc.

Heavy gauge thermoforming products can not only replace injection molding, saving expensive injection mold costs, but also replace traditional manual production. They have the advantages of advanced production technology, fast speed, and reliable quality.

Advantages of Heavy Gauge Thermoforming

It saves raw and auxiliary materials, is light in weight, easy to transport, has good sealing performance, and meets the requirements of environmentally friendly green packaging.

It can pack any special-shaped products, and no additional buffering materials are needed for packaging.

The packaged products are transparent and visible, beautiful in appearance, easy to sell, and suitable for mechanized and automated packaging, which facilitates modern management, saves manpower, and improves efficiency.

Heavy Gauge Thermoforming Machine Components

Heavy gauge thermoforming machines generally consist of sheets positioning system, thermoforming mold positioning system, frame system, heating system, cooling system and electrical control system.

1. The sheets positioning system generally consists of material pressing frame, power cylinder or an oil cylinder, and balance synchronization mechanism. Its function is to tighten the positioning of plastic sheets. The press frame of the walking frame heating method has an upper and lower structure, and is equipped with a transverse locking mechanism to ensure that the press frame can be tightly sealed with the plate backing plate. The frame can be adjusted according to the size of the mold, either manually or automatically.

2. The thermoforming mold positioning system generally consists of upper and lower mold tables, upper and lower mold cylinders or oil cylinders, and synchronization mechanisms. Its function is to tighten the positioning of the thermoforming mold and connect the mold to the vacuum pipeline. There are two positioning methods: manual screw locking or pneumatic automatic locking. The synchronization mechanism can ensure that the upper and lower molds rise and fall simultaneously to ensure vacuum forming accuracy.

3. The frame system generally consists of profile frame, sealed box, and protective door. Protective doors are divided into automatic and manual.

4. The heating system generally consists of heating bricks or heating tubes, oven frames, and power cylinders or motors.

5. The cooling system generally consists of air and water pipes and spray heads.

6. Electrical system: The electrical control system cooperates with the pneumatic or hydraulic system to realize the process requirements (temperature, speed, time) and various program actions of the thermoforming machine. It is mainly composed of PLC and touch screen, contactors, electronic components, temperature regulating instruments, solenoid valves, sensors, etc. There are generally three control methods, manual, automatic and adjustment.

Heavy Gauge Thermoforming Production Process

The principle of heavy gauge thermoforming is similar to that of light gauge thermoforming. The positioned sheet is heated to a softened state in an oven, and the vacuum forming mold forms a closed space around it to instantly remove the air from the mold cavity and tightly cover the sheet. The process of cooling and shaping the mold surface to obtain the finished product.

Thermoforming is a cyclic process, and each cycle mainly includes: loading - heating and softening - backflushing and pre-drawing - pressure forming - cooling and shaping - demoulding and picking. After taking out the plastic parts, place the plate again (can be received or automatically) and proceed to the next cycle.

1. Mold making and processing: Different customers have corresponding specifications for the product, so plastic molds must be made before production. In this case, the mold is made from plaster of a plastic mold, and the mold is produced using plastic. The lower cost is the plaster mold, followed by the electroplated copper mold, while the aluminum mold is more expensive. When the mold is made, let it dry naturally or dry it, and then treat it according to the specific conditions of the product surface. to

2. When the mold is completely dry, the mold should be placed on the upper iron plate of the vacuum chamber, and then according to the size of the mold, load the mold into the applicable size and then put the paper into the hot wood cabinet to fix it and process it.  

3. Fix the plastic sheet on the mold with fixing clips, heat both ends of the plastic sheet until it becomes soft, and then use a vacuum pump to remove the air between the material and the mold, allowing the softened plastic sheet to be adsorbed on the mold and cool. Then blow air in the opposite direction to release the product from the mold. ​

4. Finishing: The finished product is trimmed and integrated into a product that can be packaged for sale. Thin gauge plastic thermoforming is generally used in food packaging, pharmaceutical packaging, cosmetic packaging and other industries. Product thickness 10-100 silk. Heavy gauge vacuum forming is mainly used in automobile, hardware, electric vehicle and other industries, and the product thickness is 1-10mm or even thicker.

Thermoforming & Injection Molding & Blow Molding

Injection molding

Injection molding is to melt the plastic raw materials, then put them into the mold under high pressure through an injection molding machine, and then cool them into shape.

Blow Molding

Blow molding is a rapidly growing plastic processing method. The tubular plastic parison obtained by extrusion or injection molding of thermoplastic resin is placed in a split mold while it is hot (or heated to a softened state). After the mold is closed, compressed air is immediately introduced into the parison to blow the plastic parison. It expands and adheres closely to the inner wall of the mold. After cooling and demoulding, various hollow products are obtained.

Main Difference

1. Thermoforming: It is suitable for products with relatively simple structure, single-sided molding and small quantity. Molds are very cheap. The mold cost is only 1/20 of that of injection molds. The mold opening time of products of similar complexity is only 1/4 of that of injection molds. However, complex structures cannot be designed and are generally bonded through adapters. It is also similar to the carbon fiber hot pressing process.

2. Injection molding: suitable for large-volume, high-precision products, the mold cost is very high, and complex structures can be designed.

3. Blow molding: mainly used to produce hollow products, such as bottles, cans and other products. The price of the mold is not much different from that of thermoforming molds.

Case

Medical industry

Why heavy gauge thermoforming?

1. The order quantity of medical products is small. Compared with other consumer products, the steel materials with slightly better mold life of general injection molding can be molded one million times. However, it is difficult for general large-scale medical products to reach this level. The plastic mold The price is transferred to a single product, resulting in a very high unit price (applicable to products with a batch size of less than 5,000 and whose appearance level requirements are not particularly high, especially suitable for the casing of robot products).

2. Compared with injection molding, heavy gauge thermoforming has a simple structure and can still meet most of the needs. It has stable performance, satisfactory surface treatment, and can be adapted to silk screen printing (ABS) of various colors.

Conclusion

Heavy gauge thermoforming can mold plastic products of large size, simple appearance, and imprecise size requirements at one time. In some aspects, it can replace injection molding, fiberglass, metal shells, etc. The blister mold has the advantages of low manufacturing cost and short development cycle. advantage. Its cost is 1/10 to 1/20 of that of an injection mold, and its production cycle is fast. It is gradually widely used in various fields of people's daily life, such as automobile interior and exterior decoration, transportation, building materials, packaging, medical equipment, household appliances, cultural, educational and sanitary ware, sporting goods and so on. Today, with the rapid development of the plastics industry, the use of heavy gauge thermoforming is also expanding.

[zetarvac]

Effects of Manufacturing Defects on Thermoformed Packaging Quality

With the improvement of consumers' own consumption and health awareness, the concreteness and transparency of product information have become the focus of consumers' attention when purchasing products.

Thermoformed packaging has a good sales display effect because the packaged contents are visible. Generally, irregular objects are sealed and protected by using PVC or PET transparent thermoforming, and then the blister and the paper card (paper) coated with thermoforming oil are bonded together by hot pressing to form a complete, regular and transparent object package style. The function of the blister card is to seal and fix the object, and the paper card supports the object.

At the same time, graphic information must be printed on the paper card. The thermoforming oil will firmly bond the blister card and paper card together under heated conditions to ensure the integrity of the packaging during storage and transportation.

At present, the processes, materials and equipment of thermoforming packaging are relatively mature, and related process technologies have been industrialized, such as: batteries, stationery, hardware, toys, personal care, cosmetics, small household appliances, other daily necessities and other product fields. In carton packaging has been widely used.

The quality evaluation indicators of thermoformed products generally include plastic absorption, anti-adhesion, gloss, wear resistance, environmental resistance, high-speed line processability, etc. In the production process, the most prominent problem is that the heat sealing effect of the carton product after molding is not up to standard, that is, the quality problem of poor thermoforming.

The quality requirements are generally: after the product is packaged, the blister card can be torn open under the premise of a drop test at least Open 80% of the paper fiber layer.

In practice, there are many factors that affect the poor thermoformability of products, including: thermoforming quality and stability of paper cards (paper), ink materials, blister card quality, thermoforming oil materials, heat sealing process conditions, etc. Among these conditions The interaction between them directly affects the vacuum forming effect.

Ⅰ. Advantages of Thermoformed Packaging

Thermoformed packaging blister cards are made of transparent materials, with PVC and PET being the most commonly used. At the product terminal, the paper cards are generally hung and placed on the shelf.

The shape of the product is clear at a glance, which is in line with the current consumer consumption patterns. Therefore, this kind of packaged products Usually hung in a prominent position on shopping mall shelves to facilitate sales.

By wrapping irregular products with blister cards, the appearance of special-shaped products can be relatively neat and beautiful, making storage and transportation more convenient, and no additional buffering materials are needed for packaging.

Thermoforming packaging can ensure that the products in the thermoformed blister card are not contaminated by external dust and have a certain barrier effect on water vapor, which not only ensures that the quality of the product is not affected, but also meets the requirements of environmentally friendly green packaging.

It has a certain function of preventing opening and being used at any time, allowing consumers to purchase with more confidence.

Ⅱ. Principle of Thermoforming and Heat Sealing Packaging Process

The blister card and the paper card coated with thermoforming oil are heated through a customized mold using electric heating or high frequency. The softened blister card and the melted pressure forming oil are heated under pressure.

After solid fusion and cooling, the blister card, thermoforming oil, and paper card form one body to complete the thermoforming packaging process.

During thermoforming heat sealing and encapsulation, the thermoforming oil is heated until it softens and becomes viscous (at room temperature, thermoforming oil, as a special varnish coating, has the characteristics of a general varnish coating, that is, it has a certain gloss and wear resistance. properties), if any material is below its softening point, fusion cannot occur effectively and the seal becomes very poor.

Ⅲ. Factors Affecting Thermoforming Effect

There are many factors that affect the thermoforming effect. Usually, during the product sampling process, companies will use the empirical elimination method to find the factors that cause the poor thermoforming effect of the product.

The main factors that affect the thermoforming effect include: influence of materials (paper, ink, thermoforming oil), improper process parameters and methods (temperature, pressure, thermoforming time), and different equipment heating methods.

The Influence of Paper

The different properties of paper (paper card) materials directly affect the thermoforming effect. Factors including: paper tightness, paper fiber, surface strength, surface flatness, smoothness, sizing degree, etc., will all affect the thermoforming effect. Combined with the actual production, the proofing process was tested and analyzed, and the following empirical conclusions were drawn:

Paper absorbency effects. The penetration ability of ink or thermoforming oil into the paper is very important. The thermoforming effect of mechanical wood pulp with low tightness and fluffy fiber inside the paper is better.

The thermoforming oil can easily penetrate into the inside of the paper. When the thermoforming oil is completely When dry, the thermoforming effect is very good; otherwise, the thermoforming oil accumulates on the surface of the paper, which is not easy to dry and will easily fall off after thermoforming.

The lower the surface strength and internal bonding strength of the paper, the better the thermoforming effect. It is best to have no internal and surface sizing. However, if the amount of sizing on the paper is too small, the surface strength of the paper will easily decrease, surface peeling will easily occur during the printing process (commonly known as lint and powder loss), and the paper hardness will be poor.

Effect of paper moisture content on thermoformability. If the moisture content of the paper is too high, the surface strength will be reduced and the drying speed will be slow. When the molding oil is overheated, the surface will bubble, resulting in poor thermoforming and poor results. Generally, it is required that the paper should be processed to balance the moisture content, and it is better to dry it.

At the same time, the product generally needs to be left for 8-12 hours after thermoforming before use. On the contrary, it is not good if the paper is too dry and brittle, which may easily cause the thermoforming part to be unstable.

The Influence of Printing Ink

Factors such as different components of printing ink materials, film thickness, compatibility of ink and thermoforming oil, ink drying speed, etc., directly affect the thermoforming effect. General requirements:

1. The ink used should be free of silicone wax and oil as much as possible. It has good gloss and smoothness, but the thermoforming oil is not easy to penetrate, and the thermoforming effect will be lower.

2. If the printing ink layer is thin and the viscosity is low, the inside of the ink dries quickly, the thermoforming oil can easily penetrate, and the thermoforming effect is better; the toner particles in the ink component are small and the ink color concentration is high, which is beneficial to the thermoforming effect. .

3. It is difficult to thermoform metal ink, but it can be achieved when the ink layer is thin.

4. The properties of the ink and the thermoforming oil must match, have strong adhesion to each other, and will not produce other chemical reactions.

5. Some resin materials in the ink components will have high hardness after curing (such as UV ink), resulting in unstable thermoforming effects. Generally, printing inks with resin components that do not have high hardness after curing are selected.

The Influence of Thermoforming Oil

Thermoforming oil is a polymer material with many types, which can be classified according to applicable materials, such as PET thermoforming oil, PVC thermoforming oil, gold and silver card thermoforming oil, cardboard thermoforming oil, etc. Its main components are resins (such as polyurethane, acrylic), additives (such as anti-aging agents, diluents, etc.).

According to different properties, it is divided into water-based thermoforming oil, oil-based thermoforming oil, polishing thermoforming oil, wear-resistant thermoforming oil, powerful thermoforming oil, etc.

General requirements: During the coating process, the coating amount should be controlled to ensure the leveling, gloss, penetration, and dryness of the film surface. The thermoforming process mainly controls temperature, pressure, and time to ensure that the thermoforming is firm.

The Influence of Blister Card

Blister card is a transparent material used for thermoforming packaging (generally PET polyester, PVC polyvinyl chloride, PS polystyrene and other materials), which is heated by paper that has been coated with thermoforming oil. Press, shrink and bond together to form a complete, regular and transparent packaging product.

The most commonly used A-PET (Amorphous Polyethylene Terephthalate) thermoforming material is a kind of PET material. It is a thermoplastic environmentally friendly plastic product. It is stable at room temperature. It shrinks when heated (above the glass transition temperature of the material) and in one direction.

A thermal shrinkage of more than 50% is ideal. Compared with PVC materials, APET materials have obvious advantages: light specific gravity (low density), high strength, good folding resistance, high transparency, strong impact resistance, no crystal points, easy to decompose and environmentally friendly.

General requirements in actual production:

1. If APET is heated beyond the crystallization temperature and the heating time is too long, PET may be converted into a crystalline state and become white, which will lead to a significant reduction in sealing quality in the crystalline state and poor thermoformability.

2. The heat sealing temperature must be controlled enough to soften the thermoforming oil layer and PET vacuum forming, but not to convert PET into a crystalline state.

3. In actual production, if the material type of the thermoformed cover is changed, such as changing the PET model or changing PVC to PET, a comprehensive test and evaluation must be conducted first.

4. Combined with the actual production requirements, the design parameter requirements for the thermoformed cover:

The thickness must be greater than 0.15mm. The film thickness will be reduced during thermoforming. Pay attention to incoming material inspection. •Effective thermoforming area width >5mm.

The deformation of the thermoforming cover will affect the thermoforming effect.

If the release oil used in manufacturing the thermoformed cover remains on the surface of the thermoformed cover, it will affect the surface tension of the thermoformed cover, reduce the dyne value, and affect the thermoforming effect.

The Influence of Thermoforming Process Production

The thermoforming process includes: printing and coating thermoforming oil process and thermoforming heat sealing process. Currently, there are three ways to realize the coating process: offline oiling machine, full page oiling, silk screen partial oiling, and offset printing in-line oiling.

Offline coating and thermoforming processes generally require that the product be left for at least 72 hours after printing. After the large dark ink area is completely dry, hot molding oil can be applied to the surface and left for at least 24 hours before the thermoforming process can be carried out.

The current method of oiling the line (usually using water-based thermoforming oil) can shorten the time, but the thermoforming effect is not good. The main control objectives of the oiling process are: appropriate amount of oil (generally about 3-5g/m2, depending on the surface properties of the material and the concentration of the thermoforming oil), and full penetration of the thermoforming oil.

The coating amount must be controlled during the coating process to ensure the leveling, gloss, penetration, dryness, etc. of the film surface. The pressure forming process mainly controls temperature, pressure, time and other conditions to ensure the thermoforming effect.

The Influence of Thermoforming Equipment

There are three types of heating methods for thermoforming packaging equipment: traditional back heating, heating plate surface heating, and high-frequency internal heating. Different heating methods, different temperature control methods, and different heat transfer effects result in different thermoforming oil softening and thermoforming cooling forming effects.

The traditional thermoforming process uses back heating. The heated plate is heated, and heat is transferred to the surface of the thermoforming oil and the thermoforming cover through the back of the paper card to complete the thermoforming process.

The thermoforming temperature is relatively constant and cannot be adjusted quickly; the heat transfer is affected by the thickness of the paper has a great influence. The thicker the paper, the harder it is for the heat to be quickly transferred to the thermoforming cover.

Therefore, sufficient thermoforming pressing time must be given to allow the heat to be fully transferred to the thermoforming cover to ensure the thermoforming effect.

The heating plate thermoforming machine heats the surface of the thermoforming cover and transfers heat to the surface of the thermoforming oil to complete the vacuum forming process. The thermoforming temperature can be quickly adjusted; because the heating plate is in direct contact with the thermoforming cover, when the temperature is too high, the thermoforming cover is extremely susceptible to thermal deformation and it is difficult to transfer heat to the surface of the thermoforming oil (the thinner the thermoforming cover, the easier it is to transfer heat, but the easier it is to deform).

To ensure a good thermoforming effect, you must choose a thermoforming material with an appropriate thickness. Cover and adjust the thermoforming temperature and fusion time.

High-frequency internal heating uses a high-frequency electric field to oscillate the internal molecules of the thermoforming cover and thermoforming oil to generate heat energy to complete the thermoforming process. The temperature can be quickly adjusted.

This heating method has the most stable heat transfer and can adjust the corresponding temperature at will according to the properties of the material. However, because a large current is generated at the moment of fusion and sparks are easily generated, it is not suitable for transferring silver card products to thermoforming.

In practice, since the thermoforming temperature has a greater impact on the thermoforming effect, it is generally recommended to use thermoforming packaging equipment that can quickly adjust the temperature.

Conclusion

This article focuses on analyzing the quality problems of poor thermoformability during the thermoforming process of color box packaging products, and qualitatively analyzes the possible influencing factors from three aspects: materials, process methods, and equipment, which has obvious guiding significance for actual production. In actual work, we must first understand the customer's product requirements, master good problem analysis and solution methods, and be as familiar as possible with the thermoforming process principles, materials, equipment, and production processes in business.

When encountering quality problems, we must analyze them in principle, test and verify raw materials, process technology, and equipment control, find the causes and solutions in a timely manner, and ensure that each link is continuously carried out in strict accordance with the production operation process in daily work. monitor.

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Common Problems in Thermoforming Production Process

Thermoforming process has developed rapidly in recent years and is now widely used in toys, food, medicine, daily chemicals, electronics, cosmetics and other fields closely related to the lives of the masses. With the increase in population, the demand has also expanded infinitely. It can be seen that in the future, elements will be added to thermoformed products to make them beautiful, such as floral thermoformed boxes, colorful thermoformed boxes, etc. These new words and new things are coming to the forefront.

In today's daily life, with the development of many industries and the expansion of each field, as society progresses and the population increases, the demand for thermoformed products will become larger and larger. They will also become more and more picky about quality, appearance, shape, price, design and other aspects. Therefore, the thermoforming industry will be forced by society to develop.

Common Problems and Principles in Thermoforming Production Process

Blistering

1. The heating temperature is too high, the temperature should be lowered appropriately.

2. The heating speed is too fast, and the heating speed should be slowed down appropriately.

3. If the sheet is too close to the heater, the distance between the two should be appropriately increased.

4. If the sheet becomes damp, the sheet should be pre-dried or preheated. The moisture-proof packaging of the sheet should be unpacked at the processing site.

5. If the sheet is heated unevenly, a heat shielding net should be used to adjust the heating state of the surface of the sheet so that all parts are heated evenly.

6. The sheet type or formula is unreasonable. Other types of sheets should be replaced or the formula should be adjusted.

7. The quality of raw materials, whether they are brand new materials.

8. Whether the mold to be made is a copper mold, an aluminum mold, or a plaster mold, this is related to the mold making itself.

9. Whether there is dust in the production environment, whether the workshop is dust-free, whether the surrounding area of the machine is clean, etc.

Pre-Stretched Bubbles Have Uneven Shapes

1. The sheet is heated unevenly and should be heated slowly or a heat shielding net should be installed.

2. If the sheet is uneven in thickness, it should be replaced with a sheet of uniform thickness.

3. The air pressure distribution is uneven. The air flow should be homogenized to make the air pressure evenly distributed.

4. The air pressure distribution is uneven. The air flow should be homogenized to make the air pressure evenly distributed.

Collapse, Arch or Wrinkle

1. The heater temperature is too high, the heater temperature should be lowered appropriately.

2. The heating speed is too fast, the heating speed should be appropriate or slowed down.

3. If the sheet is too close to the heater, the distance between the two should be appropriately increased.

4. The heating time of the sheet is too long, and the heating time should be shortened appropriately.

5. The melt index of the raw material for processing the sheet is too high, the melt strength is too low, and the sheet sags excessively after being heated during thermoforming. The resin processed sheet should be replaced with a lower melt index.

6. The orientation of the sheet is too small, and the sheet sag excessively after being heated. Sheets with higher orientation should be replaced, and the heating temperature is best controlled within the lowest molding temperature range of the sheet.

7. The stretch ratio in the forming area is too large. A plunger should be used to assist, or the pressure assist, moving speed of the plunger or mold should be appropriately increased.

8. The mold structure design is unreasonable. The mold structure design should be modified. First, use a female mold instead of a male mold. The second is to increase the sharp angle and fillet radius of the product as much as possible. The third is to redesign the miner and boost pressure.

Incomplete Forming or Unclear Surface Pattern

1. The sheet heating time is too short or the heater temperature is too low. The heating time should be appropriately extended or the heating tube temperature should be increased.

2. The heating power of the heater is too small. The heating power of the heater should be appropriately increased.

3. The sheet is heated unevenly, and molding defects always appear repeatedly in the same part. Use a heat shielding net to adjust the heating state of the sheet so that all parts are heated evenly.

4. The clamping frame is not preheated before clamping. The clamping frame should be preheated before clamping.

5. The vacuum hole is blocked and the vacuum degree is low. The vacuum hole should be cleaned and unclogged.

6. The number of vacuum holes is too small or the hole diameter is too small, and the vacuum degree is low. Vacuum holes should be appropriately added or the diameter of the vacuum holes should be increased. If possible, narrow vacuum slits can be used to replace the vacuum holes.

7. The capacity of the vacuum tank or vacuum pump is too small and the vacuum traction force is not enough. The capacity of the vacuum tank or vacuum pump should be appropriately increased, the vacuum pipe valves should be enlarged, and sharp bends should be avoided at tees and elbows.

8. The pressure of air pressure molding is insufficient. If the mold structural conditions permit, an air pressure of 137-206Pa should be used, or a frame booster or plunger can be used to assist.

Burnt

1. The heating time of the sheet is too long and the surface of the sheet is too hot. The heating time should be shortened appropriately.

2. The heater power is too high, the heater temperature is too high, and the heating speed is too fast. The heater temperature should be appropriately lowered and the heating speed should be slowed down.

Whitish

1. The sheet is cold drawn under low temperature process conditions. The temperature of the sheet should be increased to speed up the covering and evacuation speed.

2. The sheets used are dry colored. The appropriate sheet should be replaced, or a heat gun should be used to blow hot air on the whitened area to reduce or eliminate the whiteness on the surface of the sheet.

Cold Spots

1. The temperature of the pressure-assist plunger is too low. The temperature of the pressure-assist plunger should be increased appropriately.

2. The mold is too low, and the sheet in contact with the cold mold or cold plunger cannot be pulled. The mold temperature should be increased appropriately.

3. The mold cooling system is improperly designed. Cooling pipes or cooling tanks should be added appropriately and the cooling water flow should be checked for blockage.

4. The temperature of the sheet is too high. The heating temperature should be appropriately lowered and heated slowly. Compressed air can be used to slightly cool the surface of the heated sheet before molding.

Uneven Thickness

The problem of uneven thickness mainly depends on the temperature control system of the pressure forming equipment, which is the main cause of uneven thickness. Secondly, the quality and thickness of the raw materials are uniform, which is closely related to the produced products. In addition, there are Whether the upper mold is made to standard, etc.

Scratch or Hairline Problem

The problem of scratches is related to many factors, ranging from the raw materials themselves, machine operations, machine passing, punching, folding, packaging, etc. This phenomenon may occur. This is mainly based on customer requirements. If Customers are very concerned about this issue, so we must pay special attention to preventive measures during the production process.

There are two main phenomena for wire hairline problems. One is that the material is overcooked, and the other is caused by poor upper molding. Both of these situations are to be avoided by the operator during the production process.

Burst Problem

The problem of bursting is mainly determined based on the properties of the material itself. Some materials are very brittle and are prone to bursting during the production process. In addition, when producing APET materials, the material does not have enough silicone oil, and bursting may occur. There are also It has something to do with the weather. In winter, materials are relatively brittle, so special attention must be paid to the raw material formulation.

Water Ripples

In the production process of thermoformed sheets, due to different materials and processing techniques, the surface of the produced sheets has water ripples. Especially in the production process of transparent thermoformed sheets, the water ripples are too large and often , regarded as defective products. In general, the thicker the sheet, the more obvious the water ripples will be. Qualified PET materials rarely have water ripples, but most PVC have water ripples.

Mold Damage

During the vacuum thermoforming process, the mold may be damaged due to excessive temperature or excessive pressure. The temperature during the thermoforming process can be controlled to avoid mold deformation or damage caused by excessive temperatures. Adjust the pressure during thermoforming to avoid mold rupture due to excessive pressure.

Color Difference Problem

During the vacuum vacuum forming glue process, color difference problems may occur, which may be due to uneven color of the material or improper temperature during the thermoforming process.

Avoid using materials with inconsistent colors by using materials that are uniformly colored. Or control the temperature during the thermoforming process to ensure that the material is heated evenly and avoid color difference caused by too high or too low temperature.

Conclusion

Solutions to common problems in vacuum forming mainly include solving problems such as bubbles, rough surface, inaccurate dimensions, product deformation, color difference, surface defects, mold sticking, easy breakage, odor and low production efficiency. By optimizing raw material selection, mold design, heating temperature and cooling process, these problems can be effectively solved and the quality and production efficiency of vacuum forming products can be improved. In actual production, adjustments and improvements should be made according to specific conditions, and technical levels and processes should be continuously improved to meet market demand.

In thermoforming production processes, various challenges can arise, impacting the overall efficiency and quality of the output. Issues such as poor wall distribution, glass transition temperature, and problems associated with metal mold can pose significant hurdles. Vacuum leaks during the forming process, fluctuations in melt temperature, and concerns related to plastic sheet characteristics further contribute to the complexity. Dealing with excess material, establishing a good starting point for production, and considering the nuances of injection molding in high-volume production are crucial aspects. Additionally, factors like plug assist, thickness variations, poor part detail, and the role of clamp rail heaters must be carefully addressed to ensure a smooth and successful thermoforming production process.

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All about Thermoforming Production Process

Thermoforming involves heating, vacuum forming, cooling and other processes of PVC, PS, PET and other resin sheets in a thermoforming machine to shape them according to the shape of the mold, and then punch them into a single product using a die on a punch machine, and finally packaging products made through folding, punching and other processes.

This kind of packaging product has the characteristics of cheap materials, simple technology, low investment and considerable profits. It is suitable for packaging small daily necessities, small electrical appliances, toys and other commodities. It is not suitable for packaging products with high cushioning requirements and heavy products.

Compared with traditional cold forming processing technology, hot forming process is characterized by a constantly changing temperature field on the processed sheet. Under the action of the temperature field, the basic structure and mechanical properties inside the sheet change, resulting in changes in the stress field of the sheet. At the same time, the stress field of the material reacts on the temperature field. Therefore, the vacuum forming plastic manufacturing process means that the internal temperature field and stress field of the sheet coexist and Mutually coupled change processes.

There are several thermoforming methods used in actual production, and the most basic ones are six: differential pressure forming, overmolding, plunger-assisted molding, suction molding, countermolding, and twin sheet forming.

Ⅰ. Thermoforming Production Process

The main production processes of thermoformed products include mold removal, pull tabs, punching, folding, punching, packaging, etc.

Mould or Drawing

A thermoforming project starts with design, which requires a model or drawing of the product, or a sample provided by the customer.

Mold Design & Making

After the customer confirms the sample, the plaster mold used for proofing is used as the master mold. After electroplating copper, the production mold is made according to a certain quantity and position. There are three types of conventional molds: plaster mold, copper mold, and aluminum mold. The plaster molds are mainly used for proofing and generally cannot be used for mass production. The production time is generally 24 hours.

The copper mold is a plaster mold electroplated with a layer of copper, which has enhanced strength and wear resistance and is not high in cost. It is the most commonly used mold in production. The general production cycle is 100 hours, at least 3 days, and the service life is about 100,000 pieces. When the quantity reaches more than 1 million, aluminum molds can be made.

The aluminum molds are made of pure aluminum, which is costly and requires machine processing. The general mold making time is 3 days. Aluminum molds have good production quality, fast heat dissipation, high product precision, and long service life. If the customer requires precise products and the copper mold cannot meet the accuracy requirements, aluminum molds must be made even if the quantity is small.

Install the Mold

Based on product and material information, the mold's cavity count and expected cycle time can be estimated. With this data, the moldmaker has all the details to build the tooling accordingly. The mold consists of two mold halves, each mounted on a removable platen of a vertical toggle press.

Heating & Forming

The thermoforming machine heats the raw material coils or plastic sheets through the vacuum forming machine, vacuum thermoforms them, and cools them, and then automatically cuts them into predetermined sizes. This process is the most important process of pressure forming.

The length of the sheet is between 600 and 1170mm according to actual needs. Different materials, different thicknesses, and different temperature adjustment requirements require considerable experience from the startup personnel. The adjustment test usually takes 3 pictures.

Punching

After heated plastic sheet and forming, there are usually multiple products (according to the number of mold rows), which need to be punched into a single product on a punch. This process is called punching.

If the customer has special requirements, this process should be added when perforating the thermoformed part.

Folding

For some products that need to fold over two or more corners of the thermoformed product to insert paper cards, this process is required. This process is completed by a folding machine.

Package

Must pay attention to the packaging of thermoformed products, and determine the appropriate packaging method according to the strictness of customer requirements, product materials, shapes, etc.

If the customer has no special requirements, packing and plastic bags can be used. For products that are white or brightly colored, easily scratched by friction, or cannot attract dust or fingerprints, gloves are often worn during production.

Ⅱ. Thermoforming Materials

Commonly used vacuum forming materials include PVC (accounting for approximately 50%, density is 1.36g/cm³), PS (accounting for approximately 30%, density is 1.06g/cm³), PET (accounting for approximately 10%, density is 1.39g/cm³) , PP (about 10%, density is 0.92g/cm³).

Among them, the maximum thickness of PVC is generally 0.8mm, and that of PS is generally up to 1.2mm. Films exceeding this thickness are difficult to pull and may easily cause damage to the equipment.

The color of the material is generally determined according to the customer's requirements. Generally, PANTON color standards, color drafts, color separation standards, etc. need to be provided. The customer can also specify the approximate color and provide the customer with the color based on the product inventory. If there is no requirement from the customer, generally colorless and transparent materials that are easiest to produce can be used.

If you order colored sheets, they generally need to be more than 2 tons before they can be customized. Colored materials are denser than transparent materials. Flocking materials generally use PS materials with smaller density. If the density is high, it is easy to produce lint-free parts of the surface after stretching.

Generally, materials with brighter colors are easier to produce and do not have high requirements for packaging. Scratches on light-colored materials are easy to see, so packaging requirements are strict. Generally, flocking materials need to be protected from scratches and indentations.

When the products are put together, friction will easily occur in the tight contact areas and cause them to turn white. In places like this, special attention must be paid when packaging. If the requirements are strict, consider using plastic bags, copy paper and other methods for protection. Flocking materials are generally ordered according to length (meters).

Material properties generally include anti-static properties. Anti-static materials are produced by soaking or adding anti-static ingredients. The latter method has long-lasting anti-static properties. The static value of anti-static materials can generally reach 106~1012Ω.

In addition, there is environmental protection, among which APET is the most environmentally friendly and PVC is recyclable. Generally speaking, the thicker the material, the longer it takes to heat and the slower the production speed. The thinner the material, the faster it can be produced, but the longer the roll will be.

Ⅲ. Thermoforming Mold

Lower Mold

The lower mold is an essential mold in thermoforming production. According to different production processes and materials, they can be divided into plaster molds, copper molds, and aluminum molds. When customers provide samples, drawings or physical objects, plaster molds for adding samples need to be made.

The gypsum mold is made of gypsum powder and water is added to it to set it into a certain shape. It hardens after dehydration to form a mold. Materials and tools such as gypsum powder, drill bits, emery cloth, and wooden boards are required. Because it is handmade, there will be a deviation of about 2mm from the drawing. Plaster molds can be prototyped directly after being made and are not suitable for mass production.

The plaster mold can be modified after it is formed, and it is generally easier to make it smaller than to make it bigger. After the customer confirms the sample, the proofed plaster mold can be used as the seed mold (master mold), and multiple sub-molds can be produced according to production needs. The size of the sub-mold will not deviate greatly from the seed mold, generally around 0.5mm.

After the lower mold is made, it needs to be fixed on a plywood about 8mm thick, and then it can be mounted on the mold basin during production. When the heated sheet passes through the mold, it is sucked by the vacuum pump and attached to the lower mold to make a product with the same shape as the lower mold.

Upper Mold

Sometimes vacuum suction alone is not enough to shape the product, and a certain external force needs to be applied to make the upper mold. The upper mold is not required for all products, but depends on the needs of production.

When testing the machine, if the thermoforming is not good and a upper mold is needed, the operator will make the upper mold according to the shape. The material of the upper mold is generally iron or wood, and the surface in contact with the product needs to be wrapped with soft sponge or flannel.

Cutting Die

Generally, multiple vacuum forming molds are used to open multiple molds. After forming, they need to be cut into finished products according to the size and shape of the product. The process of cutting into finished products is the punch press, and the mold used is the cutting die.

Cutting die can be divided into three types according to different materials and production processes: iron dies, wood die, and laser cutting die. Among them, iron die are thicker and can generally be made into cutting dies with more regular shapes, such as rectangles, ovals, etc., and are not suitable for shapes that are too curved.

The blade used in the wooden die is the beer machine cutting die used for color boxes. It needs to be stacked with a certain number of layers according to the height of the product, and sometimes a cushion is required. For cutting dies that require higher precision, laser die can be made, similar to wood sample knives.

After the die is made, the product that needs to be positioned generally needs to be fixed with a finished product in the die to facilitate positioning when punching the product. For products that do not require positioning, such as edgeless thermoformed products, iron knives are generally used as molds.

Ⅳ. Dimensions and Tolerances

Thermoforming dimensions can be obtained in three ways: copying according to customer samples, making molds based on drawings, and designing by yourself based on the actual object. Because the shape of pressure forming is generally customized based on the actual object, the shape is often irregular. Many dimensions are inaccurate or cannot be marked when the drawings are made, so there is a large deviation when making according to the drawings. For the sake of accuracy, it must be accompanied by a physical trial installation. The size deviation of products made based on sample replicas is not large.

The general thickness tolerance is 0.1mm, and the product deviation is ±2mm. The main reasons for tolerance are:

1. Deviation caused by manual mold removal. This deviation is generally less than 2mm.

2. Deviation caused when the seed mold copies the sub-mold. This deviation is small, generally less than 0.5mm.

3. Thickness deviations in the same mold caused by different materials and thermoforming temperatures. This deviation is small, generally less than 0.1mm.

4. The thickness tolerance depends on the specific situation. The larger the same area is stretched, the thinner the thickness of the piece becomes. Different operators and different forming temperature will also make the thickness of the same part different.

Among the above reasons, the first one is the main reason for dimensional tolerance, but because the mold can be modified and corrected, the deviation of thermoforming process can generally be controlled within 2mm.

It should be noted that the material thickness is two sizes (0.05mm) smaller than the finished product thickness. Although there are phenomena such as when the surface area of the finished product is much larger than the surface area of the material, the thickness of the finished product will be much smaller than the thickness of the material, the surface area of the finished product is much larger than the surface area of the material, and the thickness of the finished product will be much smaller than the thickness of the material, but overall Generally speaking, the general difference is 0.05mm.

Vacuum forming is a very definite product. If you want the size to be right, you must take the actual product and try it out.

Ⅴ. Draft Angle

All products stamped with molds need to set the draft angle during design, and the same is true for thermoforming. The general draft angle for thermoforming is 3°. The draft angle will cause the size of the upper surface to be smaller than the size of the lower surface. If the thermoforming is placed in a box, there will be a gap between the upper surface and the box wall. When the draft angle is the same, the size of the gap is related to the height.

Calculation Formula

The calculation formula is: d=h×tgθ

d——Size of the gap on each side.

h——Height of thermoforming.

θ——Draft angle, usually 3°.

Ⅵ. Mold Layout and Material Setting

Mold arrangement refers to arranging the molds on the mold plate and fixing them. The distance between the molds depends on the height of the product. The general rule is that the distance between the molds is equal to the height of the mold, and the distance between the mold and the four sides of the mold plate is equal to the height of the mold divided by 2. The high point of the mold refers to the highest point of the mold.

The height of the product refers to the highest dimension of the product. See Figure 2-1. Neither h1 nor h2 is the height of the product. The largest h is the height of the product.

When arranging the mold, the width must be arranged to the edge. The length can be more or less, but no more than 1120mm at most and no less than 600mm at least. Between 600 and 1120mm, the longer the better. The number of molds for APET materials cannot be too many, between 600 and 800.

The mold plate width plus 50mm equals the material width, and the mold row length plus 50mm equals the sheet length.

Conclusion

Thermoforming is a process that uses high temperature and high forming pressure to form raw materials into products of the desired shape and structure through steps such as heating, air pressure regulation, and cooling. This process can be used for processing materials such as plastics, metals and ceramics. By controlling parameters, products with different properties, shapes and sizes can be manufactured. The hot press molding process is widely used in automobiles, electronics, aerospace and other fields, providing high-quality products to all walks of life.

Thermoforming is different from injection molding, blow molding, rotational molding and other forms of processing plastics. Thin gauge thermoforming is used primarily to create disposable cups, containers, lids, trays, blisters, clamshells and other products for the food, medical and general retail industries. Thick-gauge vacuum forming includes parts as diverse as car doors and dashboards, refrigerator liners, utility vehicle floors and plastic pallets.

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What is the Difference Between a Positive Mold and a Negative Mold in Thermoforming?

Thermoforming technology is plastic sheet (plate) thermoforming processing technology. It is one of the plastic secondary processing industrial technologies. The main principle is to heated sheet to soften it and then use vacuum to adsorb it to the surface of the mold formed after cooling, widely used in plastic packaging, lighting, advertising, decoration and other industries. Thermoforming can be divided into male mold and female mold according to the different contact surfaces between the molding material and the mold.

Ⅰ. Positive Mold and Negative Mold

Positive mold thermoforming and negative mold thermoforming are both plastic processing methods, which are a method of using thermoplastic plastics to form products through a vacuum forming process. The characteristic of female mold thermoforming is that the bottom of the mold is concave, and the workpiece is heated and softened above the mold and then adsorbed to the bottom of the mold to form the product. In the male mold thermoforming, the bottom of the mold protrudes, and the workpiece is heated and softened below the mold and then adsorbed above the mold to form the product.

Negative mold thermoforming is to place a hot soft plastic sheet in the mold, then apply negative pressure (pull it outward) to make it close to the surface of the mold, and heat and soften it before forming. Positive mold thermoforming places a hot soft plastic sheets outside the mold, and then applies positive pressure (that is, inward pressure) to allow it to swell into the mold and form.

Positive and negative forming for vacuum forming, only one side of the heated material is in contact with the forming tool. In this way, the surface where the material meets the mold has exactly the same sheet surface profile as the forming mold. The contour and size of the non-contact surface of the molded part only depends on the thickness of the material.

Ⅱ. Thermoforming Process

Positice Mold Thermoforming Process

The positivee mold thermoforming process is more advantageous for manufacturing products with larger wall thickness and depth. The main features of the product are: like the vacuum female molding method, the side of the mold cavity wall that fits is of higher quality and has a more distinct and detailed structure. The largest part of the wall thickness is at the top of the positive mold, while the thinnest part is at the junction between the side and the bottom of the positive model. This part is also the last part to be formed.

Drawing and cooling stripes often appear on the side of the product. The reason for the stripes is the sheet material. There is a sequence when each part fits the mold surface. The part that is in contact with the mold surface first is cooled by the mold first, and in the subsequent related processes, its drafting behavior is weaker than that of the uncooled part. This streak is usually highest on the sides near the top of the mold face.

Negative Mold Thermoforming Process

The side of the product produced by the vacuum negative molding method that fits the mold cavity wall is of higher quality, and the structure is more distinct and detailed. The largest part of the wall thickness is at the bottom of the mold cavity, and the thinnest part is at the junction of the side and bottom of the mold cavity, and As the depth of the mold cavity increases, the wall at the bottom corner of the product becomes thinner. Therefore, the vacuum negative molding method is not suitable for producing products with a large depth.

For positive molding, the inner dimensions of the part are very accurate because it is the side that interfaces with the vacuum thermoforming tool. In contrast, with negative molding, the outer dimensions of the product are very precise because the outside is in contact with the vacuum thermoforming mold.

Ⅲ. Advantages and Disadvantages of Positive and Negative Mold

Positive Mold Thermoforming

Advantages:

1. The product has a smooth surface and good quality.

2. The mold investment cost is low and the service life is long.

3. The molding cycle is short and the adaptability is strong.

Disadvantages:

1. The molding accuracy is low and is only suitable for manufacturing simple geometric shapes.

2. Unable to manufacture larger size workpieces.

3. The surface quality is relatively poor. Since the pattern is premade, the pattern effect will be lost during the stretching process of the skin. Where the amount of stretching is large, the pattern will become very shallow or even disappear.

4. There are restrictions on the R angle of the parts.

Negative Mold Thermoforming

Advantages:

1. The molding precision is high and more detailed and complex workpieces can be manufactured.

2. Larger size workpieces can be manufactured.

3. Mold production and use costs are low.

4. The surface is smooth and the surface pattern effect is relatively good

5. High production efficiency and reduced reprocessing costs.

Disadvantages:

1. The plastic material utilization rate is low.

2. There may be problems with the surface quality of the product.

3. Mold investment costs and equipment requirements are high.

4. The molding cycle is long and the molding cost is high.

Ⅳ. Attention Should be Paid to the Production Process

Positive Mold Thermoforming

1. When using high angle molds for processing, especially when the distance between the mold and the clamping frame is large, wrinkles are likely to occur.

2. Cooling strips are easily produced at corners.

3. Uneven wall thickness at the flange.

4. It is difficult to demould due to insufficient slope of the side wall.

5. A small gap will occur between the insert and the lower holder of the multi-cavity mold in the molding area (clamping mold frame).

6. Positive mold forming molds are usually cheaper than female molds.

Negative Mold Thermforoming

1. Thick edges.

2. Uniform edge thickness.

3. Thin corners.

4. The single female mold has good demoulding properties.

5. Female molds are usually more expensive than male molds.

Ⅴ. Application

Thermoforming negative and positive molds are widely used in color TVs, automobiles, electrical appliances, communications, aerospace, medical equipment, toys, sporting goods and other fields. Common thermoformed products include automobile body parts, remote control casings, medical braces, aircraft models, etc.

Negative molds vacuum forming is usually used to produce products with convex and concave surfaces, complex shapes, and precise dimensions, such as automotive interior parts, medical equipment, electronic product casings, etc., and is suitable for mass production.

Positive mold thermoforming is suitable for producing flat and simple curved products, such as daily necessities, toys, display items, etc., and is suitable for small batch production.

Ⅵ. How to Choose Positive or Negative Mold

The choice of negative mold thermoforming or positive mold thermoforming depends on production needs. If complex workpieces or larger-sized workpieces need to be manufactured, negative mold thermoforming is more suitable. If you need to produce simple geometric shapes or products that require high surface quality, or require high production efficiency, then positive mold thermoforming is more suitable.

Generally speaking, both negative mold thermoforming and positive mold thermoforming have their own advantages and disadvantages. Choosing different processing methods under different circumstances can better meet production needs.

Ⅶ. Thermoforming Mold Materials

Plaster Molds and Glue Molds

The plaster mold is mainly made of yellow thermoformed hand plaster gypsum powder. If there is a drawing, the gypsum material will be made into a mold according to the data on the drawing and relevant requirements, if there is a physical object, the outline of the mold must be completed according to the actual object. First use handmade clay to make it, and then use vacuum forming to make a vacuum cover. Then there is a plaster mold, and then it is slightly trimmed.

This process only takes 2-4 days to complete, the comparison of making plaster molds It is easy, takes less time, is convenient to modify the product packaging, and its price is not high, but it does not take long to use, and after a period of time, it is easy to damage, and its transparency is not good, so it is mainly Used for products with low transparency requirements or first board confirmation.

The rubber mold is generally based on the design requirements of the product. After the plaster mold is made, a vacuum cover is produced from the plaster mold, and then high-temperature resistant resin material is injected into the vacuum cover.

After the mold is dry, holes can be drilled and polished. It takes a total of 3-5 days to complete, the price of resin molds is higher than other molds, but its use effect is similar to that of copper molds. It takes a long time to use, and some copper molds and plaster molds cannot be processed. Technical problems can be solved, so it is mainly used in electronics, food, toys and other products.

Knife Mold and Punching Mold

Mainly used in punching and drilling (airplane holes, round holes and butterfly holes).

Electroplated Copper Mold

The appearance and transparency of products produced with electroplated copper molds are relatively good, and their prices are not high and they are widely used. This is the first choice mold in general. It is used in products with higher requirements, such as electronics, stationery, toys, etc.

Bakelite Mold

The production of various bakelite molds is completed with imported heating materials, high-quality copper nails and Japanese high-temperature tape. Its characteristics include uniform heating and good sealing effect. It can be used in various disc machines and fully automatic chains. Machines and tractors made in Taiwan, it is mainly used in heat-sealing packaging of paper cards and bubble shells.

Aluminum Alloy Mold

According to the drawings or templates you have, input the data into the computer and let the computer lathe complete it automatically. Then you will complete the other holes manually and polish the mold smooth. The mold is ready for use. It will take 5-7 days. time. It is widely used in products with high requirements on appearance and size, such as electronics, toys, medicine, etc.

In fact, alloy aluminum mold is the first choice mold for the production of many high-demand air pressure forming products. For plaster molds and copper molds, glue The mold lasts longer, the production efficiency is not low, and it can save time and electricity, which are its advantages.

Heat Sealing Mold

Use high-quality copper or alloy aluminum to make heat-sealing molds, which mainly solve the problem of difficult sealing of PET with high-frequency heat. Its surface is treated with Teflon, which is also suitable for PET molding, the pattern on the pressed edge can be engraved by computer, with clear lines and uniform size, and various patterns can be customized according to user needs .

High Frequency Mold

The materials of the high-frequency mold have high-quality crimping lines, cutters, and very smooth cutting edges without any burrs or tearing edges. The pattern of the pressed edge is also engraved by computer. Its texture is also very clear and the size is uniform. It is also customized according to the user.

Concusion

The characteristics of thermoformed materials include strong three-dimensional effect and long-lasting green and environmentally friendly effect. With the rapid economic development around the world, thermoforming mold technology has diversified products and lower production costs. At the same time, thermoforming packaging technology is also relatively simple, so the demand in the market will be very strong in the future. In the manufacturing process, vacuum forming is employed in conjunction with medium density fiberboard to create durable and precisely shaped products. There will be more and more products manufactured by injection molding and vacuum forming molds in the future, and the scope of applications will be broader. Its future development will be better and better.

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Why Thermoformed Packaging is Better for the Environment?

Thermoformed packaging products are the most widely used material for packaging various products. Due to its simple processing, flexible design, environmental protection and safety characteristics, it has become the preferred packaging material for specialized multi-industry packaging. According to statistics, in the field of packaging, thermoformed packaging and plastic packaging materials account for more than 40%-45% of the packaging market.

As for white pollution, we all think of excessive use of plastic products. Nowadays, thermoforming packaging accounts for an increasing proportion in the packaging industry because of its cheap price, easy use, and certain advantages in environmental protection. This blog will lead you to explore the environmental protection characteristics of vacuum forming packaging.

Ⅰ. Thermoforming Packaging

Thermoforming Packaging Principle

Thermoformed packaging uses a thermoforming machine to adsorb heated and softened plastic hard sheets to the surface of the mold. After cooling, the thermoformed packaging forms a concave-convex shaped plastic.

Thermoforming, also called vacuum forming, is one of the thermoforming methods for thermoformed plastic packaging. It refers to clamping the sheet or plate-like material on the frame of the vacuum forming machine. After heating and softening, it is vacuum-adsorbed to the mold through the air channel on the side of the mold. After a short period of cooling, the formed plastic absorbent is obtained. Plastic packaging products. The equipment used in this method is relatively simple. The mold does not need to withstand pressure and can be made of metal, wood or gypsum. The molding speed is fast and the operation is easy.

Common Thermoformed Packaging

Thermoformed packaging products mainly include: blister card, packaging trays, lidding film packaging, thermoformed box, slide blister card packaging, carded blisters packaging, half blister card packaging, clamshell blister card packaging, double blister card packaging, etc.

Ⅱ. Environmental Performance of Thermoformed Packaging

The environmental protection of pressure forming packaging mainly depends on the selection of packaging materials and the production process. Generally speaking, benefits of thermoformed packaging in terms of environmental protection:

Material selection

Thermoforming packaging mainly uses plastic materials such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), which have good heat resistance, cold resistance and chemical stability. Among these materials, polyethylene and polypropylene are food-grade materials and are widely used in packaging in food, medicine and other fields.

In addition, there are some biodegradable materials, such as polylactic acid (PLA), which can be decomposed by microorganisms in the natural environment and have good environmental performance.

Vacuum forming packaging contains environmentally friendly packaging materials. Many customers will give priority to environmentally friendly materials when customizing packaging. As a manufacturer, environmentally friendly materials will also be placed in an important position. With the continuous improvement of technology levels, the types of environmentally friendly materials It is also increasing continuously. ​

Fewer raw materials are used to make thermoformed packaging, and many raw materials can be recycled for use. Many blister packaging produced can also be reused, reflecting the role of environmental protection.

Recyclability

Some thermoformed packaging materials, such as polyethylene and polypropylene, are eco friendly nature and sustainable plastic materials. These materials are recycled and then processed into new packaging products, which can reduce resource consumption and reduce environmental pollution.

Production Process

The production process of vacuum forming packaging mainly includes sheet production, mold making, thermoforming and other links. In these links, attention needs to be paid to controlling energy consumption and pollutant emissions during the production process. Adopting green and environmentally friendly production processes and technologies can reduce energy consumption and pollutant emissions during the production process and improve the environmental performance of thermoformed packaging.

Disposal

After use, thermoformed packaging needs to be disposed of. Generally speaking, plastic waste should be sorted and recycled to reduce the impact on the environment.

However, thermoformed packaging still has certain limitations in terms of disposal due to its large size and relatively high recycling labor costs. Therefore, improving the recycling rate of thermoforming packaging and developing new environmentally friendly materials are important ways to improve the environmental protection of pressure forming packaging.

Ⅲ. Commonly Used Materials for Thermoformed Packaging

The only raw materials for thermoforming packaging are plastic sheets. The thickness of the film generally does not exceed 1.5MM. Commonly used sheets include: PVC, PET, PP, PS, PET-G (GAG) and flocking sheets and gold plating based on this. sheets and anti-static sheets.

PVC

PVC sheet is a widely used and popular material. The hard sheet has high toughness and is not easy to burn. When burned, it will produce chlorine gas, which will cause certain obstacles to the environment. PVC is easy to heat seal, and can be sealed with sealing machines and high-frequency machines. , is an important raw material for the production of translucent thermoformed products.

PVC film can be divided into two types: environmentally friendly and non-environmentally friendly. It can be made into various pressure forming packaging products such as translucent, colorful, anti-static, gold-plated, flocking, etc. Its characteristics are high transparency, good surface gloss, few crystal points, and water content. It has small grain, wide application, strong impact resistance, and is easy to shape. The products comply with the US FDA and Japanese PL food hygiene standards. The products are widely used in toys, food and pharmaceutical products, electronic products, medicine, electrical appliances, gifts, cosmetics, stationery and other products. Outer packaging.

PET

PET sheet is a new material that has developed in recent years. It relies on its excellent toughness, high strength, high transparency, and excellent environmental performance of being recyclable and reusable. It does not produce harmful gases when burned. It is an environmentally friendly material and is gradually banned. PVC has been gradually banned. There is great confusion between consumers and producers, but the price is high. It is suitable for making high-end thermoformed products. Thermoformed bulbs in European and American countries also require the use of PET material, but its thermal melting point is high, which brings great difficulties to high-frequency packaging. In order to solve this problem, people laminate a layer on the surface of PET. A layer of PVC film is named PETG, but the price is higher. Mainly used in electronics, food, toys, color box windows, collar supports, footwear packaging, etc.

PP

PP sheet is made of PP resin through brewing, calendering, trimming and other processes. It has light weight, bright and quiet surface, good heat resistance, high mechanical strength, excellent chemical stability and electrical insulation. , non-toxic and other characteristics, it can be made into daily necessities such as beverage cups and food boxes through thermoforming.

PP can be used for a long time at 100°C and can withstand high-temperature bacterial treatment at 121°C. It has outstanding moisture-proof performance and reliable hygienic performance, and is widely used in food packaging. It has excellent folding performance and can be made into stationery clips, boxes, etc.

PETG

PETG, also known as GPET sheet, is a non-crystalline PET resin modified with cyclohexanediol. The biggest advantages of PETG sheets are good heat sealing performance, easy operation during sealing, good sealing effect and easy glue bonding. At the same time, its chemical resistance, optical properties, and scratch resistance are also very good. PETG has passed the US FDA's food contact standards and can be used in food and personal health product packaging, medical and health equipment and food, and can also be used in strong and durable packaging. Its advantages are as follows:

1. Good transparency, suitable for products requiring high transparency.

2. Excellent impact strength and rigidity

3. Excellent processability, it can be processed by sawing, die-cutting, drilling and laser cutting. It can also be cold-bent and hot-bent, adhered, welded and polished, printed and painted; and the cold-bending does not turn white and has a bright appearance.

4. It has good thermoformability, can be formed without preheating, has high precision, good deep formability, no cracking and uniform thickness.

5. Low flammability, good fire resistance, no combustion support, low smoke production, and no harmful substances after burning.

GAG

GAG is a three-layer composite sheet produced by co-extrusion of the middle layer of APET and the upper and lower layers of PETG raw materials in appropriate proportions. It is specially suitable for packaging boxes that require high-frequency heat sealing and glue bonding. Its advantages are as follows:

1. Good transparency, the transparency can reach more than 90%, and good texture. It is suitable for products requiring high transparency.

2. Excellent impact strength and rigidity, the material is hard and durable, and suitable for high impact strength applications.

3. Excellent processability, it can be processed by sawing, die-cutting, drilling and laser cutting. It can also be cold-bent and hot-bent, adhered, welded and polished, printed and painted; and the cold-bending does not turn white and has a bright appearance.

4. It has good thermoformability and can be formed without preheating, with high precision and shrinkage rate of about 0.5%; it has good deep formability, no cracking and uniform thickness.

5. Environmentally friendly, recyclable and does not pollute the environment.

6. Excellent food hygiene, the material is PETG, which can comply with all important food regulations, such as FDA or BGA, etc., and is suitable for food container packaging

7. It has good fire resistance, does not support combustion, produces low smoke, and has no harmful substances after burning.

Ⅳ. How to Make Thermoformed Packaging Meet Environmental Requirements

How to make thermoforming packaging meet the requirements of green environmental protection is an urgent problem now. How to solve it, of course, cannot be solved without relying on technological innovation. Achieve these six points to make vacuum forming packaging more green and environmentally friendly:

1. Innovate and develop new plastic materials and new processing technologies to make more plastics with excellent functions become packaging materials, and use the high functions of new materials, creating precise product packaging and completing the reduction of packaging materials.

2. Develop bio-based plastics, effectively regulate the degradation time and cycle of bioplastics, and while giving full play to the functions of bioplastic packaging materials, reduce and eliminate the pollution and impact of plastic packaging materials on the ecological environment. ​

3. Advance and improve plastic recycling and processing technology to significantly increase the recycling rate of plastic packaging materials, improve and eliminate the risk of white pollution caused by plastic packaging materials, and increase resource utilization.

4. Use advanced thermoformed packaging technology such as intelligence and the edible, water-soluble and other characteristics of some plastic packaging materials to reduce the amount of packaging waste and improve the safety and environmental protection performance of plastic packaging. ​

5. Through independent research and development and technological innovation, reduce the cost of new plastic packaging materials and new technologies, and avoid the problem that many plastic materials that are suitable for green packaging cannot be used in large areas due to excessive costs. ​

6. Promote the improvement and development of plastic blending technology, new plastic additives and application technologies. On the premise of ensuring that plastic packaging materials are non-toxic, hygienic and environmentally friendly, use low-cost technology to enhance the functions of plastic packaging materials and contribute to weight reduction. provides possibilities.

Conclusion

To measure the advantages and disadvantages of a kind of packaging, we mainly focus on the following points: whether the packaging cost is reasonable, whether it is convenient to transport, whether the transportation cost is high, whether it takes up less warehouse area, whether it is a waste of space, and how effective it is in preventing damage and loss of packaging materials. Whether it can better maintain or effectively increase the value of the packaged items, tamper resistant packaging option, whether to achieve brand recognition and product visibility, whether it is conducive to the application of high and new technologies such as automation and intelligence, etc. If these aspects can be achieved, it means that this kind of packaging is an ideal packaging and has good development prospects. Compared with plastic injection molding, vacuum forming packaging has advantages over other types of packaging in these aspects, making it the preferred method for packaging many electrical products and unique in the packaging field. Some industrially developed countries such as the United States, Japan, and Germany have implemented packaging automation controlled by electronic computers for mass-produced small electrical products. This creates good conditions for the promotion and application of thermoforming packaging.

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Application of Acrylic Material in Thermoforming

With the demand for diversified designs and the wide application of new materials, plastic materials are favored by designers and users because of their unique characteristics. There are many types of plastic materials, with obvious characteristics and wide applications, acrylic materials are undoubtedly the ones.

Ⅰ. Thermoforming

With the continuous development of science and technology, the manufacturing industry is also constantly innovating and progressing. Among them, thermoforming process, as an emerging manufacturing technology, is gradually becoming a new trend in the future manufacturing industry.

Thermoforming is divided into thin gauge thermoforming and heavy gauge thermoforming according to the thickness of the sheets.

Thermoforming is a plastic processing technology. The main principle is to heat a flat hard plastic sheet to soften it, then use vacuum to adsorb it to the surface of the mold, and then cool it into shape. It is widely used in plastic packaging, lighting, advertising, decoration and other industries.

Heavy gauge thermoforming refers to the use of materials with a thickness exceeding 2mm, which cannot be vacuum formed on fully automatic tools. A semi-automatic vacuum forming machine dedicated to thick gauge thermoforming must be used for processing and production.

To optimize the sheet forming process, it is crucial to consider various factors. Begin by carefully managing stress concentration heat sheet, ensuring that ambient air temperature is controlled. Achieve uniform temperature distribution across the sheet, paying particular attention to the sheet interior's cooling time. Use a proper mold covering to maintain forming temperature low. Employ a blowing mold consists of optical light sensors for precise monitoring. Alternatively, a jig or soft material can be utilized to enhance the cooling process. Implementing a horizontal heating system further contributes to the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the sheet forming operation.

Vacuum forming can be used for product design and manufacturing of rear-projection TV back covers, displays, medical equipment, textile machinery, automotive accessories, and product design and manufacturing in precision electronics, medical equipment, and cosmetics industries.

The main advantage of pressure forming is that it can produce complex shapes and sizes, while also providing supporting services during the manufacturing process, such as printing and assembly, to meet vacuum forming requires of different customers.

Ⅱ. Acrylic Sheet

Acrylic

Acrylic (PMMA) particles are colorless or transparent material with a specific gravity of 1.19 g/cm3 and low surface hardness. They are easily scratched by hard objects and difficult to catch fire. The melting point of PMMA is about 130–140°C, which is much lower than the high temperature of glass, which is about 1000 degrees.

The panel is coated with a high concentration of ultraviolet absorber. Acrylic has high transparency, can be weathered for a long time, never fade, has a service life of 5 to 8 years, and has good light transmittance, up to 93%, with excellent light transmittance and light soft.

Acrylic sheet is a plexiglass processed through a special process. It has strong hardness, good material, radiation protection, and good light absorption effect. With the development and widespread application of optical technology, it has gradually been widely used in industrial manufacturing and modern home life. middle. Moreover, acrylic materials have large sales volume and high recognition in the market.

PMMA has the advantages of being light, cheap, and easy to form. Its forming methods include casting, injection molding, machining, vacuum forming, etc. Injection molding, in particular, can be produced in large quantities with simple process and low cost. Therefore, its application is becoming more and more widespread, and it is widely used in instrument parts, automobile lights, optical lenses, transparent pipes, etc.

Why is Acrylic Sheet Suitable for Thermoforming?

Appearance

From the appearance point of view, acrylic sheets have the same transparency as crystal, with good light transmission effect, which can reach more than 93%. In the design and manufacturing process, many different colors can be customized according to requirements.

The dye effect is good. After a long period of There is no possibility of color fading after use. Only with good quality can it be widely promoted and used in the decoration process.

Good Processing Performance

It has excellent heat resistance. Generally speaking, the surface of its acrylic sheet has the advantage of very good resistance to high temperatures after encountering high temperatures. Of course, for different size ranges, they all need to be processed before they can be installed.

Its processing performance is relatively strong, and the quality and performance are the same as before processing. At the same time, it has good toughness and no defects will appear during the processing, the outdoor service life is about 5-10 years, and the color remains as new during use.

Production Process

In terms of the production process of acrylic sheets, there are mainly two types: casting type and extrusion type. The hardness and toughness of the sheet are improved through hot processing technology. This is why at the current stage, acrylic panels installed outdoors will not have any quality problems after a long period of weathering.

Therefore, the emergence of this new sheet material can have unique technical advantages from this process and form its own characteristics at the current stage.

Cast Plate: Higher molecular weight, excellent stiffness, strength and excellent chemical resistance. Therefore, it is more suitable for processing large-sized sign plaques, and the softening process takes a relatively long time.

This sheet is characterized by small batch processing, unmatched flexibility in color system and surface texture effects by other products, and complete product specifications, suitable for different needs.

Extruded plate: Compared with cast plate, extruded plate has lower molecular weight and weaker mechanical properties, but has higher flexibility, which is beneficial to bending and thermoforming processing, and its softening time is shorter. When processing larger-sized sheets, it is beneficial to various rapid vacuum forming.

At the same time, the thickness tolerance of extruded plates is smaller than that of cast plates. Since extruded boards are produced automatically in large batches, the colors and specifications are difficult to adjust, so the diversity of product specifications is subject to certain restrictions.

Translucency

In terms of appearance light transmission effect, there are mainly types such as transparent, translucent, milky white, etc. The colors are different, and the surface effects will also be different, and the visual impact is very strong.

Excellent Material

Acrylic sheet is a new green and environmentally friendly material in the 21st century. It has a high recycling rate and can be reused to make simple sheets. It has strong light transmittance. These characteristics make it play a key role in the decoration process.

Ⅲ. Application of Acrylic Thermoforming Products

In terms of engraving, decoration, handicraft production, advertising signs, light boxes, etc. PMMA has the advantages of being light, cheap, and easy to form.

Therefore, its application is becoming more and more widespread, and it is widely used in instrument parts, automobile lights, optical lenses, transparent pipes, etc.

In construction, it is mainly used in lighting bodies, roofs, sheds, stairs and interior wall panels. The application of acrylic in lighting lampshades and automotive lamps on highways and high-end roads is also quite rapid.

With the construction of hotels, guesthouses and high-end residences in big cities, lighting bodies have developed rapidly. Lighting bodies made of extruded plexiglass panels have the characteristics of high overall structural strength, light weight, high light transmittance and good safety performance. Compared with inorganic glass lighting devices, it has great advantages.

In terms of sanitary ware, acrylic can be used to make bathtubs, washbasins, dressing tables and other products. Acrylic bathtubs have been widely used due to their luxurious appearance, depth, easy cleaning, high strength, light weight and comfortable use.

Acrylic is the best new material for manufacturing sanitary ware after ceramics. Compared with traditional ceramic materials, in addition to its unparalleled high brightness, acrylic also has the following advantages:

It has good toughness and is not easy to be damaged, it has strong repairability. Just use soft foam and a little toothpaste to wipe the sanitary ware as new.

The texture is soft and does not feel cold and biting in winter.

The colors are bright and can meet the individual pursuits of different tastes.

Using acrylic to make basins, bathtubs, and toilets is not only exquisite in style and durable, but also environmentally friendly. Its radiation is almost the same as the radiation of the human body's own bones.

Acrylic can be made into various fashionable products, such as leather bags, waist chains, watches, high heels, heels, hair accessories, brooches, bracelets, buttons, earrings, necklaces, rings, pendants, photo frames, etc. There are many types and unlimited development space for continuation.

At the same time, acrylic material has high processing plasticity and good surface hardness and transparent luster. It is often used by designers to match with various materials in the design of various exquisite containers to add texture and practicality to the containers, such as lipsticks and Delicate containers such as chemicals, and other daily necessities such as massagers, jewelry boxes, fans, etc.

Taking advantage of the cool feeling of acrylic material and combining it with creative design, acrylic material is perfectly presented in a variety of popular boutiques.

Acrylic thermoformed door panel series: European style, Chinese style doors, door frames, dado panels, ceilings, gussets, etc.

Acrylic thermoformed curtain boxes, window sill panels, window covers, etc.

Acrylic thermoformed furniture series: desktops, benches, countertops, shelves, kitchens (bookcases, wardrobes), etc.

Acrylic thermoformed series production of various speakers.

Processing and production of acrylic thermoformed vehicles and special-shaped decorative products for boats.

Ⅳ. Advantages of Thermoformed Acrylic Products

Transparency

Colorless and transparent organic glass sheet with a light transmittance of over 92%.

Excellent Weather Resistance

It has strong adaptability to the natural environment. Even if it is exposed to sunlight, wind and rain for a long time, its performance will not change. It has good anti-aging performance and can be used outdoors with confidence.

Good Processing Performance

Suitable for both machining and vacuum forming, acrylic panels can be dyed, and the surface can be painted, screen-printed or vacuum coated.

Excellent Comprehensive Performance

Acrylic boards come in a wide variety of colors, and have extremely excellent comprehensive properties, providing designers with a variety of choices. Acrylic boards can be dyed, and the surface can be spray-painted, screen-printed or vacuum coated.

Non-toxic

It is harmless even if it comes into contact with people for a long time, and the gas generated when burned does not produce toxic gas.

Made of PMMA acrylic thermoforming, it has the characteristics of good light transmittance, bright and clean exterior and interior, environmental protection, and can be painted. The color can be changed to produce products of different specifications and shapes according to customer requirements.

Mainly used in plastic transparent covers of game consoles, lampshades, observation instrument covers, leisure furniture hammocks, organic handicrafts, bank signboards, advertising light boxes, etc.

Ⅴ. Precautions for Acrylic Thermoforming Production

General acrylic will undergo thermal deformation at about 100 degrees Celsius, so you must pay attention to this temperature when using it, and if it is to be used continuously, the temperature cannot be higher than 90 degrees.

When acrylic thermoformed products become blurry or unclean due to slight scratches or dust adsorption due to static electricity, you can use 1% soapy water to wipe them clean with a soft rag.

The hardness of the thermoformed surface is comparable to that of aluminum, so care should be taken to avoid scratching the surface when using or processing acrylic. If it is accidentally scratched, it will need to be restored by polishing.

When installing acrylic products, thermal expansion and contraction must be taken into consideration, and there must be a space for expansion and contraction during assembly.

If the preliminary processing work is not done well, the acrylic thermoformed product will also be deformed at the moment of demoulding, and the quality of the deformed product will inevitably be affected. In order to avoid similar problems from happening again, we must develop corresponding solutions to this problem.

In order to prevent deformation after pressure forming is demolded, the operator is first required to check the temperature of the cooling water, and at the same time adjust the water volume of the nozzle to meet the specified range. Secondly, the wind direction at each location must be adjusted to find the most suitable forming pressure for acrylic thermoforming production.

In addition, when demoulding, try to use the pressure of vibrating the upper mold to force smooth demoulding. If the air volume at the bottom can be appropriately increased, it will also be helpful to ensure the quality of acrylic thermoformed products. If these cannot solve the problem, the only way to overcome the deformation problem is to re-make the upper mold.

Conclusion

With the continuous advancement of social science and technology and the continuous improvement of process technology, acrylic thermoforming will have broader market prospects and application prospects in the future. Its future development trends include the following aspects:

1. Continuous improvement of creativity: As people pay more and more attention to personalization, acrylic thermoforming will use more creativity to create more unique products through different processes and materials.

2. More environmentally friendly and energy-saving: When making acrylic thermoforming products, low-carbon, environmentally friendly, and energy-saving methods will be increasingly used to achieve a greener production environment.

3. Upgrading of materials: As people pay more and more attention to health and environmental protection, acrylic blister materials will increasingly use healthy, environmentally friendly and safe materials, and improve the performance indicators of the materials through technical means.

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What is the Difference Between PC and PVC in Thermoforming?

Thermoforming is a versatile manufacturing process allowing manufacturers to mold thin and heavy gauge materials.The main principle is to heat and soften the flat hard plastic sheet, then use vacuum adsorption on the surface of the mold, and then form it after cooling. It is widely used in plastic packaging, lighting, advertising, decoration and other industries. Generally divided into heavy gauge thermoforming and thin gauge thermoforming.

Thermoformed products are processed with thermoplastic materials. The product production principle is to heat and soften the flat plastic hard sheet material, then adsorb it to the surface of the mold with vacuum, and then cool it into shape.

Thermoformed products are widely used in the electronics, electrical appliances, and food industries. , hardware tools, cosmetics industry, toy industry, daily necessities industry, medicine, health care products, automobiles, stationery, cultural and sports supplies and other categories of industries.

Plastic thermoforming materials usually use thermoplastic plastics, and common ones include polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polycarbonate (PC), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), thermoformed acrylic(PMMA), polyethylene terephthalate(PET), polyethylene terephthalate glycol(PET-G), high molecular weight polyethylene etc. Different plastic materials have different properties and application areas.

This article will delve into the complexity and artistry of vacuum forming, pressure forming, focusing on a comparison of two common thermoplastic sheets, PC (polycarbonate) and PVC (polyvinyl chloride).

The Difference between PC and PVC Material

Raw Material

The components of PVC material are mostly polyvinyl chloride, which is a general-purpose plastic.

The components of PC material are mostly carbonate-based, which are engineering plastics.

Property

PC material has the advantages of high strength, good transparency, and good impact resistance; relatively speaking.

PVC material is softer, has average transparency, and has inferior mechanical properties to PC material.

Prices

PVC materials are cheaper, typically only half to a quarter of the price of PC materials.

Application

PC can be used as door and window glass, and PC laminates are widely used in protective windows in banks, embassies, detention centers and public places, as well as in aircraft cabin covers, lighting equipment, industrial safety baffles and bulletproof glass.

PVC materials are mostly used in the construction industry, packaging and other industries. For example, PVC materials can be used to make PVC pipes. PVC pipes have the advantages of easy construction, good corrosion resistance, low fluid resistance, good compressive strength, and long service life. We also It can be subdivided into different types such as drainage pipes, wiring pipes, medical pipes, etc. according to their uses.

Transparency

PC has high transparency, similar to glass, and can be used to make transparent plastic parts such as eyeglass frames and bottles.

In contrast, PVC has poor transparency and is usually translucent or milky white. Many plasticizers can be added to PVC, and after adding them, soft PVC can be added.

Chemical Stability

PVC has stable chemical resistant properties and is highly resistant to oxidants, reducing agents and strong acids. However, it can be corroded by concentrated oxidizing acids such as concentrated sulfuric acid and concentrated nitric acid.

It is also soluble in ethers, ketones, chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons and aromatic hydrocarbons. Organic solvents

PC has certain chemical corrosion resistance, resistance to weak acids and neutral oils, and is not resistant to strong acids and alkali. Dilute sodium hydroxide aqueous solution can slowly destroy it, and ammonia, amine or its 10% aqueous solution can cause it to rapidly saponify and degrade.

Mechanical Properties

PC has high mechanical strength, the highest impact strength among plastics, and can even be used as bulletproof material. This clear material forms well and is impact resistant. Its bending and tensile strength is equivalent to that of nylon, and it has high elongation and elastic modulus, but its fatigue resistance is low (less than nylon 66 ), lower compressive strength, better wear resistance (better than ABS), and small creep.

PVC has high mechanical strength, toughness and impact resistance. Its wear resistance at room temperature exceeds vulcanized rubber, and its hardness and rigidity are better than polyethylene.

Heat Resistance

PC Good heat resistance and cold resistance, wide temperature range, can be used for a long time at temperatures of -100℃-140℃, and still has certain toughness at -180℃.

PVC: Thermal stability and light resistance are poor. When it is above 100℃ or exposed to sunlight for a long time, it will decompose to produce hydrogen chloride, which will further auto-catalytically decompose and change color, resulting in a rapid decline in physical and mechanical properties and heat deflection . The use temperature is low (below 60℃)

Characteristics of PC Sheet Thermoforming

It is an amorphous plastic, and the temperatures that need to be controlled are different at different stages.

2) The thermal stability of PC sheet blister is relatively good and can be improved as the relative molecular weight increases.

3) PC sheet blister has good resistance to degeneration and good dimensional stability; but its internal stress is not easy to eliminate.

4) PC sheet blister is easily degraded when exposed to water at high temperatures, and the moisture content is required to be below 0.02% during molding.

5) Cracking may easily occur if care is not taken.

6) During the production process, the apparent viscosity of PC sheets is greatly affected by temperature and less affected by shear rate, and increases with the increase of relative average molecular weight.

7) PC sheet blister has no obvious melting point, the melt viscosity is high, and there are benzene rings in the PC molecular chain, so it is relatively rigid.

Special Processing Method for PC Sheet Thermoforming

Since the blister industry is a relatively new industry, there is currently no textbook-style process solution. We can only summarize relatively suitable processing methods through continuous exploration. In view of the process difficulties of PC material blister, including cracking due to stress, insufficient heating temperature and vacuum strength, and deformation caused by poor cooling, the industry has successively explored some special processing methods.

1) Sheet drying

In view of the fact that PC easily absorbs water, it is generally best to dry PC sheets before heating to absorb the internal moisture.

2) Control mold temperature

We must ensure that the anti-cracking ability and internal stress are balanced so that the cracking phenomenon of PC endurance boards will not occur.

3) Pay attention to molding and cooling time

It is necessary to strictly control the heating forming time not to be too long and ensure sufficient cooling time to prevent the sheet from deforming and curling.

4) Selection of blister machine

For the complex PC blister process, choosing a good blister machine is the first priority.

Characteristics of PVC Thermoforming

PVC sheet has high toughness and is not easy to burn. It will produce chlorine gas when burned, which will have a certain impact on the environment.

PVC is easy to heat seal and can be sealed with a sealing machine and high-frequency edge sealing. It is the main raw material for the production of transparent blister products. PVC sheet is a widely used and popular material.

PVC film can be divided into two types: environmentally friendly and non-environmental. It can be made into various blister packaging products such as transparent, colorful, anti-static, gold-plated, and flocked.

The main features are high transparency, good surface gloss, few crystal points, small water marks, wide use, strong impact resistance, and easy to form.

The products are widely used in toys, food, electronic products, medicine, electrical appliances, gifts, cosmetics, stationery, etc. Product outer packaging.

Conclusion

In conclusion, PC sheets and PVC sheets each have their own advantages and their disadvantages, and which one is better mainly depends on the specific use occasions and customerneeds. If you are more care about plastic part's performance and quality (such as temperature resistance, toughness, transparency), you may want to choose PC sheets. If you pay more attention to no pollution or low-cost needs during production process, then PVC may be a better choice.

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What is Thermoforming Machine?

Thermoforming machine is a machine that heats and softens plastic sheet materials, and then adsorbs them on the surface of the mold to form the desired product. It is widely used in the plastic manufacturing process. With the development of science, technology and modern industry, vacuum forming machines are constantly innovating and improving to adapt to market demand.

At present, the thermoforming machine plays a vital role in the production process of plastic products. It has the advantages of low cost, simple operation, and high production efficiency, so it is widely used in daily necessities, industrial products, electronic products and other industries.

As people's awareness of environmental protection increases, the development of thermoforming machines also pays more and more attention to environmental protection and energy saving. Many new thermoforming machines use energy-saving motors and automatic control systems to reduce energy consumption and operating costs. This article will take you to explore more knowledge about pressure forming equipment.

Ⅰ. Thermoforming (Vacuum Forming / Pressure Forming)

Thermoforming Principle

Thermoforming process is a plastic sheet (plate) forming processing technology, which is one of the plastic secondary processing industrial technologies. It is different from one-time processing processes such as injection molding and extrusion. It does not heat mold the plastic resin or particles or continuously mold the same cross-section with the mouth mold. Instead of using machine tools, cutting tools and other mechanical processing methods to cut a part of the plastic material to obtain the required shape and size, it is to heated plastic sheet (plate) and use molds, vacuum pressure to make the sheet (plate) The material is deformed to achieve the final shape and size, supplemented by supporting processes to achieve the application purpose.

There are several thermoforming methods used in actual production, and the most basic ones are six: differential pressure forming, overmolding, plunger-assisted molding, vacuum forming, countermolding, and twin sheet forming.

Thermoforming Features

1. Product specifications are highly adaptable. Thermoforming can be used to produce various products of extra large, extra small, extra thick, and extra thin. The thin gauge thermoforming sheet thickness can be as thin as 1-2mm, or even thinner, and the thick gauge thermoforming sheet can be as thick as 20mm. The product area can be as large as 10 square meters or as small as a few square millimeters.

2. Products are widely used in daily necessities vacuum forming packaging, small hardware thermoforming packaging, automotive supplies thermoforming packaging, electronic product thermoforming packaging, food thermoforming packaging, cosmetic thermoforming packaging, computer peripheral equipment thermoforming packaging, toy thermoforming packaging, thermoforming packaging for sporting goods, thermoforming packaging for stationery, etc.

3. Low equipment investment.

4. Mold manufacturing is convenient (including plaster molds, copper molds, aluminum molds, etc.).

5. High production efficiency, saves raw and auxiliary materials, is light in weight, easy to transport, has good sealing performance, and meets the requirements of environmentally friendly green packaging. It can pack any special-shaped products, and no additional buffering materials are needed for packaging. The packaged products are transparent and visible, beautiful in appearance, easy to sell, and suitable for mechanized and automated packaging, which facilitates modern management, saves manpower, and improves efficiency.

Ⅱ. Thermoforming Machine

Thermoforming Machine Principle

Thermoforming machine is a machine that absorbs heated and plasticized thermoplastic plastic rolls such as PVC, PE, PP, PET, HIPS, etc. into various shapes of advanced packaging and decoration boxes, frames and other products.

Principle of thermforoming machine: thermoforming is also called thermoplastic molding. This forming process mainly uses the vacuum suction generated by a vacuum pump to heat and soften thermoplastic plastic sheets such as PVC, PET, PETG, APTT, PP, PE, and PS. Process materials into various shapes of vacuum films, thermoformed trays, blisters, etc.

Thermoforming Machine Structure

Thermoforming equipment includes clamping systems, heating systems, vacuum and compressed air systems, and forming molds.

The main structure of thermoforming machine is composed of feeding, pulling, upper and lower electric heating furnaces, lower gate, multi-functional adjustable size, lower mold plate, upper mold, upper gate, knife gate, slicing, releasing and vacuum device, etc. constitute. The pneumatic device is the main power source, and the puller and feeder adopt electric, reducer, time relay, intermediate relay, travel switch and other electrical appliances to form a fully automatic control system.

The requirements for the control system of thermoforming machine are to ensure easy operation, high precision in mechanical action and temperature control, short production time, and save the power consumption of the machine as much as possible under the same production conditions.

Application

Plastic packaging industry: thermoforming packaging, plastics, batteries, toys, gifts, hardware, home appliances, electronics, stationery, decoration.

Food packaging industry: fast food boxes, fruit trays, biscuit boxes.

Pharmaceutical industry: pill packaging, tablet packaging.

Industrial cooling tower cooling water deflector, etc.

Manufacturing industries such as decorative three-dimensional relief patterns, plastic ceilings, wall panels, automotive materials, and sanitary equipment.

Suitable for producing sheets of various colors: polyethylene PS, polyvinyl chloride PVC, plexiglass, ABS, polymethylmethacrylate. Flocking sheet. Environmentally friendly sheets APET, PET, PP, etc. Photodegradable materials. Biodegradable materials and other plastic products.

Ⅲ. Composition and Function of Thermforoming Equipment

Clamping Device

When the plastic sheet is formed, the sheet is held in place on a clamping device. Clamping devices that facilitate the fixation of sheets of various sizes are often used on general-purpose and composite thermoforming machines. Some have the entire molding machine equipped with a clamping frame.

Clamping devices can be divided into two categories: one is frame type and the other is split type. The frame-type clamping device consists of upper and lower frames. The sheet is sandwiched between two frames. When the frame is open, the lower frame generally remains fixed.

The lower part of the upper frame of various types of single-station molding machines is directly fixed on the molding chamber. Manual and semi-automatic molding machines for loading parisons and removing finished products by hand, when the frame size is large, are equipped with safety operating devices within the frame opening range.

For parisons with large slippage during molding, the clamping force is required to be adjusted within a relatively wide range. To this end, two rubber-covered rollers are used to press each other with springs and are equipped with a pressure adjustment device. The clamping of the continuous pull tab forming machine is the joint action of the zippers on both sides and the front and rear gates.

It is best to use automatic control for the clamping device so that it can act quickly and help improve the quality and efficiency of the parts.

Heating Equipment

One of the main processes in the vacuum forming process of thermoplastic sheets and films is sheet heating. The duration and quality of electric heating depend on the structure of the heater, the thermal inertia of temperature heat transfer behind the radiating surface, the distance between the sheet and the heater, the radiant energy absorption coefficient, the characteristics of the heater surface and the thermophysical properties of the material. Commonly used heaters include electric heaters, crystal radiators and infrared heaters.

Vacuum System

The vacuum system consists of a vacuum pump, a gas tank, valves, pipelines, and a vacuum meter. In vacuum molding, a separate vacuum pump is often used. The vacuum degree of this pump should reach 0.07~0.09 Mpa (520mmHg) or above. The gas storage tank is generally a cylindrical box welded with thin steel plates, with an oval bottom. The capacity of the gas tank should be at least half greater than the capacity of the largest molding chamber. On the vacuum line, appropriate valves must be installed to control the narrow vacuum capacity.

The rotational power of the vacuum pump is determined by the size and molding speed of the molding equipment. Larger or faster molding speed equipment is often as large as 2-4KW. The size of the vacuum central system depends on the specific production and development requirements of the factory.

Air Compressor

The pneumatic system can be composed of the molding machine itself with a compressor, a gas storage tank, a workshop main pipeline set, valves, etc. The forming machine requires compressed air with a pressure of 0.4-0.5MPa, and piston air compressors are widely used in various vacuum forminging machines. Large spiral air compressors can also be supplied from the whole factory.

In addition to being used in large quantities for molding, compressed air is also partially used for demoulding, external cooling of the initial product, and power to control the movements of the mold frame and running sheets.

Cooling Equipment

In order to improve production efficiency, vacuum forming products often need to be cooled before demoulding. Ideally, both the inner and outer surfaces of the part in contact with the mold are cooled, and it is best to use a mold with a built-in cooling coil. For non-metal molds, such as wood, gypsum, glass fiber reinforced plastic, epoxy resin and other molds, since water cannot be cooled, air cooling can be used instead, and additional water mist can be added to cool the outer surface of the thermoforming parts.

If natural cooling is used during production, annealed parts can be obtained, which is beneficial to improving the impact resistance of the parts. Although water cooling has high production efficiency, the internal stress of the parts is relatively large.

Demoulding Equipment

Demolding is to move the product out of the mold, usually whether it is a concave mold or a male mold. In most cases, the product is close to the mold due to cooling and shrinkage, so it is demolded through a vacuum suction hole or blowing in the opposite direction.

Especially for molds with small demoulding slopes or molds with concave molds, the demoulding mechanism is used to push or vibrate the mold at the same time. Sometimes a release agent is applied to the sheet and the mold or the surface of the mold is sprayed with Teflon.

Controlling Device

The control system generally includes the control of various parameters and actions of instruments, meters, pipes, and valves during vacuum forming, finishing, and other processes. Control methods include manual, electrical-mechanical automatic control, computer control, etc. The specific selection should be comprehensively considered based on the initial investment in labor costs, technical requirements, raw material costs, production and maintenance equipment costs and other factors.

Ⅳ. Commonly Used Plastics and Properties of Thermforming Machine

Plastics can be divided into two categories: thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics according to their heating behavior. Most of the materials used in thermoforming machines are thermoplastic materials.

Whether single-layer or multi-layer composite plastic sheets (plates) used for thermoforming processing must have the following process properties:

1. Plastic memory

2. Heat stretching

3. Heat intensity

4. Forming temperature

Commonly Used Plastics for Thermoforming Machine

1. PVC. PVC sheets have low impurity content, good transparency, low price, good dielectric properties, flame retardancy and self-extinguishing properties.

2. PP. PP sheets are abundant in sources, cheap in price, excellent in performance, and widely used. Has the following characteristics:

Low density, PP is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, flammable, white in appearance and density is 0.90-0.91g/㎝³.

Good mechanical properties. PP has particularly good rigidity, elongation, and good resistance to stress cracking.

Better heat resistance.

Good chemical stability.

Transparency, good water and waterproof properties.

Easy to process and easy to use.

3. PE. PE is currently one of the most widely produced and widely used plastic varieties. It is odorless, tasteless, non-toxic and flammable.

4. PS. PS sheet material is hard, brittle, transparent, odorless, emits black smoke when burned, easy to dye and process, has low hygroscopicity, dimensional stability, and good electrical and thermal insulation.

Advantage:

High transparency and gloss.

Colorability and hygienic performance are excellent.

Excellent dielectric properties.

Excellent molding performance.

Disadvantages:

Material is brittle.

The heat resistance is poor.

Moisture-proof and poor oxygen barrier.

5. ABS. ABS sheets are opaque, non-toxic and odorless.

6. PET. PET is colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, has excellent transparency, excellent mechanical strength, wear resistance and electrical insulation properties, good creep resistance, rigidity and strength. Excellent hygiene allows it to come into direct contact with food.

Ⅴ. Conclusion

As an important force in the modern industrial field, thermoforming packaging equipment automation is gradually changing the face of traditional production methods. With the continuous advancement of science and technology and increasingly fierce market competition, in order to improve production efficiency, reduce costs, and improve product quality, the development trend of automation of vacuum forming packaging equipment has become increasingly obvious.

In short, the automation of air pressure forming packaging equipment is an important trend in future industrial development and is of great significance for improving production efficiency, reducing costs, and improving product quality. Although there are still some challenges, with the continuous advancement of technology, I believe that the future of thermoforming packaging equipment automation will be brighter.

[zetarvac]

Everything You Need to Know about Thermoforming Packaging

With the development of modern industry, packaging has gradually evolved into an indispensable part of people's daily lives. In addition to the function of protecting goods, packaging also affects consumers in many aspects such as vision, touch, smell, etc. In the production of packaging, thermoforming is a commonly used process. Thermoformed plastic packaging has also become an indispensable part of people's daily lives.

Thermoforming is a plastic processing technology. The main principle is by heated plastic sheet makes it soft, and then use vacuum adsorption to adsorb the softened plastic sheet to the surface of the female mold or poistive mold. After cooling, the desired shape is formed.

There are many forming methods used in the actual production process of thermoforming: differential air pressure forming, overmolding, plunger-assisted forming, vacuum forminging, reverse molding and twin sheet forming. Vacuum forming according to the thickness of the sheet is divided into thin gauge thermoforming and thick gauge thermoforming.

Ⅰ. What is Thermoforming Packaging

Vacuum forming packaging is a general term that uses blister technology to produce plastic products and uses corresponding equipment to package the products. Thermoforming packaging products mainly include: thermoforming, vacuum forming tray, thermoforming box.

Thermoforming packaging equipment mainly includes: thermoforming machines, punching machines, sealing machines, high-frequency machines, and folding machines. The packaging products formed by encapsulation can be divided into: slide blister card, carded blisters, double blister card, half-blister shells, clamshell blister card, three-fold blister shells, etc.

Ⅱ. Common Thermoforming Packaging

Blister Card

The thermoforming process is used to make transparent plastic hard sheets into specific convex shapes, which are covered on the surface of the product to protect and beautify the product. Also known as blister cover, vacuum cover, plastic mask. According to the different forms of the blister card, it can be divided into: blister card, double blister card, slide blister card and carded blister card.

Thermoforming Box

It is a kind of pressure forming product with a cover and a bottom. The one with the bottom and the cover connected together is called a folding thermoforming box, and the one with the bottom and the cover separated is called a bottom cover vacuum forming box.

Thermoforming Tray

Also called a plastic inner support, the plastic hard sheet is made into a plastic with a specific groove using vacuum forming process, and the product is placed in the groove to protect and beautify the product.

Flocking Inner Support

It is a pressure forming tray made of special materials. A layer of velvet material is glued on the surface of an ordinary hard plastic sheet, so that the surface of the tray has a velvet feel, which is used to improve the quality of the packaging.

Anti-static Tray

It is a thermoforming tray made of special material. The resistance value on the surface of the material is less than 10 11 ohms. Mainly used for thermoforming trays for electronic and IT products.

Ⅲ. Blister Card Packaging

According to the different forms of thermoforming, it can be divided into: slide blister card, carded blisters, double blister card, half blister packaging, half-fold blister card packaging, etc.

Slide Blister

It refers to the form of packaging in which a paper card and a transparent blister card folded on three sides are inserted together. Its characteristic is that it does not require any equipment when packaging, but it is easy to fall off.

Carded Blisters

It refers to heat sealing the blister card on the surface of the paper card coated with thermoforming oil. Its characteristic is that it requires pressure forming sealing equipment. Requirements for the manufacturing process of carded blisters packaging:

1. The surface of the paper card must be oiled.

2. Can only be PVC and PET.

Double Blister Card

It refers to the form of packaging in which paper cards and products are packaged together in two blister card. Its characteristic is that a high-frequency machine is required to seal the edges of the double blister card, which is inefficient and has high packaging costs. However, the edges are neat and beautiful, and the product has a high-end appearance. The issues that should be paid attention to are:

1. The blister card can only use PVC and PET film, otherwise it cannot be heat-sealed or the heat-sealing effect will be poor.

2. The quality of the high-frequency thermoforming molds determines the quality of the double blister card edge.

Half Blister Card

It refers to the packaging form in which the paper card and the product are packaged together with two blister cards, but the product is partially exposed outside the blister card. It is suitable for particularly long products. Its characteristic is that it requires manual scissors to cut the exposed part of the blister card, and then use a high-frequency machine to seal the edges of the double blister card. The efficiency is low and the packaging cost is high, but the visual effect is good and it can satisfy users in supermarkets. When selecting products, directly touch the demand for the product. Issues that should be noted:

1. Products that are easily stained are not easy to use this type of packaging.

2. When cutting holes in the blister card, pay attention to neat edges.

3. The blister card must be made of PVC or PETG hard sheet.

Clamshell Blister Card

It means that one side of the double blister card is connected together during pressure forming, and then folded in half to form the bottom and surface of the double blister card. Its characteristic is that instead of using high-frequency sealing edge technology, buckles are made at certain positions of the blister to connect the double blisters. If necessary, staples can be added. In terms of material selection, PET hard sheets can be used to achieve environmental protection. The purpose of the material. Issues that should be paid attention to during the plastic manufacturing process:

1. Since there is no high-frequency machine for edge sealing, the edges need to be cut with high quality on the cutting machine.

2. The tightness of the buckle should be moderate.

Ⅳ. Advantages of Thermoforming Packaging

1. Thermoforming packaging can meet the diversified protection requirements of goods and significantly improve the shelf life of goods. Printing technology. There are various soft packaging functional materials, which can not only meet the barrier properties of water vapor, gas, grease, organic solvents and other substances, but also meet the requirements of anti-rust, anti-corrosion, anti-electromagnetic radiation, anti-static, anti-chemical and other requirements. As well as requirements such as sterility, preservation, non-toxicity and pollution-free.

2. Thermoforming packaging products have a simple process and are easy to operate and use. As long as product manufacturers and packagers purchase high-quality, specific functional flexible packaging materials and equipment, they can produce their own packaging, and the technical requirements are easy to master for central printing. Flexible packaging products are easy to open and use.

3. Thermoforming packaging has relatively strong product appeal and is particularly suitable for sales packaging that requires printing technology. Flexible packaging is the most friendly packaging form printing tool. Flexible packaging material products are light, soft and comfortable to the touch, and are suitable for colorful printing. They have good information transmission effect and give consumers a sense of good reputation.

4. Save packaging costs and transportation costs with printing technology. Since most flexible packaging materials are soft and lightweight films and sheets, the packaging is close to the body, the packaging material occupies a small weight, and there is little void space in the packaging. The circulation and transportation of goods are very convenient, and the transportation cost is much lower than that of goods with rigid packaging.

5. Thermoforming packaging has relatively low resource and energy consumption and also has great advantages in environmental protection. Flexible packaging uses less natural materials, the weight ratio of packaging materials to contents is very small, and the ratio of packaging volume to contents volume is also small.

6. At the same time, in terms of the variety and quantity of resource consumption, thermoformed flexible packaging has incomparable advantages over other packaging forms. The material of thermoformed packaging is relatively light and soft, and is easy to fold and pack. The recycling, processing and transportation of waste materials of thermoformed flexible packaging can be said to be quite convenient. There are many methods of waste treatment, depending on the nature of the waste materials. Methods such as landfill, incineration, decomposition, and regeneration are adopted respectively.

Ⅴ. Commonly Used Materials for Thermoforming Packaging

The main raw materials of thermoforming packaging boxes mainly include the following:

1. PVC: PVC sheet is a widely used and popular material. The hard sheet has high toughness and is not easy to burn. It will produce chlorine gas when burning, which will cause certain obstacles to the environment. PVC is easy to heat seal, and can be sealed with a sealing machine and high-pressure sealing machine. Frequent machine edge sealing is an important raw material for the production of transparent blister products.

PVC film can be divided into two types: environmentally friendly and non-environmentally friendly. It can be made into various blister packaging products such as translucent, colorful, anti-static, gold-plated, and flocked. Its characteristics are high transparency, good surface gloss, few crystal points, and water content. It has small grain, wide application, strong impact resistance, and is easy to shape.

The products comply with the US FDA and Japanese PL food hygiene standards. The products are widely used in toys, food, electronic products, medicine, electrical appliances, gifts, cosmetics, stationery and other products. Outer packaging.

2. PS: PS hard sheets have low density, poor toughness, and are easy to burn. When burned, they produce styrene gas (a harmful gas), so they are also used to produce various industrial blister trays. Therefore, it is also used to produce various industrial blister trays.

3. PP: PP has good heat resistance and chemical stability, and is suitable for food packaging that requires high-temperature sterilization. It has the characteristics of light weight, bright and quiet surface, good heat resistance, high mechanical strength, excellent chemical stability and electrical insulation, and non-toxicity.

4. PET (polyethylene terephthalate): PET sheet is a new material that has developed in recent years. With its excellent toughness, high strength, high transparency, and recyclability, PET sheet does not produce harmful substances when burned. Due to the excellent environmental performance of the gas, PVC is gradually banned as an environmentally friendly material, and is greatly favored by consumers and producers, but the price is high.

Suitable for making high-end blister products, blister blister shells in European and American countries also require the use of PET material, but its thermal melting point is high, which brings great difficulties to high-frequency packaging. In order to solve this problem, people composite the surface of PET. A layer of PVC film is named PETG, but the price is higher. Mainly used in electronics, food, toys, color box windows, collar supports, footwear packaging, etc.

5. PETG: Also called GPET sheet, it is made of a non-crystalline PET resin modified with cyclohexanediol. The biggest advantages of PETG sheets are good heat sealing performance, easy operation during sealing, good sealing effect and easy glue bonding.

At the same time, its chemical resistance, optical properties, and scratch resistance are also very good. PETG has passed the US FDA's food contact standards and can be used in food and personal health product packaging, medical and health equipment and food, and can also be used in electronic device packaging.

6. GAG three-layer composite sheet: GAG is a three-layer composite sheet produced by co-extrusion of the middle layer APET and the upper and lower layers of PETG raw materials in an appropriate proportion. It is specially suitable for packaging that requires high-frequency heat sealing and glue bonding. box.

Ⅵ. Application of Thermoforming Packaging

1. For packaging hardware spare parts, electronic components, modules, module PC boards, etc., this thermoforming packaging can be made of four different materials according to different requirements. These products generally need to be stored in categories, so they need a packaging box that is strong, beautiful and easy to identify. Thermoforming packaging boxes can be produced using PVC, PS, PP, flocking, conductive and other materials according to different requirements.

2. For digital products, electronics, and toys, this is usually a transparent thermoforming packaging made of PVC or PET. Thermoforming packaging boxes have very high transparency and can clearly display products, so they are widely used in digital products, toys and other industries.

3. Thermoforming packaging made of PET and PVC has high transparency and good surface gloss. The products are widely used in the outer packaging of toys, food, electronic products, medicine, electrical appliances, gifts, cosmetics, stationery and other products.

4. For food packaging, it is used to hold vegetables, fresh fruits, dumplings, glutinous rice balls and other frozen foods. As a food packaging product, it can also be used to package chocolate, candy, biscuits, fruits and vegetables, fresh food and other foods. This kind of packaging box is generally made of PET or PVC material, which has the characteristics of high transparency and good surface gloss.

5. Gifts, stationery and other industries: Thermoforming packaging boxes can be used to package gifts, stationery, electrical appliances and other products. They not only have a beautiful appearance, but also provide sufficient protection for the products. At the same time, vacuum forming packaging boxes can also be personalized to increase the added value of the product.

Ⅶ. Advantages of Thermoforming Technology in Packaging Production

1. High aesthetics

Thermoforming process uses high temperatures to heat plastic sheets to their melting point, and then uses suction to mold them into various shapes. The packaging boxes produced by this process are highly aesthetic and three-dimensional, which can improve the grade and brand image of the product to a certain extent, thus attracting more consumers.

2.Durable and firm

Thermoforming materials are usually made of polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and other plastic materials, which have excellent corrosion resistance such as water resistance, acid resistance, and alkali resistance. The use of pressure forming technology in packaging production can strengthen and solidify the plastic material, making it stronger and more durable, thus providing better protection for the goods.

3. Various specifications

Through the thermoforming process, packaging boxes of various shapes, sizes, and colors can be produced to meet the diverse needs of consumers. Whether it is items with complex shapes or small and exquisite items, they can get suitable packaging shells with the help of thermoforming technology, thus providing greater convenience for the promotion and sales of goods.

4. Good environmental performance

Since modern society pays attention to environmental protection, environmental factors also need to be considered during the production process of vacuum forming. Usually, thermoforming materials are recyclable plastic materials, which means that the processed waste materials can be recycled and reused, thereby achieving environmental protection purposes. In addition, the pressure forming process does not require the use of any harmful chemicals, nor does it cause pollution to the environment, and has good environmental performance.

Conclusion

The thermoforming packaging industry will become the focus of future development. In today's daily life, every industry and every field requires various plastic packaging. Therefore, thermoforming packaging will determine the high-end and low-end positioning of products. From the current market demand It seems that with the continuous improvement of consumption levels around the world, the sales trend of retail markets around the world is showing an obvious upward trend, so packaging can be said to be a big market in the next few years.

The packaging boxes produced through the thermoforming process have excellent performance in terms of aesthetics, durability, variety of specifications, and environmental protection. Therefore, vacuum forming is widely used in the packaging production of various commodities, and creates a beautiful, practical, and environmentally friendly packaging appearance for the commodities, improves the grade and brand image of the commodities, and creates greater business opportunities for commodity sales.

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What Should You Know about Thermoforming Materials?

Thermoforming is a common plastic manufacturing process method, also known as vacuum forming or pressure forming. The thermoforming process is to heating plastic sheets to a softened state, then use negative air pressure to attract the plastic sheet to the surface of the mold, and use cooling to solidify it to form.

There are several thermoforming methods used in actual production, and the most basic ones are six: differential pressure forming, overmolding, plunger-assisted molding, suction molding, countermolding, and twin sheet forming.

Thermoforming is widely used in the manufacture of various plastic products, such as packaging boxes, toys, medical equipment, automotive interior parts, etc.

Thermoforming materials usually use thermoplastic plastics. The only raw materials are plastic sheets. Commonly used sheets include: PVC, PET, PP, PS, PET-G (GAG), PC, PE and based on this, flocking sheets, gold-plated sheets and anti-static sheets. Static sheet.

Thermoforming Material Classification

Classification According to Material Thickness

Ordinary Thin Gauge Thermoforming

Thickness is 0.14-5.0mm. Mainly using PVC, PP, PS (HIPS), PET (including APET and PETG), PE, BOPS and recyclable paper trays and other materials and effects for folding, half-folding, three-folding, cylinder, folding box and other non-thermoforming vacuum forming products are widely used in industries such as food, medicine, electronics, toys, computers, daily necessities, cosmetics, and mechanical hardware.

Special Thick Gauge Thermoforming

Thickness is 0.14-8.0mm. It mainly uses injection-molded and heavy gauge thermoforming(thick gauge thermoforming) products with various materials and effects such as PVC, PP, PS (HIPS), PET (including APET and PETG), ABS, PC, PE and PMMA.

The main products include refrigerator liners, advertising light boxes, Product display stands, pet cage chassis, rear projection TV back shells and various mechanical panels can replace injection molded products. They have low mold costs (only 1/20 of injection molds), short production cycles, and short mold development time (generally as long as 3 to 5 days) and other characteristics.

Classification According to Material Type

PP

PP sheet is made from PP resin as raw material and undergoes processes such as brewing, calendering, and trimming. It has the characteristics of light weight, bright and smooth surface, good heat resistance, high mechanical strength, excellent chemical stability and electrical insulation, and non-toxicity. After thermoforming, it can be made into beverage cups, food boxes and other daily necessities.

PP is a material with good mechanical strength and chemical stability. It has good toughness and wear resistance and is suitable for making various containers, barrels, pipes, etc. PP material is particularly soft, has good toughness, is environmentally friendly, non-toxic, and resistant to high temperatures. It is often made into packaging for dining utensils or other high-temperature resistant products. However, it has poor plasticity, difficulty in processing, poor surface gloss, and the color will become lighter during processing.

Main features:

1. It can be used for a long time at 100℃ and can withstand high-temperature bacterial treatment at 121℃.

2. It has outstanding moisture-proof performance and reliable hygienic performance. It is widely used in food packaging.

3. It has excellent folding performance and can be made into stationery clips, boxes, etc.

PVC

PVC is a common thermoplastic materials with good corrosion resistance and insulation properties. It can be divided into soft PVC and hard PVC. Soft PVC has good softness and plasticity and is widely used in wires and cables, floors, hoses, etc. Rigid PVC has high mechanical strength and corrosion resistance, and is suitable for making window frames, water pipes, doors and windows, etc.

PVC sheet is a widely used and popular material. The hard sheet has high toughness and is not easy to burn. Chlorine gas will be produced when burned, which will have a certain impact on the environment.

PVC is easy to heat seal, and can be sealed with sealing machines and high-frequency machines. , is the main raw material for the production of transparent theroforming products.

PVC sheets can be divided into environmentally friendly and non-environmentally friendly ones. PVC sheets can be made into various vacuum forming packaging such as transparent package, colorful, anti-static, gold-plated, and flocked.

Its main characteristics are high transparency, good surface gloss, few crystal points, and water content. It has small grain, wide application, strong impact resistance, and is easily formed into desired shape. The products comply with the US FDA and Japanese PL food hygiene standards.

PVC thermoforming products are widely applicated in toys, food package industry, electronic products, medicine, gifts, cosmetics, stationery and other products.

PS

PS is a common transparent plastic with good flatness and transparency. Low density (light weight), environmentally friendly and non-toxic, very good plasticity, poor toughness and brittle, so it can only be made into bottom-type blister. Because it is easy to crack, this type of thermoforming should not be recycled. PS can be divided into ordinary PS and high impact PS. Ordinary PS has high transparency and is often used to make food packaging, injection molded parts, etc. Due to its high toughness, high-impact PS is used to make products that require impact resistance, such as goggles and toys.

Main features:

1. It generates low static electricity and is suitable for packaging products that require low static electricity.

2. Easy to vacuum form, and the product has good resistance performance.

3. PS sheets have nice hygienic performance and can be in direct contact with food without producing harmful substances.

4. It is easy to color and can be made into materials of different colors to produce vacuum covers of different colors.

5. Good hardness. This kind of board has better hardness than other boards of the same thickness. Vacuum forming cups can be used as cups for hot and cold drinks.

6. It complies with environmental protection requirements and can be recycled and reused. No harmful substances that harm the environment are produced when the waste is burned.

Application:

1. Electronic products

2. Food packaging (such as: beverages, candy, and meat... packaging purposes)

3. Dairy products (dairy products packaged in polystyrene sheet containers can be placed in refrigerators and will not deteriorate easily)

PET

PET has good mechanical strength and temperature resistance. It has high transparency and good impact resistance, and is often used to make bottles, packaging containers, etc. It is hard, has good toughness, high strength, bright surface, environmentally friendly and non-toxic, and is available in transparent and various colors.

The disadvantage is that high-frequency heat sealing of PET is more difficult and the price is much more expensive than PVC sheets. PET sheets is often used as an alternative to PVC by users who want high-end, environmentally friendly products. In addition, PET can also be used to make fibers, such as polycool fiber, which is used to make clothing.

PET sheet is a new material that has been developed in recent years. With its excellent toughness, high strength, high transparency, and excellent environmental performance of being recyclable and reusable, it does not produce harmful gases when burned. It is an environmentally friendly material and has been gradually banned from PVC.

There is great confusion between consumers and producers, but the price is high. Suitable for making high-end thermoforming products, thermoforming shells in European and American countries generally require the use of PET material, but its thermal melting point is high, which brings great difficulties to high-frequency packaging.

In order to solve this problem, people laminate on the surface of PET. A layer of PVC film is named PETG, but the price is higher. Mainly used in electronics, food, toys, color box windows, collar supports, footwear packaging, etc.

PET hard sheets have good toughness, high transparency, are easy to burn, and do not produce harmful gases when burning. They are environmentally friendly materials, but are expensive and are suitable for high-end thermoforming products.

Thermoforming shells in European and American countries generally require PET hard sheets, but it is not easy to heated plastic sheet, which brings great difficulties to packaging. In order to solve this problem, people laminated a layer of PVC film on the surface of PET and named it PETG hard sheet, but the price is higher.

Main features:

1. It has excellent transparency and smoothness and good display effect.

2. Excellent surface decoration performance, can be printed without surface treatment, easy to press patterns, easy to metal treatment.

3. Has good mechanical strength.

4. Good barrier properties against oxygen and water vapor.

5. It has good chemical resistance and can withstand the erosion of various chemical substances.

6. Without toxic and reliable in hygienic performance. It can be used for packaging of food, medicine and medical equipment, and can be sterilized by Y-rays.

7. It has good environmental adaptability and can be recycled economically and conveniently.

8. The thermoforming performance is good, which is equivalent to ordinary PVC sheets. Vacuum forming process can be used to produce PET thermoformed products with excellent performance.

PET-G

PET-G is a non-crystalline PET resin modified with cyclohexanediol. The biggest advantages of PETG sheets are good heat sealing performance, easy operation during sealing, good sealing effect and easy glue bonding.

At the same time, its chemical resistance, optical properties, and scratch resistance are also very good. PETG has passed the U.S. FDA's food contact standards and can be used in food and personal health product packaging, medical and health equipment food and other fields, and can also be used in electronic device packaging.

PET-G is hard, has good toughness, high strength, and is environmentally friendly. It can be heat sealed with high frequency, but the cost is higher.

Advantages:

1. Good transparency, suitable for products requiring high transparency.

2. Excellent impact strength and rigidity.

3. Excellent processability. It can be processed by sawing, die-cutting, drilling and laser cutting. It can also be cold-bent and hot-bent, adhered, welded and polished, printed and painted, and the cold-bending does not turn white and has a bright appearance.

4. Good thermoformability, can be formed without preheating, high precision, good deep formability, no cracking and uniform thickness.

5. Low flammability, good fire resistance, no combustion support, low smoke production, no harmful substances after burning.

GAG Three-Layer Composite Sheet

GAG is a three-layer composite sheet produced by co-extrusion of the middle layer of APET and the upper and lower layers of PETG raw materials in appropriate proportions. It is especially suitable for packaging boxes that require high-frequency heat sealing and glue bonding.

Advantages:

1. Good transparency, the transparency can reach more than 90%, and the texture is good. It is suitable for products requiring high transparency.

2. Excellent impact strength and rigidity, the material is hard and durable, and suitable for high impact strength applications.

3. Excellent processability. It can be processed by sawing, die-cutting, drilling and laser cutting. It can also be cold-bent and hot-bent, adhered, welded and polished, printed and painted, and the cold-bending does not turn white and has a bright appearance.

4. It has good thermoformability and can be formed without preheating. It has high precision and a shrinkage rate of about 0.5%. Good deep formability, no cracking and uniform thickness.

5. Environmentally friendly, recyclable and does not pollute the environment.

6. Excellent food hygiene, the material is PETG, which can comply with all major food regulations, such as FDA or BGA, etc., and is suitable for food container packaging

7. It has good fire resistance, does not support combustion, produces low smoke, and has no harmful substances after burning.

PC

PC is a material with excellent mechanical properties and transparency. It has high strength, high temperature tolerance and wear resistance, and is suitable for making high-demand products such as auto parts, optical discs, and mobile phone cases.

PE

PE is a common thermoplastic material with good toughness, impact resistance and corrosion resistance. It can be divided into high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and has a wide range of applications.

High-density polyethylene is mainly used to make water bottles, containers, food packaging bags, etc., while low-density polyethylene is mainly used to make plastic bags, films, and stretch films.

How to Choose Thermoforming Materials?

Thickness

The thickness of the blister material affects its ability to withstand pressure and its durability. Generally speaking, the greater the thickness, the better the quality and the higher the price.

Material

There are many kinds of blister materials, such as PET, PP, PVC, etc. Different materials have different characteristics and usage scenarios, and they need to be selected according to actual needs.

Appearance Condition

The appearance of blister materials is also a purchasing factor. You need to choose products with good transparency and flawless products.

Size

The size of the blister material needs to be selected according to actual needs to ensure that the product can be completely wrapped.

Environmentally Friendly Features

When choosing blister raw materials, environmental protection characteristics should be one of the priority factors. Environmentally friendly materials refer to materials that are eco-friendly, sustainable, and do not cause pollution to the environment or cause less pollution. In this regard, PLA biodegradable material is one of the most environmentally friendly materials currently on the market. It is recyclable and degradable and can effectively reduce the environmental pollution caused by plastic waste.

Cost Factor

The cost of environmentally friendly materials is relatively high, which is also a factor that many companies consider when choosing blister raw materials. Therefore, in addition to environmentally friendly properties, there is also a cost factor to consider. Generally speaking, the price of PP blister raw materials is relatively low, while the price of PLA biodegradable materials is relatively high, but when it comes to achieving sustainable investment, it is still very important to choose environmentally friendly materials.

Performance Characteristics

In addition to cost and environmental protection characteristics, the performance characteristics of blister raw materials are also one of the important factors in selection. For example, in some situations where thermal insulation or thermal insulation is required, EPE polyethylene foam is the first choice, while in some situations where transparency and hardness are required, PS plastic is more suitable.

Plasticity

Plasticity is also one of the important factors in choosing blister raw materials. Materials with better plasticity can better adapt to the shapes and sizes of various thermoforming products, and can ensure the beauty and accuracy of the product's appearance.

Conclusion

Thermoforming materials have good physical and chemical properties and can be selected according to different requirements. In different application fields, thermoforming materials can meet various needs and are widely used in various industries and fields.

At the same time, the selection of thermoforming raw materials should also take into account various factors such as environmental protection characteristics, cost factors, performance characteristics and plasticity.

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Say goodbye to the hassle of searching for different process suppliers. At Zetar, our mission is to make your life easier by handling every aspect of your vacuum forming projects. From initial concept drawings to mass production, post-processing, and logistics, we've got you covered. Our dedicated consultants will keep you informed every step of the way, ensuring a seamless and stress-free experience. Trust us to manage all the nitty-gritty details, so you can sit back, relax, and focus on what matters most – your business.

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What are Mold Material Used in Thermoforming Process?

Vacuum forming often referred to as thermoforming, is a plastic processing technology, the main principle is to spread the plastic hard sheet heating and softening, using vacuum adsorption on the surface of the mold, after cooling molding, widely used in plastic packaging, lighting, advertising, decoration and other industries.

There are several thermoforming methods used in actual production, and the most basic ones are six: differential pressure forming, overmolding, plunger-assisted molding, suction molding, countermolding, and twin sheet forming.

What is Thermoforming Mold?

Thermoforming mold, refers to the mold used in the production of thermoforming, the lowest cost is plaster mold, followed by electroplated copper mold, the most expensive is aluminum mold. The molds are drilled with small holes for vacuum adsorption of thermoformed hard film to form the thermoforming product.

Thermoforming mold is a plastic plate, sheet as raw material molding some of the simpler plastic products of a mold, the principle is to use the vacuum method or compressed air molding method so that the plastic sheet fixed in the concave or convex mold in the case of heating and softening of deformation and affixed to the cavity of the mold to get the required molded products, mainly used in a number of daily necessities, food, toys, packaging products production aspects. Thermoforming molds for molding pressure is low, so the mold material is mostly cast aluminum or non-metallic materials manufacturing, structure is relatively simple.

Vacuum forming mold is an indispensable part of the thermoforming process, its role is to make the thermoplastic sheet deformed into the product desired shape under a certain temperature and pressure.

Vacuum forming molds are mainly composed of two parts, the upper and lower parts of the mold, the middle of the general heating device and air flow control device.

In the vacuum forming process, the plastic materials sheet is firstly placed on the upper position of the suction molding machine, heated to a certain temperature, and then through suction or compressed air, the sheet is adsorbed on the thermoforming mold, and then through the role of heating and pressurization, so that the thermoplastic sheet is slowly deformed, plastic flow, and ultimately formed into the shape of the product.

Thermoforming Mold Classification

Thermoforming mold refers to the mold used in thermoforming production. The lowest cost is plaster mold, followed by electroplated copper mold, aluminum mold and steel mold. The mold is drilled with small holes for vacuum adsorption of the heated hard film to form a blister product.

Plaster mold

Plaster molds are mainly made of yellow foaming plaster powder. If have drawings, the plaster material will be made by milling machine and by hand according to the data and requirements of the drawings. If have the physical object, the mold is first completed with handmade clay. Contour, vacuum molding for vacuum cover, then re-form the plaster mold and modify the mold, it takes about 2-4 days, the plaster mold is easy to make, short time, conducive to modification The product is well packaged, low price, but low durability, easy to be damaged after a period of time of use. The transparency of the produced products is poor. It is mainly suitable for the first edition confirmation and the products with low transparency requirement of outer packaging.

Plastic Molds

Plastic molds are a kind of common molds for vacuum forming products, which are mainly made of plastic, resin and rubber. They have the advantages of low manufacturing cost, long service life, easy processing and manufacturing, but also have the disadvantages of low precision and strength. Plastic molds are generally suitable for making small and simple thermoforming products, such as tableware and toys.

Electrolytic Copper Mold

Electrolytic copper mold is polished and ready for use, it takes about 3-5 days, it is a metal mold, so it is more durable. The appearance and transparency of the products produced with this type of mold are better; the mold production price is lower, and it is widely used. It is usually The first choice mold in any situation; mainly suitable for products with higher requirements such as electronics, toys, stationery, cosmetics, automobile boutiques, etc.

Aluminum Molds

Aluminum mold manufacturing cost is relatively low, the manufacturing process is simple, but its strength and precision are not as good as steel mold. Cast aluminum molds are mainly suitable for small batch, not high complexity of the production of thermoforming products, such as handles, lids and so on.

Steel Molds

The manufacturing process of steel mold is relatively complex, but also its strength and precision is much higher than plastic mold. At the same time, the wear resistance of steel molds is also better, suitable for the production of large, complex, high-intensity plastic products, such as car interiors, furniture and so on.

Thermoforming Mold Materials

As a packaging process widely used in medical, food, toys, household and other fields, the material of the mold for pressure forming technology has a crucial impact on the quality and dimensional stability of packaging products.

Usually, the material of the thermoforming mold is selected according to the shape and size of the mold, the material of the product and its usage. The following are the most commonly used materials for thermoforming molds at present.

ABS: ABS material has the characteristics of strong, impact resistance, not easy to deform, etc. It is suitable for the production of small or medium-sized plastic products.

PC: PC material is high temperature resistant, high hardness and high rigid plastic , suitable for producing large or complex structure of the thermoforming mold, such as TV set-top box.

PMMA: PMMA material is easy to process into complex shapes, suitable for the production of high transparency or a variety of colors of products, such as cosmetic packaging.

TPR: TPR material has good elasticity and abrasion resistance, which is suitable for producing soft thermoforming materials, such as toys.

Plaster: Use gypsum to carve and shape in a semi-wet state, and then dry it to form a mold. The cost of the plaster mold is low and easy to modify. However, the precision of the plaster mold is not high enough, the surface is not smooth, and it is fragile and not durable. Therefore, thermoforming trays are commonly used It comes to proofing.

Copper: It belongs to the metal mold type, so it is more durable. The thermoforming tray produced with this type of mold has better appearance and transparency. Molds are relatively cheap to make and have a wide range of uses. They are the most common molds and are mainly used in industries such as cosmetics, food, toys, electronics and hardware.

Aluminum Alloy: Aluminum alloy is another commonly used material for vacuum forming molds, with light weight, corrosion resistance, good thermal conductivity, etc. It is suitable for making small and medium-sized air pressure forming molds. Aluminum alloy for making thermoforming molds can greatly reduce the production cost, and the processing difficulty is relatively low.

Resin: Resin, also known as thermoplastic, is another commonly used material for making thermoforming molds. Resin has the characteristics of short molding cycle, high strength and good stability, which is suitable for making small and complex thermoforming molds.

There are many different types of resin, such as ABS resin, PC resin, etc. Choosing the right resin has a great impact on the quality and efficiency of making thermoforming molds.

Silicone Rubber: Silicone rubber is a high temperature resistant, aging resistant and corrosion resistant material, which is suitable for making high-precision and high-demanding thermoforming molds. Silicone rubber molds can guarantee the quality and precision of products, but the difficulty and cost of making them are relatively high.

In short, the choice of suitable material for thermoforming molds can give full play to the characteristics of various materials to improve product quality and production efficiency.

How to Choose the Material of Thermoforming Mold?

The following factors need to be considered when selecting materials for thermoforming molds:

Characteristics of Products

The material and characteristics of the product will have an impact on the choice of thermoforming mold material.

For example, the production of high-density polyethylene terephthalate packaging products, you can choose to use ABS materials, the production of high-transparency cosmetic packaging, you can choose PMMA materials.

Mold Shape and Size

The shape and size of the mold also has a great impact on the choice of thermoforming mold materials. Usually, to manufacture complex shapes or larger molds, you can choose PC materials or metal materials.

Mold Life

The length of the mold life is also a factor to be considered when choosing the thermoforming mold material. If the mold needs to be used frequently, you need to choose high wear-resistant, high toughness materials, such as PC and TPR material.

Production Efficiency

Production efficiency is also a key factor in the choice of thermoforming mold materials. Usually, the mold production efficiency is high, need to use strong, easy to process, easy to maintain and other characteristics of the material.

High Corrosion Resistance

Many resins and additives have a corrosive effect on the surface of the mold. This corrosion will cause the metal on the surface of the mold to dissolve and peel off, and the surface condition will deteriorate, resulting in poor quality of the vacuum formed components.

Therefore, it is best to use corrosion-resistant materials, or perform chrome plating or cymbal nickel treatment on the mold surface.

Good Wear Resistance

The gloss and precision of the surface of the plastic product are directly related to the wear resistance of the mold surface. Especially when glass fiber, inorganic fillers and certain pigments are added to some plastics, they will work with the plastic melt in the runner and mold.

The flow in the cavity will cause great friction on the surface of the mold. If the material is not wear-resistant, it will wear out quickly, causing damage to the quality of the plastic parts.

Good Dimensional Stability

During thermoforming process, the temperature of the sheet and mold must reach above 300°C. For this purpose, it is best to use tool steel that has been properly tempered (heat-treated steel).

Otherwise, it will cause changes in the microstructure of the material, resulting in changes in mold dimensions.

Easy to Process

Some steel mold parts have complex structural shapes. In order to shorten the production cycle and improve efficiency, the mold materials are required to be easy to process into the shape and accuracy required by the drawings.

Good Polishing Performance

Thermoforming products usually require good gloss and surface condition, so the roughness of the mold surface is required to be very small. Therefore, usually the mold must undergo surface processing, such as polishing, grinding, etc. Therefore, the materials selected for mold making should not contain rough impurities and pores.

Little Affected by Heat Treatment

In order to improve the hardness and wear resistance, the mold is generally heat treated, but this treatment should make the dimensional changes very small. Therefore, it is best to use high temperature grade material.

Heavy Gauge Thermoforming Machine Model and Mold Selection

Important factors that usually determine the choice include molds, products, plastic types and output requirements. Therefore, the following information must be collected or possessed before making a choice:

Product dimensions (length, width, height).

The wall thickness of the product.

Type and quantity of products used.

After obtaining the above information, you can follow the following steps to choose a suitable thick sheet blister machine:

1. The maximum external dimension of the product determines the wellhead size of the machine. If the molding area is less than 1.5 square meters, a small thickness machine should be selected. If the molding area is between 1.5 and 3.7 square meters, a large thickness machine should be selected. If the molding area is above 3.7 square meters, a large thickness machine should be selected. , as described in the above model classification.

2. If the wall thickness of the product is between 1.5-2mm, and the stretch ratio of the product (ratio of average dimensions of height/length + width) is greater than 1, a double-layer heating model should be selected. If it is less than 1 , choose a single-layer heating model.

If the wall thickness of the product is below 1.5mm, no matter how large the stretch ratio is (of course products with a stretch ratio exceeding 1.5 are not suitable for blister molding), then a single-layer heating model can be used.

If the wall thickness of the product is above 2mm and the draw ratio is below 0.5, a single-layer heating model should be selected. If the draw ratio exceeds 0.5, a double-layer heating model should be selected.

3. If you choose according to the type and quantity of the product, if the product is relatively single and the quantity is large, and the annual output is more than 60,000-80,000, then a double-station or multi-station model should be selected, such as synchronous heating and molding blister machine, and aluminum alloy molds are suitable for blister molds.

If the product specifications are large and the single quantity is small, it is suitable to choose a single station, and the heating unit can be controlled by one, the pressing frame and the supporting plate can all be used. A model that is easy to adjust and change molds is better. Most blister molds are made of resin or bakelite.

Conclusion

The choice of thermoforming molds has a great impact on the quality of products and production efficiency and other aspects, the correct choice of materials can improve production efficiency and product quality.

Thermoforming mold selection needs to be based on specific product requirements, cost and production batch and other factors for comprehensive consideration.

In the selection of mold materials, according to the size, shape, use, production and other factors to ensure that the production efficiency and product quality.

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What is Heavy Gauge Thermoforming?

Thermoforming is a plastic processing technology, the main principle is to spread the hard plastic sheet heated to soften, the use of vacuum adsorption will be softened sheet adsorption on the surface of the mold, after cooling the molding technology.

Vacuum forming is widely used in plastic packaging, lighting, advertising, decoration and other industries.

With the continuous development of science and technology, the manufacturing industry is also constantly innovating and progressing. Among them, thermoforming plastics process, as an emerging manufacturing technology, is gradually becoming the new trend of the future manufacturing industry.

Vacuum forming according to the thickness of the sheet is divided into thin gauge thermoforming and heavy gauge thermoforming, this article we will focus on thick gauge thermoforming.

Principle of Heavy Gauge Thermoforming

Heavy gauge thermoforming refers to the use of material thickness of more than 2mm, can not be in the fully automatic tool on the thermoforming machine, must be used in heavy gauge thermoforming semi-automatic thermoforming machine for processing and production. light gauge thermoforming, the thickness of the plastic is 1.5 mm or less and is usually roll fed into the thermoforming machine.

Thick piece of pressure forming machine is a plastic sheet as raw material, through the vacuum forming process to produce plastic parts of the key process equipment, it is a thermoplastic material plastic sheet as raw material, through the oven heated to a softening temperature, and then through the plastic sheet and the mold between the plastic sheet and the key process equipment.

It takes thermoplastic plastic flat sheet as raw material, heated to softening temperature by oven, and then through the negative pressure of vacuum between plastic sheet and mold, the plastic sheet in thermoplastic state is adsorbed on the working surface of the mold and then cooled to form.

Difference Between Heavy Gauge Thermoforming and Thin Gauge Thermoforming

Different Materials

Heavy gauge thermoforming is generally used ABS, HIPS, etc.. Thin gauge thermoforming commonly used materials for PVC, PET, PP, PS, PETG, etc..

Material thickness is different, heavy gauge thermoforming industry need to use the material is sheet, that is, plate, 1-15mm thick, and light gauge thermoforming used in the material is coil 0.2-1mm thick.

Different Uses

Heavy gauge thermoforming is commonly used in machine shells, display racks, advertisements, bases, image boards, sports equipment shells, beauty equipment shells, medical equipment shells, golf cart shells, toy car shells, turnover trays, game machine shells, refrigerator liners, light boxes and other vacuum forming products. The product thickness 1-10mm or even thicker.

Thin gauge thermoforming is generally used in electronic products, cosmetics, food, health care products, toys, daily necessities and other pressure forming products. The thickness of the product is 10-100 silk.

Different Processes

Heavy gauge thermoforming than thingauge thermoforming is more complex, on the basis of the process, heavy gauge thermoforming than thin gauge thermoforming more than a few milling edges, skeleton washing, grinding and other processing procedures.

Heavy gauge thermoforming industry cut edges and holes are CNC engraved, while the thin gauge thermoforming industry is punched with a knife mold, so the price of thick gauge thermoforming than thin gauge thermoforming is a little more expensive.

Different Machines

The machines used in heavy gauge thermoforming industry are semi-automatic thermoforming machines, which have a slow production time, while those used for light gauge thermoforming are high-speed machines, which are very fast.

Application

Heavy gauge thermoforming products are mainly used in: electrical appliance shell, automobile body jacket, pet tray, advertising light box, automobile interior and exterior, transportation, building materials, packaging, medical equipment, household appliances, education and sanitary ware, sporting goods, medical equipment, food equipment, instrument shell, lighting, refrigerator industry, air conditioning industry and home appliance parts and other people's daily life in various fields.

Heavy gauge thermoforming products can not only replace the injection molding process, saving the cost of expensive injection molds, but also replace the traditional handmade, with the advantages of advanced production process, fast speed, reliable quality and so on.

Heavy Gauge Thermoforming Materials

A variety of thermoplastic materials are used in heavy gauge thermoforming, each with unique properties for specific applications. The main materials used in thick sheet blister molding are: various colors of ABS, acrylic, PETG, PVC, PC, PP, PE, PS, etc. and a variety of modified plastics such as glossy, skinned and transparent sheets. The thickness ranges from 3mm to 60mm.

ABS: ABS is a thermoplastic known for its strong and durable properties. It has good impact resistance and high temperature resistance, making it ideal for both interior and exterior applications. In the automotive industry, ABS is used to make interior panels and instrument panels because of its strength, elasticity and aesthetic flexibility. In consumer products, it is used to produce everything from toys to cell phone cases.

PE: Chemically resistant and highly durable and cost effective. PE is available in a wide range of densities and different properties with good elasticity and strength. PE is widely used in packaging due to its ability to effectively keep out moisture and other contaminants. Its chemical resistance makes it the material of choice for containers holding corrosive substances.

PS: PS has good rigidity and clarity and is easy to work with. It provides a cost-effective alternative for scenarios where clear, rigid plastic is required. Because of its transparency and rigidity, PS is often used to produce displays and models where a clear view of the product is critical.

PVC: prized for its versatility, strength and chemical resistance.

PC: prized for its transparency and impact resistance.

PMMA: prized for its optical transparency and UV resistance.

HIPS: tough and low cost.

Production Process

Heavy gauge thermoforming and thin gauge thermoforming principle is similar, is the positioning of the plate through the oven heated to a soft state, the vacuum forming mold and its periphery to form a closed space and will be the cavity air instantly pumped away, the plate is tightly covered in the surface of the mold, cooled and shaped to obtain the product of the process.

Vacuum forming is a cyclic process, each cycle mainly consists of: loading - heating softening - blowback pre-drawing - suction molding - cooling and shaping - demolding and taking out the parts. After removing the molded part, the sheet is placed again (either received or automatically) for the next cycle.

Mold Design and Making

Different customers have specifications for their products, so plastic molds must be made before production. In this case, the molds are made from plaster of plastic molds and the molds are produced using plastic. The lower cost is plaster molds, followed by electroplated copper molds, while aluminum molds are more expensive. When the molds are made, they are allowed to dry naturally or are dried and then treated according to the specific conditions of the product surface.

Mold Installation

When the mold is completely dry, it should be placed on the upper iron plate of the vacuum chamber, then the mold should be loaded to the applicable size according to the size of the mold then the paper should be placed in a hot wood cabinet to hold it in place and process it.

Forming

Fix the plastic sheets on the mold with fixing clips, heat the ends of the plastic sheet until they become soft, then use a vacuum pump to pump out the air between the material and the mold, so that the softened plastic sheet is adsorbed on the top of the mold, and then blow the air in the reverse direction to release the product from the mold when it cools down.

Finished Product

The finished plastic components is trimmed and integrated into a product that can be sold after sale packaging.

Agvantages

The advantage of heavy gauge thermoforming is its simplicity. For businesses or individuals looking to produce prototypes quickly, heavy gauge thermoforming stands out. The molds for heavy gauge thermoforming can be made from less durable materials such as wood or epoxy, so converting prototypes to physical form is both faster and cheaper.

Heavy gauge thermoforming is particularly cost-effective for low to medium volumes. Because tooling costs are typically lower than injection molding costs, small quantities can be produced without significant financial outlay. Another advantage is the relative ease of design changes. Because molds are less expensive, modifications can be made without incurring excessive costs.

Due to the large area and thick material of thick gauge thermoforming products, their strength and durability are high and they are able to protect the integrity of the goods. Secondly, heavy gauge thermoforming products can be customized to provide a wide range of features and shapes. In addition, the production process of heavy gauge thermoforming products is relatively simple and highly efficient, allowing them to meet the demands of mass production.

The automatic molding of heavy gauge thermoforming is particularly suitable for the production and processing of large products, because it realizes the automated operation from raw materials to finished products, so the efficiency is high and the quality is relatively stable.

In thick plate thermoforming technology, a variety of additional services can be performed, such as mold design, surface treatment, processing details and supporting assembly. Through these services, the appearance and performance of plastic products can be further enhanced.

Conclusion

In conclusion, as an emerging manufacturing technology with advantages of complex shape, high production efficiency and low cost, the plastic thermoforming process is gradually becoming a new trend in the future manufacturing industry. With the continuous progress of science and technology and the continuous expansion of the application, I believe that the pressure forming process will play a more important role in the future manufacturing industry.

Heavy gauge thermoforming technology plays an important role in creating a wide variety of plastic products, while also helping to improve product quality and customer satisfaction. The proper selection of plastic materials, proper control of the manufacturing process, and the provision of additional services are all important factors in the creation of high-quality and value-added thick gauge thermoforming products.

We also continue to explore and advance, pushing the limits of material capabilities and part complexity using advanced molding technologies such as thermoforming, vacuum forming, twin sheet forming, and pressure forming.

[zetarvac]

What Product Features Can be Achieved with Vacuum Forming?

Vacuum forming is arguably one of the most prominent players on the manufacturing stage in the creative field of product design. Its potential to cover many areas of daily production and operations and its rich experience in sustainable development make it the first choice in many industries.

Whether it’s toys, medical devices or electronics, the possibilities are high for vacuum forming to play a role in creating a perfect cosmetic shape, eye-catching smoothness or functional sturdiness.

Making art and leaving physical products as evidence through prolific inventions is a complex process. For example, vacuum forming manufacturing process is a very helpful job in the production of food packaging materials, cups and car dashboards, as well as pizza boxes, jewelry and other products. Vacuum film forming is a very popular thermoforming technology in thermoplastic manufacturing that excels in this area.

In this blog post, we will try to map out the broad spectrum of the entire vacuum forming process at a local level, keeping in mind several important aspects for manufacturers, including the opportunities, features, and benefits that this great technology brings. process. We'll thoroughly analyze each step and illustrate real-life examples while hoping to diffuse the creativity required to utilize vacuum forming to realize these entirely new applications.

Understanding Vacuum Forming Process

Principle of Vacuum Forming

The principle of vacuum forming (also called thermoforming or pressure forming) technology is the process of softening a plastic sheet to the point of elasticity and then covering it on a mold. Finally, the air existing between the plastic sheet and the mold is removed through vacuum pressure. The softened plastic sheet is adsorbed on the mold and is demoulded after cooling to obtain the desired shape. The idea seems like everything is simple until you start working and discover how complicated things can get when you try to personalize it to your needs.

The key to vacuum forming is that if the forming temperature, pressure, or time is not optimal, the process may not succeed properly. Too much heat and the plastic may melt, or not enough heat and it won't form the shape of the mold correctly. The process helps ensure complex product shapes are accurately replicated, reducing overall production costs.

A Brief Overview of Vacuum Forming Process

Heating stage: The thermoplastic sheet is heated in a heating chamber and then molded to the most suitable temperature.

Forming stage: The heated sheet and softened. Next, they are placed into a forming station where vacuum pressure forms them into the correct shape.

Cooling stage: After molding, the new part is immediately cooled to finalize its shape.

Trimming and finishing: Excess material is trimmed and the finished product is ready for further processing or assembly.

Advantages of Vacuum Forming

Versatility: The process is versatile and can handle a variety of plastics and can accommodate a variety of plastic types and thicknesses.

Low mold cost: Vacuum forming molds are relatively cheaper than injection molding molds, making the process more economical for prototypes or low-volume manufacturing.

High-Quality Surface Finish: You can achieve an ultra-smooth surface finish with a smooth mold design and high-quality tooling.

Environmental Protection Advantages

People are becoming more and more conscious about environmental concerns, and modern vacuum forming is proving to be a fairly eco-friendly way to do it. The materials used are used more efficiently, the operating process requires less energy, and many chemicals are recyclable. Therefore, the advantages in terms of economies of scale are significant compared to injection molding.

Notable Product Features Achievable with Vacuum Forming

Where does vacuum forming technology stand out in product design? Here are some great features and products that perfectly illustrate the potential of vacuum forming:

Achievable Product Features

1. Complex Curves and Undercuts

The advantage of vacuum-formed plastics is not only their flexibility in shaping products, but also the ability to create products with complex three-dimensional shapes and undercuts without the complex tooling typically required by methods such as injection molding. Molded housings for drones or car interior parts, for example, with smooth tapered surfaces can be produced using vacuum forming machine (industrial vacuum forming machines, tabletop vacuum forming machines, diy vacuum forming machines).

2. Integrated Textures and Logos

Textures and logos can be added directly to the mold via vacuum forming, which ensures that the final product does not have any observable separation of these features or elements. It is widely used to create brand displays at point-of-sale or signage, embedding 3D fonts through structures.

3. Transparent and Translucent Components

Clear plastics are an inherent part of countless product designs, from protective covers for machinery and equipment to the windows of information kiosks and enclosures. Vacuum forming produces uniform, high-definition results that are ideal for these applications.

4. Seamless Large Parts

For larger products or parts, the main challenge is that industrial vacuum forming machines for creating truly smooth surfaces are very expensive. Vacuum forming can give you large vacuum formed parts that have an even distribution of material, resulting in a smooth and uniform surface finish, which is great for applications involving items like refrigerator doors or sectional signage.

5. Prototyping and First Run

First, vacuum forming is cheaper than high-cost technologies. Therefore, building product prototypes and initial production runs becomes the best technique before adopting more complex approaches. Therefore, the engineer or designer will determine whether the proposed design is feasible by conducting experiments on the prototype and save the company the cost of making any major mistakes.

6. Cost-Effective Custom Packaging

Personalized packaging can serve as an important means of advertising and attracting products, ensuring that they stand out from other products on the market. Vacuum forming can create unique packaging inserts, food packaging, trays and clam shells at a lower price than other processes, which adds to the aesthetic attributes of the product without compromising its protection.

7. Aesthetic Customization

The versatility to design and produce unique shapes is considered one of the main advantages of vacuum forming and is another advantage of the process. The process is capable of producing any texture, repeating pattern or profile desired by the manufacturer of the applied product. By using different patterns of molds or the application of textured boards, one can be creative and achieve different yet extraordinary designs.

For example, car parts, from engines and batteries to high-tech features. The plastic parts created through vacuum forming work are almost close to perfect and the dashboard looks luxurious while being able to render the texture of any material like wood grain or leather or anything, which may help the vehicle to be more innovative in terms of appearance. However, this kind of personalization is not only for aesthetics, but also enhances the user experience by incorporating brand elements, allowing for wider sales.

8. Complex Geometry Made Simple

While traditional forming methods may struggle to cope with the complexity, vacuum forming method is booming. This ability to handle complex geometries with ease while maintaining a high level of detail makes vacuum forming ideal for a variety of products, especially those with uneven shapes or undercuts that other processes may find challenging.

One example is the use of vacuum forming in the medical device industry. Specialized enclosures for complex equipment often require a high level of precision and custom assembly. Vacuum forming allows the production of enclosures with internal features and ergonomic considerations that are essential to maintaining the functionality and usability of the device.

9. Lightweight and Durable

There is increasing pressure to reduce environmental degradation and conserve resources. The biggest advantage of vacuum forming products in this regard is the lightness and strength of the products they produce. The main materials used in vacuum forming are thermoplastics that are inherently resistant, as they can be used to create products that are sufficiently strong and durable but at the same time lightweight, thus enabling lower transportation costs and less negative impact on the environment.

An example of this is the successful production in the field of electronics, which contains high-tech products and becomes easy to use. The balance of both elements is crucial, but for a device that users must travel with and wear, the issue of comfort is the biggest design priority.

10. Cost-Effective and Rapid Prototyping

Determining the stages of prototyping is very important in the development of any new product. Its lower tooling costs and shorter cycle times make it a prime choice for cost-effective and rapid prototyping of designs. This fact makes it the best choice for designing prototypes and reacting quickly to the shortcomings of the final product project, much faster than other molding processes.

Imagine a situation where a company wants to know about a product's accuracy and compliance with real-world trials before deciding to mass-produce it. Multiple prototypes can be produced using vacuum forming technology in the time required to manufacture a single prototype using certain standard methods. As a result, the evaluation process will be completed in a shorter time than would otherwise be the case and will result in earlier entry into the market.

11. Large-Scale Production Possibilities

Vacuum forming is great for prototyping, but the speed and affordability it offers also make it suitable for mass production. It is capable of efficiently producing parts of consistent quality, and its operational scalability allows the machine to meet the production needs of a variety of industries, from food packaging to the construction industry.

For ease of understanding, we can look at the application of vacuum forming in the hotel industry. From disposable cups and containers to poolside lounge chairs or more, this approach provides any type of end product that can be manufactured very quickly with short lead times and reasonable costs.

12. The Environmental Consideration

The environmentally friendly features of the vacuum forming process cannot be ignored. The vacuum forming process also reduces the weight of the final product by using less material than other processes for molding materials, and excess material can be recycled again.

The Future of Vacuum Forming in Product Design

As more technologies and plastic materials improve, vacuum forming technology becomes more effective. New heating and cooling technologies have now been developed, and revolutionary plastics and CAD systems have become available. They further push the boundaries in terms of product beauty and reliability.

3D Printing and Rapid Prototyping

The collaborative use of 3D printing and vacuum forming is a favorite among product designers. With 3D printing, complex-shaped molds can be used for rapid prototyping and cheap testing, reducing time per cycle and shortening time to market.

Smart Materials in Forming

With the advent of smart materials, vacuum forming can now produce products with more than just static shapes. Variable stiffness and self-healing materials offer exciting possibilities for dynamic product functionality and increased durability.

Sustainability in Materials and Practices

Furthermore, shifts in this technology, such as the development of sustainable materials with desired properties, are expected to be at the core of such innovations. Second, as vacuum forming manufacturers internationally strive to reduce waste generation, recyclability and reuse will become key factors to consider in the sustainable adoption of vacuum formed products.

The Intersection of Design and Forming

Over time, designers will begin to realize what vacuum forming offers them and will bring about innovation in ways that make sense and are practical. Expect to see more structural innovations and unique surface treatments in the future.

Conclusion

Vacuum forming has proven its value as a long-term technological element in an economically efficient method of manufacturing diverse products. Its competitiveness is sure to increase as industry seeks sustainable and cost-effective alternatives and technology continues to develop capabilities that give it an edge.

Additionally, vacuum forming technology can be beneficial and useful not only to new creators and designers, but also to established ones. The best creations occur when designers can see that there is a vacuum waiting to be filled.

From delightfully unique packaging to enhanced and refined prototype iterations, the vacuum forming process can serve as an image of opportunity, a symbol of the best embodiment of doubt, a sign that explains all that is possible and what is to come.

For product designers and engineers, understanding vacuum forming further enhances their skills, and since this is a never-ending change in the industry, it is their competitive advantage to win in the market. As time goes by, its applications become more and more precise, its products are used in various industries, and its impact on our daily lives becomes deeper and stronger.

The future of vacuum forming innovation may well be a distant realm, but today the garments in this realm are beautiful sheets of plastic that sparkle with charm and have the flexibility and shape to mold into decorative forms of human creation.