What Is Thermoforming?

Thermoforming is a manufacturing process in which a plastic sheet is heated to its specific pliable forming temperature—this can vary from plastic to plastic—then formed to a precise shape in a mold. To finish, it is trimmed to make a usable plastic product. The plastic sheet—also known as a “film” when referring to thinner gauges and particular material types—is heated to a temperature hot enough to allow it to be stretched into or across a mold before being cooled to its final form. A basic form of thermoforming is known as vacuum forming.

In its most rudimentary form, a small machine heats small plastic sheets and uses a vacuum to stretch them over the product mold. You’ll find this themoforming process frequently used in prototyping. In more involved applications, large production machines employ an assembly-line like process to quickly heat plastic sheets and trim the final parts. Depending upon the part being produced, this process can turn out thousands of finished items each hour.

Thermoforming is distinct from other forms of plastic molding, such as blow molding, injection molding, and rotational molding. Thin-gauge thermoforming is primarily used in the manufacture of clamshells, disposable cups, lids, and the like. Thick-gauge thermoforming, like the kind we do at Spencer Industries, is used in a wide variety of industries in products as disparate as refrigerator door liners, vehicle interior panels and fender flares, medical carts.

At Spencer Industries, we also recycle. Scrap plastic from a product run is collected and turned back into extruded sheet and used in subsequent product runs when possible.

To learn more about our thermoforming processes and how they can benefit your organization, give us a call at 1-800-467-4561 today!

What Are The Dynamics Of Thermoform Packaging?

Before we get into the dynamic applications of thermoform packaging, we should quickly go over what thermoforming is in the first place, as it will bring clarity to its widespread use in packaging.

In short, thermoforming is a process wherein a plastic sheet is heated to a temperature that makes it pliable enough for forming into specific shapes in molds. After the molded shape is formed and cooled, it is trimmed as necessary to reach the final specs of the required design.

Popular Uses Of Thermoform Packaging Technology

There are a myriad of different ways in which thermoforming packaging can be put into practice. Three of the most common applications include: trays and lids, clamshells, and blisters.

  • Trays and Lids. Trays are commonly used for items like sets of tools, boxes of chocolates, or even disposable deli platters. The lids, then, would be used to cover the trays.
  • Clamshells. Clamshells are custom-fit packages that are usually made from rigid Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC). Each clamshell will often feature a hinge (like the back of a clam), that folds over to secure a product (or products) in place, via buttons or snaps that fit together to lock the product in place. Sometimes clamshells will also have a hole at the top for hanging on a peg at a retail outlet.
  • Blisters. Blisters are custom-formed cavities, also referred to as “pockets” that are usually glued to a printed cardboard backing once the product is in place.

While there are certainly other applications for thermodynamic packaging, these are among the most popular in use today.

In Conclusion

At Spencer Industries, we leverage the experience we have accrued since 1969 in creating innovative thermoforming solutions for industries as diverse as refrigeration, transportation, UTVs, agriculture, and more.

If you have a thermoforming project in mind, give us a call at 1-800-467-4561 today. We’d be happy to put our expertise to work for yo

What Are Some Of The Best Applications Of Thermoforming?

One of the reasons that plastic thermoforming is such a popular choice is because of its ability to be used in a number of different industries with equal effectiveness. For instance, Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) and High Impact Polystyrene (HIPS) are both thermoplastics, but they have different properties, including: Mechanical Properties like elasticity and impact strength; Thermal Properties like thermal expansion; Electrical Properties like dielectric strength; and other general properties like density.

So, depending upon the end-product needs, plastic thermoforming can use about 18 different common thermoplastics to build pieces and parts that have the best characteristics for any given application. This gives a thermoplastics company like Spencer Industries the ability to create thermoform plastics for a number of different applications, including medical carts, refrigeration units, golf carts, industrial equipment, tractors, and more.

In Conlusion

At Spencer Industries, we leverage the experience we have accrued since 1969 in formulating creative thermoforming solutions for industries as varied as refridgeration, transportation, UTVs, agriculture, and more.

If you have a thermoforming project at hand, call us at 1-800-467-4561 today. Let us put our expertise to work for you!

Thermoforming Polycarbonate. What Is Polycarbonate?

This is actually a question we get quite a bit, so we thought we would address it in an post. Before we get into the process of thermoforming polycarbonate, though, let’s take a moment to discuss the characteristics of polycarbonate. To start, polycarbonate is a transparent plastic material. Its chemical conclusion is reached by combining bisphenol-A and phosgene. Polycarbonate is naturally a transparent plastic and, as a result, it is popular for vehicle head lamps and other lighting situations where transparency is critical. In addition to transparency, polycarbonate is a tough plastic that routinely scores well on impact strength tests. For that reason, it’s also frequently used in situations where a bullet-proof material is needed.

Okay, so on to the thermoforming part. We have covered this more extensively in another post. To sum up here, though, thermoforming is a process in which plastic sheets, of which polycarbonate is, are heated to a point that they form to shape by means of core and cavity. For polycarbonate, the temperature needs to be between about 300 and 500 degrees Fahrenheit. The final product should be extruded to sheets and thoroughly dried to prevent the formation of bubbles or haze.

To learn more about our thermoforming processes and how they can benefit your organization, give us a call at 1-800-467-4561 today!

How Does A Vacuum Thermoformer Work?

In short, a vacuum thermoformer works by heating a plastic sheet to pliability, stretching the pliable plastic sheet onto a mold, then using vacuum pressure to fit the plastic sheet to the shape of the mold. Different types of vacuum forming can implement epoxy tools and wooden patterns along with aluminum tooling.

Different Types Of Vacuum Molds

There are two different types of vacuum molds: male and female. When vacuum forming with a male mold, the sheet is situated over the mold. Male molds are preferred when the inner dimensions of the end-product are the priority. When vacuum forming with a female mold, the sheet is situated inside the mold. Female modes are preferred with the outer dimensions of the end product are the priority.

The Vacuum Forming Process

The process of vacuum forming involves clamping a plastic sheet to a frame and applying heat until plastic sheet starts to sag a little. The frame then seals against the mold and the application of vacuum pressure begins. When this happens, the pliable plastic sheet is essentially pulled against the mold and conformed to the desired shape. The bottom of the sag tends to conform to the mold first and usually maintains its original thickness. The plastic material that conforms to the top edges and corners, on the other hand, stretch the most and, as a result, are thinner than the original thickness. When the plastic is cooled, it is removed from the frame and trimmed as necessary to achieve the final design.

A Word About Billow Forming And Plug Assists

Because straight vacuum forming can lead to varied levels of thickness in a product, it is sometimes paired with other techniques, namely: billow forming and plug assists. Both of these techniques are implemented with the goal of creating a more consistent level of thickness across an entire product. Plug assists, it is worth noting, can be implemented with both billow forming and straight vacuum forming.

In the billow forming technique, the still-pliable plastic sheet is inflated to a bubble with about the same surface area that the end product will have. Vacuum pressure is them applied against this sheet to pull it against the mold. The effect is a product with a more uniform degree of thickness across the entire surface. In situations like this, a plug assist may also be used if the depth of the draw for the mold is particularly deep.

In Conclusion

At Spencer Industries, we leverage the experience we have accrued since 1969 in formulating creative thermoforming solutions for industries as varied as refrigeration, transportation, UTVs, agriculture, and more.

If you have a thermoforming project at hand, call us at 1-800-467-4561 today. Let us put our expertise to work for you!

The Benefits Of In-House Extrusion

Spencer Industries is vertically integrated more than any other thermoformer in the nation. We have three extrusion lines internally allowing us the ability to extrude ABS, TPO, HMWHDPE, PP, and HIPS. (Co-extrusion is also available.)

There are many benefits this brings for our customers:

  1. Reduced Lead Times
  2. Increased Sheet Quality
  3. Lowered Costs
  4. Closed-Loop Regrind Cycle
  5. Custom Colors, Textures, Caps, and Films

Contact our technical sales staff for more information!

The Benefits Of In-House Extrusion

Spencer Industries is vertically integrated more than any other thermoformer in the nation. We have three extrusion lines internally allowing us the ability to extrude ABS, TPO, HMWHDPE, PP, and HIPS. (Co-extrusion is also available.)

There are many benefits this brings for our customers:

  1. Reduced Lead Times
  2. Increased Sheet Quality
  3. Lowered Costs
  4. Closed-Loop Regrind Cycle
  5. Custom Colors, Textures, Caps, and Films

Contact our technical sales staff for more information!

Thermoforming In Hampton, SC

Did you know that we have thermoforming facility in South Carolina?

The headquarters for our heavy gauge thermoforming operations are located in Dale, IN. We also have an established facility in Hampton, SC. This has provided convenience and access for our customers in the southern states.

We feel it is important to serve our customers and, in 2008, we were able meet their needs by purchasing another facility in Hampton. When dealing with heavy gauge plastic products, logistics often becomes a point of concern. Being closer to our customers in the south has allowed them to reduce their logistic costs. We simply extrude the plastic sheet at our facility in Dale, IN, and ship the plastic sheet to our Hampton, SC facility to be thermoformed. This facility continues to allow us to be a single supplier and reduces shipping costs for our customers in the southern and eastern states.

Our thermoforming facility in Hampton, South Carolina is located just four hours away from Atlanta, GA. It takes less than 30 minutes to access I-95 from our Hampton facility. Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA are both less than two hours away from our facility, as well.

Thermoforming Emergency 911: We Need Parts NOW!

Emergencies happen for all sorts of reasons but getting your parts on time at the needed quality level requires resources. Make sure your vendors, current or potential, can move at the fastest possible speed to support your needs.

Do They Have Internal Sheet Extrusion?

  • Internal sheet extrusion puts the thermoformer in charge of sheet quality, production schedules, color conformance, and material choices that meet your needs. If your product is supported by external sheet sources, your options and/or your timing will be limited.

Do They Have Fast Tool Turnround?

  • New tooling requires a little lead time. Tooling times on new or replacement molds are critical to delivery timing: Any good supplier will have more than one tooling vendor with more than one fabrication method.
  • Tool deliveries in four weeks are common, and if needed, two to three weeks may be possible. Many thermoforming molds are cast, but when needed for tolerances or other characteristics, machined tools are also great for thermoforming. Special customizations may also drive the delivery time of a tool.
  • 24 hours turnaround on takeover and new tools. With proper planning Spencer Industries has the ability to start producing parts 24 hours after the tool has been received. An experienced in-house staff of toolmakers, across three shifts, and in-house extrusion are major assets to making best use of available time. Nearby tooling vendors are another valuable resource in overcoming issues and solving problems.

Do They Have 3D Modeling?

  • 3D modeling is a MUST HAVE! Lead times are triggered by supplying the tool vendor with the tool design or a model from which the vendor can design a mold. Look for a vendor with high-end 3D modeling, and mold design protocols for cooling lines, vacuum hole sizes and placements, and other details that gets the tool aker cutting chips faster and improves results in forming without delaying deliveries. Vendors who provide the tool design cut one step from the process. Your vendor should be totally responsible for the project, including the tool design.
  • Ability to pre-build CNC fixtures using the 3D model while a mold is being built is a major time saver. Building and adjusting fixtures in house is a significant advantage in reaching first-part trimming. A lean, streamlined vendor can put this in motion to meet quick deliveries.

Can They Provide Quality?

  • Mold and part conformance to your designs and prints are crucial determinations in making a new part perform. Repeating current part profiles when moving molds is even more important. A vendor needs the meteorology tools and personnel to measure existing parts and molds and measuring and comparing new molds and parts to the model, engineering drawing, or parts being used in production.

Of course, all the upstream preparation needs down stream capacity and your vendor should have flexible capacity to meet your needs.

If your vendor has all of these elements available for your project, even impossible timelines become more manageable.

You don’t have to have an emergency to enjoy these resources, but it is nice to know the power is there if needed.

Send us your information, and we will send you a detailed list of the resources and experience waiting make your project a success!

Thermoforming In The Central Time Zone In Indiana

Here in Southern Indiana, our time zones are so close you can drive a few miles down the road and be in a different time zone. I’m not kidding either. Take a look for yourself!

Spencer Industries Inc operates in the Central Time Zone (CST). We felt the need to clarify this, because so many people ask. We figured a blog post might be a good way to get the word out.

So, if you need a thermoforming supplier that operates near the CST, you have found your thermoformer!

To schedule a short Q&A session about our thermoforming methods and capabilities send us an email or give us a call at awesome clock for this post, even though it does say Kentucky right on it.